SGA player running for goal post The SGA Warriors opened the 2010 season with a no contest in Macon, but this past Thursday was a good old-fashioned brawl in Damascus against the Westwood Wildcats. The Wildcats from Camilla are one of the Warriors most bitter rivals. Both teams came in hungry for a win and played with a lot of heart.

The Warriors got the ball first but fumbled on the first play from scrimmage. The Wildcats took advantage of the turnover and drove the ball 22 yards for the opening score of the game. The PAT was no good, and the Cats led 6-0. The Warriors’ counter punched the Cats with a great drive. The Warriors pounded the ball across midfield setting up the Dillon Driver pass to Allan Gray for the first Warrior touchdown of the night. The Warriors had trouble all night on PAT attempts after failing on the first one. After holding the Cats, the Warriors went on another long drive with some hard-nosed running from Troupe Tabb and Taylor Tabb. The Warriors’ drive stalled on fourth and goal with less than two minutes left before halftime when a Warrior pass was intercepted in end zone. The halftime score was tied 6-6.

The second half started with the Warriors recovering an onside kick, but the officials called it back saying a Warrior had touched the ball early. The Wildcats behind the running of Jake Edore drove the ball close enough for Edore to make a 35 yard field goal to put the Cats in the lead 9-6. After forcing the Warriors to punt, the Cats scored again on a long pass play on fourth down from Worsham to Vereen. PAT was good, and the Cats had a commanding 16-6 lead. But the Warriors were not done. They marched quickly back down the field with long runs from Dillon Driver and Taylor Tabb setting up Tabb’s 5 yard touchdown run. PAT was no good, and the Warriors trailed 16-12. After a Cody Buckhalter interception, the Warriors came storming back and after pounding the ball with the Tabb and Tabb combination, Driver scored on a bootleg run from 12 yards out. The two point conversion was stopped inches short leaving the score Warriors 18, Cats 16 with 8:08 to go in the final period of play. The Wildcats converted several third and fourth down plays to set up what would be Edore’s game winning field goal with a little over a minute left to play. The final score was 19-18 in favor of the visiting Wildcats. Taylor Tabb led the Warriors’ rushing attack with 17 carries for 105 yards while Dillon Driver added 89 yards and Troupe Tabb added 72 yards of their own. Driver was five for nine for 69 yards with 59 of those yards going to Allen Gray on two receptions. Taylor Tabb and Vann Harrell led the Warrior defense with eight tackles a piece while Cody Buckhalter had an interception to go along with his four tackles.

The Warriors travel to Dawson to play Terrell Academy next Friday night at 7:30.