Putnam County arguably played its most complete game against the Utopian Academy for the Arts last week in Ellenwood.
The War Eagles dominated from start to finish, defeating UAA 69-0 to improve to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in Class A Division I Region 4 competition.
The War Eagles held a commanding 62-0 advantage at the half.
Putnam head coach Joel Harvin said he was proud of his team’s effort last week.
“I would say we played well when we needed to, and we didn’t let [the Utopian Academy] hang around,” Harvin said. “Our starters did a good job of putting the game away early.”
UAA was no match for Putnam, which rushed for 276 yards with solid efforts from several players.
Senior running back and Army commit Rashod Daniel rushed for 70 yards and three touchdowns on four attempts. Junior quarterback Branan Griffin rushed for 71 yards and scored twice on two carries. They helped the offense move the ball efficiently, scoring half of the team’s touchdowns last week.
A few of the younger players shined, too. Freshman tailback Javaris Hurt provided hope for the future. The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder rushed for 57 yards and three touchdowns on only six rush attempts. Freshmen Emanuel Mauleon and Caleb Reeves also got reps, picking up yards on the ground.
“Our JV [junior varsity] players were in with four minutes left to go in the first quarter,” Harvin said. “I’m proud of our older kids for taking care of business and doing what they needed to do. It was a good night.”
On the flip side, Putnam’s defense, which has struggled this year, forced five turnovers. Utopian Academy never got the ball past its 40-yard line. The War Eagles dominated on that side of the ball.
Harvin acknowledged the team’s first shutout was a confidence booster for the defense. He also shouted out his special teams unit, which pinned UAA deep each time the offense reached the end zone.
“We’ve been struggling a bit on defense throughout the year, and to get a little bit of confidence without a shutout means a lot,” Harvin said. “We just got opportunistic there with a turnover and did a good job on kickoffs. Every time on kickoff, Alex Jimenez, man, he put it right on the money.”
Putnam County is hitting its stride heading into Week 9 of the season. The War Eagles will try to continue their winning streak at home against Towers this Friday, which is marked for Senior Night.