The non-region portion of the schedule is in the rearview mirror. Now, every Friday night carries a little more weight.
Swainsboro opened Region 2-AA play Friday night with a strong performance on the road, defeating East Laurens 42-13 to begin the region schedule 1-0.
The Tigers established their identity on the ground, and sophomore running back Kyle Johnson was at the center of it. Johnson turned in a dominant night, carrying the ball 28 times for 242 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry and accounted for five of Swainsboro’s six trips to the end zone.
Behind Johnson’s big night, the Tigers piled up 261 rushing yards and consistently found success moving the football on the ground.
Swainsboro also found opportunities through the air.
Junior quarterback Joshua Gray completed 13 of 20 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown while taking care of the football with no interceptions. Junior receiver Shannon Benjamin was his leading target, hauling in five passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.
By the end of the night, Swainsboro had produced 377 yards of total offense 261 rushing and 116 passing as the Tigers put together one of their strongest offensive performances of the season.
For head coach Dwight Smith, the most important part was seeing his team come out and handle its first opportunity in region play. Smith said he was proud of the way the Tigers performed and responded to the challenge of beginning the region schedule on the road.
Now the challenge changes.
Swainsboro returns to Tiger Field this Friday night with Bleckley County coming to town for another important Region 2-AA matchup. Smith stressed the importance of remaining focused, playing sound football and continuing to do the things necessary to be successful as the Tigers move deeper into the region schedule.
And there may not be many easy Friday nights ahead.
Smith described Region 2-AA as one of the strongest regions in Class AA and compared the week-to-week competition to the SEC, where teams know one another well and any opponent is capable of beating another.
That makes every possession, every mistake and every opportunity increasingly important as the season moves forward.
Following the victory, Swainsboro also recognized its Players of the Game. Johnson’s 242-yard, five-touchdown performance earned him Offensive Player of the Game honors. Christian Tarver and Derek Hughes were named Co-Defensive Players of the Game, while DJ Cuyler earned Special Teams Player of the Game honors.
For Swainsboro, the first step in region play was East Laurens.
The Tigers took that step with a 42-13 victory.
Now they return to the friendly confines of Tiger Field looking to make it two straight in region play when Bleckley County comes to town Friday night.
