But the Tigers unfortunately didn't leave with anything to show for in the Region 3-AAAAAA standings in a 21-13 loss to the Cougars.
Douglas County senior Terrell Gibson ran for 83 yards on 12 carries and added five receptions for 147 and a touchdown from teammate quarterback Ellis Richardson while giving the Cougar defense fits all night.
Yet missed opportunities kept the Tigers from finishing off an upset bid of Newnan (6-2, 2-1).
Douglas County capitalized on a fourth-quarter punt block inside the Newnan 10-yard line with just under seven minutes remaining that was recovered by sophomore DeVante Williams in the end zone to pull with a 14-13 deficit.
But kicker Juan Serna's extra-point try sailed wide on a night where the Tiger junior just couldn't catch a break.
It was as close as Douglas County (2-6, 1-2 in 3-AAAAAA) got. After struggling most of the second half, Newnan put together its only scoring drive on its ensuing drive following the Tiger touchdown, going 82-yards on eight plays before converting on senior tailback Quinton Dix's 20-yard run with 2:18 to play.
Pinned inside its own 10-yard line on their final possession, the Tigers pushed the ball to their own 36 on a 26-yard fourth down conversion pass from Richardson to senior tailback Terrell Gibson.
But the drive ended when Newnan senior linebacker Maurice White tipped the Douglas County senior's final pass attempt and it ricocheted into the arms of Cougar teammate Terrence Geter to seal Newnan's victory.
It may have been tough to swallow after dominating possession in both the first and third quarters. Richardson finished with minus-21 yards rushing while forced to fall on ill-timed snaps that kept the Tigers from pressing forward.
Douglas County also was called for seven penalties for a combined 60 yards.
The Tigers initial possession of the game chewed up 5:35 of the first-period clock and eventually pushed inside the Cougar 20-yard line before ending without any points.
It included a dropped pass by a Douglas County receiver alone near the Cougar end zone and a negated 41-yard field goal by Juan Serna from a penalty before the Tigers eventually turned the ball over on downs. The infraction erased a potential 3-0 lead. Serna later had a 47-yard attempt blocked in the third quarter.
Newnan built momentum with back-to-back scoring drives in the second quarter. The Cougars picked up four first downs on a quick 8-play 82-yard march fueled by two big gains by tailback J.K. Britt on a 20-yard reception and a 28-yard run.
Down 14-0, the Tigers needed just four plays to cut their deficit in half, scoring on a 57-yard pass play from Richardson to Gibson, who caught the ball in the flat and eluded a series of Newnan defenders a mere 1:12 into the third quarter.
Britt's 28-yard run in the second period highlighted Newnan's first scoring drive, getting the ball to the Douglas County 10-yard line and two plays later, Newnan senior Quinton Dix opened the scoring on a 5-yard run for a 7-0 lead with 9:08 left in the half.
The Tigers held the ball for just three offensive plays in the second quarter, punting it back to the Cougars, who then marched another 89 yards on 13 plays while converting twice on third downs.
The latter came on a shuffle pass from quarterback Bailey Bryant to Britt for a 13-yard gain. Two plays later, Newnan's sophomore southpaw launched a 22-yard touchdown pass to Traon Moss to push the Cougar lead to 14-0 with 1:32 left in the first half.
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