By By Robbie Robertson / special to The Star
Sept. 25, 2004
DECATUR It's three and counting for the Newton County Academy Generals.
The Generals scored 21 fourth-quarter points to come from behind and beat long-time nemesis Heidelberg Academy 35-21 Friday night.
The win over the Rebels was only the third in school history for the Generals. The others came in 1974 and 1992.
The Generals, now 5-1 and 3-0 in 5-A, racked up 330 yards of total offense and 14 first downs. Senior Lee Blackburn led the charge with 157 yards on 17 carries he also had a 74-yard touchdown run called back.
The Generals went up 14-0 as Dustin McGowin scored on a 16-yard run with 3:41 left in the first and Bo Diveley on a 1-yard run with 5:03 left in the second. Heidelberg scored on a Will Thames 21-yard run with 3:42 left in the half to make the score 14-7 at the half.
The Rebels came out in the second half and recovered an onsides kick to start the half. They scored four plays later on a Mark Smith 4-yard run to tie the score at 14-14.
The Rebels, now 1-4 (0-3 in 5-A), went ahead 21-14 after Wesley Parker scored on a 6-yard run, set up by a fumble recovery.
From there, the Generals scored 21 unanswered points to take the win.
The first came with 11:11 left to play as Colby Bishop made a diving catch of a Bo Diveley pass for a 20-yard score.
The second was set up after Heidelberg fumbled a snap on a punt and attempted a pass that hit a lineman and set up Newton at the HA 21. It only took five plays for Brad Harrison to score from 1-yard out with 6:11 left to play.
Harrison wrapped up the scoring as he recovered a Heidelberg fumble and returned it 46 yards for the score.