Much like the rain in Jefferson County last Friday night, the Putnam County War Eagles started off slow before pouring it on after halftime, beating the Warriors 44-14.
The win moved the War Eagles to 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the region, and second in Class 2A-4 standings behind Monticello (2-0).
Jefferson was able to keep pace early, holding the War Eagles to just seven points in the first quarter and trailing 23-14 at halftime. But as the rain picked up, so did Putnam’s defense and running game, shutting down the Warriors in the second half while scoring 21 unanswered points.
“I thought we started off slow and took a minute to gain our footing,” War Eagles head coach Joel Harvin said. “We were coming off a big win and having to go on the road to a team that traditionally plays us hard, and we had to get back to focusing on what we do.
“After our first series on both sides of the ball, we settled down and played good football. We were able to put a lot of good drives together and score to put the game out of reach.”
The War Eagles relied on the same formula that has worked all season: run the ball on offense and dominate up front on defense.
Putnam totaled 452 yards on the ground, with Kumari Thomas leading the way with 256 yards and 4 touchdowns. Quarterback Caleb Reeves had 110 yards rushing, and running back Elijah Dunn ended with 86 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
Defensively, Putnam amassed 13 total tackles for a loss and was able to get off the field when needed. The War Eagles’ defense is currently ranked among the top 10 in the state, according to the GHSA website.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say it: we are a young football team that is still learning and making young mistakes, but we are developing a hard-nosed approach and playing as hard as the coaches can ask,” Harvin said.
Worth noting is Putnam has a large, dedicated fan base that made the hour-and-ahalf drive to Jefferson County and sat in the rain to cheer on their War Eagles.
“We truly have some great fans who show up week in and week out,” Harvin said. “They make noise when we need them to and really, Friday night outnumbered the home side by a lot. Our players just love hearing all the positive things that are said during the games.”
Putnam will be back home Oct. 9 when it kicks off against region opponent Glenn Hills at 7:30 p.m. at War Eagle Stadium in Eatonton.