The stats say Warner Robins dominated Calhoun en route to a 38-14 win in Saturday's GHSA Class AAAAA football championship game at Georgia State University's Center Parc Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets, though whipped on the scoreboard, left the former home of the Atlanta Braves believing they were their own worst enemy. A handful of misplays, including two errant punt attempts that led to 14 quick points, put Calhoun in a hole it never escaped.
The self-inflicted wounds, however, went further than that.
"We never really did much to help ourselves," Calhoun coach Clay Stephenson said. "We played hard and with a lot of heart, but we helped them a lot."
Warner Robins (14-1) won its second state championship in a row and sixth title overall, outgaining Calhoun 436 yards to 273. Fred Perry, the team's No. 2 tailback entering the postseason, rushed for 233 yards and two touchdowns while also leading the Demons with 10 tackles.
Perry's first touchdown came five plays after a fumbled punt snap on Calhoun's first possession led to an easy 20-yard drive. Three minutes later, after the Jackets' series stalled with a sack at the Warner Robins 25, big Nathaniel Sanford blocked and caught a Calhoun punt - after another dropped snap - and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown and a stunning 14-0 lead in the weather-delayed game.
Somehow, though, the Jackets (12-3) regrouped to put together a 62-yard drive that included a fourth-down conversion on a Gage Leonard run at midfield. Seven plays later, senior quarterback Christian Lewis hit Quin Smith for a 3-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter.
The momentum change continued later when Cole Speer intercepted a Warner Robins pass in the end zone. Lewis hit consecutive passes for 20 yards, and after a penalty, three Caden Williams runs had the Jackets facing second-and-5 from the Demons' 9.
The surge ended quickly with three incomplete passes, and the Demons added a field goal after running 17 plays and eating up all but one minute of the first half. Still down just 10, Calhoun went three-and-out and Warner Robins took advantage of the extra possession when Christon Lane connected with Cam Flowers on a 51-yard touchdown pass with six seconds left as two Calhoun defenders lost the deep ball just before Flowers caught it at the 26.
"That play was huge for us," Warner Robins coach Marquis Westbrook said. "We had no intention of sitting on it. That's the way we played all year."
Calhoun had three third-quarter drives reach Warner Robins territory, but one ended on an interception, another on a punt from the 42 and the third when a 39-yard field-goal attempt on fourth-and-10 was blocked.
After the third missed opportunity, Perry put the Jackets away with a 46-yard run for a 31-7 lead. Each team added a late touchdown, with Lewis and Smith hooking up for a second time to end the scoring.
Lewis was just 14-of-39 passing for 122 yards, with Smith making five catches for 40 yards and Speer held to three for 38. Gage Leonard led Calhoun rushers with 83 yards on nine carries, with Williams adding 75 on 15.
The loss is Calhoun's seventh in 11 state title games and its first in AAAAA since moving up two classifications after the 2018-19 season.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.