TIFTON — Tift County hung close with Lee County for most of the first half Friday, Aug. 30, but too many weapons from the Trojans saw the Blue Devils drop to 1-2 on the season.
Final score was 55-7 for Lee, which is undefeated in the young season.
Lee got off to a 13-0 start. Jaden Upshaw got behind the defense to go 76 yards at 11:29 on a throw by Weston Bryan. Kameron Kirksey made the first of seven PAT kicks for a quick 7-0 lead for the visitors.
Bryan finished off a seven-play, 64-yard drive at 5:48 with a keeper up the middle. The extra point sailed wide, leaving the score 13-0.
Tift went backwards on its first drive, but only went forwards when they got the back.
One play into the ensuing possession, the Devils’ offensive line opened up a large gap for Davieon Dixon. That gap got him directly into the second level, where there was nothing ahead but green grass ahead. A Lee defender caught up with him, but it was too late; Dixon was twisted down into the north end zone.
With David Olguin’s kick at 5:36, the Devils had more than halved the lead at 13-7.
A 42-yard pass from Bryan to Upshaw provided most of a Lee drive that otherwise got bits and pieces. However, the last piece was a 1-yard Bryant run at 2:12 to bring the score to 20-7.
Tift kept pace.
Dai’jon Hayes kept the drive going with an 11-yard catch to the Devils’ 39. Tift was caught holding two plays later, but they had gotten a big enough chunk on a pass to Kamari Hollomon that it was third-and-short. Hollomon got the first down at midfield.
Hollomon broke off an 18-yard run to the 27, but they could only get two more yards off the Trojans’ defense before being pushed back.
Olguin had a 48-yard field goal try that was just short.
It was Upshaw again on Lee’s next possession, a 22-yard catch from Bryan at 4:17 in the back of the end zone.
Tift reached midfield again, courtesy of a Hollomon run and catch, but they soon had to punt again.
Lee, even more hurry-up than usual, got the score with 13 seconds left on a six-yard Bryan scamper. Then things almost got worse before intermission. The Trojans picked up a bouncing kickoff and had it deep in the red zone.
Bryan attempted a pass, but saw it picked off by Bryan Melton. His return chewed up the rest of the clock, leaving it a 34-7 Lee lead.
Two Lee penalties at the end of Melton’s runback gave Tift good starting field possession to begin the second half. Hollomon had another big-gainer, 17 yards, but the Trojans stiffened again.
Ousmane Kromah, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super 11 this season, was kept in check all night, except on one run.
Upshaw got 19 on a catch. Kromah reeled off nine to the Lee 33, then busted loose for a 67-yard touchdown at 8:55.
Canton Williams tacked on a short TD for the Trojans with 1:32 in the third. They added one last score in the fourth, also Williams on a 10-yard run at 8:06.
Tift made a red zone stand to end the game. They came within inches of making another big offensive push but suffered perhaps the unluckiest play to exist.
Damieon Dixon threw a deep ball for Hayes at the Trojan 30. Hayes leapt for the ball, but while falling backwards with the ball in his hands, his foot knocked it free.
The Blue Devils finished with an unofficial 130 rushing yards. Hollomon had 14 carries for 71 yards. Davieon Dixon had three totes for 62 and a touchdown.
Tift (1-2) will play at Bainbridge next week. The Bearcats fell to 0-3 with a 49-7 loss to Ware County.