Addie’s big night leads Demons to fourth straight title appearance with win over Jones

In a semifinal showdown between the final two Middle Georgia teams left in the GHSA state playoffs, Warner Robins knocked off Jones County 56-21 to clinch a spot in the 5A state championship game for the fourth year in a row.

Warner Robins got off to a fast start following a fourth-down stop on the opening drive of the game. Senior quarterback Jalen Addie led the Demons down the field before scoring the first touchdown of the night on a quarterback keeper out of the zone read.

The Jones County offense stumbled out of the gate with four straight three-and-outs to open the game. Warner Robins added a trio of passing touchdowns to jump out to a 28-0 lead as Addie found senior wide receiver Armon Porter, senior running back Jahlen Rutherford and senior wide receiver Kaleb Howard on three straight scoring drives.

The Greyhounds offense finally found some traction just before the half as junior quarterback John Alan Richter found senior wide receiver Maleek Wooten on a short crossing route. Wooten took the pass 78 yards for the touchdown, showcasing his elite speed.

Just before the close of the first half the two teams traded scores on three straight drives. Addie found Porter on another deep shot to the end zone and his tight end De’Andre King on a short pass out of the back field after the defense sold out on the run at the goal line. John Alan Richter threw his second touchdown pass of the night, this one to Keagan Baxter. Warner Robins went into the break up 42-14.

The Demons got the ball coming out of halftime and picked up where they left off with Addie finding Malcolm Brown for a touchdown on a screen pass. Warner Robins started the game with eight straight scoring drives, including its final score of the game on a 10-yard run from Rutherford, his second score of the game. This came after Jones County’s Andrew Carner capped off the Greyhounds’ scoring with a touchdown run of his own, his 29th of his senior season.

The final quarter was a defensive struggle with neither team scoring again as the reserves entered the game for Warner Robins. The Demons will head to their fourth straight state-title appearance next week against Cartersville, which knocked off Coffee County 24-17 in the other 5A state semifinal game.

Warner Robins has lost in overtime in back-to-back state title games against Bainbridge and Buford. In the 2017 state-title game, the Demons were shut out by Rome.

3 STARS

Jalen Addie, senior quarterback, Warner Robins: Addie accounted for seven touchdowns on the night with six through the air and one on the ground. The senior quarterback showcased his arm strength on deep passes and his running ability on several quarterback keepers out of the zone read. Addie helped the Demons put up 56 points on a Jones County defense that came into the game having given up 55 points through the first three rounds of the playoffs.

Jahlen Rutherford, senior running back, Warner Robins: Rutherford scored a pair of touchdowns and helped set the tone early with some key runs to help open up the passing lanes for Addie. Rutherford has been a key piece for this Demons offense over the last four years and will look to close out his high school career with a state title, the one thing that has eluded him and fellow seniors.

Warner Robins head coach Marquis Westbrook: It is hard to start your career as a head coach any better than what Westbrook has done in his first two years at the helm for Warner Robins. The former defensive back for the Florida Gators has led the Demons to back-to-back state title appearances. Warner Robins defense has become a big part of the team’s identity over the past two seasons, and it was on full display Friday night. This defense swarms to the ball, wraps up on tackles and play a disciplined brand of football. Westbrook has a chance to cement himself as one of the best young coaches in the state with a win next week over Cartersville.

QUOTES

“You never have a game in the bag til it’s over and now that it’s over I feel really proud of the boys and the way they played.” — Westbrook on his team closing out Jones County.

“We know that we have got bigger fish to fry. Those boys are hungry and they are ready to finish it.” — Westbrook on advancing to the title game.

“Being there four times, it means a lot just to maintain that consistency. It speaks volumes for this program, but we have got to go finish. That is our main goal right now. That is our main objective right now is finishing.” — Westbrook on reaching the title game for the fourth straight year.

This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 11:23 PM.