<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=45JaOs_0wFF8CK200" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=45JaOs_0wFF8CK200" width="2048" height="1365" ><figcaption>TY, TO THE HOUSE: East Laurens quarterback Ty Snead hits the accelerator on a 40-yard touchdown run to get the Falcons on the board in the first quarter. The senior, also crowned king of the school’s homecoming court Friday night, threw and rushed for over 150 yards /ZACH DAWSON</figcaption></figure>Several screen passes told the story of a struggle between East Laurens and Washington County that stretched into the final seconds of their season-defining showdown Friday at the new Falcon Field. The concept represented a popular call for both offenses, and three of the game’s eight touchdowns – two of them belonging to East Laurens. But the other, which went the opposite direction in the last minute of play, would swing the night’s stinging result for the Falcons, as WACO stole the win by a score of 26-25. The outcome likely solidifies a 17th straight state playoff berth – by way of region finish or at-large standing – for the Golden Hawks (4-4, 4-3 region 2-High A), while dealing a final blow to East’s hopes of scratching its way in after back-to-back games slipped away by a combined seven points. The Falcons (2-5, 1-5 region) play their next of three remaining regular-season games Friday at Jefferson County. WACO, with two to go, will host Southwest. The middle screen – which targets a running back feigning intent to block with a short toss to an area vacated by pass rushers sucked into the play – made its first appearance with the ballgame tied at 6-apiece in the opening quarter, as the Golden Hawks slipped the football to Jusden Culpepper for a 34-yard gain to dig themselves out of a hole deep in their own territory on the way to a go-ahead touchdown. East Laurens would dial one up to score its second on a 16-yard Ty Snead completion to Norrion King late in the second quarter to answer and cut WACO’s halftime lead to 13-12. The Hawks went back to it a second time from their own territory early in the third, but this time Falcon defensive tackle Caleb Jackson sniffed it out, backpedaling for a leaping interception, then returning it 21 yards for a pick-six. BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN: The score, and the celebration, as East Laurens defensive lineman Caleb Jackson picked off a WACO pass and returned it for a touchdown to give the Falcons a third-quarter lead/ZACH DAWSONReciprocal touchdowns, one for each team, would follow with East Laurens in front by only six after an extra point – following the go-ahead score of Snead with four minutes to go – banged off the left upright. A last-chance WACO drive came down to a do-or-die fourth and goal, and the Golden Hawks did… by going to back to the well a third time, and coming up with the game-tying touchdown. To be safe, quarterback Mack May put a bit more air under the ball than he did on the earlier try, but this time had Falcon rushers split to the outside of the pocket as their lone man in the middle slipped down, and hardly any traffic to clear as Culpepper bluffed a block, turned to make the catch and went in untouched from four yards. Christian Rountree’s extra point was good to give WACO the lead with just 13 seconds to play, and the Golden Hawks intercepted a pass – with a return to run out the clock – on East’s only remaining play. Snead, who was exceptional at extending plays on the night, threw for 115 of the Falcons’ 222 total yards, and combined with King for most of their 107 on the ground. The senior QB – also crowned 2024 Homecoming King – rushed for both their other touchdowns and made a number of additional plays critical to the continuation of drives. He provided the spark that got the exciting night going after East was backed behind the chains on its second possession of the game, trailing 6-0 after an early WACO touchdown. Snead rolled from pressure all the way into the corner, but had time to set his feet for a 41-yard strike to the open Kemo Mitchell. He broke to the left off a read on the next play to take it the remaining 40 yards for an East Laurens score to tie the game. The Hawks got up first after forcing an a Falcon three-and-out, and returning the punt 46 yards to set up a goal-line series that East’s defense bowed up to extend to a fourth down. But the WACO O-line won a scrum at the 1 to push Culpepper in for the first touchdown of the game. Christian Rountree missed, and the Falcons’ Carson Smith had his kick blocked by a man shoving through up the middle, on extra point attempts to leave the score knotted at 6.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=21PJP7_0wFF8CK200" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=21PJP7_0wFF8CK200" width="2048" height="1365" ><figcaption>FOURTH DOWN TERRITORY: Though WACO was 4-for-5 scoring on trips to the red zone, East Laurens’ defense made them earn it on two scoring drives – the night’s first and last – that came to a fourth-and-goal. The Falcons rose up to hold the Golden Hawks out until this scrum narrowly got Jusden Culpepper over the line for their first touchdown early in the game. They similarly came up with a sack and two key tackles on WACO’s final drive in the fourth to prevent a score until the game-winning screen pass /ZACH DAWSON</figcaption></figure>The Golden Hawks featured Culpepper again on the ensuing drive from inside their own 15, handing him the ball after the earlier screen for a carry of 18, and dishing him a left-side swing pass for another first down directly after. WACO ultimately worked its way inside the 5 and finished off the drive with a touchdown pass from May to Kam Shaw to re-take the lead. Rountree’s point was good to make it 13-6. East took over on a short field with King’s 20-yard return on the latter of back-to-back punts, but gave the ball up on downs after a couple of quality Snead throws to the end zone – one broken up and another slightly overthrown – came up incomplete. But the Falcon defense got the ball back after the Golden Hawks hiked slowly into plus territory, as Jeremiah Rozier picked a play pass and returned it over 50 yards to put East back in the red zone for touchdown to tie. Snead’s running pass was incomplete to a recovered receiver in attempt to grab the lead on a two-point conversion, and WACO – unable to score on a late shot as Major Floyd intercepted a May pass in the end zone – hung onto a 13-12 lead at halftime. The Golden Hawks punted, but then took their turn denying an East Laurens stab at the lead with a red zone interception. But Jackson’s pick-six came moments later, and Smith’s extra point yielded their first lead, 19-13. WACO drove to score on a four-yard carry by Rekevious Swint just into the fourth quarter, and led 20-19 after Rountree’s kick broke the tie. The East Laurens drive to go back on top covered 67 yards in about six minutes, with a 16-yard King run to the 3 setting up first and goal for a couple of Snead run attempts. He was stuffed on a first try, but ripped over right tackle off a read for the touchdown on the second. The Hawks, trailing 25-20 with 3:58 to go, got a good return of the kick up to their 42 by Jaden Jackson, and went multiple times to Swint out of the backfield to reach the red zone. As they did all night, the Falcons stiffened with goal to go. Wesley Stanley sacked May on first down, forcing WACO to reclaim the lost yardage by wheeling one out to the left to get to the eight on third down. A quick out to the left got the Hawks half of the remaining distance for fourth down, though a great Falcon hit stopped the receiver shortly after the catch. The game-winning completion would take the WACO quarterback to 204 yards passing on the night. The Hawks had 382 in total offense.</div></body>

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FOOTBALL: Late TD gives WACO last word over East Laurens in homecoming heartbreaker

Several screen passes told the story of a struggle between East Laurens and Washington County that stretched into the final seconds of their season-defining showdown Friday at the new Falcon Field. The concept represented a popular call for both offenses, and three of the game’s eight touchdowns – two of...