ATLANTA — The Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane football team did something Friday that had not been done since Harry S Truman was President: lift a state championship trophy. Fitzgerald defeated Thomasville, 21-7, for the title at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta.”

“This is a a very awesome thing to be part of,” said Fitzgerald head coach Tucker Pruitt to Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Jon Nelson. It was the ‘Canes’ second state championship and first since winning Class B in 1948.

A day earlier, however, the news was not as cheery for Irwin County. The Indians fell in their bid for a third consecutive crown to Brooks County, 56-28, in Class A public.

Fitzgerald led 21-0 at halftime, thanks to a tremendous effort by the offensive line. The Purple Hurricane held the ball for nearly all of the first half, starting with a 6:21 drive that opened the game. Thomasville only ran nine plays, gained 9 yards and had zero first downs over the first 24 minutes. In contrast, Fitzgerald ran 39 plays on offense and picked up 219 yards.

Thomasville sliced the lead to 21-7 at 4:25 in the third quarter, a 61-yard pass from Shannen White to Cole Shaw. That would be all the Bulldogs got as Christian Solomon and Jamar Joseph ended Thomasville drives with interceptions. Joseph’s, which was at the Fitzgerald 8, came with 2:38 to play.

E.J. Lightsey bounced out a run for a 3-yard touchdown at 5:39 in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. DeNorris Goodwin ran for two scores in the second quarter, 6 yards at 8:22 and 17 yards at 1:00.

The Bulldogs had won the regular season encounter, 15-8. They had been seeking their first championship since 1988.

“My guys had me,” Goodwin said to Nelson after being named game MVP. “This was going to be a slugfest. We were prepared for it.”

Official stats, provided by West Georgia Sports Info Services, show Goodwin with 176 rushing yards on 30 carries. Lightsey ran for 52 yards. Fitzgerald attempted only two passes, connecting on one for 10 yards.

A few hours earlier, Irwin County ran into a one-man wrecking crew Thursday night. His name was Omari Arnold.

Official stats credit Arnold with 320 yards on 21 carries with 5 touchdowns. Arnold provided 68% of Brooks’ total offense, though the figure might feel a bit low to Irwin Countians. The Trojan running back was everywhere, popping up at the most inopportune times to swing momentum back over to his side.

Arnold scored on the second play of the game, a 69-yard run. He struck again at the end of the quarter and Brooks was up 14-0. Following an Irwin fumble, quarterback Jamal Sanders upped the score to 21-0 on a 23-yard rush.

The Indians shook off the cobwebs early in the second on a Malachi Hadden pick-6, but Arnold came through again with a long run to make the score 28-7 at 8:26. The rest of the half, though, belonged to Irwin.

Cody Soliday fired a missile to Eli Roberts at the 4 and Damarkas Lundy converted the touchdown run soon after. With a scant 8 seconds remaining in the half, Shane Marshall crossed the goal line from the 3 on a run, putting Irwin within striking distance at 28-21. Irwin was to receive the ball to start the third quarter.

Brooks made a big stop right after halftime, then used up half the quarter before Sanders fired to Tramine Demps for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal to go back ahead by 14 points. Irwin kept up, Lundy running in from 4 yards at the start of the fourth frame, but it was Brooks’ night and the 35-28 score was soon only a memory.

Eighteen seconds after Lundy scored, Arnold scampered 86 yards up the left sideline. Irwin lost the ball on downs a minute later, then Arnold had a 56-yard score at 9:29.

The Trojans added a final score on an interception return by Jeremiah Henderson.

Brooks’ championship was the first for them and head coach Maurice Freeman since 1994.