Whisby’s block caps Braves playoff miracle

Published 2:14 pm Monday, November 18, 2024

Brandon Whisby wanted this to be a breakout senior season in his Baldwin High football career.

The safety’s had his moments in 2024 on the defensive side of the ball. None will be remembered more in the next several years than what he did on a cold Friday night at Braves Stadium.

West Laurens did not score when quarterback Carson Pollock threw a 58-yard bomb to Juvon Hill with roughly one minute to go in Friday’s GHSA AAA opening round playoff contest. The Raiders did not score when super wildcat Ty Cummings took the next direct snap for a keeper inside the Baldwin 1. The visiting team did not score on not one, but two plays in a row by Cummings – again from the shotgun – with one official only holding one hand up after the whistles.

There’s timeout on the field, 19 seconds on the game clock, and fourth down. Oh, Baldwin High is in the lead 26-24, but gave up possession to West Laurens on a failed fourth-down conversion try with 1:50 remaining. All you have to do is make the field goal of the shortest possible distance.

Not so, said the actions of Whisby. When he blocked it, Baldwin had redemption from a 28-14 region loss to West Laurens just 10 days before and a playoff victory for first-year head coach Kevin Patterson.

Patterson told the gathered Braves that’s what playoff football is all about.

“That’s why we do field-goal block,” he said.

“I missed it every time,” said Whisby about all the other times he’s gone around the edge on field-goal block. He said he doesn’t know what made the difference with Friday’s game on the line, only that it was just “instinct.”

“I knew I had to do it,” said Whisby. He gave credit to his defensive line and linebacker teammates for stuffing Cummings for no gain on the two goal-line plays before the field-goal try. He also gave credit to Patterson – a former defensive back himself – for making a “major impact” on his career and the Baldwin program.

“Phenomenal,” he said.

Whisby had one other chance to block a field goal Friday, but West Laurens made the 20-yard kick on the final play of the first half. The Raiders led 17-6 at halftime.

Baldwin running back Sadur Salahuddin had three rushing touchdowns when play resumed. The first came in just the first minute of the third quarter.

Braves senior quarterback Lamar Pounds made his own 58-yard passing connection to Bryan Goddard, the play ending on the West Laurens 1-yard-line. Salahuddin cleaned up what would be a three-play series. Conversion points were an issue, however, for the Braves all game long, so the Raiders’ lead remained 17-12.

Baldwin tried an onsides kickoff but was offsides on the play, so the Raiders were set up on their own 43. Cummings, who was a one-man wrecking crew against the Braves on Nov. 5 with 171 yards, had even more big moments in the rematch. But there were times Baldwin showed some defensive adjustments, such as the stop from Jazz Lamar and Gavin Jarrett on this first West Laurens series. Safety LaBraydon Burden then recovered a fumbled reception on the WL 47.

Salahuddin and Pounds combined to keep the football on the ground and get three first downs up to the 14. Salahuddin took a huge hit on his fourth carry of the series, but jolted to the end zone at 6:11 of the third period.

The Baldwin sideline needed to burn a timeout to get the conversion set right, and Salahuddin cashed in this try for two. It was Baldwin’s first lead of the night 20-17.

Cummings also scored three rushing touchdowns in the game as he did on Nov. 5. In two of his runs of this game, it seemed like only one Brave defender had a chance to bring him down, and after getting by him Cummings was gone. Such a clear path was there off right tackle at 4:07 of the third giving Cummings a 25-yard score.

West Laurens had its last lead, 24-20, but then the Braves scratched and clawed their way to what would be the deciding points. Like for most of the night, there were penalties to overcome. What was technically a 77-yard drive actually went 92, for Baldwin faced 1st-and-25 from two fouls. On 3rd-and-13, Pounds was under serious pressure but found Salahuddin for a 17-yard gain.

Penalties also worked in Baldwin’s favor, for a personal foul spotted the home team on the WL 48. Pounds ran for a first down right at the end of the third quarter, and Baldwin began the fourth with first down on the 22. Pounds picked up a big 12-yard gain amid three Salahuddin carries, the third being his third touchdown. The 1-yard plunge put the Braves up 26-24 with 10:20 still to play.

Deontay Yarber had the big stop in the next West Laurens series. The Raiders punted the ball to the BHS 16. Baldwin drove back over the 50 before losing the ball on downs at the 36. Pollock had been less of a factor than he was Nov. 5, but his deep throw to Hill to set up the wild finish came on second down.

Cummings scored a 77-yard touchdown on the run at 8:04 of the first quarter. Baldwin responded with another long, multi-snap series covering 73 yards with two third-down and one fourth-down conversion. Goddard caught a pass of 20 yards over the middle, Charlie Warren’s catch covered 14 yards on 3rd-and-15, and Warren had another third-down catch to move the sticks.

Jaylen “Boom” King, a tight end not targeted since an injury in Macon on Halloween, caught Pounds’ pass of 29 yards rolling into the end zone. Baldwin still trailed, though, 7-6 failing on the PAT.

Cummings, still in the first quarter, answered that drive with a 47-yard TD burst through the middle (14-6).

Antonio Goodman, King and Jonquavious ‘Q’ Russell had TFLs on Cummings in the first half. The Baldwin offense, though, was silent the rest of the half.

West Laurens had the last series before halftime, and despite Lamar’s sack on Pollock, Cummings’ 28-yard run put his team back in field-goal range to go up 17-6.

With the win, the Braves earn a second-round contest at Peach County High this coming Friday. Baldwin well remembers its last trip to Peach, playing in its new stadium for the first time. It was a 34-13 win to begin the 2023 season.

The current PCHS Trojans are 10-1, the only loss being 49-39 to Perry, a common foe (and loss) with Baldwin. Peach averages 45.7 points per game, the season low being 35 against Crisp County Sept. 6. In four games, the Trojan defense gave up just one touchdown each.

They won their first round game last weekend over Chestatee 56-33.