SOCIAL CIRCLE — It took just one play for Social Circle to set the tone against Towns County on Friday.
Positioned on the Redskins’ own 33-yard line, junior quarterback Logan Cross dropped back and delivered a dime to fellow junior Mason Moore. Moore reeled in the pass and sprinted into the end zone as Senior Night festivities gave way to offensive fireworks in the blink of an eye.
The quick strike on the first play from scrimmage opened a 42-point performance in the opening half. Social Circle cruised to a 42-22 victory over its Region 8-A Public adversary.
“Hitting the deep ball on the first play, I think, was really hard on [Towns County] mentally,” Social Circle head coach Rob Patton said. “And then we ran the football, threw the football. Linemen were blocking well. It was just complete execution across the board.”
The Redskins (5-4, 2-2) promptly piled onto their lead following the early score.
Midway through the opening quarter, the Social Circle defense forced a fumble that set the offense up just outside the red zone. Five plays later, Cross went back to the air, connecting with senior Tyrell Branch for a 7-yard touchdown. Social Circle led 14-0.
The defense returned to the field to force a three-and-out, handing the ball back to the blazing offensive unit. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Cross hit a wide-open Amarion Russell in the middle of the field on a deep pass. The senior wideout waltzed into the end zone, pushing the Redskins’ advantage out to 21-0 with 2:56 left in the opening quarter.
Social Circle poured it on in the second quarter.
Russell took the ball on a toss sweep, edged his way around the left side of his offensive line and trotted into the end zone for a five-yard score at the 8:22 mark. Three minutes later, Social Circle struck paydirt once more to make it 35-0.
The final touchdown of the half came on the heels of Phillip Baynes Jr. interception. Baynes picked off a pass near midfield, sprinted down the left side of the turf then weaved his way back right before being taken down inside the 1-yard line. One play later, Russell finished the job by punching it in from a yard out to make it 42-0.
“Defensively, our guys got after them all night,” Patton said. “They did a great job.”
Towns County (4-5, 0-4) would go on to find the end zone thrice against the Social Circle reserves in the second half, but the deficit — made more severe by a running clock — proved insurmountable.
One season removed from making its first playoff appearance since 2009, Social Circle is now on the precipice of clinching another postseason berth. First, though, the Redskins must handle their business on the road against an improved Greene County team next week.
“Gotta take care of business,” Patton said. “Greene’s a good football team. They’re much better than they were a year ago, but I think we are too. It should be a good matchup.”
