Friday Night Recap: Heard County vs Bowdon Delivers An Instant Thriller

This West Georgia rivalry between Heard County and Bowdon delivered in a major way on Friday night in a back-and-forth affair between two state champion hopefuls.

Game Recap

Heard County got things going by scoring on their first drive of the game, thanks to an Ethan Tisdale touchdown run on the goal line. The Braves led 7-0 early.

Bowdon would answer on the very next drive after Connor Daniel got loose, breaking multiple tackles before accelerating and sprinting past the defense to even things at 7-7.

It would be a defensive stalemate for a good chunk of the first quarter and about midway through the second quarter before points were put on the board. Both defenses clamped down and continued to force punts.

Latest — Five Star Bowdon TE Kaiden Prothro | Photo Via Najeh Wilkins (SI)

Georgia TE commit Kaiden Prothro was electric in the game and gave the Red Devils their first lead of the game after catching a fade ball in one-on-one coverage, taking advantage of his 6’7 frame over a smaller defender. His touchdown gave Bowdon a 14-7 lead late in the second quarter.

On the very next possession, Heard County would march down the field with less than two minutes before they nailed a field goal that cut the deficit to 14-10 at halftime.

Out of the break, Heard County would march down the field with ease and use a mix of the run and the pass. Bowdon QB Josh Hopkins would eventually find Prothro near the back of the endzone, but this time for a headtop catch over the defender and reeled in his second of the night. It gave the Red Devils a 21-10 advantage.

As he did all night, Tisdale would respond with a drive of his own using his dual-threat ability to score. This run was different, though. He had some grit and toughness to him as he broke multiple tackles on his way to the endzone. Tisdale bounced off defenders with ease and would close the Braves deficit to 21-17 after an improbable run.

Hopkins would also put his team on his back and came up big on 4th down in opponent territory. He would convert the 4th down thanks to a running play, but didn’t stop there and ran his way to the endzone. He extended the lead back to double-figures and a 28-17 lead for Bowdon.

Heard County trailed 28-17 in the fourth quarter, but never let the deficit become overwhelming; instead, they kept fighting and clawing until they eventually made it through. Heard County's head coach delivered a message to the group that paid dividends at the end.

“The message was keep doing what we've been doing. We have been preaching that, you know, that this is a consistent football team, and let's just stay with that. We don't have to do anything special. Let's just stay with being consistent, and it's going to play itself out at the end, and we're going to get one big play,” said Lasseter.

The Braves leaned on their star quarterback, Ethan Tisdale, and he delivered for them. After facing an 11-point deficit, he led his team on two scoring drives that ended with him punching it in with his legs both times to give his team a 29-28 advantage late in the fourth quarter.

After the defense got a stop on an Andrew Tinker pass deflection, Tisdale put his team in position to seal the game. He controlled and milked the clock and had the game-clinching first down that would all but seal the victory for Heard County. His head coach talked about his special qualities and even compared him to current Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King.

“Yeah, the biggest thing is we told Ethan is we wanted him to hold the football, be super ball security, because we were rolling, and it may not look great for him. He may not put the ball in the air all night, and we may have to just run the rock with our running back and control the line of scrimmage,” said Lasseter.

“What we needed him to do was to manage everybody's composure, have great ball security, and then whenever he got the opportunity to pull it, we wanted him to take off running and have those physical football yards. It wasn't gonna look good in recruiting. He's not gonna light up the scoreboard, but he is a winner, and that's all he has ever done is find a way to win, and he did exactly what I asked him tonight. He's just like your (Haynes) King guy. He's just that guy, whatever it takes. He might need to throw for 400 one night, he may not need to another night, and he's just fine with that, and that's what makes him so special.”

It was an electric atmosphere for the crowd and fans who were in attendance. It is a big rivalry for both programs and means a lot to the community. You could feel it even covering the game, how much it meant to both teams, and what they delivered was an instant classic.

