The Swainsboro Tigers delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Friday night, shaking off a slow start and roaring past Bacon County 40 to 21 in the first round of the GHSA Class A Division I State Playoffs. With more than 405 rushing yards and a critical momentum swing before halftime, the Tigers showed the grit and physicality that have defined the program for years.
Bacon County struck early and took advantage of a few Tiger mistakes to build a 21 to 7 lead. Despite the early deficit, Head Coach Scott Roberts never saw panic from his team, only determination. He said, “We made some mistakes early that we should not have made, but Bacon County is a good football team from a really tough region. They deserve a lot of credit for how the game went early on. It’s playoff football. You are going to have good things happen and you are going to have bad things happen. I was really proud of the way the guys continued to be positive with each other and then we began to make some plays.”
Once the Tigers settled in, the tone of the game changed. The offensive line started leaning on the Raiders up front, opening lanes for a ground attack that quickly took control. Kyle Johnson had a career night with 25 carries for 242 yards and three touchdowns, running with power, patience, and confidence. Marco Danford added six carries for 103 yards and a touchdown, giving Swainsboro a second explosive option that Bacon County could not contain.
Roberts praised the group effort up front and on the perimeter. He said, “First of all, I think Kyle has continued to learn and grow as a player throughout this season and now he understands it and is playing his best football when the playoffs start. That was by far his best game. Our offensive line did a really good job last Friday night. Bacon County has some really big, strong guys on the defensive front and they throw a lot of different looks at you. Our OL answered the challenge. Also, I thought the WRs blocked really well. They helped spring several of those long runs on the perimeter.”
The turning point of the game came late in the second quarter. With less than two minutes remaining and trailing by two scores, Swainsboro marched into its two-minute offense and executed a crucial drive that ended in a touchdown. The Tigers missed the extra point, making the score 21 to 13, but Roberts knew the drive had shifted the energy. He said, “Being down 21 to 7 with less than 2 minutes to play, I thought it was really important we get it to a one score game, because we were getting the ball after halftime. I thought the two-minute drive to make it a one score game really turned the tide.”
Only seconds later, that momentum turned into an eruption. On Bacon County’s next possession, Ashton McCastle jumped a pass, intercepted it in stride, and took it to the house for a pick six. Swainsboro then went for two and converted, tying the game at 21 to 21 as the home crowd shook Tiger Field with a playoff roar.
Roberts said, “When Ashton got the pick six, that was a huge boost and felt like if we could carry that momentum to the opening drive of the second half, we would be in really good shape.”
From there, the Tigers never looked back. Swainsboro dominated the second half with long, clock burning drives and a defense that tightened up and kept Bacon County off the scoreboard. The Tigers continued to pound the ball on the ground, added several more scores, and completed a 33 to 0 run to close out the game, finishing with a convincing 40 to 21 victory.
That win sends Swainsboro to the second round where they will face a familiar opponent in Northeast Macon. The Raiders ended the Tigers’ season in the first-round last year before making a run to the state championship game. They ultimately finished as the GHSA Class A Division I state runner up to Toombs County. Roberts is fully aware of the challenge ahead.
He said, “Coach Wiggins has done a fabulous job since taking over at Northeast in 2018. This will be the fourth time we’ve played them in the playoffs since then. They are an unbelievably talented bunch just like they have been each time we have played. We have to play with the fight that we have this year. There is nothing but the cream of the crop left on this side of the bracket. We have to find a way to be the best team in that stadium Friday night.”
With the offensive line surging, the defense finding its stride, and the backfield playing some of its best football of the year, the Tigers will enter this week with confidence and momentum as they look to extend their postseason run.
Tiger Nation, it’s time to hit the road. Swainsboro will travel to Macon to face Northeast Macon in the second round of the state playoffs this Friday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m. Let’s pack the stands, show our support, and help push the Tigers one step closer to Atlanta.
