Houston County holds off Bibb County for 21-10 win in the first All-Star Bowl game
The first Bibb County, Houston County All-Star Bowl turned into a competitive, hard-hitting game with Houston County hanging on for a 21-10 victory.
Bibb County got off to a fast start behind Northeast running back Deondre Duehart. He carried the load for the offense on the first drive of the game with big chunk plays but ultimately the drive ended with a defensive stop on fourth down inside the Houston County 20-yard line.
Houston County capitalized as quarterback Max Rigby of Houston County hit James Smith for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Smith broke off a 25-yard run on the previous play to set up the touchdown.
The teams traded punts on the next two drives. Howard defensive end James Bryant forced one with a big hit on Northside quarterback Mason Ford for a sack. Bryant broke out his best sack celebration as each side showed their personalities in the game.
Westside quarterback Victor Dixon Jr. got things going for Bibb County on the next drive by hitting Southwest wide receiver Jalon Warthen Carr on a pair of short slant patterns for 30 yards.
Dixon’s next pass to Carr was intercepted by Warner Robins defensive back Jatavious Bryant.
Rigby found Memphis commit Marcayll Jones for a 45-yard pass. Jones leaped between a pair of defenders to haul in the grab. The catch set up another Houston County touchdown as running back Eric Williams ran in from 5 yards out.
Bibb County continued to struggle on offense for much of the first half until Duehart broke a 50-yard run with just under two minutes left in the first half. The run set up a touchdown from Dixon to Howard wide receiver Scott Campbell from the 30-yard line. The teams went into half time with Houston County leading 14-7.
In the second half, the two defenses put on a clinic. Neither side could get going on offense. With 4:07 left in the third quarter, Dixon hit Southwest wide receiver Jaden Williams for a 65-yard gain.
The offense stalled inside the Houston County 20-yard line again. But Bibb County did get a 35-yard field goal from Howard kicker Elizabeth Rodenroth. Heading to the fourth quarter, Bibb County remained in striking distance trailing 14-10.
Auburn commit Wesley Steiner made his impact on the game when he batted down a pass on third-and-long as Bibb County looked poised to take its first lead of the game.
Houston County’s offense eventually got going again with Rigby picking apart the Bibb County secondary to set up the game-sealing 20-yard touchdown run by James Smith, his second score of the game.
The two teams will meet again next season in Houston County to compete in the second Bibb County, Houston County game.
Stars of the Game:
Houston County linebacker, Wesley Steiner: He signed his letter of intent this week to head to Auburn, and the Houston County Bears linebacker showed why he was one of Middle Georgia’s most highly sought-after players. He had one of the biggest plays in the game with the batted pass late in the fourth quarter.
Bibb County running back, Deondre Duehart: He set the tone for the Bibb County offense early by muscling through tacklers and breaking off big gains. He rushed for over 1,000 yards this season at Northeast and was a standout linebacker on the defensive side of the ball. This was a chance to showcase his skills against some of the best defenders in the state of Georgia and he delivered.
Houston County running back, James Smith: Smith was a big part of Warner Robins run to the state championship game this season as he broke out in the playoffs with multiple 100-yard games. In this showcase game, Smith carried over that momentum and scored a pair of touchdowns for the winning side. He is a change-of-pace back and is an underrated recruit that could use this game to get some looks at the next level.
Bibb County defensive back, Keyshawn Rivers: The Bibb County defense as a whole was one of the biggest surprises in this game. It held a group of talented receivers and a big-play quarterback in Max Rigby to just 21 points. Rivers lowered the boom on multiple occasions and even forced a fumble in the fourth quarter to give Bibb County a chance to mount a comeback. He is another under-recruited player who used this platform as an opportunity to impress.
They said it:
“The talent is here on both sides. I know those coaches over there. They do a great job. Their kids do a good job of playing. I think it is really good going forward. I hope our county next year can put on show.” — Houston County head coach Ryan Crawford on the series going forward.
“It is so fun to see these guys play together in a competitive environment but actually on the same team. They all know each other. I think they got a little more comfortable as the week went on.” — Crawford on getting the kids from the Houston County schools to play on one team together.
“It was a big event for both counties. You had players out there today that maybe haven’t been offered yet. We had some college coaches here. If one of them gets an offer because of this it was well worth our time. If several of them get offers, then it makes it even better.” — Bibb County Athletic Director Barney Hester on why this was such an important event.