The football season has come to an end for one team, while another is getting ready for the playoffs.
Rockmart turns around from losing season to region runners up in just one year following Model win on Friday, to host Heard County.
The Jackets have come roaring back with their return to Region 7-AA football finishing second place in the region with an 8-2 record and only one loss to Pepperell as they head back home next week for their first playoff game after defeating Model last week in a 39-28 road win.
“Here’s what I’m proud of. We came into a program that was 2-8 and flipped it to 8-2,” said head coach Biff Parson. “All the credit goes to these kids, and the staff that has bought into what we’re doing and the program and the process.”
Rockmart put up the first score of the night off a 41-yard run by Markus Smith, and kept the pressure on Model (7-3, 4-3 7-AA) throughout the game on offense.
Model’s Kyler Eldridge drew first blood for the Blue Devils with a 1-yard run in the
Rockmart turns around from losing season to region runners up in just one year following Model win on Friday, to host Heard County
second quarter, then took the lead off a Chris Dublin 60-yard touchdown run.
The Jackets eventually put up a 57- yard pass between Dylan Bailey and Morgan Sims before halftime to score again and keep the game within a point.
After the half, the Jackets turned on the pressure and scored 19 points in the third quarter off another Smith run from 16 yards out, another big touchdown pass from Bailey to Koby Adams for 77 yards, and a pass between Bailey and Sims for 29 yards.
Smith eventually put in one more running touchdown off a 14-yard running play, set up by what Model head coach Gordon Powers was a missed call on a tipped punt that allowed Rockmart a second chance on the play, and gave them advantageous field position to fake a punt and get the first down.
“They have a discussion and don’t call it a tipped punt, which would have given us the ball on the 30-yard line,” Powers said. “But they end up faking a punt and go 80 yards. That was the difference in the game right there as far as momentum went.”
Model got one last touchdown near the end of regulation off of a Jordan Worfford 46-yard run, but it was too little, too late for the Blue Devils.
Overall, Model put up 302 yards of offense compared to the 577 of Rockmart for the night. Some 151 yards were taken off the Yellow Jackets’ total offense for penalties.
Model has one of their toughest games of the season ahead, facing top- ranked Callaway in the first round of the state Class AA playoffs next Friday on the road.
“The way I look at it, you’ve got to beat someone really good in the playoffs to win the state championship,” Powers said. “And that’s what we plan on doing.”
Rockmart gets busy hosting Heard County Friday night in the opening round of the Class AA playoffs.
Heard County, who finished third in Region 5-AA, finished the season with an 7-3 record and finished the season with a 16-13 win over Spencer High School.
Rockmart finished behind Pepperell in 7-AA.