Creekside Advances To GHSA 5A Semifinals After 20-13 Win Over Whitewater
In just the fifth meeting between the two teams, the Whitewater Wildcats hosted the Creekside Seminoles in the third round of the Georgia High School Association Class 5A state playoffs. With the series tied 2-2 heading into Friday night, the winner would not only take the series lead, but would advance to the GHSA 5A semifinals.
The Seminoles would make statements early on both sides of the ball as their defense would force the Wildcats to punt on the opening drive of the game. On the ensuing Creekside possession, the Seminoles would cap their opening drive with a Cameron Burch rushing touchdown and would go on to take a 7-0 lead.
In the second quarter, the Creekside defense would score after fumble by Whitewater running back Dalton Bonner that led to a scoop and score by Creekside’s Malik Tullis and the Seminoles would take a 14-0 lead. Both offense would struggle to find the end zone throughout the majority of the first half until a Whitewater field goal put them on the scoreboard as time ticked off the clock and they trailed 14-3 at the half.
The Whitewater defense would force a crucial Creekside turnover in the third quarter, and the Wildcats would capitalize with a Xavier Clay Turner rushing touchdown and Creekside would lead 14-10. The Seminoles would finally put together another offensive drive that resulted in a Nyqua Lett touchdown and Creekside would go on to pick up the 20-13 win.
Following the victory, Creekside head coach Maurice Dixon credited his team’s hard work this season for leading them to their first semifinals birth since the 2013 season in which they won a state title. “The goal has been to play 15 games, we put the work in and so we won game 13 and we’re on to game 14,” Dixon said on Friday after the Seminoles win. Dixon would ad that advancing to the semifinals is a “great feeling” after having taken over the program five years ago.
“Man, it’s just a product of the five years of hard work,” Dixon noted, saying that when he and his staff took over, it was all about rebuilding the Seminoles program. “We had to rebuild and rebuild in our name and it just feels great, I can’t believe it,” Dixon said of the semifinals berth. Next up for Creekside will be defending GHSA 5A state champs, Warner Robins.
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