Chapel Hill running back Akin Fears (with ball) eludes an Henderson defender on a 33-yard run. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The 13th annual Trail to the Title Playoffs first round winners were decided on Saturday with three region winners and two undefeated teams advanced to the semifinals.
Chapel Hill (6-1) was the first team to reach the 2016 semifinals with a hard fought 16-2 win over the Henderson Cougars (3-4) on Saturday at Adams Stadium.
The Panthers’ defense came up big following the opening kickoff as Henderson’s Ethan Riley recovered a fumble on the kick at the Chapel Hill 30. The Panthers forced a three and out at the 30 to give the offense back the ball at its own 17 following the punt.
Chapel Hill’s Akin Fears exploded for 33 yards on second down to set up the Panthers at the Henderson 41. Three plays later Khoreem Miller would put the Panthers in the lead with a 41-yard run for the touchdown. Langston White added the two-point conversion for an 8-0 Chapel Hill lead with 4:15 left in the first quarter.
The next four possessions of the game ended in punts by both teams and turnovers as neither offense could get much going against the defenses.
Following an interception, the Panthers were on their own four with 2:02 left in the first half. Chapel Hill moved the ball out to the 26, but a wide receiver screen was blown up by Henderson’s Quincy Bryant for a 9-yard loss to force a punt.
A bad snap led to Khalil Mitchell getting tackled by Henderson’s Dwayne Johnson trying to get out of the end zone as time ran out in the half to close the gap to 8-2.
Henderson got its second scoring opportunity as Riley picked off a pass for his second turnover against the Panthers and returned it to the Chapel Hill 35. A penalty for holding pushed the ball back to the Panthers’ 45.
Henderson’s Ethan Riley (11) returns an interception into Chapel Hill territory. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Cougars got a big 14-yard run by Quincy Bryant and were threatening at the Chapel Hill 28. The Panthers defense then came up with a big sack by Fitzroy Reid for a 9-yard loss and a Henderson screen went for a five-yard loss to force the punt.
The two teams traded turnovers, but with 2:47 to play Henderson’s Said Saavedra recovered a fumble to put the Cougars in business at their own 35. Oshay Henderson had runs of 12, 5 and 4 yards down to the Henderson 44 before Chapel Hill’s Anjuan Ross picked up a fumble and returned it to the Henderson 46 where a personal foul was called on the Cougars.
The step off of the penalty put Chapel Hill at the Henderson 31 and Miller struck for the game-clinching touchdown with 1:09 to play as he went 31 yards on the first play. Sadir Ryan ran in the two-point conversion for the final margin of 16-2.
Another Henderson fumble allowed Chapel Hill to run out the final minute left on the clock. The victory put the Panthers in the semifinals for the fourth time and take on undefeated Stephenson (7-0), a 34-0 winner over Champion, at 12:30 pm on Saturday at Godfrey Stadium.
Tucker’s Zion Alexander returns a punt 60 yards for his second touchdown of the game against Bethune. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Tucker 33, Bethune 0
Tucker’s defense smothered Bethune all day, including scoring a safety, as they held the Lions to a negative 50 yards of offense in a 33-0 victory on Saturday at Adams Stadium.
The Tigers (7-0) are 7-0 for the four consecutive year and making a four consecutive trip to the Trail to the Title semifinals where they will take on the two-time defending Trail to the Title champions Cedar Grove Saints who they lost to in the 2014 and 2015 championship games.
Tucker scored on the opening possession of the game as Zion Alexander raced 36 yards into the end zone to complete a 4-play, 52-yard drive. Randy Britt ran in the two-point conversion for the early 8-0 lead with 6:16 remaining in the first quarter.
Bethune made a big defensive stop with 6:35 left in the half with a sack and a tackle for a loss to end a Tucker drive at the Bethune 33.
Bethune’s John Frazier falls for extra yardage as Tucker’s Dawson Rivers (55) pushes him to the ground. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Tigers defense which had 15 plays for negative losses against Bethune (5-2) forced a three and out and Alexander went back deep to receive the punt. Alexander fielded the punt on the run and turned up the left side of the field to race 60 yards for the score with 4:33 to play in the half. Britt again ran in the two-point conversion for a 16-0 halftime lead for the Tigers.
