Warner Robins, Jones County to battle for a shot at a state championship

A little over 30 miles separates Jones County and Warner Robins but on Friday night the pair of Middle Georgia powerhouses will meet on the football field with the chance to go to a state title on the line.

The path to the semifinals has been different for both teams. Jones County began the season on a 3-game losing streak but hasn’t lost a game since. Warner Robins came into the season as favorites to once again reach this stage and have had very few roadblocks along the way.

The pair of schools are the last standing in Middle Georgia but their appearances in back-to-back state semifinals — for Warner Robins its fourth straight — shows that the area has some of the best teams in the state.

“I just think it is a token to Middle Georgia football,” Jones County head coach Mike Chastain said. “I think we have really good football here in the Middle Georgia area and football is important in both Warner Robins and in Jones County.”

More than just talent

The two teams’ talent is matched by each of their fanbase’s passion for winning football, which could lead to one of the best atmospheres for a high school football game in recent memory despite the COVID-19 crowd size restrictions.

“It is going to be live. The fans will definitely be into the game,” Westbrook said. “Demon Country is really good about showing up in the playoffs. And I know they (Jones County) are going to travel well. They bring a bunch of people and they support their school. They want to see their football team win just like our fans want to see us win.”

Westbrook said postseason success takes a commitment at all levels: fans, the school system, the coaching staff and the players have to come together to make a run possible.

“A lot goes into not just fielding a team but supporting a team,” Warner Robins head coach Marquis Westbrook said. “To have two teams go this far in the playoffs says a lot of the commitment that our school systems have for this kind of football. There is a lot of good football in this state but this one right here is huge because of the proximity. It says a lot about the caliber of football in Middle Georgia.”

Well built programs

Chastain has coached both schools, leading Warner Robins to back-to-back state title appearances before leaving for Jones County at the end of the 2018 season. He has taken Jones County to back-to-back semifinal games. He attributes his success not to himself, but to the players and coaches around him.

“I stepped into a really good program. We have really good coaches around here and not to mention really good football players,” Chastain said. “You can’t be successful like this without really good football players.”

Westbrook was on Chastain’s staff at Warner Robins before taking over in 2018 after Chastain’s departure. Westbrook has been able to maintain the standard of winning at Warner Robins and has taken them to one state title appearance and is on the cusp of returning in his second season as the head coach.

“I consider myself to be very fortunate to be a part of this. You have coaches who never reach the semis, much less a state championship,” Westbrook said. “We are just fortunate and we are going to do our best to try and take advantage of it.”

X-factors could be the difference

The teams have talent at all positions. Jones County’s defense is led by a playmaker at linebacker in Deon Richardson and by Andrew Carner on offense. Their X-factor might be their two speedy receivers on the outside in senior Maleek Wooten and freshman Zion Ragins.

“You have got guys on the outside who are burners and you can see it on film. Some kids you have to wait ‘til you see them in a game before you can say ‘That kid is really fast,’” Westbrook said. “But when you see these guys on film, there is no doubt they can run. We know we have our work cut out for us on the perimeter.”

Warner Robins is led by a senior class of 21 players who have experience in the biggest moments over the last four seasons with some playing nearly 60 high school games. It is the experience of players like linebacker Ahmad Walker, quarterback Jalen Addie and running back Jahlen Rutherford that could be the difference maker for the Demons in this matchup.

“They have got a lot of veterans players for them but to mix in they have got a bunch of young guys that step up and make plays too,” Chastain said. “They have played a ton of ball.”

This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.