The 2018 football campaign came to an abrupt end for the three northeast Georgia teams still alive on a wet, foggy Friday night.
Buford, Commerce, and Rabun County all fell in the quarterfinals of the GHSA playoffs.
(NOTE: For a complete look at area playoff scores scroll down. And for video highlights and game stories visit our Friday Game Night page.)
The Wolves had a shot at the end, converting one 4th down, then facing another on the Bainbridge 23-yard line with time running down. But, Aaron McLaughlin's fourth-down heave to the end zone was batted down, giving Bainbridge the 23-20 upset win in Buford Friday night.
In Class 2A, Fitzgerald took a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, knocking off Rabun County 28-17 in Tiger. Rabun's offense had trouble finding a rhythm most of the night, while Fitzgerald's rushing attack was too much to handle for the Wildcats.
Meanwhile, Commerce couldn’t hold off No. 1-ranked Irwin County on its final march of the game, losing 26-23 on the road. Commerce controlled most of the game, including the clock. The Tigers chewed up more than 7 minutes on two scoring drives, but a late Tiger fumble eventually proved to be the difference in the game.
QUARTERFINAL STATE PLAYOFF RESULTS FOR AREA TEAMS
CLASS 5A
Bainbridge 23, Buford 20
CLASS 2A
Fitzgerald 28, Rabun County 17
CLASS A Public
Irwin County 26, Commerce 23
