Strickland picks up 50th win at WCHS, No. 150 overall
BAXLEY — Ware County unleashed a big play offense here Friday night in cruising to a 4010 victory against Appling County in the seasonopener for both schools at Jimmy Swain Stadium.
The victory was the 150th in head coach Jason Strickland’s career and 50th at Ware County (50-12) as he begins his sixth season. Strickland won 55 games at Fitzgerald (five years), 27 at Lamar County (four seasons) and 18 at Pierce County (two season). His overall record is now 15051-1.
The veteran coach is the fourth head Gator to reach the 50-win plateau tying Ed Dudley (50-16) for third place. Dan Ragle is the winningest coach going 74-32-1 during his nine seasons. Bruce Bennett is second with a 56-42 ledger over nine years.
The Gators, ranked seventh in the Atlanta Journal- Constitution Class 5A pre-season Top 10 poll, ran only 33 plays in a game that included a running clock in the final quarter under the “mercy rule,” but 13 of them went for 10-plus yards topped by an 85-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Luke Hooks to wide receiver Jasper Bolds. Those 13 plays produced 330 of Ware’s 383 yards total offense.
The scoring toss was one of four the senior had on the night, two going to Ja’Mario Rice and the other to Ja’Londi O’Hara. Hooks completed 6-of-8 passes for 172 yards.
“Luke is playing with so much confidence,” said Strickland. “I don’t know how many times he changed the play, but a lot of those (big yardage) came from him. He’s comfortable with what we’re doing and the guys he has around him. It was good to see.”
Jamir Boyd scored the Gators’ other touchdown on a short run. Senior kicker William Bates had a field goal and four conversions. The defense added a safety while also recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass. Junior kicker Jurgen Sepulveda added the conversion following the Gators’ final touchdown.
Trey Orange led the Gators in rushing with 86 yards on six carries as one of four running backs to fill in for injured returning starter R.J. Boyd. Ware County also had three receivers run the ball.
“That’s kind of what our offense has become without Boyd,” Strickland said. “We have some talent with those guys and a lot of people are going to touch the football.”
Quarterback Dayson Griffis accounted for the bulk of Appling’s offense. The senior, who’s signed to play baseball at the University of Georgia, completed 12-of-18 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown with the interception. He also ran six times for 69 yards.
Ware County went 80 yards in five plays after the opinion kickoff to take a lead it wouldn’t lose.
Hooks hit O’Hara on a route that had the receiver motioning through the backfield from one side to the other and back to get alone in the left flat to complete an 18-yard touchdown. Bates added the first of his conversion kicks for a 7-0 lead with 9:58 left in the quarter.
A 23-yard pass from Hooks to tight end Tayshaun Franklin off similar action to the first score opened the possession. Receiver MiKhi Patterson sped 32 yards with a jet sweep two plays later.
Appling County gave the ball back two plays after the kickoff when Griffis and running back Jaiden Knight messed up the exchange for a fumble Jamar Birden recovered at the Pirates’ 20.
Hooks connected with Rice on a fade on the next play for the touchdown for a quick 14-0 advantage.
The teams then traded field goals to make it 17-10 early in the second period.
Alex Ramirez capped a 11-play, 67-yard drive with a 30-yard field goal with 1:38 left in the opening quarter for the Pirates. His kick came after Griffis was sacked for an 8-yard loss on a naked bootleg pass attempt on a thirdand- 5 play from the Gators’ five.
O’Hara returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards, and four plays later Bates negated the Pirates’ field goal with a 36-yard kick with 11:51 left in the first half.
After forcing a punt, the Gators were on the board again with their longest play of the night to make it 24-3 with 6:13 left in the half. On third-and-8 at the Ware County 15, Bolds got a step on defender Kemoni Ryals down the middle, pulled in the pass and cruised to the end zone when Ryals fell down just after the catch around the Gators’ 45.
Appling County stayed within striking distance by going 85 yards in 11 plays to score just :06.1 seconds before the clock expired to trail 24-10 at intermission.
Against the blitz, Griffis hit Jacaree Johnson in the middle of the field in the end zone on third down from the Ware County five for the score.
The Pirates converted a fourth-and-2 play at the 18 when Griffis walked out of the backfield toward the sideline like he was going to call time out and Knight took the center snap for four yards as the trick play unfolded.
Ware County put the game away with 16 points in the third quarter, but not before the Pirates threatened after the second half kickoff. Griffis converted a third-and-12 play from the Appling County 16 with a 27-yard pass tight end Kellen Echols pulled in one-handed against tight coverage along the sideline.
Two plays later, however, Griffis was errant on another attempt to Echols, and E.J. Mathusala returned the interception 67 yards to the Pirates’ 11.
Boyd covered the distance in two plays, the finale up the middle from the Appling County four for a 31-10 cushion with 8:10 left in the quarter.
“That was really huge,” Strickland said of the interception. “They’d (Pirates) just scored (at the end of the half) and had a chance to keep momentum going. We talked at halftime about how big that (first) possession would be. His play really made a difference.”
After Boyd’s touchdown, Appling County had trouble handling Bates’ corner kickoff inside the Pirates’ 10 near the sideline taking possession at their own two. After a false start, Knight was swarmed in the backfield by a handful of Gators for a safety.
After the free kick, Ware moved 65 yards in 10 plays with Hooks and Rice connecting for their second score, this one covering 22 yards. Sepulvado’s conversion kick make it 40-10 with 3:08 left in the quarter to bring on a running clock in the final period.
