EATONTON – When the Baldwin offense finally showed its potential on the football field in the third quarter Friday on Al Reaves Field, the home-standing Putnam County High War Eagles had a response.

Thusly, Baldwin and head coach Jesse Hicks left the still-under-renovations stadium still looking for a win in 2022. Putnam County, under head coach Shaun Pope and coming off a Class AA quarterfinal run last season, won its season-opener 23-14 with South Carolina-commit Jalon Kilgore making his first interception and touchdown as a senior and Branan Griffin – a freshman quarterback – throwing his first career touchdown pass out of all things field-goal formation.

The Braves didn’t fall behind as deep as they did one Friday ago at home when Peach County won 50-20, but fall behind they did. The Braves enjoyed a lead for the first time thanks to its defense doing the scoop-and-score. Putnam County went ahead for good on the first play of the second quarter, and with Griffin’s touchdown throw to running back Tamarion Peters the hosts went into halftime up 16-7.

The defensive points were needed because the Baldwin regular offense was still struggling to move the football with just four first downs in the first half. Putnam County had possession first in the second half, but penalties (and one ejection on each side during a punt to the Braves) marred the third quarter efforts. Putnam’s DJ Bland executed a solid punt inside the Baldwin 20, making the visitors need for some movement even more dire.

That’s when, on 3rd-and-5, Solomon Burney – the 6-5 junior – hit his top target, Armontae Palmer, in the flat. One broken tackle was all it took for Palmer to score the 75-yard touchdown. Dyson Sallad’s extra point brought Baldwin within two at 16-14.

In the fourth quarter, Peters gave Putnam that comfortable nine-point margin back going in off a zone read play.

Kilgore did what Peach County did to stifle promising Baldwin offense on the opening series. Behind running back Micah Welch, the Braves went from its own 34 to the War Eagle 34-yard-line. But Kilgore picked off a pass on the 25.

When Baldwin got the football back from a punt – at the 20 – it was three-and-out … and two points on the scoreboard as the Brave punt snap went out of the end zone.

Kilgore returned the ensuing free kick over the 50, but Jaylen King picked up a fumble a few plays later and had the energy to run over the goal line at 3:43 of the first period.

With the score 7-2, Putnam’s new offensive leader showed what he could do getting the football out of his hands. Rashod Daniel and Keywon Blue had catch-and-run gains for first downs up to the Braves 28. Peters then powered his way 20 yards to the 3 to end the first period.

Kilgore, in the wildcat, took the initial snap of the second quarter over the line.

Little action followed, but a bad break for Baldwin was in the form of a 10-yard punt on its own 31. Pope sent his field goal unit out on fourth down at the 25, but Griffin got up after the snap and hit an open Peters down the home sidelines. The lead went to 16-7 with 1:39 left until halftime.

Hicks said after the game he should have known the fake was coming, knowing Putnam was not strong in field-goal kicking, and called timeout. He also said penalties were too much to overcome – like four in one drive alone – as were the turnovers.

Can Baldwin overcome another big challenge this Friday at home. Ware County is coming from Waycross for a 7:30 p.m. start.