EASTMAN — The Dodge County seniors stood and knelt with coach Greg Robinson in the middle for a picture, and they all struggled to even force a smile.

It was the final time they’d be together as players and coaches on a football field, and the still-lit scoreboard to their left about 60 yards away was a painful reminder.

Cook took advantage of mistakes, and controlled the ball and the line of scrimmage in surprising Dodge County 21-0 on Friday night in the second round of the GHSA Class AA playoffs at Memorial Stadium.

“Our guys kept their poise,” Cook head coach Jim Scroggins said. “We began to control the ball, and our defense shut them out, which is magnificent.”

With its second straight postseason upset, Cook advanced with a 9-3 record while Dodge County finished 9-3 for the second straight season.

Last year, eventual state co-champ Charlton County ended Dodge County’s season, 40-14. This time, the Indians had plans to go farther.

Their own mistakes led to a premature end to the season.

“We just didn’t play well,” Dodge County fullback and defensive lineman Ezekial Andrews said. “We didn’t block well, we didn’t tackle, we didn’t run. We just didn’t execute.”

Robinson’s team hasn’t been blanked since losing 38-0 to Dublin last year.

“You get to a big game like this, you can’t make mistakes like we did and come out on top,” said Robinson, whose team has won 32 games over the past four seasons. “A lot had to do with Cook. We knew they were a good football team. To go in there and beat Swainsboro like they did, we knew they were good.”

Cook ran 10 plays on two possessions before Dodge County’s offense hit the field, thanks to a roughing the kicker penalty.

The Hornets didn’t take advantage of that mistake, but they did on the next one. Dodge County reached the Cook 32 and punted, then forced the Hornets to kick. But Scotty Whitten had trouble fielding it and Cook’s Michael Henley recovered.

Cook covered the remaining 42 yards in 11 plays and ate up 6:05 in taking the lead on Jernato Harris’ 1-yard run.

A fake punt by Dodge County on fourth-and-8 at the Cook 43 failed, and the Hornets ran out the first-half clock. Cook kept Dodge County’s defense on the field for a little more than 16 of the first half’s 24 minutes.

“We made mistakes on both sides of the ball,” Robinson said. “And our defense was out there a long time.”