Scoreboard: Northeast ends ACE’s undefeated season with 47-21 win; Northside wins in OT

The Northeast Raiders quieted a packed house at Friends Field on Friday night, ending the ACE Gryphons’ undefeated run to start the season in a 47-21 blowout win in one of Macon’s biggest games.

The win was Northeast’s second in a row after last week’s victory over Carter, and improves the Raiders to 2-2. The Gryphons fell to 4-1 on the year in their lowest scoring game of the season after blowing out opponents in their first four games.

The two teams traded blows in a first half of a game that appeared like it would end in close fashion, but the ACE defense could only contain star Raiders running back Nick Woodford for so long. Woodford gashed the Gryphons for plenty of yardage in the first half but exploded in the second half, racking up 293 yards and five touchdowns on 23 touches for the game.

“That’s what we pride ourselves on, being able to run the ball and be physical,” Northeast head coach Jeremy Wiggins said after the game. “With Nick being a great running back… that’s just a testimony of how hard them guys have been working all summer.”

ACE kept pace with Northeast through the first two quarters. Raiders quarterback Orintae Curry suffered an injury early in the first half, and freshman quarterback Regnald Glover took over calling the signals.

After a pair of dud drives to start the game, the teams traded scores for two drives each. Woodford led the charge and rushed for two touchdowns for the Raiders in the half, while running back Aaron Davis paired with quarterback Kaleb Scarbury to pace the Gryphons’ offensive attack. Scarbury’s 53-yard touchdown pass to Sam Whitley was the highlight of the first half for ACE.

With the Gryphons in the lead 14-13 near the end of the half, Northeast put together a go-ahead drive that included a fourth-down conversion and a clutch touchdown pass from Glover to put the Raiders up 20-14.

Northeast made a statement in the second half, forcing an ACE punt on their drive and then letting Woodford do the heavy lifting. The back ripped off a 68-yard run to put them on the goal line and set up a QB keeper for Glover to stretch the lead.

“We did score at the end of the second quarter, and that kind of helped us out,” Wiggins said. “I preached to them about cutting down on mistakes, just playing our type of game, and that really helped us out to come out in the second half.”

The Raiders maintained control with their size in the trenches. The defensive line pounced on an ACE fumble to flip the field again, and again Woodford punched it in. He struck for another touchdown on the following drive to ice the game.

Other Scores

Perry 35, Peach County 7

Northside 20, North Cobb 17 in OT

Veterans 28, Lakeside 17

Dutchtown 14, Warner Robins 7

Jones County 62, Locust Grove 0

Howard 14, Pike County 3

Bleckley County 33, West Laurens 0

Rutland 26, Central 19

Southwest 61, Jordan 0

Westfield 49, Mount de Sales 21

St. Anne-Pacelli 21, Stratford 7

Mount Vernon 35, Tattnall 34

Pinewood 34, FPD 28

This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 11:27 PM.