County goes from 0-3 to South State Semifinals
Newton County and Columbia played almost evenly for the entire first half, but in the second half, the Wildcats showed why they were the No. 1 team in Class 4A.
Columbia turned three second-half turnovers into three touchdowns, as the Wildcats pulled away to defeat the Cougars 41-25 in the South State Semifinals.
Newton County head coach Bobby Bass said he was proud of his team fighting the way it did the game and also the season after a tough start.
“I’m proud of our kids coming out and fighting,” Bass said. “You know, they got a great football team. If we don’t turn the ball over here and there, who knows what could have happened? But our kids keep fighting. So I’m so proud for what they accomplished this year, without a doubt.
"We didn’t start the season the way we wanted, and we finished in the third round of the playoffs. So, this is something for these younger kids to see and build on for the future.”
This was also the final game for the 2021-2022 senior football players. After the game, the Cougar coaches and underclassmen took time to shake hands and hug the necks of their senior teammates.
Columbia took control of the game early, taking the opening kickoff and scoring on a 17-yard touchdown less than three minutes into the game.
Newton County answered on a 33-yard field goal by Cade Mangum that banked in off the right upright. The drive was set up by a 26-yard completion from Gray Hale to Tyron Henderson and a 15-yard run by Tylan McNichols.
Columbia answered again with another 17-yard touchdown run, this time on fourth-and-3.
The Cougars went back to work, putting together another good drive, but it ended on downs inside the red zone.
After an exchange of punts, Newton County finally got into the end zone. On a fake punt, McNichols took the snap as the up back and broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run. Mangum’s PAT cut the lead to 14-10 at halftime.
Disaster struck on the second half kickoff after Columbia recovered a fumble at the Cougar 32. Eight plays later, the Wildcats scored again on a 2-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-10.
On the next possession, the Cougars turned to their leader, Colin Crowder, who turned a short screen pass from Hale, broke tackles at the line of scrimmage and then sped to the end zone from 78 yards out. Mangum’s PAT cut the lead to 21-17.
On the next scrimmage play, Columbia hooked up for an 80-yard touchdown to push the lead back to 27-17 at the 7:38 mark of the second quarter.
As the Cougars were trying to drive, the Wildcats got an interception and scored later on a 3-yard touchdown run to extend the lead back to 35-17.
A fumble on the next possession allowed Columbia to ice the game on a 2-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
The Cougars didn’t quit. A 37-yard catch by Henderson and a 15-yard reception by Crowder set up a 2-yard touchdown by Devyon May. L.T. Phillips added the 2-point conversion to create the final score.
Newton County recovered the onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but the drive ended on downs.
Columbia outgained Newton County 407-322. Hale finished with 228 yards, completing 16 of 29 passes with one touchdown and one interception.
Crowder had five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown while Henderson finished with 70 yards on five catches. McNichols also had four catches for 35 yards.
Phillips led the rushing attack with 59 yards on 15 carries while McNichols had 58 yards on three carries.
Crowder led the defense with 23 tackles while senior Wilson Jackson had 16 and Jamario Ickom had 15 tackles. Cameron McDonald also had 11 tackles while Caleb Parkman had eight tackles. McNichols also blocked two extra point attempts.
This group was also special to Bass, as they were the first group of freshmen he had when he came to Newton County. Bass said they helped turn the program around and develop a strong foundation for the future.
“I kept them after practice one day, along with the sophomore bunch that graduated last year, and I told them that they were going to be the ones that ultimately changed the program,” Bass said. “There’s been a lot of football played between them two classes, so they are definitely going to be missed.”
