Putnam County suffered another heartbreaking loss in the fourth quarter last week against Lamar County.
Earlier this season, the War Eagles led Social Circle 28-14 going into the fourth quarter. However, in the last 12 minutes of the game, the Redskins outscored them 24-0, resulting in a 38-28 comeback win.
It was a similar situation for Putnam County last Friday night against the No. 9 Trojans.
Lamar County outscored the War Eagles County 17-0 in the final quarter of regulation to remain undefeated and secure a 25-14 victory. The Trojans made key plays when it mattered most, coming out on top.
Putnam County head coach Joel Harvin was disappointed in the game’s outcome after his players fought hard.
“They’re getting better, but we’re just not finishing games,” Harvin said.
The third-year head coach thinks that last week’s region game was decided by just a few crucial plays, starting with Lamar County’s punt return for a touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Putnam County led 14-7 and decided to punt after being stopped on third down on the final play of the third quarter. Bill Waters stepped in to punt for the War Eagles, taking over for starting punter and quarterback Ethan Whatley, who was injured.
Trojan senior Kenyae Barnes caught the punt and outran Putnam County defenders to score a touchdown. His score brought the game to 14-13, but the War Eagles blocked the extra point attempt to keep the lead.
“You look at the punt return they had for a touchdown,” Harvin said. “We had guys in position, they just didn’t make the tackle.”
Another disappointing play occurred on Lamar County’s next possession after Putnam County went three-and-out. The Trojans faced a 3rd-and-8 from the 12-yard line when quarterback Ross Hamrick threw a touchdown pass to receiver Jayden Doctor on a wheel route.
Again, the PAT was no good, but Lamar County then held a 19-14 lead that it never relinquished. Barnes added a rushing touchdown to ice the game midway through the fourth.
“Another play involved a deep shot on third down, then we had a guy make a mistake on a wheel route, which we gave up a touchdown on,” Harvin said. “It was a third-down play deep in the red zone. I thought our defense had played well all game, but we just made one little mistake, and they scored a touchdown on 3rd-and-8. You know, those were pretty important and big plays that changed the outcome of the game.”
The War Eagles played well up until the fourth quarter.
Running back Omarion Butts scored on the ground midway through the second quarter to give Putnam County the lead after quarterback Branan Griffin threw a long pass downfield to receiver Jayson Smith.
Lamar County tied it up on the next drive, as Hamrick fired a 30-yard pass to running back Kaden Carter on a busted coverage effort by the War Eagles.
Putnam County took a 14-7 lead in the third quarter, as Griffin connected with receiver Brandon Jackson for six. The senior signal caller completed 11 of 22 passes for 82 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, which came in the fourth quarter. Griffin also rushed for a team-high 86 yards on 16 rush attempts.
The War Eagles outgained the Trojans 223-192 on offense, but didn’t make the plays when needed.
“I’m proud of my guys. ... We’re probably about three or four plays from being undefeated in the region,” Harvin said. “So, you know, you can see it as a half-full or half-empty glass. I think we handled some adversity well, though.”
Next, Putnam County wraps up the regular season against rival Jasper County (8-0, 4-0). The War Eagles have a bye during the last week of the season and will then wait to see if they earn a postseason spot.