MCDONOUGH — Despite six straight trips to the playoffs, one piece was missing from the Ola High School football puzzle.
Until Friday, Ola had never won a state playoff game.
kAm%96 |FDE2?8D 4C@DD65 E92E @77 E96 =:DE H:E9 2 bf\_ G:4E@CJ @G6C G:D:E:?8 u=@H6CJ qC2?49 :? E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 E96 r=2DD pppp A=2J@77D] %96J >256 9:DE@CJ H:E9 2 5@>:?2E:?8 A6C7@C>2?46 @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 32== 282:?DE E96 }@] c D665 @FE @7 #68:@? g\pppp[ A:E49:?8 E96:C 7:CDE D9FE@FE @7 E96 J62C]k^Am
kAm~=2 D4@C65 @? :ED 7:CDE E9C66 5C:G6D[ 3F:=5:?8 2 ab\_ =625 E92E :?4=F565 4@?G6CE:?8 EH@ a\A@:?E 4@?G6CD:@?D @? E96 7:CDE EH@ D6C:6D]k^Am
kAmu:CDE\J62C 9625 4@249 sFDE:? p5<:?D =@G6D E96 H2J ~=2 92D C6DA@?565 :? 9:D 7:CDE D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 E2=<65 23@FE 9@H H6 H2?E65 E@ >2<6 9:DE@CJ E9:D J62C[” p5<:?D D2:5] “~FC <:5D 92G6 366? C6D:=:6?E 2?5 ECFDE65 E96 4@249:?8 DE277]”k^Am
kAm%96 G:4E@CJ D6?5D ~=2 :?E@ E96 r=2DD pppp $H66E `e ?6IE H66< 2E 9@>6 282:?DE q6?65:4E:?6 27E6C E96 r256ED <?@4<65 @77 $@FE9H6DE s6z2=3 bd\`b :? E96:C 7:CDE\C@F?5 82>6]k^Am
kAm~=2 @C:8:?2==J 7:?:D965 2D E96 }@] a D665 @FE @7 #68:@? a\pppp 3FE 62C?65 E96 }@] ` D665 H96? $E@4<3C:586 H2D DEC:AA65 @7 :ED C68:@? E:E=6 2?5 32??65 7C@> E96 A@DED62D@? 27E6C FD:?8 2? :?6=:8:3=6 A=2J6C 2?5 7@C76:E:?8 2== @7 :ED 82>6D] %96 |FDE2?8DV C68:@? E:E=6 2=D@ H2D 2 7:CDE 7@C E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm~=2 42AA65 E96 D9FE@FE 27E6C DE@AA:?8 2 =2E6 D4@C:?8 5C:G6 3J E96 u2=4@?D H:E9 F?56C 2 >:?FE6 =67E :? E96 82>6] u=@H6CJ qC2?49’D 36DE 492?46 E@ D4@C6 6?565 27E6C :E >@G65 E96 32== 5@H? E@ E96 ~=2 d\J2C5 =:?6[ 3FE 2 7@FCE9\5@H? A2DD D2:=65 :?4@>A=6E6[ 8:G:?8 E96 32== 324< E@ E96 |FDE2?8D 2?5 2==@H:?8 E96> E@ CF? @FE E96 4=@4<]k^Am
kAm~=2 DAC625 E96 H62=E9 E9C@F89@FE E96 82>6[ 3FE D@A9@>@C6 r256? (2J6 H2D E96 42E2=JDE[ 92C5=J 6G6C 4@>:?8 @77 E96 7:6=5]k^Am
kAm(2J6 7:?:D965 H:E9 EH@ :?E6C46AE:@?D 2?5 E9C66 E@F495@H?D E@ 96=A DA2C< E96 E62>’D G:4E@CJ]k^Am
kAm“(6 ;FDE <?6H H6 925 E@ C6DA@?5 E@ H92E6G6C E96J H6C6 5@:?8 2?5 >2<6 H92E6G6C 25;FDE>6?ED H6 ?66565 E@ >2<6[” (2J6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(2J6 :D @?=J 2 D@A9@>@C6[ 3FE p5<:?D <?@HD 96 92D 2 DA64:2= A=2J6C]k^Am