“Yeah, I mean, there's just a lot of intermingled ties, family, community. Coach Fendley (Bowdon head football coach) coached here for 10 years with us. There are a lot of different variables. All our kids know each other. It's only 20 minutes down the road. So whenever we play, it's always a contest like this. It's really, really hot and really big. To be able to have two championship-type teams is always going to bring out a good crowd, and we got a championship-type football game,” said Lasseter

Players to Know

Bowdon TE Kaiden Prothro- This goes without saying, but he is a five-star for a reason. He makes all the plays you want him to make and is a humble star. Despite not getting the ball a lot in the first half, he continued to make plays and help out in the running game. When the ball finally came his way, Prothro took full advantage and torched the defense for back-to-back touchdown catches. 1 on 1 Prothro is unguardable. He is too massive, athletic, and has great ball skills that make him an instant mismatch on the gridiron. He is as advertised and one of the best in the country. The senior TE has a bright future ahead of him. There is a reason he is a three-time high school champion and a guy who can dominate at the next level. With his skillset, versatility, and intangibles, Prothro could become an NFL draft pick barring anything unforeseen.

2nd one of the night for Georgia TE Commit Kaiden Prothro. Same spot and the same result

Bowdon 21 Heard County 10 pic.twitter.com/okMjZ9ZmAO
— Najeh Wilkins (@najehwilk) September 13, 2025

Bowdon QB Josh Hopkins- Hopkins finished with three touchdowns on the night, including a critical 4th and 1 in the third quarter where he scored on a QB power and used his legs and athleticism to break multiple tackles on his way to the endzone. It would be Bowdon’s final score of the night. He also delivered two touchdown passes to Kaiden Prothro, putting the ball only where his wide receiver could get it. The senior quarterback showed he can carry an offense, be extremely accurate with the football, and make the right decisions with the ball in his hands. Although Bowdon has two losses on the season, and it can be a little bit concerning, they have the quarterback and weapons in place to potentially win a fourth consecutive state title.

Bowdon QB Josh Hopkins answers back with a touchdown of his own on 4th and 1. The Red Devils extend their lead to 11

Bowdon 28 Heard County 17 pic.twitter.com/8akuvWyLkk
— Najeh Wilkins (@najehwilk) September 13, 2025

Heard County QB Ethan Tisdale- It was a dazzling night for the junior quarterback, who showed up when his team needed him most. Tisdale finished with three rushing touchdowns. Every time his team faced adversity, Tisdale would have an answer and come up big. His three rushing touchdowns prove that he continued to run the ball at a high level. I think the biggest takeaway is that he is a player who does whatever his team needs in order to win, whether it is running the ball or passing it. Without his play on Friday night, Heard County doesn’t defeat Bowdon. You can also make an argument that a potential star was born in the 2027 class in Georgia. The Yellow Jackets have remain interested in the Heard County signal caller, and after an electric performance at home, more schools could be calling the young man for game day visits and potentially extending offers. Georgia Tech has been one of the first teams showing early interest, and Tisdale will be on campus tomorrow for the Georgia Tech vs Clemson game in Atlanta.

Heard County RB Darience Coleman- Coleman was consistently churning out big yardage through the game. The dynamic duo of Coleman-Tisdale gave Bowdon fits on Friday night. Coleman, when he got to the outside, was tough to bring down. He also ran the ball well in between the tackles and continued to showcase his physicality, carrying defenders for first downs. He was also elite with his vision and burst, breaking several long gains on the night. Coming into the matchup against Bowdon, Coleman had 255 rushing yards and five touchdowns. His rushing yards should increase a good bit after the performance he put on Friday night.

I’ve already been to quite a bit of high school games this season, and this was by far the best game I've attended all season. It was back and forth throughout; it met the definition of a rivalry, and you had two teams hungry to outduel each other, which made for a stellar contest. It was a great way to spend a Friday night and uncover some of the hidden talents and players here in the peach state.

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