Baldwin takes down Thomson, now 2-0 in region

Published 11:35 pm Friday, October 12, 2018

THOMSON, Ga. — The Baldwin Braves are just 3-5 on the 2018 season, but their overall record is not what’s important right now.

The Braves are winners of their last three, and two of those have been versus Region 3-4A opponents. So the most important thing for the Baldwin football team is the fact that it is now 2-0 in region play thanks to Friday night’s 27-6 win at Thomson High School. 

“I think this game will put some people on notice,” BHS head coach Jesse Hicks said after the win. “We got prepared for the region schedule by playing those tough opponents in August and it’s paying off right now because to come into the Brickyard and get a region win is huge for this football team.”

The Baldwin offense had one of its better nights of the season in keeping with the run–the-football mentality that paid off in last week’s region win against Richmond Academy. Hicks told The Union-Recorder via phone interview that he believed his team did not throw the football one time in the big win while junior running back Noah Hill put together another strong performance, reaching the end zone twice on the night.

The Braves carried a 10-0 shutout into halftime and kept Thomson’s dynamic quarterback hemmed in for much of the night, sacking him three times. The Bulldogs eventually broke loose in the second half to get on the board, much to the chagrin of Baldwin defensive coordinator Rod Cummings.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a coach so down after a win,” Hicks remarked jokingly.

According to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, Friday’s Baldwin win against Thomson was the first such occurrence since 2009, when both teams were in Region 3-AAA. That was the final year of Hicks’ first go-round at Baldwin, and now in his second year back, he was able to help lead the team past the Bulldogs once again. 

The victory does not yet guarantee a top two finish in Region 3-4A for the Braves, which would mean home-field advantage come playoff time, but it certainly goes a long way with only two games remaining this season. Baldwin will be back at home next Friday to face Burke County before taking a second bye week, and will finish up the regular season Nov. 2 at Cross Creek.