While the Long County Blue Tide football team finished the 2026 season with a 1-9 record, watching the team play, nobody will say they did not make their games exciting.
In their season finale against the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets on Friday, November 6, the Tide, once again, came down to a fourth down within the final minute trailing by less than a touchdown that came up just short in a 24-20 loss.
It was an exciting back-and-forth first half that saw the Yellow Jackets hold on to the ball for the first five minutes of the game before Owen Turner kicked a 36-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 6:54 left in the first.
The Tide responded with a tough rushing attack behind sophomores Markyl Allen and Leo Lopez. Allen’s 16-yard touchdown run gave the Tide a 6-3 lead after the missed extra point.
The Jackets took about two minutes to get back in the endzone late in the first quarter as they scored on Ja’kalian Small’s 44-yard pass to Aaden Peterson to go up 10-6.
The Tide recovered a Jackets fumble on the ensuing kickoff but couldn’t take advantage.
They scored on the next drive, though, with Paxton scoring from 1 yard out to give the Tide a 13-10 lead with 7:41 to go in the half.
Just over a minute later, the Jackets drove right down the field and scored on Small’s 24-yard run as they regained the lead 17-13 with 6:10 left in the half.
Charlie Johnson got in on the fun with a big 26-yard run before Allen kept up his pace. He eventually scored from 16 yards out to make the score 20-17 with just under two minutes until halftime.
The Tide made a big defensive play as Kolton Pickens came up with an interception, the second straight game he’s pulled down an interception. This set up the Tide at their own 45.
They decided to get tricky as Allen took the handoff and looked to throw. His pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown but a holding penalty on the return negated the score.
Time ran out on the Jackets as the Tide led 20-17 at the half.
The Jackets took over at their own 26 with less than three minutes to go in the game. On third and 13, Small rolled out and found Peterson, son of legendary Georgia Southern running back Adrian Peterson, on a short pass. He found room down his sideline and went 78 yards for the score.
A flag on the play caused some confusion and even more so after the head referee announced that the call was holding against the Jackets. However, after discussion, it was determined that the penalty was a facemask against the Blue Tide and was declined.
The touchdown stood as the Jackets took a 24-20 lead with 1:46 left in the game.
The Tide drove down to the Jackets 36 and had a third and 1 and seemingly picked up the first down. However, a holding call backed them up to the 46-yard line.
They faced a fourth and seven two plays later and Zayne Vaughn’s pass attempt to Johnson fell just incomplete as the Tide turned it over and the Jackets ran out the clock.
With the loss, the Tide finish the season 1-9 and 0-6 in region play. This is the team’s worst finish since the 0-10 finish in 2020. The team will look to bounce back in the 2027 season.