Lincoln County overcame injuries Friday night in Milledgeville to whip the GMC Bulldogs 32-0 and win Larry Campbell's 300th regular season game.
The win improves the Devils to 9-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in Region 7-A. The sixth shutout of the season locked the Devils into the top spot in scoring defense in all of GHSA for the regular season. Big Red's Defense has allowed only 30 points.
Trion, the #4 seed from Region 6-A, will visit Buddy Bufford Field Friday night in the first round of the 2006 playoffs. The 4-6 Bulldogs lost to Gordon Lee 21-2 in their regular season finale. The two previous meetings, in 2003 and 1974, were both classics.
Three starters didn't dress for the game, and then starting QB Brandon Barden injured his knee during pre-game warm-ups. Austin Goldman stepped up and won his first game as a starter.
The Devils fumbled on their first possession, with the Bulldogs returning the pigskin to the LC 9 before being caught from behind. The Devil Defense quickly quashed the uprising, forcing a field goal attempt. Lincoln blocked the effort with Darell Norman scooping the ball at the 6 and outrunning everyone to the far endzone with 8:53 left in the first.
Franklin Jones scored twice early in the third, on nearly identical runs of 29 and 23 yards, to take control of the contest. Rontae Norman substituted as the Devil placekicker and kicked two PATs during the game.
Tyler Beale scored from 17 yards out with 4:50 left in the second. The TD was setup by passes of 7 and 13 yards from Goldman to Alex Bradford.
Darell Norman ended the scoring midway the third period when he went on another long ramble. This time, it was 89 yards from scrimmage after a punt left the Devils at their 11. GHSA mercy rules shortened the game.