A dream year that included an undefeated regular season, a region championship, and a march to the GHSA Class-A, Division 1 state title game for the Swainsboro Tigers ended in a back-and-forth loss to Prince Avenue Christian, 52-34, last Thursday night.
The game was held at Center Parc Stadium (formerly Turner Field) in Atlanta. The moment was not too big for these Tigers, who showed up ready to play. They scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions, all coming from the legs of standout Senior Ty Adams. His scoring scampers of 45 yards, 27 yards and 66 yards gave the Tigers a 20-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Wolverines of Prince Avenue Christian, also undefeated on the season, settled down and began to find some answers of their own. They scored the final 10 points of the quarter and narrowed the margin to a 20-17 Tiger lead at the half.
The second half brought even more offensive fireworks, as the teams traded scores early in the 3rd quarter. The Tigers had a few chances to extend their lead in that frame, but some timely defense from Prince Avenue Christian resulted in turnovers on three consecutive Tiger possessions. The Wolverines would capitalize and take their first lead of the game, 31-27, as time expired in that third quarter.
Adams and the Tigers had plenty of fight left, however, and the senior added his fourth rushing touchdown of the day less than one minute into the fourth quarter, giving Swainsboro a 34-31 lead.
The Wolverines found some fourth quarter magic and were able to score the final 21 points in a contest that had gone back and forth all night, resulting in a final score of 52-34.
The Swainsboro Tigers certainly represented their school and community well under those bright lights at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta. This phenomenal season may have ended just short of their state championship hopes, but the accomplishments of the 2022 Swainsboro Tigers will live on and be remembered for many years to come.
