Eustace opened with two wins , which happened to be their win total for the season . The Bulldogs struggled with injuries in district play and didn ’ t break through the win barrier there .
Kemp doubled their win total from 2021 , salting away two victories under new coach B . J . Rider . But when the Yellowjackets did win , they did it in a big way . The first was a 34-0 rout of Rice on Sept . 16 , then a 54-0 shutout of Eustace in the season finale . They were also close against Quitman , dropping a 20-17 decision and Mexia , who won 28-21 at Yellowjacket Stadium .
Mabank won three of their first five , including a 42-41 thriller over Brownsboro , before hitting a wall in District 9-4A Division 1 and finishing 3-7 . The Brownsboro clash was a remarkable game . The Bears led 21-12 at halftime before they teams staged a wild third quarter . The Panthers rolled up 30 points in the period to 20 for Brownsboro . After the dust cleared , there was no scoring in the final quarter and Mabank survived the score-fest .
As for the county ’ s six-man crew , Trinidad , the Trojans improved on a win-less 2021 , picking up two victories under Coach Michael Warren . The team was more competitive early than the young group the year before , then burst through on Oct . 14 against Fruitvale , 55-12 . A second helping of success came against Apple Springs in the final game , 25-12 .
When the final chapter of the regular season is written , you ’ d have to say everyone in the county had some success , but most will be hungry for better things in 2023 .
14 | Greater Athens Magazine | January 2023