Jordan, Eagles hold off WR, tied with HC for first

The table was set. Warner Robins High just couldn’t get the caterer – at the last minute – to show up.

The Demons, falling 24-21 to Northside High Friday in McConnell-Talbert Stadium, faced a fourth-and-goal at the 4 with 8:07 left to play. They trailed 24-14 at the time. A field goal puts them within a touchdown of tying the game. A touchdown gives them a chance to win. They went for the win. Quarterback Ivan Corbin, this after Warner Robins first lined up and then called a timeout, fought his way in. Conner Shaw made the extra point.

Now all the Demons needed was a defensive stand. They got that, too, giving up a 15-yard run by Willie Jordan to start the Eagles’ possession – more on him in a second – but then holding and forcing a punt.

Warner Robins took it on its own 34. The clock showed 5:28. A pass to Marquez Callaway on the first play from scrimmage accounted for 10 yards. A run netted zero. A chop block set the Demons headed in the wrong direction. Three plays – a short run sandwiched between two incomplete passes – forced them to punt.

They still managed one more possession, but that came with 1:03 left to play and needing to go 87 yards to boot in order to win. Regardless, an interception on a long pass attempt ended their final chance.

The night was pretty much owned by Jordan. He came up a yard short of 250. That was on 34 carries. Six of those carries came on Northside’s first score. Jordan, as became the norm on the night, burst through the middle of the line for big gains. His first run was for 24 yards. His second 13. His third 10. His run got it to the 6 and another to the four.

Warner Robins stopped him for no gain, setting up a Justin Alonso field goal of 37 yards. All things considered, it might have been a moral victory for the Demons, who started their night and first possession with two false start penalties, two runs for very little gain, a dropped ball on a pass and a punt.

Jordan and company came right back at them on the Eagles’ next possession. It took just three plays to get in the end zone. Jordan ran for 49 yards on the first play from scrimmage. That took it from Northside’s 46 to the Warner Robins 4. Jordan was stopped for no gain on the next play and then fought his way in on the next.

The Demons, to their credit, answered in a big way on their next possession. What was a 67-yard touchdown pass to Callaway was called back – he was flagged as being an ineligible receiver. They then put together a 10-play drive for a score. It ate up nearly six minutes of clock and ended with Terry Harris fighting his way in from the 1.

Northside, however, made it 17-7 on its next possession after putting together an 11-play drive of its own. Jordan continued to be the workhorse, but some others begin to be worked into the scheme at that time. Those included quarterback Tobias Oliver, who raced around the right end for 12 yards and the score.

The game was three minutes into the second quarter by then. Warner Robins marked its time following with minimal yardage on one possession followed by a punt and then a good bit of yardage on its second, but with nothing to show for it.

Northside did likewise on one possession – little yardage and a punt – and finished out the quarter holding the ball, but still in its half of the field.

Three flags on the Eagles’ first possession of the third quarter led to a punt. Danny Hite III fielded it, made it around the left corner and raced his way down the sidelines for the score. That made it 17-14; 10:24 to go in the third.

After punts by both, Northside added its final score. Taking the ball on its own 46, it put it in the end zone in six plays. The last of those featured Oliver around the right corner again, this time going 18 yards.

That came with 57 seconds left in the third and set the stage – the table – for the Demons.

The Eagles improved to 5-1 in Region 2-AAAAA (6-1 overall), which ties Houston County High for first place. Warner Robins fell to 4-2 (4-3 overall) and faces Lakeside-Evans at home this Friday, Lakeside also 4-2 in a three-way tie for third place.

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