By John Breech / Staff

After Roswell was eliminated from the state playoffs last week, Region 6-AAAAA had one final hope for a state title: Lassiter. Unfortunately those hopes came to an end Friday night when Lassiter fell in surprising fashion. Visiting Colquitt County crushed the Trojans 46-17.

Lassiter quarterback Hutson Mason, who set state records for touchdown passes and passing yards this season, was intercepted five times in the loss. Mason had not thrown five interceptions in his 12 previous games combined.

Colquitt County was the one team in Georgia that Lassiter probably did not want to face. The Packers are coached by Russ Propst and Propst knows Lassiter coach Chip Lindsey inside and out because Lindsey was Propst’s offensive coordinator at Hoover High School in Alabama. The same Hoover High that was the setting for the MTV series Two-A-Days back in 2005.

Lassiter had an early shot to take control of the game, but things went horribly awry. The Trojans were leading 10-7 and were sitting at Colquitt’s 4-yard line; a Trojan touchdown would have given Lassiter a 10-point second quarter lead. Instead, Colquitt’s Willie McCrary picked off a tipped Mason pass and returned it 94-yards for a touchdown. A potential 17-7 Lassiter lead was turned into a 13-10 (CC missed the extra point) Packer advantage.

Including the interception return for a touchdown, Colquitt County would score 39 straight points. Lassiter would finally reach the end zone one more time late in the fourth quarter.

Mason finished the game with 260 yards which brought his state-record setting season total to 4,526. Lassiter finished the season at 12-1 which represents the best record in school history.

Other Playoff Scores

Northside-Warner Robins 20, Peachtree Ridge 17 (Three Overtimes)

NSWR kicker Devon Pike nailed a 32-yard field goal in overtime number three that gave Northside a thrilling 20-17 win over Peachtree Ridge. Pike had a chance to win the game in regulation, but the kicker fell short on a 45-yard field goal attempt. The teams were tied at 10 going into overtime. In the first OT, both teams missed field goals. In OT number two, the teams traded touchdowns. 

Newnan 9, Grayson 7

One week after Roswell watched Grayson kicker Austin Clark ice the game with a late fourth quarter field goal, Newnan almost became Clarks’s second victim in as many weeks. The senior Ram kicker saw his 34-yard field goal attempt with five seconds left in the game blocked by Newnan’s Alec Ogletree. The ‘block heard round the world’ sends Newnan to the state semifinals where they will match up with Northside-Warner Robins.

Camden County 35, North Gwinnett 0

With a 35-0 win Friday, Camden County certainly made a resounding argument in the age old North Georgia versus South Georgia football debate. North Gwinnett lost their first home playoff game ever under head coach Bob Sphire and Bulldog quarterback C.J. Uzomah was limited to only 101 yards passing. The Wildcats held a 14-0 halftime lead and never looked back.