Cedar Grove's Israel Spivey (20) is off on an 80-yard kickoff return to spur a 27 point run by the Saints against Westside-Macon. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Cedar Grove’s Israel Spivey (20) is off on an 80-yard kickoff return to spur a 27 point run by the Saints against Westside-Macon. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Scoring in all three facets of the game, the No. 3 ranked Cedar Grove Saints exploded in the second half on the way to a not as close as it seems 41-25 Class 3A quarterfinal victory over the Westside-Macon Seminoles on Friday night at Hallford Stadium.

Westside (9-4) stopped the Saints on fourth and goal trailing 14-0 early in the third quarter and on a third down play from its own 14 quarterback Geremie Mitchell rolled right away from the Saints’ defensive pressure and threw down field to Ty’gee Cunningham for an 86-yard pass play for a touchdown.

The score trimmed the lead to 14-7 only briefly as Cedar Grove’s Israel Spivey picked up the squib kick at about his own 20, cut right and raced down the right sideline for an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The score pushed the lead back out to 20-7 for the Saints with 6:59 to play in the third quarter.

Cedar Grove stopped the Seminoles next possession and took over on the Westside 45 following a short 12-yard punt.

Three plays later quarterback Jalani Woods faked downfield and threw to Jadon Haselwood in the right flat. Haselwood turned up field and behind the block of a teammate raced 43 yards down the right sideline to score. Solee Fofana tacked on the point after and the Saints lead was 27-7 with 3:18 left in the third quarter.

Cedar Grove's Elysee Mbem-Bosse (8) and Adrian Fendell (25) team up to make a big defensive stop at their own eight-yard line. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Cedar Grove’s Elysee Mbem-Bosse (8) and Adrian Fendell (25) team up to make a big defensive stop at their own eight-yard line. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Following a Westside interception, Mitchell got to the left corner and turned up field for a five-yard gain, but a hard hit separated him from the football and Adrian Fendell picked it up and raced 68 yards for the first of two defensive touchdowns in 40 seconds for the Saints. Earl Russell converted the two-point run for a 35-7 Cedar Grove advantage with 9:57 to play in the game.

Just seconds later Fendell would set up another defensive touchdown for the Saints as he sacked Mitchell and stripped the football loose. Antwaun Jackson picked up the bouncing football at the 16 and raced into the end zone with 9:17 to play to make it 41-7.

Mitchell would direct three scoring drives over the next nine minutes for Westside as Cedar Grove was cruising. Mitchell threw a touchdown pass of 30 yards to Tydarius Berrian, ran one in from seven yards and then connected with Donta Pate on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds to play to make the final score of 41-25.

The Saints had scored on their opening drive of the game as Labron Morris had runs of 26 and 19 yards to key a 67 yard drive. Woods finished off the drive with a three-yard keeper with 8:02 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.

Despite good field position most of the first half (started three drives in Cedar Grove territory), the Seminoles could not find the end zone and missed a pair of field goals.

Tre’ Shaw stopped another Westside drive with an interception at the Saints 10 with 23 seconds left. Cedar Grove did not sit on the lead as Demetrius Tharpe took a draw 46 yards with 12 seconds left in the half.

Following a Woods to Spivey eight-yard pass play, the Saints called timeout at the Westside 36 with just seconds remaining. Woods dropped back at the snap and was looking deep when he got pressured and tried to scramble.

He found Morris just before getting hit and tossed the football to him behind the line of scrimmage. Morris turned up field, cut to his left and with some downfield blocks raced towards the end zone as the clock hit zero. Morris lowered his shoulder as a pair of Seminoles’ defenders readied for him at the goal line and bowled them over to score. Fofana hit the point after to give the Saints a 14-0 lead.

Morris finished with 108 yards rushing on 16 carries and Woods was 7 of 11 passing for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Saints (11-1-1). Mitchell led Westside as he was 13 of 20 for 250 yards and three touchdowns.

The Saints advance to the Class 3A semifinals next week and will host the Westminster Wildcats (9-4), a 51-21 winner over Adairsville on Friday, in a 7:30 pm game at Hallford Stadium next Friday (Dec. 4).

DEKALB CO. PLAYOFF RESULTS
Friday, Nov. 27
Class 3A
Cedar Grove (11-1-1) 45, Westside-Macon (9-4) 21

DEKALB CO. PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Friday, Dec. 4
Class 3A
Westminster (9-4) vs. Cedar Grove (11-1-1), Hallford, 7:30 pm