Wilco Warriors overwhelm Bulldogs

Published 9:12 am Monday, October 28, 2024

Both teams playing on Georgia Military College’s Davenport Field strayed from what they had previously shown this season and changed up their offenses Friday.

One was much more successful than the other. Operating solely out of the wildcat for the first two quarters, the Wilkinson County Warriors (3-1 region, 5-4 overall) ran out to an 18-0 lead by halftime and eventually handed the GMC Prep Bulldogs (0-3, 0-8) a 33-0 defeat.

Wilco was without its regular starting QB in sophomore Quenterrion Stanford for the first half. Head coach Jamoski Ward said he sat him out for disciplinary reasons. With the tall southpaw Stanford behind center, Ward and the Warriors usually like to sling the football around the field. With him out, the first-year head coach opted for the athleticism of sophomore Myles Cobb as he took most every snap of the opening 24 minutes.

“I was pleased with the wildcat stuff,” Wilco’s Ward said after the win. “We’re just fortunate we had some success with it tonight. We went a whole half and didn’t complete a pass. That was big for us. Any time we can get the ball to Myles Cobb and Terrelle Blount in space we know we can do well.”

Cobb and his offensive teammates were the hot knife through GMC Prep’s butter on the opening drive. The sophomore playmaker scored on a 3-yard keeper two and a half minutes into Friday’s region game.

GMC was taking a different approach to offense Friday for its own reasons. Head coach/playcaller Gavin Tierce used last week’s bye to get experimental, foregoing the wing T for a pro-style look out of the shotgun.

“Obviously what we’ve been doing offensively isn’t working for us,” Tierce said. “We lined up in the gun for the first time all year and tried some quick passes.”

That produced a solid third-down conversion throw from senior QB Logan McMillan to junior tight end Cam Lango on the Bulldogs’ opening drive. But the momentum stopped there. The offense just wasn’t consistent enough to keep moving the football. The Wilco defense played a factor as it feasted with multiple sacks in the opening half. Ward said he was proud of that unit for stepping up after a couple of down weeks in the team’s last two outings, one a loss and the other a close win.

The Warriors added on to their early lead when the junior running back Blount bounced a carry up the right side and covered 74 yards with just under five minutes left in the first. That extra point attempt was botched just like the first, keeping the score at 12-0 for the visitors.

Cobb got another touchdown carry early in the second to put his team up 18-0. The normal starting QB Stanford got in on the action in the second half as Ward opened the playbook back up to what Wilkinson County football fans have become accustomed to seeing this season.

For Tierce and the Bulldogs, two weeks remain to get what has proven to be an elusive win in 2024. Spirits remain high.

“To be 0-8, you would not guess that if you were in our locker room,” said Tierce. “The way our kids are responding you’d think we were 8-0. When everything seems to be going against us, they put me in a better mood and lift me up. The kids are sticking to wanting to get better.”

The ‘Dogs are scheduled to visit region-leading Johnson County next week before completing the regular season Nov. 8 versus Glascock. Wilco will welcome Twiggs County to Bud Dupree Stadium for its regular season finale Friday.