Scoreboard: Tattnall topples Stratford in 33-28 comeback win on homecoming
A Macon rivalry showdown came down to a last-second touchdown in one of the games of the year Friday night as the Tattnall Trojans stunned the Stratford Eagles 33-28.
A storybook ending felt inevitable as the ball sailed from quarterback Donovan Duncan to star wideout and homecoming king Reggie Troutman. With the raucous crowd shortly brought to silence as the ball floated in slow motion, Troutman caught the six-yard pass and waltzed into the endzone to give the Trojans a lead with just seven seconds to play.
The crowd was deafening after the catch and well past the final buzzer.
“We got some big plays that helped us win the ballgame,” Tattnall head coach John Abernathy said over the roar of fans. “These guys are hungry, and big wins against region teams and rivals make it even sweeter.”
The touchdown came after a surprise onside kick gave the Trojans possession with just under four minutes remaining.
After burning the minutes of the clock and pounding their way down to the red zone, Tattnall iced it thanks to Duncan and Troutman.
It was a packed house for the school’s homecoming game, and the Trojans fed off the crowd to make a roaring comeback in the second half that culminated with the go-ahead score.
Down 21-7 well into the third quarter, Tattnall used a 75-yard kick return from Brayden Smith that set up a touchdown and solid offense to get back in the game. The defense adjusted well to Stratford’s tricky backfield run game, which had eaten them up in the first half.
“We’ve learned to battle, we’re getting somewhere, and we’re doing what we’re supposed to do,” Abernathy said of his defense. “Obviously it led to some success in the second half, and my hats off to Coach Jones, they do a great job.”
Stratford dominated the first half despite the game’s eventual ending, with two-way standout Keondre Glover notching three touchdowns and an impressive diving interception on the game.
The running game for Stratford had a good day, going for 251 by using three different solid backs including Glover, Shaun Wilmore and James Groves.
Tattnall’s standout players included Duncan, Smith, Troutman and running back Antone Johnson, the latter of whom had a big run to help setup the game winning score. Big man Cam Person also had a solid performance including several tackles and a rushing touchdown.
The win brought Tattnall above the .500 mark, giving them a 4-3 record and a win in region play. It was just the second loss of the season for the Eagles, giving them a 5-2 record and a loss in the region.
The win was the second straight for the Trojans over their in-town rival. The two squads had split the series 5-5 in their last ten matchups coming into Friday’s game and now enter region play.
Other Scores
- Westside 22, West Laurens 8
- Jackson 28, Mary Persons 14
- Northeast 49, Kendrick 16
- ACE 32, Central 6
- Rutland 49, Jordan 0
- FPD 36, Mount de Sales 10
- Warner Robins 30, Union Grove 7
- Ola 15, Jones County 22
- Lee County 43, Veterans 7
- Dublin 31, Bleckley County 13
- Howard 14, Spalding 13
- Houston County 21, Northside 17