>> BALDWIN HIGH SCHOOL
The duo of Kadiphius Iverson and Jessie Bell from Westside of Macon (6-3, 2-3 Region 2-AAAA) ran all over Baldwin (3-6, 2-3 Region 2-AAAA) on Friday in a 41-20 win.
The Seminoles gashed the Braves on the ground, racking up 293 yards. Iverson had a game-high 140 yards and three TDs on 21 rushes. Bell totaled 129 yards on 14 attempts with two scores.
Westside got on the board first as quarterback James Neville connected with Jiquavious Marshall for a TD. The Seminoles would hold a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
However, the Braves would try to respond as junior running back Micah Welch broke off a long run. His lone effort put the Baldwin offense at the Seminoles’ 25-yard line.
Regardless, a costly fumble a few plays later gave Westside’s offense possession of the ball.
The Seminoles got an explosive run from Iverson, who had a long gain into Baldwin territory. Then its offense rumbled its way into the end zone as Iverson reached the goal line.
Westside led 13-0 with four minutes left in the first half, however, the Braves would finally answer. Welched rushed for a six-yard TD, making it a one-score contest.
The Seminoles led 13-6 at the conclusion of the first half, but Baldwin would make it interesting. Welch surged through defenders late in the third quarter for his second TD. Still, Westside led 13-12 after Dyson Sallad missed his second straight PAT.
The fourth quarter is when the Seminoles turned up the pressure, outscoring the Braves, 28-8.
Iverson reached the end zone at the start of the final period, making it a 20-12 game after Jeffrey Garcia’s PAT. Still, the Braves weren’t done yet as they responded quickly.
Welch then broke tackles on a 65-yard run, resulting in a TD. Baldwin went for two in an attempt to tie the game and it was successful. Jacobe Jackson was on the receiving end of a pass, and the Braves tied it at 20 with just over 11 minutes remaining.
However, the rushing tandem of Iverson and Bell proved to be too much for Baldwin. Westside scored three TDs in the final 11 minutes to cap off the big victory.
Perry secured the top spot in Region 2-AAAA with its 40-7 win over Spalding on Friday, which means the Jaguars will be the No. 2 seed entering the Class AAAA playoffs.
Griffin (3-6, 3-2 Region 2-AAAA), which is the Braves’ next and final opponent in the regular season, is in third place. However, there is currently a three-way tie between Baldwin, Westside and Howard (6-3) for the final spot in the Region 2-AAAA standings. The Braves, Seminoles and Huskies are all 2-3 in league play.
So, Baldwin desperately needs a victory this Friday on Senior Night against the Bears. The Braves haven’t won any of their home games yet at Braves Stadium in 2022.
Regardless of whether Baldwin gets a win on Friday against Griffin, the matchup between Westside and Howard is just as important. The Huskies need to defeat the Seminoles in order for the Braves to make the playoffs. If both Baldwin and Westside win, the Seminoles have the tie-breaker victory over the Braves. The tiebreaker could also come down to a “points differential” between the three teams.
Baldwin has only missed the playoffs once in the past 20 years, in 2015.