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Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Right on the mark with rivalry pick

Step right up. Fortunes told. Palms read. The Amazing Christo knows all and tells all.

Did you notice, oh doubtful ones, that in this very space one week ago, Christo predicted the winner of the 46th city championship between Northside and Warner Robins would be the team that had better rushing statistics for the game?

Telegraph totals: Warner Robins 127 yards rushing, Northside 112. Final score: Warner Robins 21, Northside 20.

Did you notice his prediction for the final score? Warner Robins 14, Northside 10?

What’s that? You saw no score? Non-believers! I’m telling you the original draft of the column had that very score. (Christo’s vision and confidence were clouded by the Demons’ 17-0 loss to Colquitt County on Oct. 23).

The beneficent Christo opted out of publishing the prediction lest he give one side or the other some extra bulletin-board material.

Again you doubt. You say, “Big Deal!”

The 21-20 Warner Robins victory came down to the arm of Demons’ quarterback Maurice Dudley and the hands of back-turned-receiver Jonathan Jackson. The two combined for a 47-yard touchdown pass and catch with 1:59 left that tied the game at 20-20 and set up sophomore Kyle Floyd for what proved to be the game-winning, 35-yard extra point.

The Jackson touchdown provided a remarkable end to a game that will surely go down as one of the best in the series.

It was a Jack Buck moment. Seeing Jackson at the 20, alone and waiting for the ball like a person might wait on a bus, evoked memories of Buck’s legendary Kirk Gibson, 1988 World Series call.

Who among the 10,000 or so at The Mac didn’t hold their breath and think, “This is gonna be a touchdown. Unbelievable!”?

It was a thrilling moment — a remarkable ad-lib for the two seniors.

But the moment was created earlier, by the Demons’ ability to run the ball and by their corresponding ability to stop Northside.

After Briar Van Brunt capped a one-play scoring drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Brison Williams, Northside held a 20-0 advantage with 10:06 remaining in the third quarter.

At that point, Warner Robins could have abandoned its identity as a running football team, but the Demons did not.

Aided by a key roughing the punter penalty, Warner Robins produced a 73-yard touchdown drive that used 10:45 of game clock. Brian Sutton’s 1-yard touchdown run on the second play of the fourth quarter was the 21st play of the drive. Each was a run.

Trailing 20-7, Warner Robins needed a stop, and the Demons got it when the defense stuffed three straight Eagles running attempts. After a muffed punt, a second Warner Robins rushing touchdown, this one by Dominic Butts, made the score 20-14.

Northside managed a first down on its next possession, but faced with a third-and-five from its own 25, Northside tried Brison Williams around end.

The play went for 30 yards when the Eagles ran it to open the game. This time, Warner Robins safety Darius Rogers-Wilson stopped Williams for a loss. Again, Northside was forced to give up the ball.

Trailing 21-20 after the Dudley-Jackson heroics, Northside still had the time (1:54) and starting field position (its own 38) to perhaps kick a winning field goal, but Warner Robins linebacker Daniel Bruce sniffed out a quarterback draw and dropped Van Brunt for a 4-yard loss.

The Eagles signal-caller was then sacked by Chandler Watts for a 10-yard loss that all but ended Northside’s chances.

Ironically, in the first half, it was Northside that was running the ball and stopping the run.

The Eagles held a 114-30 advantage on the ground and a 13-0 advantage on the scoreboard.

Chalk that one up to Christo as well.

Contact Chris Deighan at cdeighan@cox.net