Coffee defeats Warner Robins 41-38 in OT
DOUGLAS — How would the Coffee High Trojans respond if they had to play from behind with the game on the line? That was one big unanswered question going into Friday night’s showdown with the Warner Robins Demons.
Thankfully, the Trojans proved they could answer when faced with adversity.
After blowing out the Demons in the first half, the Trojans sputtered in the third and fourth quarters, and allowed Warner Robins to take the lead late with 2:09 to go in the game.
But Coffee didn’t lay down and quit, and battled back to tie the game with about 90 seconds left, eventually forcing overtime.
The game didn’t even look like it would be close early on. Coffee scored on its first three possessions, and took a 21-7 lead into half time.
After dominating the Demons through much of the first half, Warner Robins made an adjustment on its final drive of the second quarter and marched 71 yards in six minutes to score.
Coffee received the kick-off to start the third quarter and made a terrible mistake that set the tone of the final two quarters. The Demons defense blocked a punt and Atian Jones picked it up and ran it in the end zone for a touchdown to make the score 21-14.
The Trojans didn’t fare much better on their next possession, and had to punt again. The punt was a little short, and the Demons took over on the Coffee 43 yard line. After a few plays, including a 30-yard run by Brandon Jordan, Warner Robins found the end zone again to tie the score at 21 with 6:38 to go in the third quarter.
Burke Batten and the Coffee offense showed some life on their next possession, scoring on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Batten to Akeem Wesley. With 2:12 left in the third quarter, Coffee had a 28-21 lead.
But the lead wouldn’t hold.
Warner Robins struck again with 5:46 to go in the fourth quarter, tying the score on an Aaron Allen sweep.
About three minutes later, the hapless Coffee defense watched as B.J. McAllister scored to give the Demons their first lead of the game.
This is where the Trojans had to test their mettle. Batten’s offense trotted back on the field with 1:45 to go in the game. Batten managed the drive well, and eventually connected with Demario Bennett for a long gain deep into Warner Robins territory. After what could have been a costly motion penalty backed the Trojans up to the 15, Batten found Akeem Wesley in the end zone to get Coffee to within one. Jacob Moore’s foot was true again, and the game was tied at 35 with just seconds on the clock.
Warner Robins tried to end the game in regulation, going for a 44 yard field goal with 11 seconds left for the win. The ball sailed wide left, forcing overtime.
Head coach Jerry Odom has had pretty good luck in overtime during his stint as a Trojan, and he was going to need a little more of that luck as his team faced a hungry Warner Robins squad in the extra period.
The Demons took the ball first and kicked a 37-yard field goal to take a 38-35 lead.
With their backs to the wall, the Trojans stepped up and showed they can fight back when the chips are down. On the second play of Coffee’s overtime drive, Batten handed the ball off to fullback Dermaine Gaskins, and the little running back darted through the line off right tackle and scored the winning touchdown.
The score gave Coffee a 41-38 win and improves the Trojans’ record to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the region.
“The offensive line really opened it up,” said Gaskins following the game. “I didn’t want to go to overtime. It’s a great win for our kids. They kept fighting and fighting,” said head coach Jerry Odom.
Burke Batten had 49 yards rushing with a touchdown, and was 11-18 for 253 yards passing and three touchdowns.
Wesley had three touchdown receptions (21, 10 and 15 yards).
Bennett had 132 yards receiving, including the big 50-yarder that set up Wesley’s game-tying score. Rod Jones also scored on a four-yard run.
The Trojans racked up 389 yards of total offense (136 rushing and 253 passing).
