Pinecrest Academy has found the going tough early in its first season as a GHSA team.

The Paladins now stand 0-2 after absorbing a 41-7 defeat at George Walton Academy in Monroe Friday night.

The Bulldogs won the GISA Class AAA state title last season before moving to the GHSA at the same time as Pinecrest. George Walton (1-0) has more than 20 returning seniors on the roster.

That experience showed on Friday, as the Bulldogs needed just four plays to score on the game’s opening drive. A missed extra point left it 6-0 with 10:33 left in the first quarter.

Offensive miscues cost the Paladins on their next two drives, as both series ended in fumbles that set up the Bulldogs inside Pinecrest territory. George Walton capitalized on both chances to make it 20-0 by the end of the first quarter.

By halftime, the home team had stretched the score to 41-0, with one of those touchdowns coming off an interception of Eric Hegeman that was returned to the Paladin 4.

Pinecrest drew a little blood in the third quarter, as the Paladins went 69 yards for a touchdown in the middle of the period.

Replacement quarterback Jimmy Strom — whose father Rick played at Georgia Tech and for the NFL’s Steelers, Bills and Lions — set up the score with a 20-yard keeper, while Jacob Carr punched in the touchdown from four yards out.
Pinecrest head coach Charles Wiggins wasn’t pleased with the performance.

“They returned 25 seniors, but that’s no excuse. We have to do the little things right. We have to be in the right formation at the right time, limit our turnovers. We’re going to make some changes during the off week and be ready for our region schedule,” the coach said.

Pinecrest has two weeks before opening Region 5-A play at Trion Sept. 10.