WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Tift County fought to the end the Friday night, but could not find enough big plays to overtake Warner Robins at McConnell-Talbert Stadium. The 2017 state runners-up slid past the Blue Devils in the season opener, 40-29.

The Devils were down 30-20 at halftime and were also down a starting quarterback; Patrick Felton suffered a leg injury in the second quarter and did not return. Weston Clamp and Mac Turner both took snaps at quarterback and Clamp threw for his first varsity touchdown.

Tift got a 52-yard field goal from Rosendo Ramirez and a 96-yard touchdown run from Mike Jones. The Devils also had four takeaways on defense, two by Antonio Howard.

Most of Warner Robins’ magic came from quarterback Dylan Fromm and wide reciever Marcayll Jones.

Fromm completed less than half of his passes — 22 of 47 — but threw for an unofficial 439 yards and three touchdown passes. None were to Jones, but he had seven catches for 154 yards. Jones’ catches included a 22-yarder in the first quarter at the 1 that set up the Demons’ first score.

Fromm was tough from the start.

After getting the opening kickoff, the Demons drove 50 yards in five plays. Jones caught two passes, the latter landing on the 1. Fromm carried it over the goal line two plays later and Zach Ivester’s extra point kick gave Warner Robins a 7-0 lead at 10:28 in the first.

Tift’s first bad break came on its first rush attempt. A fumble at the Devils’ 44 bounced into the arms of Jaevan West and he rushed untouched for a touchdown at 9:47.

Down 14-0, the Devils responded by methodically driving down the field. A squib kick by the Demons allowed the Tift to start at midfield. Jones rushed on the first six snaps and nine of 11 total in the drive, finally stalled at the 9.

Ramirez came in at 3:59 in the first quarter to kick his first field goal, a 26-yarder that gave Tift its first points and reduced the deficit to 14-3.

Tift managed to stop Fromm on the next Warner Robins drive attempt, but after entering their foe’s territory saw the Demons pick off a pass and return it to the 39. Fromm then took to the air again, finally connecting with D’Angelo Whitehead for 22 yards at 1:38 for another touchdown. Ivester missed the kick, however, and Tift was down 20-3.

After surviving the initial onslaught — Fromm had 125 yards at the end of the first period — the Blue Devils began finding offense of their own.

Three plays into the second quarter, Felton hit Jones in the backfield and the speedy running back eluded all tacklers en route to a 24-yard touchdown. Ramirez kicked the extra point at 10:55.

The teams proceeded to trade turnovers, a fumble and an interception, but after taking over at Tift’s 35 and advancing to the 20 on a pass interference call, Warner Robins got stuck. Ivester had to come in for a 40-yard field goal after the three following plays resulted in negative yardage.

Another squib kick put the ball in Warner Robins territory quickly and the hosts tacked on 15 yards more on a penalty, but the penalty play saw Felton go down with an apparent leg injury.

Clamp took the field and the Demons held firm at the 35. Tift then summoned Ramirez and the senior had just enough leg to clear the crossbar from 52 yards out at 3:53.

Now down 23-13, it was Clamp who came through for the Devils after a short punt put them in business at the hosts’ 35.

Clamp got his first ever completion, a short pass to Tyler Ajiero, then Airick DeLoach ran to the 21. Clamp missed his next attempt, then found Jerehmiah McKinnon in the right corner at 2:10 for a 21-yard reception.

Tift cut the score to 23-20 on Ramirez’s point-after kick, but Warner Robins had the final say in the half.

Fromm guided the team downfield in a two-minute drill, hitting three straight passes. The final one, at 1:08, went eight yards to Tyrell Bailey for a touchdown. Ivester’s extra point try was partially blocked by Tift, but had enough juice to make it over the bar.

After the scoring melee of the first half, it took nearly a quarter before either side hit paydirt again.

Fromm threw a 54-yard scoring pass at 2:29, one that helped Warner Robins negate the pain of Howard’s two takeaways and a safety. Howard intercepted Fromm earlier in the third, then came up with a fumble recovery to start the fourth.

Between Howard’s turnovers, Warner Robins had sent a punt snap too high and it rolled into the end zone, where Tift tackled the punter.

Unfortunately, Tift couldn’t score on offense again until the fourth quarter, when their backs were in the shadow of Warner Robins’ goalposts.

Samariy Howard’s 55-yard punt was down by teammates at Tift’s own 4.

There, the ball went to Jones.

Jones found a crease in the right side of the Demons’ line. He shook off a man around the 20, picked up speed at midfield and coasted into the end zone on a remarkable 96-yard run.

With the earlier safety, Tift was now down eight points, 37-29.

But Warner Robins had one final drive in them, one just long enough to put the game out of reach. Fromm found Jones two more times on passes and the 43 combined yards got them into the red zone.

Ivester’s 32-yard field goal came at 3:32.

Afterwards, the Demons held firm on defense. Tift recovered one final fumble on the closing minutes, but could not advance the ball.

The Devils’ three quarterbacks combined for 12-of-32 completions. Jones’ two receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown led in that category.

Jones also led Tift in rushing, with a touchdown on 24 carries for 167 yards. Jones’ run was the longest play from scrimmage for Tift since R.J. Merriweather’s 96-yard receiving touchdown against Colquitt County in 2015.

Tift’s defense held Warner Robins to 45 rush yards.

UP NEXT

The Blue Devils will play their first home game Friday against Valdosta (1-0).