Madison County Red Raiders

Reprinted from the Athens Banner-Herald November 18, 2006 edition
East Paulding 51, Madison County 6 By Jon Page | jon.page@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 1:36 AM on Saturday, November 18, 2006 DALLAS - Last week, it was a hug of joy Friday night, Jarrod and Randell Owens shared a hug of consolation after the quarterback played his final game for his father and coach. Jarrod Owens threw an interception on the second play, which led to a touchdown, and Madison County never recovered as East Paulding advanced with 51-6 victory in the Class AAAA playoffs. "They came out hungry," Jarrod Owens said. "They were on a mission and they were determined. We came off slow and it got us." One week after Owens threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns to lead Madison County (8-3) to the playoffs for the second straight season, the senior quarterback rarely had time to set his feet on the mushy turf at the Bone Yard. He started 0-for-6 and finished 8-for-18 with three interceptions. Lunden Rainer picked off Owens' first pass of the game, and East Paulding quarterback Chas Henry threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Josh Collier on the next play. "I thought I could get it over his head," Owens said. "It was cover 2, and I've never seen cover 2 in a game run that good. It really swung momentum on their side and after that it went downhill from there. "Heck, that was the second play of the game." Henry gave East Paulding (10-1) a 14-point lead on its next possession, finding Collier again for a 36-yard touchdown, and East Paulding rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead. Henry, who has committed to Florida as a punter, was 6 of 11 with one interception. East Paulding, which was victorious in its first playoff game in school history, racked up 319 yards rushing. Derek Holloway (119 yards) and Steve Delzince (100) each rushed for at least 100 yards, and Delzince added three touchdown runs. After the loss, Randell Owens wrapped his arms around his oldest son, whispering words of encouragement to him. Jarrod Owens finished his career with 4,775 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. But he said when he looks back on his career that his greatest memory will be what he accomplished with his teammates. "We never gave up," Owens said. "Everybody was like, 'Man, they lost too many seniors. They aren't going to be what they were last year.' I just kind of laughed and was like, 'OK.' "We did better than we did last year. We're 8-3 and we're trying to build a tradition over here. I just hope next year they can get farther than we did." GAME REPORT • Turning Point: East Paulding took control on Madison County's second play, when Lunden Rainer intercepted Jarrod Owens. On the next play, Chas Henry found Justin Collier for a 26-yard touchdown. • Key Stat: Madison County did not pick up a first down until its sixth drive. • Impact: Madison County's season ends after advancing to the state playoffs in consecutive seasons the second time in school history. Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 111806