“Yeeeeees!!!!!”
It was the first word Ware County head coach Jason Strickland said with arms raised skyward to his top-ranked squad following a 35-0 beating Friday night of of ninth-ranked Calhoun to advance to the semifinals of the Class AAAAA state playoffs.
The unbeaten Gators, who are 12-0 for the first time in program history, will host seventh-ranked Dutchtown (12-1) with a berth to the state championship game on the line at Memorial Stadium.
“I’m as proud of this group as any I’ve ever coached,” said the fourth-year head coach. “I didn’t see a 35-0 game. I honestly thought if we held them (Yellow Jackets) to 17-20 points we would be okay. Our defense created four turnovers and gave us some short fields. At this time of the year you have to create turnovers … we also played with an attitude.
“This senior class has provided the leadership we needed to reach this point. They are a great group who has taken pride in playing at home every time they step on the grass and I expect nothing less in the semifinals.”
Dae’jeaun Dennis provided all the offense Ware County would need scoring a career-best five times. Dennis (game-high 17 carries, game-high 87 yards) scored on runs of 18, one, one, eight and 13 yards accounting for nearly half of his rushing total.
Three touchdowns came in the first half as the Gators built a 21-0 lead. The final two came in a 27-second span of the third quarter pushing the margin out to 35 points.
“It was nice to get going early after not getting off to a great job against Chamblee,” said Strickland in reference to a 7-3 deficit at intermission in the second round. I was disappointed we let a couple of more scores get away late in the half where we could have had a four-touchdown lead or better.
“We struggled some in the second half. They (Calhoun coaches) changed up and went with a six-man box and man coverage outside, but we were able to capitalize on a couple of fumbles.”
The Gators’ defense allowed the offensive unit to start seven of their 11 drives inside Calhoun territory turning four into scoring possessions. Ware County’s average starting position when taking over in Yellow Jackets’ territory was the Calhoun 29. The average for all 11 possessions was the Yellow Jackets’ 45.
Ware County started two series from nearly point-blank range with consecutive possessions at the Calhoun 13 in the third quarter. The Gators only had to go 21 yards on a first-half possession.
Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets were their own worst enemy suffering just their fourth shutout since the turn of the century covering 314 games. Calhoun’s last shutout was a 35-0 second round loss at Peach County in the 2019 Class AAA playoffs. The other two blanking came in regular season play in 2003 and 2016.
Aside from the four turnovers, Ware County gained possession five other times with fourth down stops at the Yellow Jackets’ 43, 46, own 33, Calhoun 42 and Gators’ 27. Only the first led to a touchdown.
The Gators’ “black water” defense stymied the Calhoun running game allowing just 33 yards on 20 attempts. The Yellow Jackets, forced to go the passing game, threw 31 times completing just 12 for 118 yards. The visitors went 2-for-12 on third down plays and 0-for-5 on fourth down attempts.
Calhoun’s four turnovers were equally split with two fumbles and two interceptions. Three of the miscues came on the first three possessions of the third quarter.
Trying to send an early message, Calhoun found the Gators’ not to receptive. A fake punt on fourth-and-five from the Yellow Jackets’ 43 fell incomplete. Things would not get better over the next 10 possessions.
The Gators followed with a six-play scoring drive ending with a Dennis 18-yard jaunt from the “Big Gator” alignment. William Bates converted the first of his five PATs for a 7-0 lead with 6:42 left on the clock.
On the first snap following the kickoff, Kavis Baker grabbed a deflected pass from quarterback Trey Townsend (12-of-30, 118 yards) off a Calhoun receiver returning it five yards to the Yellow Jackets’ 21. A second six-play possession followed and ended with the first of two one-yard runs by Dennis for a 14-0 lead with 4:16 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Gators followed a Calhoun three-and-out with a third consecutive scoring possession. Ware County marched 65 yards in 10 plays converting its only third-down attempt in the drive.
Four of the six plays ended with 10 or more yard gains. R.J. Boyd (13 carries, 69 yards) plowed over an unlucky safety without breaking stride for a 16-yard gain two plays in with a 10-yard run coming two plays later. Dennis raced 20 yards on a second down snap with quarterback Nikao Smith scrambling for 18 yards one snap later.
A two-yard run from Boyd on third-and-one to the Calhoun one set up a one-yard plunge from Dennis for a 21-0 advantage with 11:10 left in the first half.
Aided by two penalties (third-and-14; fourth-and-one) keeping the Yellow Jackets’ next drive alive, Calhoun moved from its own 27 to the Gators’ 48. A fourth-and-10 pass came up a yard short at the Ware County 39.
Ware County seemed poised to extend the lead driving the ball to the Yellow Jackets’ 19 with just under five minutes left in the half. The Gators fumbled on the first-and-10 play with a Calhoun defender picking the ball up around the 16. C.J. Johnson delivered a hit causing a fumble out at the 27, but an alert Yellow Jacket picked the ball up and raced another 35 yards to the Ware County 38.
The Gator defense rose to the occasion forcing an incompletion on fourth-and-five from the Ware County 33 just 3:24 before intermission.
Ware County was unable to capitalize on the Yellow Jackets’ first turnover of the third quarter at the Calhoun 34. Bates’ offing corner kick pinned the visitors at their own seven. Demetrius Baldwin pounced on a the loose ball at the Yellow Jackets’ 13 one play later.
Dennis carried twice scoring off right tackle from eight yards out increasing the Ware County lead to 28-0 with 5:35 remaining in the period.
Three plays after the kickoff, Johnson stepped in front of an errant Townsend pass returning the ball 31 yards to the Calhoun 13. Dennis scored on Ware County ensuing snap for a 35-0 advantage with 5:08 left in the quarter.
During a running clock utilized in the final period, Calhoun put together its best drive of the night moving the ball to the Gators’ 13 in the midst of a 10-play drive. The Yellow Jackets had a touchdown nullified by an illegal chop block with the final three passes from Townsend into the end zone falling harmlessly to the turf.
The Gators followed with the “victory” formation running out the final 1:30.
