MACON - First Presbyterian Day School jumped out to a 14-point lead but Lincoln County quickly rebounded enroute to a 49-27 Region 7-A win here Friday night.
The Red Devils will travel to Warren County this Friday to play the Screaming Devils. A win would be the 700th for Lincoln County football since its first victory in its first game in September 1922. Only Valdosta has more wins in the history of Georgia high school football.
The Screaming Devils are 1-3 after defeating Glascock County to open the season, Warren County has failed to score in its other three games, falling to Washington-Wilkes, George Walton Academy, and Hancock Central.
Junior running back Mike McIntire led the Devil offensive attack with 205 yards on 23 carries with four touchdowns. QB Ben Turner also had a great outing, completing all but one of his 15 attempts for 219 yards and two scores. Zireycus Letman caught eight passes for 118 yards and one touchdown.
The Vikings took the opening kickoff and advanced on the ground to midfield. Their quarterback broke two tackles and went around left end for 50 yards and the first score of the night . The PAT gave the home team a 7-0 lead with 9:21 left in the opening quarter.
The Red Devils moved the ball from their 20 to the FPD 40 before an interception ended the drive. The Vikings scored on a 34-yard pass to a wide open receiver over the middle. The extra point kick gave FPD a 14-0 lead with 3:47 remaining in the first period.
Starting from its 30, Lincoln's Turner connected with McIntire for 23 yards to the FPD 49. Three plays later Turner hit Letman for 31 yards. Another pass to McIntire put the pigskin on the 10. McIntire ran for 9 before going the final 1 with 25 seconds left in the quarter. The PAT pass for two points failed.
Dee Jones recovered a Viking fumble to end their next possession at the Viking 43. Turner passed three yards to Letman and McIntire then ran for five yards to the FPD 35. McIntire then took the handoff on 4th-and-2, broke through the short-yardage defense, and was off to the endzone untouched. Turner connected with Glenn Creech on the two-point pass to tie the game with 9:45 left in the first half.
The Devil Defense forced a punt on the next FPD possession. The Devils drove to the 11 in five plays. McIntire ran into the endzone but an illegal formation call backed up the ball five yards, and a personal foul after the play tacked on 15 more to give the Devils a 1st-and-30 at the 31. A pass play would have gained five yards had it not been for an ineligible receiver downfield - 1st-and-35 at the 36.
Turner to Letman gained 18 to setup 2nd-and-17 at the 18. Letman gained 7 yards on another pass, but a holding penalty pushed the Devils back - 2nd-and-36 at the 37. Turner found Letman at the right end of the goal-line for the 37-yard touchdown pass. James Spratlin's kick gave the Devils a 21-14 lead with 4:16 left before the bands took the field.
Dayshawn Taylor grabbed an interception at midfield to end the next Viking possession. McIntire gained nine and Turner three beforee Turner connected with Jalen Franklin for 28 yards to the FPD 2. McIntire rushed for one, and then finished the drive on another run. Spratlin's kick put the Devils up 28-14 at the break.
Any thoughts of a Viking comeback, as they did a week earlier, were severely hampered in the first 16 seconds of the second half when Jalan Norman took the kickoff and zipped down the right sideline 90 yards to the endzone. The PAT kick made it 35-14 Lincoln County.
First Presbyterian had two good runs into Devil territory. Junior lineman Andy Ray Wengrow suffered a broken tibula on the drive, and was transported to a Macon hospital by ambulance. He was able to return to Lincolnton Saturday morning.
Martrell Murray recoved a Viking fumble at the LC 4 to end the scoring threat. McIntire was nearly unstoppable again, gouging the Vikings for 31, 2, and 21 yards to the FPD 42. A personal foul flag added 15 more to the drive. Turner continued his hot hand with a 27-yard pass to Franklin on the left side for the touchdown. Spratlin's kick with 7:24 left in the third gave the Devils a 42-14 advantage.
FPD scored on a 33-yard pass with 4:44 left in the period to cut the margin to 42-21. Lakeith Lockhart took the reins of the Devil Offense for a possession. McIntire continued to gain good yards on the ground. On a 3rd-and-12 at the LC 45, Lockhart had a great run for 16 yards. McIntire gained 15, and Norman had two rushes totalling 15. McIntire ran for 8 more before scoring his fourth touchdown of the night, this time from the 3. With Spratlin's kick, the Devils led 49-21 with 10:01 left in the game.
FPD put together a 12-play drive that ended with a 3-yard run with 5:41 left. Their PAT failed.
Both teams threatened to score in their final possessions, but the score ended 49-27.