SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — The excitement and anticipation was boiling over before the game even started, but once the clock struck all zeros it couldn’t be contained any longer.

Social Circle clinched its first state playoff berth since 2009 with a 44-7 dismantling of Greene County in the regular season finale.

The Redskins started a little slow, putting away their first possession, but cracked the scoreboard with 3:32 left in the first when Amarion Russell dove in from 1 yard out.

After Social Circle recovered a Greene County fumble, Russell broke free for a 43-yard touchdown to put the Redskins up two scores.

A 30-yard field goal by Social Circle made it 17-0 with 8:54 left in the first half.

Eric Taylor made his presence known late in the first half when he picked off Greene County’s quarterback and returned it down to the Tiger 5-yard line before Russell punched in his third touchdown of the night. However, the point after try was no good, leaving Social Circle’s lead at 23-0.

Taylor showed out again on Social Circle’s next offensive possession with a 36-yard catch and run from Logan Cross with 3:06 left to play in the first half.

Social Circle added a fifth touchdown when Kam Durden scored from 3 yards out to put the Redskins up 37-0 at the half and invoke a running clock in the second half.

Coming out of the locker room, Social Circle received the kick and went no huddle on offense. The Redskins capped off drive with a 10-yard pass from Cross to Taylor for the final Social Circle score of the night.

Greene County found the end zone late in the third, but it was too late for the Tigers.

When the buzzer finally sounded, Redskins’ first-year head coach Rob Patton got a little colder when seniors Jackson Austin and Austin Atha doused the head coach with the water cooler.

Social Circle is now the No. 4 seed out of Region 8-A Public and will travel to Montezuma to face Macon County in the first round of the Class A Public state playoffs.