SPARTA, Ga. - The Warren County High Screaming Devils amassed 413 yards total offense en-route to a 49-0 shellacking of the Hancock Central High Bulldogs at the Old Field in Sparta last Friday night.
It wasn't just another win for the Screaming Devils - their eighth of the season. With Twiggs County having defeated Wilkinson County, Warren County automatically won the 2007 7-A Region Championship. Going into the game against Hancock Central, the Screaming Devils found themselves in a three-way tie for first place. The other two teams involved in the tie included Twiggs and Lincoln County.
Warren County Head Coach Lee Hutto told his players they had won the region championship after they returned home last Friday night.
"I'm very proud of our team," Coach Hutto said. "They have worked very hard to earn this honor. This is something that they can remember having accomplished for the rest of their lives. It's very special for them, us as coaches and for our community."
It's the first region football championship for the Screaming Devils since they won it back in 1981. Since that time, most of those region championships have been claimed by the Lincoln County Red Devils.
The second half of the season now begins - the playoffs.
Warren County, 8-2 overall and 7-1 in region play, will host the Region 5-A No. 4 Eagles Landing Christian this Friday night at the new stadium in Warrenton. The visitors sport a 6-4 overall record.
"We look forward to hosting our first state playoff game in our new stadium," Coach Hutto said. "I believe our kids will be ready for the challenge. There are no easy teams from here on out. We've got to have our minds ready to play Friday night."
In the game against Hancock Central, things got off to a sluggish start from a defensive standpoint with the Bulldogs, who were knocked out of the playoffs by Aquinas last week, running the ball at will against the Screaming Devils. The opening drive, which got all the way to the Warren County 3, fizzled out when Travis Burley intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards with 6:27 to play in the first quarter.
Warren County wasn't able to get anything going offensively on their first series and were forced to punt the ball away. With his left hand taped up because of a cut, Tommy Seals wasn't able to handle the snap cleanly, resulting in him having to run. He didn't make the necessary first down yardage, giving the Bulldogs the football at the Warren County 35.
Two plays later, Warren County's Tay Erwin intercepted a Hancock pass.
The second turnover of the game set the offensive wheels in motion for the Screaming Devils. Quickly, they struck for their first touchdown of the game. It came on a 45-yard touchdown run by Devarrus Reynolds.
