Eagles rally for 24th straight win; prep football notebook
By The Associated Press
Posted 7:51AM on Sunday, November 4, 2007
MACON - One play kept a streak alive Friday night.<br>
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Westside-Macon quarterback Orrin McFadden fumbled the ball at the Northside 10 on the second play of the fourth quarter. Instead of possibly having an 11-point lead, the momentum changed, and Northside-Warner Robins came from behind to win 22-12.<br>
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That gave the Eagles (9-0) their 24th consecutive win.<br>
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``When Abry Jones picked up that fumble and ran into Westside territory, it got us going,'' Northside quarterback Joe Scott said. ``We felt we could win it, and we did.''<br>
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Westside (7-2) had nationally-ranked Northside backed into a corner heading into the final quarter. Leading 12-7, the Seminoles were on the Northside 22. On third-and-8, McFadden ran on a quarterback keeper to the left side. He ran past the first-down marker and made it all the way to the Northside 6 when he ran into linebacker Eric Fields. The junior stripped the ball from McFadden, and Jones, a defensive lineman, picked up the ball at the 10 and started running.<br>
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``I did what Coach always tells us to do when you see a loose ball,'' Jones said. ``You have to pick up the ball and score. I thought I would score, but I got tired at the end.''<br>
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Jones returned the ball 57 yards to the Westside 33. With 11:37 remaining, the Northside offense went to work.<br>
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Tijuan Green ran for 5 yards the next play, which set up Scott's 18-yard pass to Brandon Jordan, who was in the end zone. Scott connected with tight end Evan Arthur for the two-point conversion and the Eagles took a three-point lead.<br>
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``That was the difference right there,'' Westside head coach Robert Davis said. ``We fumbled on the 6. They didn't.''<br>
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Green finished with 152 yards on 26 carries for Northside.<br>
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LOWNDES CLINCHES: Lowndes clinched its third Region 1-AAAAA championship in four years with a 28-17 victory over Tift County Friday night.<br>
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Lowndes' Greg Reid returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, returned an interception 66 yards to set up another Viking touchdown and also rushed for 80 yards on 14 carries.<br>
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Darriet Perry ran for 108 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.<br>
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With Tift leading 3-0, after a 32-yard field goal by Jordan West, Reid took the kickoff at Lowndes' 1-yard line, found a hole and raced 99 yards for a touchdown.<br>
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Tift retook the lead on a 2-yard run by Kaream Hess.<br>
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Perry put No. 5 Lowndes (8-1) on top for good with a 41-yard touchdown run with 9:23 left in the second quarter.<br>
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MAYS PREVAILS: Naeem Thomas scored on an 1-yard run in overtime to lift Mays to a 23-17 win over Marist.<br>
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Mays (7-2) took a 14-7 lead in the first quarter on Bobby Anthony's 1-yard score and a 51-yard touchdown pass from Anthony to Justin Richard. Marist (8-1) tied the game after a Matt Lewis 1-yard TD.<br>
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Mays went up by three points on a field goal. But Marist surged back and tied the game on a 30-yard field goal by Anthony Hiffa with 11 seconds left to play.<br>
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In overtime Thomas scored the game winner.<br>
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N. COBB SURVIVES: Matt Roark and Calvin Middleton each accounted for two touchdowns and North Cobb held off a strong rally to beat Etowah 28-21.<br>
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North Cobb (9-0) took a 21-0 lead in the second quarter when Roark connected with Rico Mack for a 59-yard touchdown, Roark scored on an 1-yard run and Middleton on a 2-yard run.<br>
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But Etowah (6-3) put on a rally. Mark Tortorello recoverd a fumble in the endzone in the second quarter then Talyor Majors scored on an 1-yard run to cut the lead to 21-14.<br>
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North Cobb responded quickly with Middleton's 62-yard touchdown run third, pushing its lead to 14 points.