SANDERSVILLE, Ga. -- Facing the very same situation that derailed unbeaten Washington County a year ago, the Golden Hawks rallied with three touchdowns in the final 11 minutes to take a 44-31 Region 3-AAA victory over Burke County on Friday night at the House of Pain.
Montravious Gladden rushed for 280 yards and five touchdowns, including bursts of 65 and 63 in the second half, to rally undefeated Washington County in a thrilling shootout.
"We knew going in it was going to be a shootout, but this turned out to be one of those games that people will remember around here for a long time," Washington County coach Joel Ingram said. "It was warriors on both sides."
The Golden Hawks (8-0, 4-0 3-AAA) trailed most of the night until the rushing game exploded in the second half against a gassed Bears defense. Washington County rushed for 303 of its 443 rushing yards in the second half.
"We've caught a lot of flak over the years for not being flashy," Ingram said. "We were trying to run some clock and not get blown out. We stuck to the gameplan and it paid off."
Terrell Brigham was equally brilliant most of the night for Burke County (5-3, 1-3), rushing for 166 yards and three touchdowns and passing for 287 yards and another score. But Brigham, who was playing his second straight game with a pulled groin, ran out of gas on a 76-yard run, falling at the 10-yard line instead of finishing the potential go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. His last two passes of the night were intercepted, including a jump pass on fourth-down at the goal line.
"Right there at the end when the game was in the balance, we couldn't get them stopped," Burke County coach Eric Parker said.
The Bears were also crippled by 15 penalties on the night, including a devastating block in the back that nullified a 68-yard punt return touchdown by James Cobb in the first quarter.
"We made way too many mistakes in a game like this," Parker said. "We came out of some of them but we couldn't come out of all of them."
The Bears led 31-23 late in the third quarter after Brigham connected with Keon Lewis for a 74-yard touchdown pass. But Burke's defense was never the same after that, yielding nearly 150 yards rushing and three touchdowns to the Golden Hawks in the fourth quarter.
"We just came out and did what we did," said Gladden, who on his 65-yard touchdown in the third quarter slipped out of three tackles in the last 30 yards.
The result was a complete reversal of a year ago, when Washington County entered in the identical position and suffered a 28-24 loss at Burke County that started a losing trend into the playoffs.
"It set us back three games and we lost our confidence," Ingram said of last year.
Despite his team's three region losses, Parker still has faith in the potential of his Bears.
"What we've got to do is find a way to win these last two and just get in the playoffs," he said. "We'll still take our shot against anybody."
It looked like Burke County once again had Washington County's number. The Bears got off to a near perfect start, driving 80 yards in eight plays for a quick 7-0 lead on Brigham's 16-yard touchdown run. After a defensive stop, the Bears appeared to make it 14-0 when Cobb took the punt 68 yards, but the touchdown was called back by a pair of Burke penalties. The Bears' second drive ended up with a missed 37-yard field goal.
It was another Burke County miscue that got Washington County back in the game. Deep in its own territory, Brigham's first-down pass was tipped at the line and intercepted by Brandon Prosser and returned 4 yards to the Bears' 4. Gladden went straight up the middle on the next play and made it 7-6 after a missed extra point.
Brigham's 30-yard run and 38-yard pass completion to Orlando Howard to the goal line set up another Brigham touchdown and a 14-6 lead just before the first quarter ended.
Washington came right back, however, with consecutive scoring drives to take the lead 15-14. The first was capped by a 31-yard Javier Pace field goal, and Gladden scored his second touchdown on the second with a cut-back run from the 11.
Burke County responded with an 84-yard drive, highlighted by a 33-yard run by Devin Beverly, to inside the Golden Hawks' 10. The Bears settled for a 22-yard Juan Casarez field goal and a 17-15 lead as the half expired.
Burke County outgained Washington County 296-140 in first-half yards, but eight Bears penalties and the key turnover offset the offensive advantage.
Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.
WASHINGTON COUNTY 44, BURKE COUNTY 31
PLAY OF THE GAME: Darius Stephens intercepted Terrell Brigham 's fourth-down jump pass at the goal-line with 6:07 left to preserve Washington County's 37-31 lead.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Montravious Gladden rushed for 280 yards and five TDs, including 65- and 63-yard scores late.
WHY WASHINGTON COUNTY WON: Golden Hawks rushed for 303 yards in the second half with four touchdowns in the final 17 minutes.
