Josey's fans wanted to call everyone they knew. Laney's fans wanted to call the cops and report a robbery.
That's how the latest installment of Richmond County's hottest rivalry bubbled over in a 13-12 Josey win Saturday at White Road Stadium.
There was an altercation between the Laney band and the Josey team prior to the half. There were trick plays and a dynamite goal-line Laney stand that kept them in the contest.
There were dubious fumble calls and enough emotion brewing to turn the game into a sloppy backyard brand of football.
"This has to be up there with my biggest wins at Josey," coach Barney Chavous said. "I'd never beaten Laney until tonight. What a great victory that will mean so much for our program."
The big picture was the Eagles earned their first win against Laney this century to halt a seven-game losing streak to their rival.
Those who showed up in scarlet and gray Saturday might say they still haven't beaten Laney. T
"I'm not in the game of criticizing officials," Laney coach Lemuel Lackey said. "But I feel like something was taken from us."
A delay of game on Josey in the final 15 seconds came after a member of its team kicked the ball. That kept Laney from spiking the ball to stop the clock after Calvin Fuller was tackled at the Josey 4. Officials assessed the half-the-distance penalty and restarted the clock.
Laney was caught without time-outs and saw the game end at the Josey 2.
"The referee's interpretation was Josey had a defensive penalty," Lackey said. "And because we didn't spike the ball or go out of bounds that the time starts up and as soon as the penalty is assessed the ball is marked and the clock started back up."
Laney's coaching staff could not believe the end. They were defiant at the end of game with their belief that the game cannot end on a defensive penalty.
"As far as I know a game can never end on a defensive penalty," Lackey said. "Ever. That's the way I understand it."
Reach Jeff Sentell at (706) 823-3425 or jeff.sentell@augustachronicle.com.
LANEY 12, JOSEY 13
Laney 0 12 0 0 -- 12
Josey 0 7 0 6 -- 13
Second Quarter
L--Troy Castleberry 3 run (kick failed), 10:53
L--Eugene Moore 14 run (run failed), 7:27
J--Patrick Meyers 77 pass from Robert Seymore (Meyers kick), 4:59
Fourth Quarter
J--Brandon Brown 8 pass from Robert Seymore (pass failed), 5:15
L J
First Downs 16 7
Rushes-Yards 37-130 32-85
Passing Yards 95 124
Comp.-Att.-Int. 6-15-2 5-12-0
Fumbles-Lost 3-2 1-1
Punts-Yards 2-57 3-96
Penalties-Yards 8-56 6-37
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Laney: Eugene Moore 13-74, Calvin Fuller 22-69, Leroy Jenkins 1-4, Cameron Stallings 1-(minus-8). Josey: Charles Hankerson 13-38, Harry Jones 4-31, Robert Seymore 7-20, Raford Roundtree 1-5, Carl Sims 1-(minus-2), Brandon Brown 6-(minus-6).
PASSING--Laney: Calvin Fuller 5-13-1 70, Jaleel Thompkins 1-1-0 25, Cameron Stallings 0-1-0 0. Josey: Robert Seymore 2-4-0 85, Brandon Brown 3-8-0 39.
RECEIVING--Laney: Eugene Moore 2-45, Cameron Stallings 2-28, Dorian Sabb 1-11, Leroy Jenkins 1-11. Josey: Patrick Meyers 2-90, Robert Seymore 2-26, Brandon Brown 1-8.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Laney ran out of time at the Josey 2 after officials started the clock following a Josey penalty.
WHY JOSEY WON: After giving up two early scores, Josey's defense stiffened.
WHY LANEY LOST: Sloppy play and bad decisions. The decision not to kick an immediate field goal once Laney moved the ball to the Josey 5 with 29 seconds left loomed large after the chaotic ending.
STAR OF THE GAME: Josey sophomore Robert Seymore . The Eagles running back threw two touchdown passes on trick plays in the contest. He accounted for 131 of Josey's 209 total yards.
WHAT'S NEXT: Laney (6-3) will go on the road to face Region 1-AA top seed Thomasville (8-2) in the first round of the state playoffs.
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