ATLANTA — Turnovers are a killer. Giving up big plays can be just as frustrating.
White County's football team turned the football over twice in the second quarter, leading directly to a pair of Grady touchdowns, and surrendered a 71-yard touchdown pass in Friday's second round 39-20 loss at Grady Stadium in Atlanta.
With the loss, the season ends for White County (9-3), but not before the Warriors secured the first home playoff victory in school history last Friday against LaGrange. The Grey Knights advance to face Peach County next week in the Class AAA state quarterfinals.
"Our kids fought really hard and we're proud of the effort and the fact that they played with class," White County coach Tommy Flowers said.
White County's first turnover came after moving the ball 81 yards late in the first quarter.
After Damian Swann intercepted the pass for the Grey Knights (11-1) in the end zone, it only took three plays before Grady's Marcus Caffey scored on a 59-yard run to take a 7-0 lead.
The second turnover was just as costly.
Warriors' running back Ashely Lowery (99 yards on 16 carries) fumbled the ball at the 10, which was scooped by Grey Knights defensive lineman Eric Brewster and taken in for the short touchdown run to make it 20-0.
"Turnovers are a part of the game," Flowers said. "We could have played better as a whole tonight."
"It's a game of little things and we did a good job of forcing the turnovers," Swann said.
Grady also showcased its quick-strike offense during the second quarter. With pressure coming from both sides on Grey Knights quarterback Treveon Albert at the 30, he split the seam in the defense and hit Quintavious Knight for his first of two touchdown catches on the night.
Then in the third quarter, Swann scored on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Albert (190 passing yards). After the catch, Swann, one of the nation's most recruited defensive backs, used his speed to separate from the Warriors' cornerback for the long score, and took all the momentum back after a long White County scoring drive in which sophomore quarterback Cole Segraves scored on a run from the 1.
"I feel like we have one of the fastest teams in the state," Swann said. "For those that take our speed for granted, we'll go out and try and hit them with the big play."
One of White County's brightest spots was senior wide receiver Ethan McCallister, who finished with six catches for 91 yards, including catches for 15 and 6 yards on a scoring drive late in the second quarter. The Warriors capitalized with a 7-yard halfback pass for a touchdown from Lowery to Patrick Jones.
Segraves passed for a pair of touchdowns, including a throw to Jones on a 12-yard pass with 10:34 remaining in the game. However, Grady returned with another big play right away when Knight, a senior, returned the kickoff down to the White County 30.
Peach County advanced to the state quarterfinals with a 33-0 win against Thomson on Friday.