Tucker quarterback Travon Ford threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third to lead the Tigers to a 28-7 win over No. 5 Northside-Warner Robins. (Photo by Mark Brock)
DeKalb’s two No. 1 ranked teams, Cedar Grove and Tucker, came away with convincing victories to advance to their respective state playoffs Elite 8 last Friday night.
The Class 6A No. 1 ranked Tucker Tigers for the second season in a row fell behind 7-0 to the No. 5 ranked Northside-Warner Robins Eagles only to reel off 28 unanswered points at Adams Stadium to move into the Class 6A state playoff quarterfinals.
The Eagles (9-3) marched down on their opening drive of the game to take a 7-0 lead with 3:56 left in the first quarter.
Tucker (11-1) responded in the second quarter knotting the score as All-State receiver and South Carolina commit Joshua Vann hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Travon Ford. Kyle Wright’s point after kick was good to knot the game at 7-7 and Tucker would never trail again in the game.
The went to the half all knotted at 7-7 and remained that way until Ford and Vann connected again with 5:13 left in the third quarter. Vann hauled in a 14-yard pass from Ford for the go-ahead score for a 14-7 lead on Wright’s second kick of the night. Vann would finish with 9 receptions for 117 yards and the touchdowns in the win.
Northside got down to the Tucker eight with an opportunity to tie the game following the Tucker score. Tucker’s defense buckled down and forced a fumble and recovered to end the Eagles only real threat of the second half.
Early in the fourth quarter David Davis got loose for 30 yards and a touchdown to extend the lead to 21-7. Travon Ford would put the icing on the cake for the Tigers with 5:38 to play
Tucker improved to 3-2 in the state playoffs against the Eagles with a second consecutive victory to move into the quarterfinals with a home date against the Allatoona Buccaneers (9-3) at 7:30 pm on Friday at Adams Stadium. Allatoona advanced with a 14-13 win over Dacula last week.
Cedar Grove 58, Dawson County 13
The Class 3A No. 1 ranked Cedar Grove Saints rolled out to a 35-6 halftime lead on the way to a 58-13 pasting of Dawson County in the Class 3A Sweet 16 playoff game at Godfrey Stadium last Friday night.
Cedar Grove (12-0) jumped ahead quickly on its opening drive as Xavier Dennis connected with All-State wideout Jadon Haselwood for a 64-yard touchdown and an early 7-0 lead.
The stingy Saints defense got into the act with a pick-six to make it a 14-0 lead. Dawson County (8-4) got on the board late in the first quarter to pull within 14-6 heading into the second quarter.
Darrell Neal, who has rushed for over 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, broke away for a 64-yard touchdown run to start a 21-point quarter for the Saints to make it 20-6.
Chevon Wright added a 40-yard touchdown run in the second quarter as Cedar Grove went into the half up 35-6.
Haselwood, Neal and Trevon Richardson added third-quarter touchdowns to make it a 58-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Dawson County added another score in the final quarter of play for the final of 58-13.
Cedar Grove’s Darrell Neal scored his 12th and 13th rushing touchdown of the season in the Saints’ 58-13 playoff win over Dawson County.
The victory was the 22 second consecutive win for the defending Class 3A state champions Saints.
Cedar Grove plays host to Pike County (9-3) on Friday night at 7:30 at Godfrey Stadium.
Class 5A
Both of DeKalb’s Class 5A state playoff teams had their seasons come to an end in the Sweet 16.
Arabia Mountain (9-3) dropped a 44-0 decision to Carrollton at Hallford Stadium on Friday night to finish its season in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. The Rams are the two-time defending Region 5-5A champions.
The Southwest DeKalb Panthers (8-4) ended their 2017 season with a 56-0 loss to defending Class 5A state champion Rome (12-0). It was Southwest DeKalb’s first Sweet 16 since the 2009 season.
DCSD FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
CLASS 6A
Tucker (11-1) 28, Northside-WR (8-4) 7
CLASS 5A
Carrollton (10-2) 44, Arabia Mountain (9-3) 0
Rome (12-0) 56, SW DeKalb (8-4) 0
CLASS 3A
Cedar Grove (12-0) 58, Dawson County (8-4) 13