The Baldwin Braves moved above a .500-win percentage for the first time all season last Friday night with a dominating 42-14 win at home over the highly favored Westside Patriots, out of Augusta.
Region rival Westside sported a 6-1 record heading into the matchup but also were coming off their first loss this season after losing another in-region game to Harlem one week prior when the Patriots not only suffered their first loss but were shut out as well.
The Braves, on the other hand, entered Friday night’s matchup on a two-game winning streak after victories over region foes Hephzibah and Aquinas.
Baldwin and Westside appeared equally matched through one-quarter of play, tied at 7 apiece. But in the second quarter, the Braves set themselves apart and took control.
Baldwin held a 28-14 lead at halftime after Jaquan Hill scored on an end-around, quarterback LJ Pounds went 17 yards on the ground for a touchdown, and Kaiden Gibson added a rushing score in a dominant 21-point second quarter.
The Patriots carried little to no momentum into the second half going scoreless in the third quarter and scoring only once on a drive in the fourth quarter. Baldwin, on the other hand, scored two more touchdowns in the second half.
After the Braves’ defense forced the Patriots off the field twice to start the second half Baldwin drove 68 yards for a touchdown ending on a Jonquavious “Q” Russell rushing touchdown. The Braves’ final score came in the fourth quarter on a Sadur Salahuddin rushing touchdown from the one-yard line.
Pounds finished the game with 270 yards passing and rushed for 76 yards on eight carries, a career-high rushing record for him.
Baldwin defensive backs King Labraydon and Landon Blash each made interceptions in the second half to highlight arguably the Braves’ best defensive performance of the year too.
With three games still left on a 10-game season, Baldwin plays at 7 p.m. this Thursday in Macon versus the Howard Huskies. After a brief rest, they play again at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 5, at home versus West Laurens, and finish their season with a 1 p.m. game on Nov. 9 at Academy of Richmond County (ARC), in Augusta.