GUYTON, GA -- Richmond Hill came out flat but once Zion Gillard got involved the energy level picked up and the Wildcats rallied for a 27-13 win over South Effingham in a Region 2-6A game last Friday night.
Gillard turned in an outstanding performance as he had 210 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries to help put the Wildcats in position to possibly earn a No. 2 seed and first round home game in the GHSA Class 6A state playoffs.
It was the final game of the regular season for Richmond Hill (4-5, 4-2) as it now becomes a scoreboard watcher as it prepares for its sixth straight playoff appearance.
No. 12 Brunswick (9-0, 5-0) has claimed the region championship but the Wildcats, Effingham County and Statesboro could finish in a three-way tie for second assuming the No. 4 ranked Pirates beat the Rebels Friday night.
Should that happen Coach Matt LeZotte said Richmond Hill would get the No. 2 seed on tiebreakers. As a No. 2 seed the Wildcats would face the winner of Friday night’s Lovejoy-North Atlanta game.
Statesboro (5-4, 3-2) beat the Wildcats but Richmond Hill beat Effingham County (6-2, 4-1) and the Rebels in turn beat Statesboro, 34-31, in overtime last Friday night.
The win over the Mustangs (1-8, 0-5) did not come easy as they held a 6-0 lead after the first quarter and appeared poised to spring a major upset.
“We came out flat in the first half,” LeZotte said. “Every aspect of our game, offense, defense, kicking game we were flat.”
Richmond Hill took a 14-6 halftime lead as Gillard scored on a 10-yard run on the Wildcats’ first possession of the second quarter and with 2:02 on the clock freshman Caleb Easterling lofted a 7-yard scoring pass to tight end Ryan Steele from the Wildcat formation.
Gillard, who had one carry for seven yards in the first quarter, started pounding the Mustangs defense in the third quarter and Ty Goldrick and Ravon Grant teamed to give the Wildcats some breathing room when they connected on a 35-yard touchdown pass for a 20-6 lead.
Richmond Hill, however, could not move the ball on its next possession and then watched as South Effingham put together an eight play, 68-yard drive to make it 20-13 with 9:58 to play.
Then after a three-and-out the Mustangs drove to the 13-yard line only to have Easterling break up a fourth-down pass.
From there the Wildcats drove 87-yards on six carries by Gillard for a 27-13 lead with 1:01 to play.
Goldrick was 4-for-7 for 43 yards passing and a touchdown. Freshman Andrew Matthews led the defense with nine tackles, four for loss including a sack. Bodie Custer had eight tackles and Dontae Goodner added six.