The score was still 16-0 with 1:00 minute left in the third quarter when Tucker’s Joshua Morgan forced a fumble on a sack and Dawson Rivers (2.5 sacks) recovered and returned it to the Bethune 6-yard line. One play later, Britt went the six yards for the score. Isaiah Raheem ran in the two-point conversion for a 24-0 lead for the Tigers with 16 seconds left in the third quarter.
A Tucker fumble as the Tigers were driving for an apparent score was recovered by the Lions on that own 11 yard line. Three negative plays later, the Tigers has scored a safety with a tackle in the end zone to make it 26-0 with 2:57 to play.
A 50-yard pass and catch play between Raheem and Donavan Williams rounded out the scoring for Tucker. Camden Russell kicked the point after for the Tigers.
Cedar Grove’s Brinson Modest (17) tries to avoid a Freedom Ram defender. (Photo by iShootAtlanta – Travis Hudgons)
Cedar Grove 20, Freedom 12
The Freedom Rams went toe-to-toe with the two-time defending Trail to the Title champs Cedar Grove Saints before coming up short in a 20-12 loss in the first round of the Trail to the Title Playoffs at Godfrey Stadium on Saturday.
Facing fourth and goal at the Cedar Grove 1-yard line, the Rams went for it only to have Saints’ defensive tackle Ahmari Summers and linebacker Santonio Dixon stopped running back Jamil Greene for no gain.
Two plays later Cedar Grove’s Deshawn Young got loose on a 96-yard scoring run to put Cedar Grove (5-2) ahead 6-0 heading into the second quarter.
Freedom (5-2) knotted the game at 6-6 on a 5-yard scoring toss from Xavier Wright to Karim Swain.
Cedar Grove answered as a 56-yard run by Macayle Brown set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Javaius Sims to send the Saints into the half up 12-6.
Johnny Fells’ 30-yard interception return set up the Saints’ third touchdown of the game. Quarterback William Flounary scored on a sneak up the middle and Tim Newman converted the two-point play for a 20-6 lead in the third quarter.
Freedom had an apparent 70-yard touchdown run by Wright nullified by a penalty to keep the score at 20-6 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Rams pulled within 20-12 as Keith Titus returned an interception 64 yards.
The Saints held on the rest of the way with big defensive plays from defensive tackle Demarius Jackson (sack) and linebacker Tim Newman (tackle for a loss).
Cedar Grove moves into the semifinals for the third consecutive season and will face Tucker for the third consecutive postseason (the past two were championship wins for the Saints) at 10:30 am at Godfrey Stadium on Saturday.
Stephenson 34, Champion 0
Khamar Wilcoxson rushed for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Stephenson Jaguars to a 34-0 win over the Champion Crusaders on Saturday at Godfrey Stadium.
Stephenson will make its third consecutive appearance in the semifinals as the Jaguars host Region 4 champions Chapel Hill Panthers in a 12:00 pm contest at Godfrey Stadium on Saturday.
Wilcoxson had touchdown runs of 60 and 45 yards for the Jaguars to go with rushing touchdowns from DeQuin Taylor (35 yards) and Terrence Guthrie (4 yards). Joseph Jackson added a 20-yard touchdown pass to Armond Anderson.
The game was the Jaguars fourth shutout of the season behind the play of Ahmad Drummond (2 sacks), Troy Marshall (one sack), Demetrius Stewart (fumble recovery) and Anderson added an interception on defense to go with his receiving touchdown. Emmanuel Perez Rios hit on 4 PATs in the game.
DCSD TRAIL TO THE TITLE PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, Oct. 22
ADAMS STADIUM
Chapel Hill (6-1) 16, Henderson (3-4) 2
Tucker (7-0) 33, Bethune (5-2) 0
GODFREY STADIUM
Cedar Grove (5-2) 20, Freedom (5-2) 12
Stephenson (7-0) 34, Champion (3-4) 0
DCSD TRAIL TO THE TITLE PLAYOFFS
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, Oct. 29
GODFREY STADIUM
Tucker (7-0) vs. Cedar Grove (5-2), 10:30 am
Stephenson (7-0) vs. Chapel Hill (6-1), 12:00 pm