High school football: Hardaway's playoff hopes dimmed as Robert Brown's 170 yards rushing and two touchdowns lead Westside-Macon to 22-17 victory in Region 1-AAAA

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Brown’s 170 yards leads Seminoles

By CHRIS WHITE

cwhite@ledger-enquirer.com

Westside-Macon running back Robert Brown rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns and his carries helped burn up nearly three minutes on his team’s final possession as the Seminoles all but destroyed Hardaway’s playoff hopes with a 22-17 victory on Thursday at St. Anne Pacelli Catholic School.

“Robert’s been our workhorse all year,” Westside coach Sheddrick Risper said. “We gave him the ball and just rode him all night.”

Brown scored touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, helping the Seminoles (9-1, 8-1 Region 1-AAAA) dig out of a 14-9 halftime deficit. He scored from 5 and 16 yards, and both were backed up by point-after kicks from German Ramirez, who was 2-for-2 on kicks.

The Hawks (6-3, 4-4) had hoped to win and then get a loss from Harris County or Bainbridge to make the playoffs, but now things are more complicated. Bainbridge would have to lose and Harris County and Jones County would have to win tonight to force a mini-game to be played Monday.

If everything falls into place, the Hawks would still have to win there to get into the postseason. Westside had already secured a No. 2 seed before Thursday’s game.

Hardaway rolled down the field on its first drive behind a long run from Austin Scott, who spun his way out of tackle after tackle for a 65-yard gain. James Triplett finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, and kicker Evan Scott hit the point-after kick to give Hardaway a 7-0 lead.

Seminoles quarterback Daniel Duhart then found Adrian Bentley with a short pass deep in the Hardaway zone, and Bentley turned on the speed and cut outside to reach the end zone for a 9-yard score.

Hardaway needed one play to recapture the lead: a 51-yard Marcus Smith pass to Austin Scott.

A bad snap led to a Hardaway safety and left the Hawks leading 14-9 at halftime. Hardaway’s momentum quickly wore off in the second half, however.

“We came out ready to win,” Triplett said. “We wanted this one, but we just didn’t push hard enough at the end, I guess.”

Brown’s 5-yard rushing score gave Westside a 15-14 lead midway through the third quarter, but Duhart’s two-point run attempt was stopped. Brown’s second score came with just more than six minutes remaining in the game.

Hardaway briefly took the lead again in the opening minute of the fourth period on a 25-yard Evan Scott field goal, but Brown’s second touchdown would leave the Seminoles on top.

@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Thursday at Pacelli

@z-BR TabQuarters 1col:Westside 0 9 6 7 — 22

Hardaway 7 7 0 3 — 17

@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:First Quarter

H — James Triplett 5 run (Evan Scott kick), 6:54

@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Second Quarter

W — Adrian Bentley 9 pass from Daniel Duhart (German Ramirez kick), 7:45

H — Austin Scott 51 pass from Marcus Smith (Evan Scott kick), 7:43

W — Safety, 2:16

@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Third Quarter

W — Brown 5 run, (run failed), 7:12

@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Fourth Quarter