Albany Middle beats Merry Acres, earns championship rematch with Sumter County

ALBANY — Albany Middle and Merry Acres waited an hour Wednesday afternoon before they could battle to see who got the chance to play next week.

Then the Indians spent the final quarter trying to make sure their season lasted another week.

They did.

Albany Middle built a two-touchdown lead and then leaned on its defense to hold off Merry Acres 12-8 at Hugh Mills Stadium, sending the Indians into the Deep South Conference championship game and setting up a rematch with the only team to beat them this season.

Sumter County Middle School defeated Lee West 28-8 in Wednesday’s other semifinal and will host Albany Middle at 5:30 p.m. next Wednesday in Americus.

The matchup should be a familiar one.

Very familiar.

Sumter County handed Albany Middle its only loss of the season just last week, escaping Hugh Mills Stadium with a 26-20 victory. Now the Indians (6-1) will get another shot, this time with the conference championship at stake.

First, they had to survive Merry Acres.

Getting the semifinal started proved to be the first challenge.

The game was scheduled for a 5 p.m. kickoff, but there was no officiating crew at Hugh Mills Stadium. No one was taking responsibility for the mix-up, and players, coaches and fans waited until officials arrived about an hour later.

Once the football finally started, Albany Middle didn’t waste much time taking control.

The Indians couldn’t move the ball on their opening possession but quickly got it back and went to work.

Running back Lionel Jackson Jr. ripped off a run across midfield to the Merry Acres 25, and quarterback Josiah West followed with a screen pass to Wontavious Porter that gave Albany Middle a first down at the 14.

Then things started going backward.

The Indians eventually faced fourth-and-6 before being called for illegal motion. Then they did it again.

Suddenly, fourth-and-6 had become fourth-and-16.

No problem.

West dropped back and found Christian Watson open behind the Merry Acres defense, and Watson took it into the end zone for the touchdown. The Braves stopped the 2-point conversion, but Albany Middle had a 6-0 lead.

Merry Acres appeared ready to answer when a pass to William Dukes moved the Braves across midfield and to the Albany Middle 36. But the Indians’ defense stiffened, stopping Merry Acres on downs four plays later.

Albany Middle made the stop hurt.

A late-hit penalty against Merry Acres helped move the Indians to the 40 before Jackson broke loose again, bursting through the defense and racing to the 10.

From there, West went back to the air and connected with Bryce Rivers for Albany Middle’s second touchdown.

Merry Acres again denied the 2-point try, but the Indians went to halftime with a 12-0 lead.

The second half belonged to the Albany Middle defense.

Merry Acres threatened almost immediately when Kristian Swint broke around the left side and raced to the Indians’ 12. The Braves tried to finish the drive through the air, but Kingston Allen intercepted the pass in the end zone.

It would become a familiar theme.

Merry Acres drove inside the Albany Middle 35 on its next possession, only to turn the ball over again.

Early in the fourth quarter, a completion to Swint moved the Braves to the 25. Again, Albany Middle refused to give up the end zone, stopping Merry Acres on downs at the 18.

The Indians’ defense had bent all afternoon without breaking.

Finally, with 1:17 remaining, Merry Acres broke through.

The Braves struck on a 58-yard touchdown pass to Dukes to cut the lead to 12-6. Penalties wiped out their first two attempts at the conversion before Swint finally got into the end zone, making it 12-8.

That left Merry Acres with one last chance — an onside kick.

Albany Middle recovered it.

The Indians ran out the remaining seconds and secured their spot in the championship game.

And waiting for them will be the team they have been waiting to see again.

Just two weeks after Sumter County came to Albany and handed the Indians their only loss, Albany Middle will head to Americus with a chance to return the favor.

This time, a championship comes with it.