Running game leads Warner Robins to comeback win over Peach County

FORT VALLEY -- For a few minutes, the score of last year’s meeting might have been a moral victory for Warner Robins.

The Demons were down by three touchdowns in short order, on a big run, fumble recovery and short pass that went for a long distance.

The wake-up call, particularly for the Demons’ offensive line, finally came.

Warner Robins utilized mostly power football to come back and then maintain control for a 44-34 win Friday in the season opener at Anderson Stadium.

The Demons avenged last year’s 19-0 loss at home to the GHSA Class AAA Trojans.

Terry Harris had a big first half for the Demons in leading the comeback but was lost for the night after a 14-yard gain with about four minutes left in the second quarter.

But the Demons, thanks in large part to a quality night by the offensive line, were given a clutch performance by backup Javian Bradford-Jackson. The junior ran 28 times for 153 yards, Harris getting 132 yards on 19 carries. Quarterback Ivan Corbin was 9-of-12 for 156 yards in a solid performance.

The Demons controlled the second half and ran 16 more plays and got seven more first downs. Warner Robins stormed back from a 21-0 deficit to take a two-score lead in the third after a dominating 15-play, 80-yard drive to start the quarter. Peach County ­needed two plays to score and pull within six.

But the Demons answered with an 11-play, 52-yard drive for another touchdown and retake a 13-point lead. Warner Robins ran 26 plays in the third quarter to Peach County’s five.

The Demons’ defense continued its strong play -- after the first quarter -- and forced a punt early in the fourth and kept the Trojans at bay in the fourth.

Life looked rough for the Demons early, mostly thanks to them.

Peach County quarterback Tyrique McGhee kept around the right side and reversed field for a 51-yard score on the Trojans’ first possession. The Demons lost 22 yards on a high snap and followed it with a penalty. Two plays later, Corbin went back and was converged on, losing his helmet and the ball.

Defensive lineman Fletcher Hooks got the latter and went in from 6 yards out, and the lead was 14 barely halfway through the first quarter.

Then James Jackson took a simple swing pass, got a huge block by Hooks and went 54 yards for a fairly easy touchdown. Omar Cervantes’ kick made it 21-0 with 2:03 left in the first.

Warner Robins then started on its first scoring drive, needing to convert only one third down before Harris went in from the 1 less than a minute into the second quarter.

Jacquez King recovered Otha Redding’s fumble one play later, and the Demons needed three plays to score, Harris running in from 13 yards out.

The Demons followed a Trojans’ three-and-out with a seven-play, 40-yard drive set up by a nice Marquez Callaway punt return. Bradford-Jackson went off right guard from 19 yards for the score, but the kick failed and the Demons trailed 21-20 with 6:11 left in the half.

Another three-and-out got the ball back, and Corbin found an open Callaway down the left side for a 46-yard touchdown barely three minutes later.

Warner Robins -- which had nine more first downs in the first half -- was a yard away from adding another one on a pass from Corbin to Matt Trotter, but he was stripped at the 1 in the final 1:16 of the half.

It didn’t matter.

The 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive -- featuring four third-down conversions -- followed.

Just when it appeared the Demons might have a stranglehold on the momentum, Kearis Jackson blew past the Warner Robins defense and was wide open for a 74-yard touchdown reception from McGhee, pulling Peach County within 34-28 only 56 seconds after the Demons’ score.

But Warner Robins’ offense was able to add a late third-quarter touchdown and fourth-quarter field goal, and the defense didn’t let Peach County get anything going.

This story was originally published August 29, 2015 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Running game leads Warner Robins to comeback win over Peach County ."