In a span of 15 days, Baldwin High somehow managed its biggest win in recent years and also its most disappointing loss in recent years.
The latter came last Friday night off Shurling Drive in Macon, as the Braves' undefeated season came to an unexpected end.
The underdog Huskies stormed out to a hefty 35-0 lead over the Braves, who mounted a furious second-half comeback, but Howard held on for a 49-43 victory.
A very furious second-half comeback wasn't enough, and the Huskies survived for the 49-43 victory.
Howard's Tashawn Poole, a top-100 national recruit and Florida State commit, absolutely torched the Braves, racking up 249 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
By halftime, the Braves had begun their comeback and cut the Huskies lead to 35-8.
Early in the third quarter, Braves quarterback Kamden Patterson connected with wide receiver Jerrick Carswell for a touchdown to cut Howard’s lead to 35-15. The Huskies led 49-27 early in the fourth quarter, but Patterson commandeered a hopeful comeback to reach the disappointing final score..
Nevertheless, the Braves still have a 3-1 record and six region games ahead of them, and Baldwin head coach Kevin Patterson stressed he remains proud of his team.
“I hate that we started out slow and lethargic,” Patterson said. “We dug a deep hole for ourselves. Most teams would lay down but we stuck together and fought our way back into the game.
“Unfortunately we came up short, but I am proud of the resilience and fight we showed. I thought we were shell shocked the first half and played how we were supposed to in the second half. The Howard game has to be a learning tool for us.”
It’s never a positive to start 0-1 in region play, especially when two of your six remaining opponents are among the top five teams in the GHSA 4A state rankings, but Baldwin has the opportunity to turn things around on Friday vs Westside (Macon).
“I expect us to start fast, play with emotion, with a sense of urgency, and come out of Macon with a victory so we can get this bad taste out of our mouth,” Patterson said. “I want them to compete and play hard for one another.”
The Seminoles are 2-2 on the season. The Seminoles likewise are coming off a disappointing showing last Friday, falling behind Mary Persons 38-2 in the second quarter, which was the eventual final score.
Still, the Seminoles present multiple challenges on both sides of the football and the Braves will have to shake off the disappointment if they are going to avoid another loss on Friday.
“They (Westside) play hard and they have tasted some success this year,” Patterson said. “They are hungry for a win just like we are.
“Their QB is a game changer. I think he does some special things. He throws the ball well and creates explosive plays by scrambling. He makes their offense go and we have to do a good job of containing him in order to slow them down. They are very aggressive and play physical on defense. They have length in their secondary and they are fast.”
The Braves and Seminoles will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. this Friday at Ed Defore Stadium in Macon.