Baldwin wins 20-19 home thriller
Sep. 29—The field goals barely made it over the bar. The one-point kick needed to force overtime, however, was a clear shank wide left.
As dramatic a finish with big plays, big penalties too many to count, Baldwin High truly survived a football battle Friday at Braves Stadium 20-19 against the Howard High Huskies of Macon. Both teams were not only looking for a win in Region 2-AAAA but a point in league play. It took Baldwin a full quarter to find any kind of offense, but when it did it was still a back-and-forth affair.
There were three 'drives to end all drives' in the game, two in the fourth quarter that produced two touchdowns. The big difference wound up being Baldwin's execution of the two-point conversion against the miss on Howard's kick.
Baldwin was up 20-13, but the capable Huskies were not finished with 3:17 left to play. First, the visitors converted fourth down over midfield, then there was a trade of defensive holding and offensive holding. But pass inference on the Braves on 3rd-and-2 spotted Howard on the Baldwin 12-yard-line with 1:33 to play.
The 1-yard line — the green space between it and the goal — was as far as they would get ... at least that was what Baldwin faithful was hoping. Hope was alive to fourth down when Howard stopped sneaking and went back to the shotgun. Cameron Taylor score with 11 seconds on the game clock.
But the flags weren't finished either, for procedure on the PAT kick set-up made the failed attempt a 25-yard try.
Howard was even 0-2 getting onside kicks to go 10 yards, but Jaylen King was all over the third with no trouble.
The second half as a whole was thrilling football, the score 6-3 for Baldwin when it started. Howard pulled off several large yardage plays all night, and a bubble screen moved them to Baldwin's 40. Taylor also dropped a throw to a receiver on the 8. From the 7, they pulled off a double reverse with the Husky slipping by defenders to score at 5:31 of the third period.
Now it's 10-6 Howard. Baldwin needed some defense and got it on Q Russell's sack. The Braves took over on the 35, and Micah Welch scored a 7-yard touchdown run on a series with King's big first-down catch and run. There were 21 seconds left in the quarter when the Braves led 12-10.
Howard drove from the 19 and hit three first downs up to Baldwin's 10. A very low field goal, much like one made in the first half, counted the same flipping the lead back to the visitors 13-12.
Baldwin next drove 65 yards in 11 plays with one big offsides called on fourth down. It was all running the football, then quarterback Lamar Pounds dumped the ball off to King for a six-yard TD. The two-point drive was pushed back to seven yards on foul, but Pounds took the run himself over the line making the advantage seven points.
Not much could be said about the first quarter for Baldwin, 8 net yards and one penalty first down. Howard was hitting more big plays for first downs, but still couldn't get points around Russell and that defense. That was until a low-line field goal of 30 yards went in with five seconds on the clock.
Even in the second quarter the Braves' offense was sputtering and giving up field positions in the punting game. Russell and King forced Howard to punt, but the home turf roll was kind to Macon going to the 8.
At 6:15 of the second, Baldwin had its first first down on its own merits, still on the 19. Welch took a screen pass and gained 18 yards to the 40, and the running game started to produce, even with Pounds going sideline to sideline, 40 yard to gain 20 on Howard's 40. Six running plays later, the ball's on the 3, but the side judge got run down by Welch and his tackler on the track. The delay was needed for the man's well being, but it was soon back to football and a 7-yard right tackle score for Welch at 1:12 until the half. That's 92 yards in 13 plays.
Baldwin enjoys a bye week before the home stretch of the region season, the game being at Perry High Oct. 14.
