Veterans thwarts Tift comeback efforts

Published 4:00 am Saturday, October 22, 2022

TIFTON — It came down to the wire Friday, Oct. 21, but in the end it was the Veterans Warhawks winning a 27-20 battle over the Tift County Blue Devils.

Defenses for both sides stepped up in the last 5 minutes after Tift tied the score at 20-20 at 9:07 in the 4th.

Veterans came up with two defensive fumble recoveries and forced a turnover on downs. Tift had two stops in the same span, but only the Warhawks could capitalize. Damare Franklin caught a 61-yard touchdown strike from Jake Maxwell at 6:53. That was the difference in the final score.

Damion Moate drove the Devils’ offense in the 1st half of the game. Moate finished at an unofficial 190 yards for the contest and he picked up 39 of that on the first series. Tift picked up three first downs, but were stopped on fourth at Veterans’ 30.

Balancing a run game with passing, the Warhawks covered 68 yards in six plays. Justin Shine rumbled in from the 2 at 4:51. Brayden Black kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Veterans lead.

Both teams were stymied for the rest of the quarter. Tift appeared stopped again at midfield early in the 2nd and Antonio Gomez came in to punt.

Gomez’s kick was fielded and fumbled at the 15, with the Blue Devils pouncing on it at the 12.

Moate immediately ran it down to the 2. They were cited for illegal formation there, but it was no cause for fear. At the 7, Moate took the handoff around the left side and angled his way to paydirt at 6:49.

A fumbled snap on the extra point attempt saw Tyler Parker catch the fire drill pass, but he was tackled short of the end zone, leaving the score 7-6 in Veterans’ favor.

Jaden Randle batted a pass into Maxwell’s face on the next drive and Kamari Holloman broke up a third down throw. Tift took the subsequent punt at their own 15.

Moate gained 9 on his first attempt, then found an even bigger hole, running 51 yards down to the visitors’ 25. After they lost a yard, it was Moate again, driving to the 12.

That’s when Veterans’ defense began throwing up roadblocks. A pass went incomplete, then they recorded a sack back to the 14.

Fourth down. Gomez came out to try a field goal, but he’d never get the chance. The snap was bobbled and Taylen Morrow picked up a bounce.

Another fire drill developed, but Morrow did not panic. He rolled right, directed traffic and saw an open man near the end zone: Landon Jones.

Morrow took a pop on the pass but threw a perfect strike and the big man reeled it in with 43 seconds left in the half.

Tift tried for a two-point conversion, which saw Tyler Parker nearly demolish one of the Veterans band xylophones in an attempt to catch the pass.

The Warhawks made a quick trip down the field but threw incomplete as time expired, leaving Tift up 12-7 at intermission.

The lead was short-lived. Veterans tore down the field to start the 2nd half. Maxwell completed all four of his pass attempts and aired out a long pass that Franklin ran under and caught for a 52-yard touchdown.

With 9:47 to go, Black kicked another extra point and the Warhawks went back up at 14-12.

The next kickoff stung. It was a short kick, fielded by Taylan Morrow. He gained a few yards and was tackled at the 47. Morrow stayed down, grabbing how lower leg.

Morrow received medical attention from trainers before leaving the field on a stretcher. The entire Blue Devils roster gathered around him as he was being taken to the ambulance.

With Tift momentarily shocked, Veterans added another touchdown, a 15-yard pass from Maxwell to Preston Bird at 3:57. This time, Za’Morian Brown darted past a blocker on the right side of Veterans’ line to block the extra point kick.

Brown’s block kept it a one-score game at 20-12. Now the Devils had to capitalize.

Moate kept his legs moving enough for a pair of first downs as the quarter changed from 3rd to 4th. He then helped out his offense in a way the Warhawks did not expect.

Tift was at the 45 with 3rd and 11. Brannon dropped back to pass but did not immediately see anyone downfield. In front of him, though, was Moate.

Brannon flipped a pass to his running back and Moate took off 18 yards to the 23, plenty of room for the first down.

With 2nd and 9 at the 21, Brannon went to the skies again. Titus Beauford had shaken a defender on his route and made an easy catch and easier run into the end zone at 9:07.

Needing a two points to tie, Brannon took matters into his own hands, running around the left side of his line for the conversion.

Tift made a stop on the ensuing Warhawks possession, but saw Veterans take it right back.

On the fist play of a fresh set of downs at the 39, Maxwell threw deep to Franklin and the speedster covered the 61 yards at 6:53.

Black’s kick made it 27-20.

Downs caught up with Tift to stop their first attempt to drive. Veterans took back over at 3:23, but a stringent defense and a crackback block saw them lose 20 yards in three downs.

Their defense had their backs again, however, denying the Devils a chance at a comeback.

Tift will travel to Houston County Oct. 28.