For the first time since the 2011 season, the Banks County football team is in the state playoffs. And not only is it in the playoffs, but the Leopards will also host a playoff game Friday night against KIPP Atlanta Collegiate.
The Leopards (6-4, 5-1 Region 8-AA) are coming off one of the biggest wins in program history, a 43-29 victory in the Granite Bowl against region foe Elbert County. It was the first meeting between the two schools.
The victory not only secured the No. 2 seed heading into this Friday’s Class AA state playoff first-round matchup, but it gave the Leopards their first winning record since that 2011 season.
The Leopards have gone 5-5 the past two seasons.
This is also the first-ever meeting between Banks County and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate.
“I see that they are a very athletic team and a very fast team,” head coach Josh Shoemaker said about KIPP.
KIPP (7-3, 4-2 Region 6-AA) is currently on a two-game slide with losses to Douglass, 41-0, and Hapeville Charter, 57-6.
Quarterback Griffin Goodwin leads the Banks County offense against a KIPP defense that is giving up 15.4 points per game. Goodwin has passed 1,814 yards had 18 touchdowns. Goodwin also has two rushing touchdowns.
Clayton Dykhouse leads the Leopards’ running attack, rushing for 1,026 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Bryce Bennett has quietly put together a strong 10 weeks as the leader of the Leopards’ receiving corps. Bennett has 46 receptions for 908 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has three rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown.
The Leopard defense is spearheaded by Demetrius Walker and Zach Lehotsky. Walker leads the defense in tackles with 85, but Lehotsky is right on his heels with 80. Walker also has two fumble recoveries and Lehotsky has one interception.
CJ Thomas had a game to remember against Elbert County, intercepting three Blue Devil passes. He has eight for the season, which puts him second in the state, regardless of classification, Shoemaker said.
“I told the team in July they were a playoff team,” Shoemaker said about his group. “They realized last Friday they don’t have to be emotional, just they need to make tackles and execute on offense. This is free football. Nobody had any expectations for us this season. We were underdogs going to Elbert County. The kids weren’t satisfied with just making the playoffs. They wanted a home game in the playoffs. I’m excited for the community and the kids to have this opportunity. We get to go out and just enjoy it. We just have to play our game and we’ll be fine. We have everything to gain. That’s a great place to be.”
KIPP is in its fourth season. The program won only three games in its first three seasons.
KIPP comes to Homer led by quarterback Octavious Arnold’s 1,107 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns. Running back Otis Odom leads the ground attack with 861 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Offensively, they use several different formations and will spread you out,” Shoemaker explained. “Defensively, they get after you.”
Leopards shock Blue Devils
Goodwin passed for 320 yards and four touchdowns and Bennett collected 237 all-purpose yards and accounted for four touchdowns in the Leopards’ upset 43-29 victory in the Granite Bowl.
“All we had to do was put a game together, and we put one together up here tonight in Game 10,” Shoemaker said after the team’s win. “That was a complete team effort. I told our kids to play free.”
Shoemaker added the win was a “program” win for Banks County.
The Leopards were down 14-0 after the first quarter, but by halftime, they were up 23-21. Goodwin connected with Terrance Walker for the Leopards’ first score to cut the deficit to 14-7. After Elbert increased the lead back to 14, Goodwin found Bennett for a 69-yard touchdown pass.
Bennett tied the game at 21 on the Leopards’ next possession, rushing for a touchdown on a 12-yard end-around play.
The Leopards gained a 23-21 lead with 12 seconds left before halftime with a safety following a bad snap by Elbert County on a punt. The punter kicked the ball out of the end zone to save a touchdown.
The Leopards continued to pile on in the third quarter as Goodwin found Bennett for a second time and found Kayne Berryhill to extend the lead to 37-21 after three quarters.
Elbert cut the deficit to 37-29 with 5:30 left in the game, but it missed other opportunities as the Leopards’ defense intercepted four Elbert passes in the final quarter, including three by Thomas.
Bennett put the game away as he threw a pass off an end-around, finding Berryhill for a 63-yard score. Berryhill finished the game with 116 receiving yards and two scores.
“It felt like in the first quarter we couldn’t stop them, but we kept plugging away at them, tried to make tackles,” Shoemaker said. “They had kids running around all over the place, but we made plays when we had to make plays. That’s all it came down to.”
