Lakeside picks up county's only football victory

Only one Columbia County football team picked up a win over the weekend. Lakeside's 27-8 region victory over Wayne County came on homecoming night at Panthers Stadium.

//

It was Lakeside's highest point total in a single game in more than two years.

"I felt like we played extremely well offensively and defensively," Lakeside football coach Jody Grooms said. "Our defense did a good job getting us those three and outs."

While the defense held the Yellow Jackets, Lakeside's offense tallied big numbers in the win. Quarterback Chad Chandler completed 16 of 29 pass attempts for 257 yards, including a touchdown pass to receiver Dustin Banks.

Michael Paul scored on a rushing touchdown. Levi Hanks started the scoring with a touchdown scramble on a fake field goal.

Lakeside (3-6, 2-6) will play its final game of the season Friday at Effingham County (4-4, 4-3).

Ware County 8, Evans 6

A third-quarter safety and a missed fourth-quarter field goal made the difference in Evans' heartbreaking home loss to Ware County.

Evans' Jonathan Finch scored on a 19-yard touchdown run for an early 6-0 lead. Ware County matched the score in the second quarter.

Finch was tackled in the end zone midway through the third quarter, and the two points were all Ware County needed to hold off the Knights and claim sole possession of first place in the region standings.

The Evans loss, coupled with Statesboro's 7-3 loss to Effingham County, created jumbled Region 3-AAAA standings. With two weeks remaining in the season, four teams are tied for second place with 5-2 region records.

Evans (6-2, 5-2) will next play Saturday afternoon in Brunswick, Ga., in a key region game against Glynn Academy (6-2, 5-2).

Glynn Academy 35, Greenbrier 13

Another week of playing come-from-behind football burned the Wolfpack in a home region loss. Greenbrier trailed 21-0 in the second quarter.

The Wolfpack climbed back into the game with Nick Richards' one-yard touchdown run and Richards' 18-yard touchdown pass to Andy Gray.

Gray caught nine passes for 109 yards, but two fourth-quarter touchdowns from Glynn Academy put the game out of reach and kept the Terrors' hopes for a state playoff bid alive. The loss eliminated Greenbrier from state playoff contention.

Greenbrier (4-5, 3-5) will play its final game of the season Friday at Wayne County (1-7, 1-6).

Thomson 35, Harlem 7

The battle of the Bulldogs went to Thomson this year when a close game turned into a blowout in the third quarter. Thomson held on to a seven-point lead but a pair of interceptions in the third quarter led directly to two Thomson touchdowns.

The Thomson win kept the home Bulldogs' undefeated record intact this season.

Harlem (2-6. 1-2) will next face Butler (0-8, 0-3) on Friday for another Region 3B-AAA match-up.