Putnam County will open up its 2023 season on the road at Baldwin this Friday in Milledgeville.
Series History: Putnam County leads the series, 4-3-1
Last Meeting: Putnam County defeated Baldwin 23-14 last August in each team’s season opener.
Putnam County is set to begin a new era under first-year head coach Joel Harvin this Friday. The War Eagles got to rest last week as the Braves played and won a road game at Peach County.
Harvin was hired in January after Shaun Pope retired and he’s ready to see his team take the field. However, the first-year Putnam coach knows they have a physical battle ahead.
“[The Braves are] athletic all the way around,” Harvin said. “Especially on the defensive side of the ball, they’re pretty quick off the ball. They’re fast and physical. All 11 of them get to the ball. So, we’re going to have our hands full on the offensive side.
Our biggest thing is that we’re going to have to keep moving the ball and do what we can to keep our defense off the field.”
Putnam’s offense will be led by junior Rashod Daniel, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound running back. He will be tasked with helping the War Eagles’ offense move the chains against Baldwin’s front seven.
The Braves return Devarious Russell and Jonquavious Russell on the defensive line. They also bring back seniors Omarion Fraley, Decori Elum, and Javez Foreman upfront to help stop the run.
Outside of Daniel, seniors Zacoree Wallace, Kaleb Crawford, and Tyson Waller, among others, will help tote the ball for Putnam County.
They should each receive snaps this season, but especially on Friday night.
Harvin will rotate quarterbacks Branan Griffin and Jamarion Robertson. Each has an advantage they can bring to the offense, with Griffin being a passer and Robertson a runner.
However, Putnam County’s offensive line has a few question marks because of injuries heading into the opener.
So, the War Eagles could be starting some underclassmen upfront Friday night. Harvin pointed out last week that he started some underclassmen linemen against Greene County in the scrimmage.
“Going in, we were a little banged up on our offensive and defensive lines,” Harvin said last week. “We had a couple of freshmen start up front on both lines. They got thrown into the fire quickly.”
Defensively, the most important task for Putnam County will be stopping Braves running back Micah Welch, who rushed for two scores and had an 83-yard kick return for a touchdown last week.
Baldwin’s offense will also feature Sadur Salahuddin, a sophomore who rushed for over 100 yards against Peach County in the season opener. He complements Welch nicely in the Braves’ backfield.
Harvin said his defense’s top goal is to stop Welch and limit the number of explosive plays he makes. He added the War Eagles’ front seven won’t take Salahuddin lightly as a backup, either.
“I think everybody knows who Micah is. He’s a great athlete and a great running back.
They also have a great backup that can come in behind him,” Harvin said. “They don’t skip a beat. They also have a great quarterback that doesn’t make many mistakes with the ball. We’ve got our hands full.”
Baldwin also returns quarterback Lamar Pounds, coupled with playmakers Armontae Palmer and Jacobe Jackson out wide. Those three, plus the running backs, make the Braves’ offense lethal this year.
Although Baldwin and Putnam County don’t often play each other, there’s still a bit of a rivalry between the two. According to Harvin, his players are taking a lot of pride in this game and want to get an official win under their belts.
“Some of the players are related, so they’ll be playing against a couple of their cousins. It could be that some of them go to church together and that they grew up playing youth ball together,” he said. “At the end of the day, if they’re wearing a different color jersey, there’s no family times there. Once the ball is snapped, it’s the man in front of you, and that’s all that matters. We’re excited.”
Baldwin head coach Jessie Hicks agreed with Harvin’s feelings about the game to The Eatonton Messenger.
“Our guys have had this day marked on the calendar,” Hicks said. “Our young people have family in Putnam. Some go to church there. Some have relatives there, so again, you don’t want to lose to anybody, but especially to your [border] rival. I think our guys have been working hard enough. They also have their minds set on what they need to do. They want to take care of business.”