Week 1 HS football scoreboard: Westside trounces Central, plus other region scores

Micah Johnston
·3 min read

The Westside Seminoles wasted no time kicking off the Middle Georgia high school football season with a bang, as they dominated their opening matchup against the Central Chargers at Ed Defore Sports Complex in Macon with a 56-0 win.

“We just came out and preached coming out with our hair on fire,” said longtime Westside head coach Spoon Risper. “We started fast and we finished fast. I’m just happy that we played a complete game.”

The blowout, which was called with roughly 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter due to the score, came on the backs of both Charger turnovers and a consistent offensive performance by Seminole running backs Jessie Bell and Kadiphius Iverson.

The two rushers combined for three of Westside’s touchdowns, including a 75-yard rumble for Bell in the first half that brought the crowd to its feet.

“They’re a one-two punch,” Risper said of the duo. “It’s so nice when you can have a back like (Kadiphius) get those 4 or 5 yards almost every play, and you have a home-run hitter like Jesse who can go long.”

Quarterback Paul Risper was no slouch either, notching four passing touchdowns and a score on the ground.

Westside came into the contest looking to continue its success after making the playoffs last year, which was a bounce-back season for Risper and the Seminoles after they missed the postseason in 2021.

“We’ve adopted the University of Georgia motto of, ‘Go 1-0 every week,’ ” Risper said. “We just take ‘em one at a time. That’s what we’re preaching. We don’t look ahead, don’t look back.”

Firing on all cylinders

The game saw the debut of new Central head coach Jarrett Laws, formerly of Salem High School in Conyers. Central looked to bounce back from a 3-8 year in 2022, while the Seminoles went 7-4 last year under Risper.

The first quarter was all Seminoles, as Westside went up 21-0 with seven minutes still on the clock in the opening period. Turnovers doomed the Chargers as they fumbled twice and dropped a kickoff in the first half.

Bell and Iverson both struck for touchdowns and wore out Central’s defense in the first half. Risper did his part from the pocket as well, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for another in the first half once the Seminole running backs got him within range.

Central gained some momentum thanks to passes from quarterback Justin Releford to wideout Jarvis Robinson, but stymied their momentum with turnovers multiple times.

Westside led 49-0 at the break.

The Seminoles capitalized on another Central fumble in the second half and pushed their lead to 56-0, but much of the second half was simply a formality. Westside continued to play solid defense and came away with the win.

Here’s a list of other scores from around Middle Georgia:

Badlwin’s Micah Welch (5) runs for a first down during the Braves’ win over Peach County Friday night.
Badlwin’s Micah Welch (5) runs for a first down during the Braves’ win over Peach County Friday night.

  • Baldwin County 34, Peach County 13

  • Houston County 56, Sumter County 12

  • Veterans 42, Richmond County 6

  • Lee County 26, Warner Robins 19

  • ACE 53, Crawford County 0

  • John Milledge 43, Brentwood 3

  • Strong Rock 27, Mount de Sales 6

  • CFCA 44, Rock Springs 0

  • Piedmont 13, Trinity Christian 0

  • Westfield 26, Deerfield-Windsor 23, OT

  • Upson-Lee 21, Union Grove 20

  • Bleckley County 10, Dodge County 7, OT

  • Howard 42, Southwest 6 (Thurs.)

  • Rutland 26, Towers 6 (Thurs.)

  • Northside 33, Jones County 21

  • Mary Persons 20, Northeast 14