By LARRY PURDOM
Sports Editor
THE SWAMP – The Ware County coaching staff promised they were going to open it up more this game.
They weren't lying.
Using almost every formation in its playbook, Ware County shook off the dust from its 14-7 opening round win last week over Upson-Lee, passing and running the visitors from Baldwin silly on their way to a 31-13 win. Senior quarterback Henry Chubb returned to his place behind center to direct Ware to its victory, alternating with freshman Victor Daniels to run the Gator offense. Senior receiver Cedric Jones caught two touchdowns, one from each quarterback, while senior returner Davis Delk had one of his best games in Gator green, scoring on a 46-yard punt return and making several touchdown-saving tackles from his safety position.
With the win, Ware moves on to host the Booker T. Washington Bulldogs, surprising 20-10 winners over the defending State Champion Marist War Eagles.
Ware fooled everyone with a fumble-rooskie play to get its first touchdown and break open a scoreless tie, the first time the Gators went to the play this year. Big offensive lineman Quentin Burse played it to perfection, hauling his 210 pounds 41 yards untouched to the end zone late in the first quarter as Ware went ahead 7-0.
Ware got its second score in equally dramatic fashion, with 8:51 left in the second quarter. Gator Cedric Jones got himself open down the left flat, grabbed a pass from senior quarterback Henry Chubb, and weaved his way 56 yards down the field in a spectacular display of open-field running for the second Ware score. Two minutes later senior returner Davis Delk ran a punt back 46 yards for the third Gator score. Then with 3:43 remaining in the opening half, Freshman quarterback Victor Daniels found Jones crossing the field and threw a 35-yarder to him in the end zone. Jones laid out in mid air to come up with the throw. Kicker Phillip Jordan was good on all four of his first half PATs to put the Gators ahead 28-0.
Baldwin showed its character by never yielding. The Braves scored on their last possession of the first half, and their first possession of the second half, but that's when the Ware defense shut them down.
After Baldwin had cut the Gators' margin to 28-13 with its second touchdown, Ware turned the tide for good with two minutes to go in the third quarter. Ware faced fourth and one from the Baldwin 41. Chubb took the ball and looked to be stopped, but second effort on his part got the first down by half a football. From then on out, Ware shut the door on the Braves.
The drive continued into the fourth quarter. Four plays into the final stanza, the Gators closed out the scoring as kicker Phillip Jordan booted a 26-yard field goal for the final 31-13 margin.
Chubb, playing offense and defense, helped his team’s cause with two consecutive interceptions that shut down two consecutive Braves' drives.
“We kind of starting sleep walking through that second half,” said Ware High Head Coach Dan Ragle. “But give Baldwin credit. It’s a heck of a team. They've got a lot of character. But I was proud of the way we stepped up. Henry with his two interceptions was just magnificent. And those two touchdown receptions by Cedric. You can’t say enough about them. The O-line started opening up holes again to help our running attack, but really it was the whole team deciding that enough was enough.”
One of those who enjoyed watching history being made as Ware moved on into the third round of the state playoffs was senior speedster Davis Delk.
“It felt great to score on that punt return. There was a lot of good blocking on it,” he said. "But it feels even better to know we’re going to the third round. It’s great to be part of the team that got past that second round.”
In between the big passes and Chubb's interceptions, the unsung heroes of the night were Gator running backs Ja'Mario Barkley and Javarzeiya Walker. Walker finished with 152 yards on 19 carries, giving the talented senior 320 yards rushing in the first two rounds. Jones would finish with 107 yards on five catches as Daniels and Chubb passed for 144 yards to four different receivers. Ware finished with 289 yards rushing. The Gators only punted once, a 48-yarder by Jack Fulford.
Ware looked more polished from the get-go in this one. The Gators took the opening kickoff and marched to the Baldwin nine yard line before the drive bogged down. Ware’s defense held and forced the first of three first-half punts on the Braves.
With the ball on the Baldwin 41 following the 31 yard punt, Ware quarterback Chubb and the whole Gator backfield went one way, but Burse held his ground, then rose to dash, as well as a 210 defensive lineman can dash, to the Baldwin end zone. Jordan’s PAT gave Ware a 7-0 lead with 4:05 left in the first quarter.
“I just did it like we practice it,” said Burse, a talented player who usually lets his tackles and not his feet do his talking.
“When I got up, I saw the end zone and just kept running. ‘Anything to help the team,” he said, beaming.
The Gator defense held again, forcing the Braves to give the ball up on fourth and three from the Ware 14 yard line. Gators Liston Carter and Danny Hamilton rose to stop the Brave running back short.
Taking over on their own 16, Ware needed just six plays to score. Senior Ja'Mario Barkley dashed for 13 big yards, breaking tackles and refusing to go down. Seconds later, facing second and 11 from the Ware 28, Barkley raced 16 yards, running behind the powerful Gator offensive line. Three plays later Chubb found Jones open in the left flat for a spectacular run to the end zone. Jordan's PAT made it 14-0 Ware with 8:51 left in the first half.
Again the Ware defense forced a punt, helped by an effective Gator pass rush. Big Gary Dulin chased Baldwin quarterback Patrick Spears, with linebackers Kito Perry and Schley Eldridge making big hits.
“It felt good out there, real good,” said Dulin. “We like to get those sacks.”
The Ware defenders were distracting the Baldwin O-line, forcing three illegal procedures on the series. Punting from the Brave five yard line, the ball went to David Delk at his 46. After a short bobble, Delk grabbed the ball and raced toward the home team side. Cheers rose as Delk turned the corner and raced down the near sideline 46 yards for the score.
Ahead 21-0, Victor Jones found Cedric Jones alone in the end zone on first-and-10 from the Braves 35. Jones laid out, becoming horizontal, to catch his second touchdown pass of the game and the fourth of the first half for Ware. 
“I didn't know if I was going to get it or not. I just laid out as much as I could and held on to the ball,” said Jones after the game. “The first one (TD) was fun too. This team isn't finished playing yet.”
Baldwin showed it wasn't out of it yet though, marching 77 yards in 11 plays to cut the Ware lead to 28-7 just before the halftime buzzer. Delk concluded a fine first half by sailing in and blocking the PAT attempt as Ware took a 28-6 lead into the half.
Ware Captains for the night were Henry Chubb, James Washington, Cedric Jones and Quentin Burse.