The Newton County Academy Generals had one of the best seasons since winning the state championship in 2014.
The Generals finished the season 12-2 and finished as the runner-up in the MAIS Class 2A Football Division.
The Generals may not have come away as the champions, they certainly proved that they had the heart of a champion. Time and time again, this team would not quit when they had the chance. In the final two games of the playoffs, the Generals faced double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter, but they came back and had the ball in their hands with a chance to win the game.
That’s all you can ask a team to do, keep fighting and keep trying until it’s over. Sure, they may have made a few mistakes, and there might be a few plays they wished they could have back. However, you have to acknowledge just how resilient this team was.
Hunter Scarbrough embodied that persona. The Generals had to ride him, and he never quit or gave up. He kept fighting until the clock hit zero. His teammates followed suit and kept the hope alive. They found a way to recover an onside kick with only 40 seconds left. And they had a chance to throw it in the end zone as time expire. In this situation, we believe the Generals just ran out of time.
Congratulations to the Generals. Y’all had a great season! We hope you will take the lessons of football and become winners in life.