WHY BURKE COUNTY LOST: Bears made too many penalties and the defense wore out.
NEXT: Burke County (5-3, 1-3 3-AAA) plays host to Thomson on Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Washington County (8-0, 4-0) travels to Baldwin.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Maybe Burke County needs to move up to class AAAA. They were undefeated there.Sorry guys you`re no Jefferson County!!!
u r so right punter46 they are no jefferson county thats because they are better we play better and harder teams than they do put them in AAA and see if that goose egg stays the same r better yet give them our schedule and see if they fair out better they dont play nobody who is a southeast bulloch,metter, east laurens,that whole region has a loosing record except for swainsboro and they arent that good either put us in yall region and we will b the only undefeated team in that region with that soft schedule its not going to do nothing but hurt them down the line they are going to fall early in the first or second round mark my words .
You might not want to hear it Coach Parker, but our Defensive Coordinator is killing us. There is no reason we shouldn't be undefeated. We have lost to 3 teams that were all one dimensional. If Luke can't figure out how to stop the run, he should relinquish his duties. Those guys are too talented and fighting too hard to lose games because we are consistenly being out coached on one side of the ball. Check the stats from last year. Burke Co gave Cairo the toughest game it had, on their(Cairo) way to the state championship. Once again Luke's defense can't get off the field though. Is it really that hard to figure out that Baldwin, Liberty, or Washington Co couldn't pass the ball if their lives depended on it. Here's a thought. How about getting our DE's to keep containment and bringing up some DB's to support the run.Now we have to win out and then go on the road to face the No. 1 from Region 2( probably LaGrange,Carver Columbus or Troupe).Please Coach Parker, if you have any sympathy on Bear fans, get Terrell healthy, leave the ball in his hands, let him make decisions and lead us to victory. But PLEASE whatever you do, don't let LUKE call another defensive play this year.
punter46 we'll see how tough your region and your schedule was after the playoffs
punter46 you are right the Bears are not Jefferson County. We are much better than Jefferson County, Liberty, Baldwin, and Waco. How about playing some teams outside your region like Burke County. I totally agree with 1BearsFan. We need a new defense coordinator as welll as offense. How many times will the offense coordinator run the same plays and realize they aren't working. There's no reason Burke Co. should have lost to Baldwin. All Burke Co had to do is run the same defense. And we definitely should have beat Liberty. Burke Co team is to talented and those young men work to hard to lose like this because of poor play calling and defense. Coach Luke is a great person but we need a change on defense. Burke Co has a chance of winning state this year. Coach Parker if you have a heart or conscious, please don't abuse Terrell. We need him to be 100%. There's no doubt he's the best QB in the state even Waco coach told him that after the game. Keep you head up guys. Burke Co is the best team in AAA. Waco I know yall had to pay the refs well for that game last night but it's ok because yall are going down in the playoffs. See you at the top Bears! Shout out to Terrell..
1BearsFan, in regards to WACO specifically, the Hawks have always been a physical running team. You didn't lose because of problems in defensive scheming - the loss came from being worn out physically. The WACO line is very experienced and played a hard fought game. Oh, and TB Fan, to say that we "paid the refs" takes away from how great this game was. Both teams left everything on the field and it was an amazing spectacle of football. You're taking away from your Bears by saying garbage like that.
running the ball is the priority....physical play on both sides of the ball is what has made us the program we are today......so bear fans accept the 4 seed and show 2aaa #1 team,region 3aaa nothing to mess with from top to bottom...
WACO has a good football team, but it's one dimensional. A good defensive coordinator could stop it. Burke Co's quick strike offense can score on any team in AAA.The Hawks are no threat to throw the ball. Don't tell me a running game can't be beat.
If that's true, there aren't many good defensive coordinators in this state. It's been the game plan since 1992, and I think we have a trophy or two to show for it.
GoldenWC call it what you want but the refs were unfair to the Bears. The Bears are a better team than the Hawks. Lets see how fair Waco go in the playoffs. I agree the Hawks are no threat to throw the ball. Burke County offense can beat Waco offense team any day. It was a good game but questionable. Too many penalty calls on the Bears.
Waco-Football the Bears will show 2-AAA that 3-AAA is the best. Good game last night. Shout out to all the players, Bears and Hawks...You guys are doing a great job. May the best team win. Bears hang in there. It's not over.
