By: Joseph Stuckey

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Bulloch Academy Gators came into this past Friday’s game with a 3-1 record. This game came the week after the hard-fought loss to John Milledge Academy, 23-35 in Milledgeville.

The good news is the Gators have played a really tough schedule, and their MaxPreps ranking is taking note as they came into this game #2 in the AAAA rankings and #4 in all of GIAA.

With their win on Friday over the Westfield School Hornets out of Perry, GA, the Gators improve to 4-1 and look well on their way to locking up a top seed in the GIAA AAAA playoffs.

Westfield came into the game ranked #2 in AAA and #6 in all of GIAA. This game featured playmakers in all aspects of the game.

The offense was able to control the clock by running the ball consistently and getting big runs when needed from impact players like Connor Perry and quarterback Sam Hubbard.

Hubbard continues to show how impressive his ability to make decisive runs and calculated throws is.

The offensive running game also felt an impact from Rocco Reiss, B.J. Smart, and Nick Eason Jr. The offensive line upfront also continues to show why it is the most consistent group for the Gators year after year.

The Gators’ defense was able to capitalize on the Hornets playing from behind the sticks most of the night. They allowed minimal big plays and implemented a bend-but-don’t-break mentality.

The defense only allowed a couple of big receptions and tried to keep everything in front of them. The defense allowed the Hornets to make mistakes and then capitalized for big stops.

The defense had several playmakers, including Jayce Farmer, Tate Williams, and Colin Grooms.

Also, the quarterback felt pressure all night from Braylon Cone at nose guard and Billy Crider off the edge. Crider also knocked down a pass late in the game to help seal the victory.

On special teams, the Gators relied on good returns from Perry and Crider as well as consistent kickoffs and extra points from Case Woodrum.

Special teams seem to be an area where the Gators find an advantage over other teams, and with a little fine-tuning, it could become their best aspect of their team.

The game against the Hornets basically ran at a 2-score deficit most of the night; even though they scored a late touchdown, which made the score look closer, the Gators controlled the game from start to finish.

Westfield also had a failed 2-point conversion towards the end of the game, which all but put the final nail in the coffin, as the Gators offense was able to run out the clock.

Outside of a few minor errors and slip-ups, the Gators seem to have rebounded well from the loss to JMA and look to have their eyes set on going for the big GIAA prize.

Now that this game is in the book, the Gators will travel next week to Robert Toombs in Lyons and hope to avoid a 3-overtime marathon game like last season. After that, the Gators will travel to Strong Rock Christian in Locust Grove for their biggest AAAA regular-season matchups of the season.