By Lee Wilson
MaxPreps.com
Matt Dunham, Herschel Walker and Garrison Hearst move aside. Washaun Ealey of Emanuel County Institute is Georgia’s new touchdown king.
With three trips to the end zone during a 243-yard night in a 35-12 victory over Johnson County, Ealey broke the state record for career touchdowns with 112.
Dunham, who played at Pacelli Catholic from 2001-2004 and now plays for Florida State, owned the record at 111. Walker held the record at the conclusion of his career in 1979 with 86, but has since been passed up by six other players, including Dunham.
Ealey, a Georgia verbal commitment, has 1,447 yards and 20 touchdowns this fall after a record-breaking junior season that included 2,958 yards, 58 touchdowns and a state title.
Ealey and the Bulldogs are 7-0 this season and have won 22-straight games.
Parkview 34, South Gwinnett 31
Ealey wasn’t the only SEC-bound running back making big plays and putting up big numbers for his team over the weekend.
Parkview’s Brandon Jacobs – headed to Auburn – rushed for 281 yards on 44 carries and provided the game-winning score in the third overtime from four yards out to spearhead a 34-31 win over South Gwinnett.
"Big players make big plays at crucial times," Parkview head coach Cecil Flowe told the Gwinnett Daily Post of Jacobs. "But we got good runs out of TaRon (Squires) there at the end and he was a big shot in the arm with fresh legs."
Jacobs’ career night led a Panther rushing attack that totaled 341 yards with Squires adding 76 yards and a game-tying touchdown in the first overtime.
"We knew we needed to make a play," Jacobs told the Gwinnett Daily Post of his game-winner. "The defense made a great stop and held them to three points, so our offense knew we had to score to end this thing."
The loss was truly gut-wrenching for the Comets as they trailed 14-0 late in the fourth quarter and fought back to tie it up with just 1:19 remaining in regulation. Still, head coach John Small acknowledged the effort his kids gave in the overtime loss.
"I couldn't be prouder of this bunch of kids," Small said. "They were down 14-0, had 21 points taken off the board. They could have easily tanked it, but they came out in the second half and got after it."
The Comets fall to a 2-5 (2-3 in 8-AAAAA play) while the Panthers improve to 5-3 (4-2) after a tough loss last week to Dacula.
Sprayberry 29, Hillgrove 26
High-scoring games are always exciting, especially when they are decided in the final seconds.
With just 10 seconds left and 21 yards to go in a tie game between 7B-AAAA contenders Sprayberry and Hillgrove, everything rested on the foot of Eddie Avellaneda. And as the ball sailed through the uprights, Sprayberry secured the victory over Hillgrove, 29-26.
Not only did the Jackets improve their record to 4-3, but they are now 3-0 in regional play and have a good shot at a sub-region title with a pair of sub-.500 opponents remaining. Hillgrove, also 4-3, is 2-1 in the region and may have to win a regional play-in game to get into the postseason.
"We're trying to build a program here," Sprayberry coach Billy Shackelford told the Marietta Daily Journal. "For us to take this program to the next level, you got to win games like that. If your defense bends a little bit, our offense has to make plays, and special teams came in and make a big kick."
David Carter had a big game for the Yellow Jackets, grabbing 155 yards on just 14 carries and was also involved in the passing game.
The Sprayberry defense almost let the game get away as the Jackets led the Hawks 26-13 in the fourth quarter, but made the plays on offense at the end of the game when it mattered the most.