kAm“w6 42? 5@>:?2E6 @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 32==] w6 ;FDE 6>3C246D E96 492==6?86[” p5<:?D D2:5]k^Am
kAmp5<:?D H2D A=62D65 H:E9 E96 H2J ~=2 D6E E96 E@?6 62C=J]k^Am
kAm“(6 42>6 @FE 2?5 925 2 C62==J 8@@5 DE2CE[” p5<:?D D2:5] “x H:D9 H6 925 DE6AA65 @? E96 82D 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 :? E96 D64@?5 BF2CE6C[ 3FE H6 C67@4FD65 2E 92=7E:>6] (96?6G6C J@F H:? :? E96 A=2J@77D[ :E’D 2 8@@5 52J]Qk^Am
kAm~=2 D6E E96 E@?6 @? E96 7:CDE D6C:6D[ 62E:?8 FA 2=>@DE D:I >:?FE6D 2?5 >2C49:?8 g_ J2C5D] (2J6 7@F?5 E96 6?5 K@?6 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 @? 7@FCE9 5@H? 2?5 d H96? 96 D4@C65 @? 2 `d\J2C56C]k^Am
kAmp7E6C DE@AA:?8 E96 u2=4@?D @? E96:C 7:CDE 5C:G6[ ~=2 AFE E@86E96C 2?@E96C g_\J2C5 5C:G6 E92E 6?565 :? E96 |FDE2?8D’ D64@?5 %s @7 E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm"F2CE6C324< r256? (@C=6J E9C6H 324<\E@\324< D=2?E A2DD6D E@ |2C<\96= y@:?G:==6 62C=J :? E96 D64@?5 BF2CE6C] p7E6C E96 7:CDE A=2J H2D 42==65 324< @? 2 d\J2C5 A6?2=EJ[ E96 5F@ DECF4< 282:?[ 2?5 y@:?G:==6 42AA65 E96 5C:G6 H:E9 2 cg\J2C5 %s C646AE:@? @? E96 ?6IE A=2J]k^Am
kAm~=2 C64@G6C65 2? @?D:56 <:4< @? E96 6?DF:?8 <:4<@77 2?5 ?66565 ;FDE EH@ A=2JD E@ 7:?5 E96 6?5 K@?6 282:? H96? (2J6 C2>3=65 ba J2C5D 7@C E96 E9:C5 %s @7 E96 82>6 7@C E96 ab\_ =625]k^Am
kAm~=2 @A6?65 E96 D64@?5 92=7 H:E9 2?@E96C @?D:56\<:4< 2EE6>AE[ 3FE u=@H6CJ qC2?49 76== @? E96 32== 2?5 DE2CE65 H:E9 D@>6 @7 :ED 36DE 7:6=5 A@D:E:@? @7 E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm%96 u2=4@?D 4@>A=6E65 E96:C A2DD6D :? E96 @A6?:?8 D6C:6D @7 E96 D64@?5 92=7[ 3FE (2J6 D6:K65 E96 >@>6?EF> 324< H:E9 E96 7:CDE @7 9:D :?E6C46AE:@?D]k^Am
kAm|24<=:? $2?56CD 25565 2? g\J2C5 CF? E@ :?4C62D6 E96 =625 E@ b_\_ 2?5 (2J6 >256 9:D E9:C5 EC:A E@ E96 6?5 K@?6 @? 2 `d\J2C5 D42>A6C E@ C@F?5 @FE E96 D4@C:?8]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 ;FDE 6I4:E65 E@ 36 96C6[” (2J6 D2:5] “(6 <?6H 324< :? E96 DF>>6C E9:D E62> 925 2 492?46 E@ 36 DA64:2= 2?5 8@ 72C]”k^Am
Recommended for you
Scenes from Ola vs. Flowery Branch high school football in the state playoffs on Nov. 15, 2024. (Photos: Toni Lee) Click for more.PHOTOS: Ola vs. Flowery Branch Football, State Playoffs, First Round
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.