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Helmet courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project
MANCHESTER – 20
GMC PREP – 8
MILLEDGEVILLE – When you lose in the playoffs, there's such a sense of finality. Everything comes to a sudden stop, and the ride is over.
That was the feeling around Davenport Field on Saturday night after GMC's first-round playoff loss. After winning their first 10 games and riding a high since August, the Dawgs failed to solve Mancheester's defense, and that high suddenly turned into a low.
Despite the loss, the game was still extremely memorable for GMC. After all, it was the first home playoff football game in school history. The crowd began arriving 90 minutes prior to kickoff. After Travion Woods' early interception return for a touchdown, Davenport was electric, perhaps never louder.
The Blue Devils kept grinding, however, and built a 14-6 lead. GMC then blocked a punt midway through the third quarter, recovered by Manchester in the end zone for a safety and two points. From there, however, GMC's offense began missing opportunities, despite marching into Blue Devil territory multiple times. The backbreaker was a 90-yard interception return by Manchester in the fourth quarter that went for a touchdown, upping the lead to 20-8.
2021 was a breakthrough season for the GMC program. Not since 1960 had the football team won a region championship and never had it had an undefeated regular season. The Dawgs did all of this with only four seniors, something that has GMC coaches, players and fans already looking forward to the Fall of 2022.
