TIFTON — The Adairsville High Tigers turned the ball over-on-downs on their first two possessions of the second quarter, allowing the Fitzgerald High Purple Hurricanes to stretch a 12-7 lead into a 26-7 advantage in less than two minutes. That brief stretched allowed the Hurricanes to advance in the state Class AA football playoffs with a 46-13 blowout Friday night at Jaycee Stadium.

Coach Robby Pruitt’s Fitzgerald team would like to be back home at Jaycee Stadium in the quarterfinals. However, Fitzgerald’s next opponent, Carver (Columbus) which advanced with a 31-6 win over Laney Friday night is also a No. 1 seed. That means there will be a coin toss at 9:30 this morning in Dawson to determine which team gets homefield advantage for next week’s game.

Fitzgerald’s contest Friday against Adairsville started out looking as if it might be a blowout. The Hurricanes took their opening drive 74 yards, which was capped off by a 14-yard touchdown run by Tolerance Shepherd. After a bad snap on the extra point attempt Fitzgerald would hold a 6-0 lead.

Adairsville wasted no time striking back. In eight plays they moved the ball 71 yards, with the last seven coming on a Mike Upshaw touchdown run. The Tigers were able to convert their extra point, giving them a 7-6 advantage.

It was the first time Fitzgerald has trailed this postseason, and it would only last five minutes, as the Hurricanes orchestrated an 11-play, 85-yard drive, which ended on a Kaleb Nobles quarterback sneak from inches outside of the Adairsville goal line. Fitzgerald once again failed to convert, this time on a two-point conversion, but the Hurricanes still held a 12-7 lead.

The Tigers would drive down to the Fitzgerald 12-yardline on their ensuing drive, where they faced a fourth down. Instead of trying for a field goal, the Tigers elected to try to get the two yards they lacked, but were unable to gain anything on an option play, giving Fitzgerald the ball on their own 12.

Shepherd made sure they would pay for it.

On the very first play Shepherd took the ball around the outside and 88 yards down the field for his second touchdown of the game. Fred Hooks ran the ball in on the two-point conversion to put the Hurricanes up by 13.

Adairsville would once again go for it on fourth down, this time by way of a fake punt with eight yards to go. The Tigers would come up six yards short, giving the ball to Fitzgerald a short field to work with.

On the first play of the drive Nobles would hit Shepherd for a 46-yard touchdown pass, extending the Hurricane lead to 26-7. Shepherd would add his fourth touchdown of the half on Fitzgerald’s next possession, to give them a 32-7 lead late in the half.

Adairsville would get one more chance before the end of the half after Zach Knight recovered a fumble on the Fitzgerald 35-yardline. The Tigers were unable to do anything with it though, as they came up short on yet another fourth down as time expired in the half.

After the Tigers were unable to do anything with their first possession of the second half, they were able to pin Fitzgerald deep in their own territory, forcing the Hurricanes to start at their own six. It would take the Hurricanes only 11 plays to march 94 yards down the field, as Scottie Griffin scored from five yards out to put the game out of reach at 39-7.

Andrew Ward wasn’t ready to give up just yet though, as he returned the ensuing Fitzgerald kickoff to the Hurricanes’ 24-yardline. A facemask penalty moved the ball up to the 14. Two plays later Cody Kremer would hit Austin Harrell for a 13-yard touchdown pass.

It would take Fitzgerald only three plays to strike back though, as Hooks found the endzone from 33 yards out to bring the game to the final score of 46-13.

Shepherd lead the Fitzgerald offense, rushing for 237 yards on 14 carries, while catching two passes for 67 yards. He scored three times on the ground and once through the air.

Hooks was second on the team in rushing, picking up 68 yards. He added 47 yards on four catches, as well.

Nobles completed 8-9 passes for 161 yards and accounted for two scores, once through the air and once on the ground.

Kremer completed six passes for 104 yards. Upshaw caught half of those passes, gaining 72 yards from his catches. He also rushed for 77 yards on 18 carries.

Adairsville season comes to an end with a 10-2 record, their best season since going 11-2 in 2001.

Fitzgerald is now 11-1 on the year, having won 11 straight games.