>> GMC PREP
The Georgia Military Prep Bulldogs lost a tough game on the road against the Johnson County Trojans last Thursday.
The 48-10 defeat was the Bulldogs’ first region game of the 2022 season, and head coach Lee Coleman knew it was going to be a difficult game to win.
“They’re good at what they do,” Coleman told The Baldwin Bulletin last week. “You have to fit your keys right.”
The Trojans came into the contest having outscored their first four opponents 135-47 in total, and the Bulldogs’ defense struggled to keep Johnson’s offense off the field.
At the end of the first quarter, GMC Prep had kept it close and only trailed Johnson County, 7-3. However, the Trojans of Wrightsville would pull away in the second quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points to lead 28-3 at the half.
The Bulldogs’ only first half bright spot seemed to be their kicker, Levi Ward.
Ward boomed multiple punts down the field, trying to pin Johnson County deep in its own territory, and he also made the 42-yard field goal to give GMC Prep its only points of the half.
The second half didn’t prove to be much better as the Bulldogs continued to struggle keeping offensive drives alive. They had multiple turnovers and threeand- out series that led to the lopsided score.
During the last two quarters, Johnson County outscored GMC Prep 20-0 before the Bulldogs were finally able to find the end zone for the first time.
That bright spot was when senior quarterback Tyler Saunders completed a pass to Noah Williams with less than a minute to play to give the Bulldogs double digits, but it was too late.
Johnson County came into the game as the No. 4-ranked team in Class A Division II and showed the home crowd why. The Trojans had two 100-yard rushers in the contest.
“They run like five plays total, but they formation you to death,” Coleman said. “They try to catch you sleeping. They’re good at what they do. I give credit to where credit is due.”
Sophomore running back Germivy Tucker rushed for 189 yards on 21 attempts with three TDs. Dual-threat quarterback Dalton Brantley also had a great game on the ground, rushing for 108 yards on eight carries with a score. He was also 2-of-5 passing for 43 yards and a TD.
The Bulldogs have played two top-10 teams in their division, the other ranked matchup coming against Washington-Wilkes earlier in the season, which they lost by a score of 14-2.
Looking ahead, GMC Prep (1-5, 0-1 Region 5 Class A Div II) has four more region games on the season with its next being against Wilkinson County (3-2 Region 5 Class A Div II) this Friday.
Despite the Bulldogs’ unfortunate start, they can still make the Class A Division II playoffs by finishing in the top four in Region 5. They have to start winning immediately, though.