Football Friday Night: Week 8

This week I had one team off and my other two suffered region losses.  This is a strange week coming up as all of my teams have bye weeks this Friday Night.   Here's the latest on each team:

WARNER ROBINS (BYE)
Warner Robins is off again this week after beating Locust Grove 38-0 two weeks ago for their third straight win. This week they will host Ola on October 23rd at McConnell-Talbert Stadium in Warner Robins. Warner Robins is 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the region. Warner Robins is 2-0 in the all-time series, winning their last meeting 28-27 in 2023.

ALLATOONA 39, VILLA RICA 19
Villa Rica's playoff hopes took a hit as this game got away from the Wildcats in the second half. Leading 12-10, Allatoona took control of the game in the third quarter with 29 unanswered points. Frank Young’s 33-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion run gave Allatoona an 18-12 lead early in the quarter. On the next possession, Matthew Benede’s 55-yard run as well as Young’s second successful run on a two-point conversion increased the lead to 26-12.

Next: Oct 23 at Dalton
Villa Rica is 5-3 overall and 1-3 in Region 7-5A. Dalton is 5-1, 1-1. Dalton was off last week after beating Allatoona 49-7 in their last game. Villa Rica is 3-1 in their meetings with Dalton. They won 34-28 in 1991.

MITCHELL COUNTY 12, CLINCH COUNTY 10
Mitchell County stunned the Panthers for their first win in 71 years. Mitchell County took a 12-3 lead with 3:40 left in the third quarter on Jadarian Hudson’s 25-yard run on a fourth-and-1. Hudson was 7-of-12 passing for 78 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Mitchell County led 192-185 in total yards.  Clinch County is 4-3, 1-1.

Next: Oct 23 vs. Lanier County

Football Friday Night: Week 7

All of my teams won on Friday Night which has been rare this season. Warner Robins topped Locust Grove, Villa Rica drilled Woodland and Clinch County defeated Irwin County.

WARNER ROBINS 38, LOCUST GROVE 0
Warner Robins won their third straight game since the embarrassing loss to Newton. Warner Robins controlled the game from the opening quarter as they scored on each of their five first-half possessions, built a 31-0 halftime advantage and limited the Wildcats to just 71 yards of total offense. They finished with 345 yards of total offense, including 216 yards rushing. QB Chandler Dyson completed six passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring on the ground.

Warner Robins’ defense was equally impressive. They held Locust Grove to minus-17 rushing yards on 23 attempts and only 88 yards through the air. The Wildcats managed seven first downs and never seriously threatened to score.

Next: Oct. 23 vs. Ola
Warner Robins (5-2, 3-0) will host Ola (5-2, 2-1) in two weeks. Warner Robins is 2-0 in the all-time series, winning their last meeting 28-27 in 2023.

VILLA RICA 42, WOODLAND 3
Villa Rica senior running back Emmanuel Ajayi scored five touchdowns Friday in a 42-3 region win over Woodland of Cartersville.

It was a fast start for Woodland, as Clayton McArdle ran back the opening kickoff all the way to Villa Rica's 10-yard line. Chad Waller converted a 25-yard field goal to give the visiting Wildcats an early 3-0 lead.

However, the hosting Villa Rica Wildcats scored 42 unanswered after that, leaning on Ajayi on the ground and through the air.

Next: Friday at Allatoona
Villa Rica (5-2, 1-2) travels to Acworth to play Allatoona (1-5, 0-2). Allatoona lost to Dalton 49-7 in their last game. The Wildcats have never won in this series losing all four meetings between the teams. Villa Rica lost their last meeting 35-7 in 2015.

CLINCH COUNTY 25, IRWIN COUNTY 8
Kamarion Johnson, a 4-star senior committed to Florida, scored on an 87-yard reception and punt returns of 62 and 70 yards and intercepted a pass in the end zone. Clinch County led 181-155 in total yards.

Next: Friday vs. Mitchell County.
The Panthers (4-2, 1-0) will host Mitchell County (5-1, 1-0) in a key region game (if region games really matter anymore). Mitchell County is coming off of a 68-0 thrashing of Atkinson County. The Panthers lead the all-time series 8-2. They have won eight straight in the series. They won last year's meeting 21-6. Mitchell County's last win was in 1955.

Thoughts About Cancer

We all have our crosses to bear.

Life often gives us difficult things we have to manage and get through.

My cross has been a caregiver for someone who has cancer.

For the past six months, my wife has been receiving treatment for her cancer. It has been a slow and agonizing process. I wouldn’t wish this plight upon anyone. Nobody truly understands what is involved unless you’ve been through it.

When she was first diagnosed with cancer, there was genuine concern and those who thought since it was “treatable” that it would be easy. It has not been easy. I have spent endless days obsessing over platelet counts, temperatures, medications and transfusions.

Early on I was upset with people not helping but I had to realize that we have to get through this whether people help or not. You simply can’t worry about who’s helping or who’s not helping. It’s all about treatment and keeping her alive.

There have been moments that I haven’t been as strong as I wished I could be. I’ve been mad at the hospital staff for their lack of compassion or the Uber driver making us both sick on the drive to/from the treatments and many times I’ve just been plain mad.

I have learned that the only thing you can do is to trust the process and keep going.

The only thing worse than being the caregiver is being the one going through it themselves. Many times I would have gladly traded places with her. Let me be the one getting stuck in the arm for the transfusion and the seemingly endless treatments.

We have come a long way since March but with cancer, there is no deadline for it to be over. I don’t know how much further we will have to go, we just have to do it.

Of course I have relied on my faith during this time but honestly my faith has been pathetic at times. It’s easy to stand in a church building dancing to the praise and worship songs but another when you are sitting beside your wife as the platelets are being fed into her body. I had believed God would heal her but He’s apparently doing it His way. It’s not the fast or instant way either. That makes it hard to be strong and keep the faith.

Any fears I have I keep to myself. That’s the only way to manage it. Only God knows.

I know that I am not alone. We all go through things. We cling to whatever helps us to get through the difficult times in our lives.

Basically it comes down to trusting God and leaving the results to Him.