After losing key playmakers, Jones County football finds a bright spot in this freshman
Here is a look at the high school football action on Friday night from around Middle Georgia.
Three stars of the week
1. Zion Ragins, Jones County freshman wide receiver: Ragins has scored long touchdowns in each of the first two games this season, including in Jones County’s 44-21 loss to North Gwinett Friday night. He has been a bright spot for Jones County after losing some key playmakers — like current Duke wide receiver Jontavis Robertson — to graduation.
2. Lebron Fields, Veterans senior running back: Fields opened up Friday night’s scoring with a 55-yard touchdown run in Veterans’ 55-0 win over West Laurens. He had 20 carries and 112 yards in the opener — a 17-7 win over Northside — and followed it up with another big performance on the ground against West Laurens.
3. Jalen Addie, Warner Robins senior quarterback: Addie can do it all. Against Archer Friday night, he threw a touchdown, caught a touchdown and ran for a score in the first half alone. This team will go as far as Addie can take them this season. Warner Robins needed the big performance after dropping the opener 28-25 to Valdosta on Sept. 4. Demons responded with a 42-7 win over Archer.
BEST GAME
North Gwinnett 44, Jones County 21: Jones County was dominated by one of the top teams in the country last week in its Sept. 4 season opener against Grayson. This week, the Greyhounds had a 21-9 lead midway through the third quarter and seemed to be on their way to an upset win over Jones County.
North Gwinnett woke up and reeled off 35 straight points for the comeback win. Jones County had a big game from senior running back Andrew Carner, who finished with a pair of touchdown runs. Freshman wide receiver Zion Ragins caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Alan Richter in the first half. It was the second 75-yard or more touchdown on the season for Ragins.
Jones County showed flashes of a team that could make noise in region play after taking on two of the best teams in the state to open the season.
SCOREBOARD
- Warner Robins 42 vs Archer 7
- Wesleyan 24 vs Mount de Sales 0
- Tattnall 7 vs Hawkinsville 3
- Mary Persons 29 vs Mcdonough 6
- Dodge County 33 vs Dublin 20
- Wilcox 21 vs Bleckley County 20
- Veterans 35 vs West Laurens 0
- Crisp County 12 vs Houston County 0
- Harris County 14 vs Perry 10
- George Walton 21 vs Stratford 17
- Northside 14 vs Peach County 7
What’s next
Veterans vs. Jones County: Veterans is out to a 2-0 start with wins over Northside and West Laurens. Jones County is 0-2 after a pair of losses to two of the top teams in the state. This game will tell whether Veterans is the real deal this season and if Jones County’s record is just a product of a tough schedule. This game should be a defensive battle as the best playmakers for each team reside on that side of the ball. Veterans have given up just one score in its first two games, which included a 35-0 shutout of West Laurens on Friday.
Northside vs. Howard: Howard will open its season next week against Northside. It will mark the first week of football for Bibb County schools after an additional two-week delay due to COVID-19. Northside struggled in its opener against Veterans but bounced back with a big win over Peach County, one of the top teams in the state. Northside will look to continue to gain momentum after missing the playoffs last season for the first time in over 20 years. Howard missed the playoffs last season after getting off to a hot start. The Huskies will need to avoid mistakes against the Eagles.
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 12:36 AM.