In the first round of the playoffs, No. 2 seed Fitzgerald defeated No. 3 seed Putnam County 38-7 last Saturday, eliminating the War Eagles from the Class AA postseason for the third consecutive year.
Putnam ended the season with a 6-5 overall record in head coach Joel Harvin’s first year at the helm. According to Harvin, his team’s Achilles heel against Fitzgerald was red-zone inefficiencies on offense.
“Well, we had a chance to keep the game close. We got down inside the red zone at least three times. We got real close and just couldn’t stick it in the end zone,” Harvin said. “Against a team like [Fitzgerald], you’ve got to score when you have the opportunity. We just weren’t able to do that.”
Whether it was a turnover, penalty, or not executing, Putnam County repeatedly shot itself in the foot inside the red zone. The War Eagles have struggled all season long with their red zone offense.
Putnam’s defense also couldn’t stop Fitzgerald’s rushing attack. The Purple Hurricanes rushed for 346 yards, with several running backs carrying the load and leading the way on the ground.
Fitzgerald’s trio of seniors – Laphabion Boone, Diondre Paschal, and Brandon Brown – led the team in rushing. Those three players are huge reasons why the Purple Hurricanes have been dominant this year.
Putnam County’s defense just couldn’t consistently contain Fitzgerald’s rush-heavy offensive attack. The Purple Hurricanes got wide receiver Calvin Tillman Jr. involved in the run game as well.
Still, even after the loss, Harvin remained proud of his team for battling adversity and making the playoffs.
“We had a lot of big shoes to fill this year. We filled them with some guys without a whole lot of experience. Some seniors also didn’t have much experience,” Harvin said. “We had to play a lot of young kids that went through some tough games early in the year. We were able to get into region play and win a few games. That gave us confidence before we played our two big region games – Thomson and Laney. We came up short but were able to beat Washington County in the last game.”
Harvin acknowledged the goal this season was to get more physical and improve each week.
“We knew we were going to be young in certain spots,” Harvin said. “The goal was also to be more physical, while also getting them to understand what we were trying to do on offense and defense.”
Harvin, his staff, and the players will take a few weeks off before starting up off-season workouts.
“They’re still learning the system and there was a lot of inexperience, but we have a lot of guys coming back next year. There are a lot of promising things. Guys that had started this year, and we that we can rely on next season, are coming back. Now, it’s about how bad we want it in the offseason” Harvin said. “Are we getting tired of Fitzgerald? Are we going to make the change to do what it takes to beat a Fitzgerald? We’re going to see them again. The thing for our kids is growth.”