The Putnam County Lady War Eagles are headed to the Final Four after pulling out a thrilling 55–53 victory over Heard County Lady Braves in the quarterfinal round of the GHSA Class A Division I state playoffs.
In a tightly contested game that went back and forth throughout the night, Putnam County (21-2) held its composure down the stretch to secure the two-point win over the Lady Braves and continue its postseason run.
Putnam County head coach Derrick Arrington said the game unfolded exactly as expected against a tough Heard County squad.
“All respect to Heard County,” Arrington said. “They got down, and they could have laid down, but their coach does a phenomenal job. Those girls played hard, and it was the dogfight it was supposed to be.”
The matchup proved to be one of Putnam County’s toughest challenges of the season, but Arrington believes his team’s preparation helped them stay steady when the pressure mounted.
“We responded to challenges,” Arrington said. “We’ve had adversity in the season. We make practice so hard that when adverse situations hit like this, we kind of just get back into our routine and our breathing and just play our way through it.”
With the game hanging in the balance late, Arrington credited the collective effort of his team and the energy from the home crowd in helping push the Lady War Eagles across the finish line.
“They all did a great job,” Arrington said. “Eatonton showed up, was loud, and did a good job.”
Freshman Jaydah Baker scored a team-high 24 points, followed by junior Journey Waller contributing nine.
The victory sends Putnam County to the Final Four, keeping alive what has already been a memorable season for the Lady War Eagles.
Looking ahead, Arrington expects the competition only to intensify as the playoffs continue, but he wants his team to maintain the same mentality that has carried them this far.
“Same grit, same fight, same attention to detail,” Arrington said. “It’s not going to get any easier. Everybody’s going to fight, and everybody’s going to battle, so we’re just going to handle our business.”
As the team prepares for the next round, Arrington said one of the most encouraging aspects of this year’s group has been the way the players have grown through adversity.
“Handling adversity,” Arrington said. “Really handling adversity.”
With a spot in the Final Four secured, the No. 8 seed Lady War Eagles (21-2) will face No. 12 seed Elbert County (21-8) on Saturday at Fort Valley State University, with tipoff set for 1 p.m.