Bowdon is the two-time defending champion and ranked No. 2 in the Class A Division II. Manchester is the top-ranked program, but it lost to Bowdon in the state championship game last season.
And it’s apparent, after convincing victories in the first round – Bowdon won 49-7 against Taylor County and Manchester beat Marion County 49-6 – that each team is dead set on a deep playoff run.
Neither was challenged.
Bowdon led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-7 at the half. In systematic fashion, Bowdon quarterback Charles Maxell III opened the scoring on a 4-yard run. Tray Wyatt added a 1-yard touchdown run to expand the lead. Maxell passed to Mason Daniel for a 35-yard touchdown. His 56-yard pass to Jonah Wilson expanded the lead. Wyatt blocked a punt and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. Maxell’s 1-yard touchdown run, and Connor Daniel’s 5-yard touchdown run put the game away and capped scoring.
But throughout the first-round competition, ranked programs performed as they should.
Irwin County moved past No. 8 Greene County 42-7 in a first-round meeting between ranked teams and will play Early County in the second round. The No. 3-ranked Indians were led by senior quarterback Luke Snyder and senior running back Shane Marshall. Snyder was 6-of-11 passing for 116 yards and a touchdown, and Marshall had 13 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Barrett, Jason Jackson and Dreek Wynn each had one rushing touchdown. Jackson caught one pass, a 63-yard touchdown from Snyder.
No. 4-ranked Brooks County moved past Washington-Wilkes 49-7 behind a career-worthy performance from its young quarterback. Sophomore Junior Burrus was 9-of-11 passing for 298 yards and four touchdowns (for a quarterback rating of 161.9, a completion percentage of 81.8 and an average of 33.1 yards per throw) to lead Brooks past Washington-Wilkes. Sophomore George Lamons Jr. had six catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns, and senior Camauri Brinson caught a 46-yard touchdown pass. Damari Baynard and Chris Cole each scored runs for Brooks County.
No. 5-ranked Clinch County trailed 22-14 after the first quarter before holding Warren County scoreless in the final three quarters to secure the 34-22 victory. The triumph marked the program’s 500th victory and the first playoff victory since the return of Jim Dickerson, who coached Clinch to state championships in 2004, 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Clinch took a 28-22 lead at the half before expanding the margin with an interception return for a touchdown with four minutes left in the third quarter.
No. 9 Metter enjoyed a 37-7 victory against Hawkinsville and will play Bowdon in the second round. Quarterback Michael Ricks was 11-of-17 passing for 148 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Kahne Brown had 20 carries for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Elijah Dickerson caught Ricks’ touchdown pass.
In some closely contested games, No. 7 Trion narrowly edged Schley County 45-40 and will play Telfair County in the second round. Trion has lost in the second round in each of the past three seasons and its best finish since the program’s 1974 state championship was a semifinals berth in 2003.
Telfair County moved to 9-2 after beating Emanuel County Institute 22-19 in a game the Maxwell Ratings described as a draw. Trailing 19-16 early in the fourth quarter, Bentavius Livingston caught his third touchdown reception of the game to lift the Trojans past ECI.
Class A Division II first-round results
Irwin County 42, Greene County 7
Early County 52, Glascock County 15
Trion 45, Schley County 40
Telfair County 22, Emanuel County Institute 19
Clinch County 34, Warren County 22
Johnson County 16, Pelham 8
Bowdon 49, Taylor County 7
Metter 37, Hawkinsville 7
Jenkins County 39, Wheeler County 14
Macon County 44, Greenville 14
Miller County 50, Wilkinson County 30
Brooks County 49, Washington-Wilkes 7
Wilcox County 9, McIntosh County Academy 0
Manchester 49, Marion County 6
Mitchell County 47, Hancock Central 12
Lincoln County 49, Charlton County 20
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