Dawgs win a thriller, send Wilco back down 441 with a limp

Helmets courtesy of www.gahelmetproject.com

Wilkinson County – 6
GMC Prep – 7

After a September definitely not to remember, the Dawgs on Friday night picked up a huge GHSA Region 5-A Division 2 victory at Davenport Field. 

The GMC defense came up big again and again, most notably on a Wilco 2-point conversion attempt with 56 seconds left in the game. The Dawg D was strong all night long, limiting the Warriors to one score, the same Warriors' squad that scored 56 points last week.

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GMC has now defeated Wilco three years seasons in a row, which is remarkable from a historical standpoint. Prior to 2020, the Dawgs had lost 16 games in a row to their foe to the south, a losing streak that dated all the way back to 1965.

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Coincidentally, the final score from the last time the two teams met at Davenport Field also was GMC 7 and Wilco 6, which was the game that broke the 55-year drought against the Warriors. 

The win was huge from a region standpoint. GMC is now 1-1 in the region and owns the tiebreaker over the Warriors. Based on the fact that GMC's last two region opponents of the season – Twiggs County and Glasock County – are pretty hapless, the Dawgs are now in position to host a region playoff game. If GMC can pick up a win next Friday night against Hancock-Central over in Sparta, the Dawgs will be in excellent position to host a state playoff game.

Wilco fumbled on its first play from scrimmage and GMC's Cam Bentley alertly fell on the ball. GMC (2-5) then moved with ease inside the Wilco 10, with GMC standout Jesse Washington going full early-'80s Herschel Walker on a punishing 8-yard touchdown run. Levi Ward's PAT was true, and the Dawgs staked themselves to a 7-0 early lead.