1bearsfan...how can you hate on history dude...to be a one dimensional team,we have only a record of 72-24 from 2001-2009 and made only 2 dome appearances and 1 state title appearances....tbfan i guess the better team always lose..yall lost to baldwin run game then lost to ours,but yall are the better team...maybe not the best complete team but the most explosive one...we should have beat yall last year but we didn't have a explosive back like we have now,who can get that sideline and 63 yards later well yall witness it fri.....
To TB Fan and 1BearsFan, how do you blame a defensive coordinator for missed tackles. If you watched the same game I did you will have seen that the players were missing tackles. The defensive calls were right calls and the players have to play. The coaches can not play for the players. Coaching is so easy from the stands... why not go get your teaching degree and come do the job yourself and see how easy it is. then when you spend so much time studying film and coming up with a plan and then the players do not execute the plays lets see how you feel. Have you not noticed that the majority of our offense and defense are sophmores???? The bears are a good team and have lost some tough games. You say that we should not have lost to Baldwin, Liberty, and WACO, if you are a true fan you believe we should win every game. But that is not always the case. Baldwin is undefeated in the region, as is WACO, and Liberty has lost only to WACO and Baldwin. Why not support the TEAM the WHOLE TEAM COACHES included!!!!
Nooneuknow, I do support the team. I know its not an easy job but the coaches need to make better calls period! No thanks to your offer. I have the degrees I wanted. I don't have to get a degree to know the game. With that said, Burke County need to get another defensive coordinator as well as an offensive coordinator. Yes they have to make tackles but some of those plays are bad plays. I'm proud of the boys. Good job boys.
Well said TB Fan. No thanks to the offer. Coach Luke's defensive schemes and play calling speak for themselves. The proof is on the field.The Bears offense can light you up for 28 or 35 points, but he's gonna give up 42! What was his excuse last year, too many sophomores? Coaches don't want to admit sometimes, but they can lose ball games! If we had a defense last year we would have won state, ask the folks in Cairo. And if memory serves me correctly, Luke wasn't Parker's first choice for defensive coordinator (Lackey). Maybe Parker knew something then. So if he (Parker) really wants to build his program into the contender that it can be, maybe it's time to rearrange his house. To anyone reading this, there is no personal vendetta against Coach Luke. Don't know the man on a personal basis. Personaly I know, that he's not doing a good job.All I want is for our coaches to give our kids the best chance at winning. Is that asking too much? Right now the defensive staff is not doing that, nor did they do it last year. Coach Luke is the coordinator, so who are you going to hold accountable? Don't get it twisted though, I'm still BURKE CO for LIFE.
TBFan: "Burke County offense can beat Waco offense team any day." - I know one day that it didn't.
WACO FOOTBALL and nooneuknow just solidified my whole arguement. A defensive coordinator's JOB is to figure out the other team's offense and to stop it. Baldwin, Liberty, and WaCo all made Luke's job a little easier because he didn't have to figure out what they were going to RUN. I guarentee you those three teams combined didn't attempt 10 passes against us and they didn't complete 5. I can blame him for not making adjustments to stop the run.WACO had 433 yds rushing for the game, 303 yds in the second half, 150 yds in the 4th qtr and 0 yds passing. Now you honestly tell me, those are the numbers that a defensive coordinator can live with. Like I said, it's nothing personal. I do know a weak link when I see one though, and our defense has been our weak link. Once again Terrell has to show that without a doubt, he is the best player in the area, all on a pulled groin. I just wonder if some of the strain isn't coming from carrying Coach Luke and his defensive philosophy? Go Bears, win out, and maybe our coaches will figure it out before it's too late.
