Irwin defends state title against Brooks
Irwin defends state title against Brooks By Paige Dauer and Kyle Logan | December 29, 2020 at 9:45 AM EST - Updated December 29 at 9:45 AM
ATLANTA (WALB) - Day one of the GHSA high school football state championships came to a close Monday night.
The rematch between Irwin County and Brooks County certainly delivered and the emotions were high inside Center Parc Stadium for that game.
FINAL: Irwin County 27, Brooks County 19
And as long as these two teams stay in single-A public, there will be a new rivalry forming before our eyes.
Both teams came out strong in the opening drive of Monday’s game.
Coach of the Week: Casey Soliday
Coach of the Week: Casey Soliday By Paige Dauer | December 14, 2020 at 6:41 PM EST - Updated December 14 at 6:57 PM
OCILLA, Ga. (WALB) - Each week this season weâll highlight a coach who made the epic comeback, won a milestone game, or simply out coached the other team.
This weekâs Coach of the Week features Casey Soliday of the Irwin County Indians.
Defending state champion, Irwin County, is in the quarterfinals for the eighth consecutive season after a 14-0 victory over Wilcox County.
Giving Irwin its third shutout on the year.
At the time, the Indians were allowing just 10.9 points per game, fourth-best in the classification.
COMMERCE Two years ago, Commerce outplayed Irwin County for 47 minutes before a wild finish dealt the Tigers heartbreak in south Georgia.
Friday night at Tiger Stadium, it looked like fate would return the favor to the Tigers against the defending champion Indians.
And after converting twice on fourth down on its final drive in the final minutes and moving to the Irwin County 19, Commerce was one more 3-yard fourth-down attempt from pulling the upset. But the Indians defense stopped the Tigers’ Sammy Brown for one of the rare times all night a yard short to preserve a 25-21 win in the Class A Public quarterfinals.
Commerce coach Michael Brown looks on during practice this week.
COMMERCE Commerce has been in this position before in the Class A-public playoffs.
In 2018, the Tigers traveled to Irwin County in the semifinals and were up 17-7 with 11:30 left. DJ Lundy, who’s now at Florida State, scored three straight touchdowns, including the final blow with 39 seconds to go to lift the Indians past the Tigers in Ocilla, 26-23. It was the second time in four years the Indians beat the Tigers in the playoffs.
Now, the defending Class A Public champions will travel to Commerce for the third meeting in six years at Ray Lamb Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.