Warner Robins takes on Rome this weekend in the second round of the high school playoffs. The two schools have faced one-another a total of three times with WR coming out victories in ’04 & ’18 but taking a heavy loss (0-38) in 2017. Following Rome’s defeat in the ’04 quarter-finals game, the Demons went on to win the state championship. In 2017, it was Rome who won it all, beating WR in the finals championship game at the MAC. Last year, WR came back for sweet revenge and beat Rome 45-28 at the MAC. The two teams have a short but contentious history and will both be hungering for a win.
The Rome Wolves are coming off a 52-0 home shutout win over Lithonia in Round 1 and are 9-2 overall in 2019. In the 11 games played so far this season, the Wolves have averaged 40.27 ppg on offense and allowed only 13.55 ppg on defense. The team is led by 4th-year head coach John Reid.
The Warner Robins Demons enter this game following a 28-7 home win over Jonesboro that was played in the pouring rain. The team is now 10-1 in 2019. In the 11 games played thus far, the Demons have averaged 33.73 ppg on offense and allowed just 13.91 ppg on D. WR’s star quarterback Jalen Addie was banged up pretty bad last week, and it is uncertain whether he’ll be able to play this Friday. His absence could put the Demons at a real disadvantage. The team is led by 1st-year head coach Marquis Westbrook.
Both of these teams are powerhouses in their own right. In previous matchups between WR and Rome, the games have not been close, but that could be different this year. The two schools have nearly identical stats on offense and defense and have very similar win-records. It seems quite possible this game could go down to the final buzzer. Rome will be hoping for a win that will advance them to the quarter-finals and offer another chance at a state title. The Demons, who are favored to win it all in Class AAAAA, will be fighting hard to break a 14-year drought. This game is likely to be a real contest and highly worth watching.