The Warner Robins Demons battled their way to a hard-fought 34–26 win over New Hampstead Friday night, earning a key Region 1-AAAA victory.
New Hampstead opened the game with an impressive 71-yard drive capped by a 27-yard touchdown pass from Eric Hoffman to Ben Hoffman with 5:20 left in the first quarter. The PAT was no good, giving the Phoenix a 6–0 lead.
Warner Robins answered immediately. The Demons marched 63 yards on their next possession, with Jaden Hill punching it in from three yards out. Jabez Htoo’s extra point gave Warner Robins a 7–6 lead with 1:50 remaining in the first.
After a defensive stand and a turnover on downs by the Demons, New Hampstead struck again as Hoffman connected with Jamuari Williams for a 13-yard touchdown. He followed it up with a two-point conversion pass to his brother Ben Hoffman, putting the Phoenix ahead 14–7 with three minutes left in the half.
But the Demons responded once again. Just two plays later, quarterback Chandler Dyson found X’Zavier Cannon deep for a 61-yard touchdown strike, tying the game at 14–14 with 2:26 to go in the second quarter.
Warner Robins had a chance to grab the lead before halftime after recovering a pooch kick, but a missed field goal kept the score even. New Hampstead nearly retook the lead just before the half but was stopped inside the one-yard line as time expired.
New Hampstead started the second half with another strong drive. Hoffman hit Ari Theriot for a touchdown, but the PAT was blocked, leaving the Phoenix up 20–14 with 8:28 left in the third.
The Demons went back to work. Dyson capped a methodical drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, a two-point conversion gave Warner Robins a 21–20 lead with 5:31 remaining in the third.
The back-and-forth continued as New Hampstead answered with an 81-yard drive, finished by Christian Kinlaw’s 3-yard touchdown run. The two-point try failed, giving the Phoenix a 26–21 advantage with 2:06 to go in the quarter.
From there, it was all Demons. Warner Robins scored on back-to-back possessions as CJ Gunning found the end zone twice — first from 26 yards out, then from 8. The final score stood 34–26 with 3:28 left in the game as the Demon defense held strong down the stretch to secure the win.
With the victory, Warner Robins improves its region record to 1-2 and evens the overall record to 4-4 on the season.
Flint Energies Defensive Player of the Game
The Warner Robins defensive front earns the honor after shutting down New Hampstead’s final two drives and preserving the lead late in the fourth quarter. The unit held New Hampstead to only 39 rushing yards.
The Butcher Shop Offensive Player of the Game
CJ Gunning gets the nod after scoring two crucial fourth-quarter touchdowns to help the Demons pull away. His power running and clutch red-zone finishes sealed the win for Warner Robins.
