Scoreboard: Southwest takes down Rutland 39-35 in thriller, plus other Week 7 games
A small crowd at Ed Defore Sports Complex took in one of the most exciting games of the season in Bibb County Thursday night, as the Southwest Patriots earned a gutsy 39-35 win over the Rutland Hurricanes.
Trailing by five as the game came down to the final drive, the Hurricanes moved down the field with about 2:30 to play. Rutland marched to Southwest’s 15-yard line before the Patriots forced an incomplete pass as time expired.
“I’m a firm believer that the offense sells tickets, the defense wins championships. They came up big in a great game,” said Southwest head coach Joe Dupree. “Coach Williams does a great job over at Rutland, we went to school together and I knew he would have those kids prepared. Great game.”
Carmelo Mays stole the show for Southwest, notching a 60-yard pick six and an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown to fuel the victory. The kick return came after the Patriots fell behind by two scores and looked like they might be down for the count.
“He’s a great athlete and player, but he’s an even better kid,” Dupree said. “I’m just so happy for him that he’s able to make plays like that. He works hard at it.”
The win brings Southwest up to .500 and started its region schedule with some energy, but it also gave the Patriots a coveted victory in a game that has, slowly but surely, become a true rivalry.
“Any time you’re in a region game and it’s crosstown, what you could call a rivalry, it’s huge to get a win,” Dupree said. “Every game is important; this one had playoff implications.”
The two teams showed raw emotion all night and even garnered some sideline warnings. The nerves might have been the reason for the two squads combining for 30 penalties.
Rutland fell to 2-4 with the loss. Quarterback Marquis Lattner carried the Hurricane offense with 352 total yards through the air and on the ground.
A back-and-forth affair
Rutland head coach Anthony Williams got off to a solid start in his inaugural season, guiding the Hurricanes to a 2-3 record through the first five weeks despite some tough matchups. Southwest also entered the contest with a 2-3 mark, as both squads looked for important wins in region play.
The teams were sloppy but competitive in the first half, combining for a whopping 17 penalties. Rutland struck first on a drive that began inside Southwest’s 10-yard line after a bad snap on a punt.
The Patriots answered the early score by putting up their own touchdown thanks to a solid running game. A two-point conversion made it 8-7 Southwest near the end of the opening quarter.
The Hurricanes took the lead back with a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, but the Patriots responded with a 54-yard scoring pass to tie the game. Rutland continued running the ball well with Lattner, squeezing in another score before halftime to take a 21-14 lead into the break.
Lattner made his presence known again to start the second half, notching an impressive 40-yard run that came on the Hurricanes’ first penalty-free drive of the game.
With the score at 28-14, Rutland looked poised to take control. But Mays would have none of it, taking the ensuing kickoff back about 80 yards for a Southwest touchdown to again make it a one-score game.
The kick return fired up the Patriots, as they scored three consecutive touchdowns to go up 39-28. Rutland fought back in the fourth quarter, but it was too late.
Other games this week
Scores will be added once games are completed.
Northside 35, Tift County34 (OT)
Commerce 28, FPD 14
Lee County 63, Houston County 53
Jones County 48, Eagles Landing 15
Warner Robins 28, Ola 27
Mary Persons 42, Prince Avenue Christian 28
Thomas County Central 52, Veterans 0
Baldwin 20, Howard 19
Perry 55, Westside 14
Peach County 36, Carver (Atlanta) 19
ACE 49, Kendrick 0
Northeast 57, Central 0
Stratford 29, Deerfield-Windsor 0
Tattnall 41, Frederica 13
John Milledge 49, Pinewood Christian 33
Wilkinson County 49, Twiggs County 0
Johnson County 47, GMC 16
