In a game that featured two contrasting halves Friday night, Ware County delivered the most when it counted to rally for a 22-16 victory against Bainbridge in Memorial Stadium.
The Gators (4-0), ranked second in Class AAAAA, trailed 10-0 with less than six minutes remaining in the first half. By that time, their ninth-ranked Class AAAA visitors (2-4) had run 33 plays to just three for Ware County, possessing the ball for more nearly 17 minutes.
Insult was added to injury as the deficit grew to 16-0 when the Bearcats returned an interception for a touchdown on Ware County’s second possession of the game with less than six minutes left in the half.
The reeling Gators steadied enough to cut the deficit in half with a touchdown and two-point conversion on their next possession before blanking the Bearcats in the second half and pulling out the win with a pair of big plays — one on offense and the other on special teams.
“That was about as ugly a win a you could get, but we found a way,” Ware County head coach Jason Strickland said. “They (Bainbridge coaching stsff) had a heck’uva game plan. They caught us off guard from a defensive standpoint doing things we (coaches) had not seen on film.
“We had a hard time adjusting on the fly and that was tough on us as well as the players. You just tip your hat to them.”
At intermission, Bainbridge (2-4) had run 35 plays to 18 for the Gators, held a yardage edge of 138-85, and advantage in first downs of 11-5.
“It was nothing like everybody was losing their mind (at half),” Strickland said. “Everybody was kind of calm. It was kind of just what do we have to do to get this thing turned around.”
One of the game’s fundamentals was a key.
“We just didn’t tackle very well (first half),” the coach said. “We told the players (at half) if we don’t tackle better we’re not going to win. If we don’t get more hats (defenders) to the ball, we’re not going to win.”
In the second half, the Bearcats managed just 55 yards and two first downs. Becoming more run-oriented. Ware County had 198 total yards with 105 on the ground — 86 of that from Dae’Jeaun Dennis. The junior was involved in one of the two key plays that fueled the big second half.
He teamed with quarterback Niko Smith on a 62-yard touchdown pass off a broken play. The other pivotal play came in the fourth quarter when the Gators recovered a punt fumbled by Keenan Phillips at the Bainbridge three to set up the winning touchdown.
The Bearcats took the opening kickoff to the end zone with the help of a Gators’ penalty to sap nearly nine minutes off the clock on the 85-yard, 18-play possession. After allowing one first down, Ware County forced a punt three downs later, but was called for roughing punter Nicholas Tyre. The snap was low, giving rushers an extra second to get to him. Tyre was still able to get the ball away in the crowd before being hit.
“That was a tough one,” Strickland said. “We had’em stopped.”
Using a good balance of the run and pass from a variety of formations, the visitors converted three first downs on the way to a first-and-goal at the Gators’ two. Phillips lost a yard on first down, but covered the distance on the next snap for a 7-0 lead after Tyre’s conversion kick with 3:14 left in the quarter.
The Bearcats had the ball again just 1:33 later after Ware County went 3-and-out. Just as in the opening march, Bainbridge showed good run-pass balance to move to a first down at the Gators’ seven before stalling when quarterback Jah’Marion Smith misfired on two passes to bring on Tyre for a 21-yard field goal with 7:29 left in the half.
“That first drive took a lot out of us. It seemed like they were out there forever,” Strickland said. “We go three-and-out with no offensive rhythm and boom, the defense is right back out there. You couldn’t draw up a worse situation.”
Bainbridge used 15 plays to go 65 yards in the march, converting a fourth-and-8 play from the Gators’ 27 to maintain the possession.
“Holding them to the field goal was really, really big,” Strickland said.
Ware County got its initial first down with 6:36 left in the half on a 16-yard pass from Smith to Kasai Jones. Two plays later, however, linebacker Dontavious Broadnax intercepted Smith’s pass on a middle screen attempt and took it 46 yards for the touchdown. Tyre’s conversion kick was blocked with 5:16 left leaving the score at 16-0.
Smith recovered from the interception to help the Gators cut the deficit in half on the ensuing possession with a 17-yard scoring pass to Jarvis Hayes and following conversion run. The touchdown off a post pattern ended a 48-yard, seven-play possession with 2:49 left in the half.
Smith’s conversion run came out of a “polecat” formation, which had four players split wide on each side with three players, including the center and Smith in the center of the field. Smith faked to Hayes, who was in motion from the left, and ran it in.
“Being down just one score (at half) was not that bad considering how we played,” Strickland said.
The Gators drew closer after an exchange of punts to start the second half. On first down, Smith broke contain and, while in the arms of a defender, found Dennis alone along the sidelines with the pass. The running back was able to score with the help of a block by D.J. Loriston around the Bainbridge 15.
Hayes’ conversion run, again out of the trick formation, was nullified by a holding penalty. Smith was smothered on a pass attempt for the conversion with 8:11 left in the third period leaving Ware County with a 16-14 deficit.
The Gators completed the comeback after Phillips fumbled a punt by William Bates at the Bainbridge 3-yard line. Bates, who had used a “rugby-style” punt earlier, went with a conventional kick that came in high and spinning to Phillips.
The ball squirted through his arms and Jaden Jones outfought the returner for the recovery. Three plays later, C.J. Johnson scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a one-yard run from the “wildcat” and Hayes added the conversion run on a jet sweep for a 22-16 lead with 8:39 left in the game.
Bainbridge took the kickoff to a first down at the Gators’ 35, but Phillips was stuffed for a 5-yard loss on first down and Martin was sacked for a loss of four more leading to a punt.
Ware County sapped the final 3:54 from the clock with four first downs, three coming on runs by Dennis.
