Scoreboard: Wayne County stuns Perry 14-7, Warner Robins dominates in playoffs
The Panther Pit was unusually silent for most of Friday night as the Wayne County Yellow Jackets upset the Perry Panthers 14-7 in the second round of the GHSA 4A playoffs.
Perry came within five yards of the goal line with 30 seconds to play in the game, but a dropped pass in the back of the end zone on fourth down sealed the loss.
Perry dominated in the regular season at 10-1 and went undefeated against region opponents, but the Yellow Jackets shut down their prolific offense throughout the night.
Wayne County entered the game with a 9-2 record. They had held opponents to 14 points or fewer six times prior to Friday’s game, and Perry experienced that defense first hand.
Panther quarterback Armar Gordon couldn’t find his rhythm in the passing game, throwing two interceptions including one on a crucial drive in the fourth quarter.
The Perry defense played well, but couldn’t fully contain Jackets running back Matthew Fuller. Fuller never broke off a huge play, but his quick moves in the backfield were enough to net him 145 rushing yards and both of Wayne County’s touchdowns.
Fuller also snagged a crucial third quarter interception that kept the Panthers out of the end zone, cementing him as the player of the game for the Yellow Jackets.
A defensive showdown
The first half of play was a defensive battle, with Wayne County scoring the only touchdown and taking a 7-0 lead into the break. The Yellow Jackets shut down Perry’s normally consistent offense, including an interception on the Panthers’ first drive.
Fuller paced Wayne County’s offense, guiding them into the redzone multiple times and notching their only score. The Jackets should have scored again before the half, but lost track of the clock and ran out of time inside Perry’s 10 yard-line.
The second half saw more offense from Perry, but their opening drive of the third quarter screeched to a halt thanks to Fuller’s interception.
Wayne County’s iron grasp on the contest was a sure thing for nearly three quarters, but the fourth quarter woke the Panthers up.
A tricky play-action pass gave Perry their lone touchdown, but it made it a 14-7 game with about 10 minutes left. When the Yellow Jackets threw an interception just two plays into their ensuing drive, it looked like the Panthers would be back in the game in no time.
That was when the air left the building, as Perry wasted a drive inside the redzone by fumbling the snap on fourth down from the 14 yard-line. The Panthers didn’t get another scoring chance until their last drive of the game.
With just about three minutes to play, Perry drove all the way to the Wayne County five yard-line, but couldn’t cash in. A fourth and goal from with 30 seconds left ended in an incompletion, and the Panthers’ season ended in the second round.
Other Scores
- Marist 32, Northside 13
- Warner Robins 38, Northside (Columbus) 7
- Appling County 35, Northeast 13
- Savannah Christian 23, Peach County 7
- Houston County 41, North Atlanta 31
- Bleckley County 27, Lamar County 23
- Metter 18, Dublin 0
- Lincoln County 42, Wilkinson County 8
- Stratford 42, George Walton 7
- Tattnall 56, Westfield 21
- Brookstone 38, FPD 30
- John Milledge 42, Heritage 7
This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 10:26 PM.