Putnam County got a valuable preseason scrimmage test Aug. 14 against one of the state’s more experienced programs, with the War Eagles coming away with a 24-21 victory over West Laurens.
The result offered Putnam a chance to measure itself against a team that reached the Class 3A semifinals last season, while also allowing head coach Joel Harvin to evaluate players and combinations better before the regular season begins.
“It's always nice to be able to be compared to a team that made it to the semifinals and can compete with it,” Harvin said. “At the end of the day, though, it’s still a scrimmage.”
Putnam entered the night with plenty of youth on the field. Harvin said the War Eagles had five freshmen playing at one point early in the game as the coaching staff continued to search for and find the right pieces.
“We're just trying to put our kids in a good spot, and that was a good test Friday,” Harvin said.
West Laurens struck first, almost immediately scoring on a 4th-and-14 touchdown pass after Putnam forced the Raiders into a difficult situation. The War Eagles answered with a strong opening drive of their own, using several different running backs before Christian Lane finished the possession with a short touchdown run to make it a 7-7 tie.
The Raiders regained the lead late in the first quarter, though, when a ball carrier broke a 60-yard touchdown run.
Putnam’s defense then settled in for the second quarter. Blake Williams recorded a sack on 3rd-and-13 to force a West Laurens punt, while Williams and Jayden Bishop combined for a fourth-down stop late in the half.
The War Eagles also received strong running from Kumari Thomas, who repeatedly broke tackles; however, Putnam wasn’t able to capitalize on its offensive opportunities. A fourth-down pass from Caleb Reeves was intercepted at the West Laurens 5-yard line, preserving a 14-7 Raiders’ lead for halftime.
Regardless, Putnam came out of the locker room with a quick answer.
Rasha Ellison broke a 49-yard run on the opening possession of the third quarter, setting up Reeves for a touchdown on a quarterback keeper. Alex Jimenez’s extra point tied the game at 14, and then the War Eagles forced a fumble on West Laurens' next possession.
Putnam nearly scored immediately, but Bryson Brown dropped a wide-open touchdown. Still, moments later Reeves punched the ball into the end zone on another quarterback keeper to give Putnam its first lead at 21-14.
West Laurens eventually tied the game at 21, but Jimenez drilled about a 30-yard field goal as the third quarter expired to put Putnam ahead for good. The starters were pulled after three quarters, with junior varsity players taking over for the final quarter.
Harvin was encouraged by the way his offense moved the football, particularly with multiple skill players contributing rather than relying on one featured back.
“We finally have a good group of skill kids that love football and have been there all summer,” Harvin said. “I just don’t think we really have the star guy yet.”
So, instead, Putnam is building an offense around depth and versatility.
“We were able to see kind of what everybody’s got there that’s going to help us, and we got a lot of those answers,” Harvin said after the scrimmage. “It’s just kind of our M-O to change it up a little bit, keep people fresh.”
Still, Reeves was among Putnam’s biggest storylines.
After playing receiver last season, he is transitioning to quarterback and still learning the position. He didn’t complete a pass Friday, but his running ability was on display with two rushing touchdowns.
Harvin said Reeves continues to work on his mechanics and timing, but the coach believes Reeves’ athleticism gives him significant potential.
“That’s the one thing I’m kind of waiting to see, is him being able to use his feet and show people what he’s really got because he’s a really good athlete,” Harvin said. “I believe he can play that next level.”
Defensively, Brown was named Putnam’s defensive player of the week after forcing the third-quarter fumble. Brown also is adjusting to a new position after moving from defensive end to linebacker.
Harvin said Brown became more comfortable as the game progressed and praised his effort.
“He's an effort guy, man,” Harvin said. “He’s going to run close to every right and left.”
Putnam now turns its attention to Greene County, with the neighboring rivals set to meet Friday in the regular-season opener. Harvin expects the Tigers to provide another physical challenge, particularly along the line of scrimmage.
“They’re very big up front and a lot bigger than we are," Harvin said. "We've got a tough task ahead of us."