Whitaker leads Lions to winLakeside, Greenbrier, Evans all fall short

With an 8-1 record coming into last weekend's final regular-season game, the Augusta Christian Lions still had work to do.

Coach Bruce Lane's team had already secured a spot in the SCISA AAA state playoffs, but it needed to win their final regular-season game to ensure a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

On the road at Robert E. Lee, the Lions got that win Friday night from the hands of junior Josh Whitaker.

Whitaker was a part of four touchdowns in the Lions' 54-27 win in their regular season finale. The junior caught three touchdown passes and blocked a punt that teammate Austin Greene then recovered in the end zone for a score.

Whitaker led the Lions in receiving with 132 yards on only four catches (33 yards per reception).

Augusta Christian used a committee of tailbacks to rush for 258 yards on the ground, so no single Lion rushed for more than 88 yards.

Senior quarterback Lee Banks kept his record-breaking season going by launching three touchdown passes for 138 yards. With 16 touchdown passes this season, Banks needs only one more score to break the school record set by Nathan Duffie in the 1998 season.

Augusta Christian (9-1) finished second in the SCISA Region 1-AAA standings and will play host to the third seed from Region 2-AAA Laurence Manning Academy (6-4) in the SCISA AAA State Quarterfinals on Friday.

Harlem 42,

Hephzibah 7

Playing in their final game of the year, the Harlem Bulldogs earned their first winning season in the past four years with a dominant victory over Hephzibah.

Four Bulldogs found the end zone as Harlem battered the Hephzibah defense for 360 yards rushing on 57 carries. Barry St. John and Brendan Gray rushed for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns each in the win, while the Harlem defense allowed Hephzibah only 175 total yards of offense.

Harlem narrowly missed a state playoff bid and ends their season with a 6-4 overall record and 4-2 mark in Region 3N-AAA play.

Lakeside 15

Baldwin 27

Closing out their season on the road, the Panthers fell in front of Baldwin's homecoming crowd Friday night.

Lakeside allowed Baldwin's Darius Marshall to rush for 140 yards and two touchdowns as the Braves took a first-half 21-0 lead and won their fifth straight game.

The Panthers season ends with a 3-6 overall mark and 2-5 record in Region 2-AAAA play.

Greenbrier 6,

Statesboro 48

Fighting for their playoff lives, the Wolfpack battled the AAAA No. 2 team in the state to a 6-6 tie with four minutes left in the first half.

A series of turnovers and a few quick scores from Statesboro, however, gave the Blue Devils a 27-6 halftime lead en route to their second-straight undefeated regular season.

Greenbrier's Lashawn Butler tallied 117 yards rushing while quarterback Sean Gray scored in the first half. The Wolfpack ended the game with 332 total yards while holding Statesboro to only 232 yards of total offense, but three lost fumbles gave the Blue Devils the win.

Evans 13,

Wayne County 37

After allowing a punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter, Evans responded with a 66 yard touchdown pass from Kevin Millward to Jonathan Nicely to tie the game at 6-6. Millward threw for 151 yards on 8-of-20 passing in the game, but a 37-6 Wayne County lead in the second half forced a running clock mercy rule. The Knights salvaged the half on a one-yard touchdown run from sophomore Taylor Hooven in the 37-13 loss.

They ended1-9 overall and 1-6 in Region 2-AAAA.