Sherwood Christian wins again, beats Robert Toombs 28-18

ALBANY — Eight-man or 11-man, Sherwood Christian Academy just keeps winning football games.

The Eagles passed their biggest test yet in their return to 11-man football Friday night, knocking off defending GIAA Class A state champion Robert Toombs Christian 28-18 at Legacy Field.

That’s two wins in two games this season.

And 25 in a row overall.

Sherwood carried a 23-game winning streak and back-to-back 8-man state championships into its return to traditional 11-man football this season. After overwhelming Central Fellowship 47-7 in the opener, the Eagles faced a much different challenge Friday.

The defending state champions made them earn this one.

Sophomore Chris Reed scored two early touchdowns, and quarterback Chuck LaGrange connected with Bryson Gay for another as Sherwood built a 22-6 advantage.

Robert Toombs wasn’t finished.

The Crusaders scored in the third quarter to trim Sherwood’s lead to 22-12 and suddenly make things interesting.

The Eagles answered almost immediately.

LaGrange found Braiden Parrish open for a 27-yard touchdown, restoring Sherwood’s two-score cushion. The extra-point attempt struck the upright and bounced away, leaving the Eagles ahead 28-12.

Robert Toombs scored once more in the fourth quarter, but Sherwood didn’t allow the defending champions to get any closer.

It wasn’t a flawless performance by the Eagles.

LaGrange completed 9 of 22 passes and was intercepted twice, but he also threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns. The Sherwood quarterback added 47 yards on 11 carries, giving him 246 yards of total offense.

Reed carried 10 times for 34 yards, with two of those runs ending in the end zone.

And while Gay and Parrish caught the touchdown passes, Dyson Harris provided Sherwood’s biggest production through the air.

Harris caught four passes for 98 yards, nearly half of LaGrange’s passing total. Gay finished with two receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown, while Parrish had two catches for 31 yards and the second-half score that gave the Eagles some breathing room.

For a program accustomed to winning, Friday represented something different.

Sherwood dominated its season opener. This time, the Eagles were challenged by a defending state champion, made some mistakes and watched a 16-point lead shrink in the second half.

They answered.

That’s something Sherwood has become pretty good at during a streak that now stretches across three seasons, two state championships and two different versions of football.

Twenty-five games.

Twenty-five wins.

Sherwood gets a week to enjoy the latest one. The Eagles have an open date next Friday before traveling to Macon to face Windsor Academy on Sept. 11.

That’s where they’ll put No. 25 on the line — and go looking for No. 26.