You all talk about which team did the best job...I say it was the officials..the line judge called a penalty on every BC play from the line...UNLESS..they were in front of the BC bench where the coaches could see every play..they were from Dublin..of course...they are who beat the Bears NOT Waco...We out-played them til the refs broke our backs...Never saw such bias officials in my 72 years..The officials or fans paid NO attention to the announcement before the game that we hear at every GA high school football game...you know ...about rude, unruly fans & about unsportsmanslike conduct.. plus Waco fans broke into our band busses and stole all kinds of valuables police standing everywhere INSIDE stadium...Sign on visitors side "this side is for guests ONLY"...we were tormented by WC fans who took over OUR side of the field....there were empty seats on the home side so why weren't your rules applied or enforced? Security & Police all over the end-zone sidelines...doing NOTHING....Now I know why WACO is # 1..sad day for any visitors who go there!!!!
freedombelle, you might want to take those grapes back to the store. They've gone sour on you.
for any visitor that comes to a waco game..i am one of the waco fans who sits on the visitor side and one of my reason is that most visiting teams don't travel well so it be a lot of room on their side to sit....to say that we was over their being rude is just being a soar loser because we only dished out what we was getting the whole night from the burke fans,who was up most of the night with big plays...so of course yall will be real upset with the goodbye song being sang to yall,but you got to know that when u go in a visiting stadium wearing your team colors you will get more attention than plain clothed supporters,so u just have to have thicker skin....
1st of all I would like to give credit were credit is due, the game was a good game, I do feel like the refs were one sided, the defense did not pull their weight, however this was the worst game I have ever traveled to. I was a chaperone with the band and sat next to them, we were surrounded around WACO fans, everytime we would cheer for our team they would turn around and make smart remarks. We paid our money to enter that game just as they did, we BC do not allow that, but if our fans sit on the visitor side and act like that security would remove them for the stadium. I feel like the school needs to get control on this before something happens. I want to say Thank you for our fans and Band members keeping control even after our buses were brolen into and personal beloings got stole. Anybody traveling to Sandersville Beware thieves are on the prowl.
1Bearsfan you are a true fan. I can honestly say you support them 100% because I can count on you following them each year. I see your comments in most papers(ajc). People don't give the Bears the credit they deserve. They are a good team. I hope our defense get it together because these boys deserve the title. I pray coach Parker and his coaching staff consider these comments. Freedombelle you are the best. Continue to support the young men. I will be in the stands for at least the next four years supporting my lil brother. Also, shout out to the Cubs(Burke County Middle). I will be there to support them on Wednesday at 5pm at BCHS for the state title. They are unfeated this year. Burke County fans come out to support these young men. Go Bears and Cubs! Everyone have a wonderful week......
in all my years of watching football i've never seen a defense been consistently being beaten by the toss sweep. It even went to the same side 90% of the time. There are too many good athletes on that team to not be much better than they are. 280yds for a 5'5" 144lb back. forget about his size there is no way this should happen. i tell you what Waco fans i promise you that a well coached defensive team like Baldwin wont let that happen. im not a Baldwin fan by any means but i just call it like i see it. we played a great game on Friday on the offensive side of the ball but we cant win if a tailback is breaking off 60+ yard runs on a toss sweep. Good luck but you better have a plan B for the defending region champs.
Let me tell all you wanna be coaches something. All a coach can do is motivate, teach fundamentals, and give the kids a sound system to work under. The rest will be determined by the kids. If WACO ran the same play with out being stopped......could it be that the athletes were better. A good coach will never blame the athletes. So Coach Luke....the hell with all these "wanna be coaches." You studied film and called what you thought was necessary. What these idiots in the stands don't seem to realize is that sometimes as a coach nothing works!!! You can call this or that.....sometimes because of a number of different factors, things just don't work. If a team has superior athletes...then everything called will make a coach look good. I have seen WACO run the toss sweep all the way to the State Finals. Everyone and their mother knew it was coming in each round of the playoffs. So I guess all of these DCs don't know what they are doing. Coach Luke remember: stay focused on your job and let these OPINIONISTS(me included) keep amusing themselves.
acacac1 i see what you are saying but i predicted it wouldn't work against baldwin and it didn't. i'm not sure which side you are on but if you from WACO i'm quite you would like us to keep Coach Luke around so that yall can keep kicking our tail every year. i know a well coached defensive team when i see one and unfortunately the bears are not. we have an offense thats state championship material and a defense thats a cellar dweller. Do we just breed offensively players or is it due to superior coaching on that side of the ball? We have great athletes on offense and terrible ones on defense? Sorry to tell you but coaching is everything especially at this level. You are right all a coach can do is motivate, teach fundamenatals and give the kids a sound system to work under. its not getting done. WACO scored 44pts on us and only 7 on Baldwin. And all this due to Athletes? The Bears have the best athletes that they have ever had. we love coach Parker and know that he is a very smart man. Go Bears
I totally agree BearFacts