Cedar Grove outside linebacker Adonijah Green (99) makes a sack during the Saints win playoff win over Crisp County last season. Green leads the Saints defense against No. 3 ranked Sandy Creek on Friday night. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Playoffs and Playoff seeding is on the line this week as 13 DeKalb football teams face region foes with just three weeks remaining in the regular season.
One of the most anticipated games takes play in Tyrone as the Class 3A No. 1 ranked Cedar Grove Saints (5-2, 1-0) travel to face No. 3 ranked Sandy Creek (7-1, 1-0) with the top spot in Region 5-3A on the line.
Both teams’ offenses revolve around talented quarterbacks in Cedar Grove sophomore EJ Colson (1,470 yards passing, 14 TDs; 6 TDs rushing) and Sandy Creek’s senior Geimere Latimer (1,374 yards passing, 17 TDs; 388 yards rushing, 8 TDs).
The Saints defense had seven sacks and 10 tackles for a loss in its 42-0 win over Douglass last week. Adonijah Green leads the way with six sacks and seven tackles for a loss on the season. Defensive lineman Kyle Mosley had two sacks and three tackles for a loss against Douglass to double his sacks (4) and tackles for a loss (6) on the season.
Region 4-5A has several games with playoff implications this weekend including Thursday’s matchup between Martin Luther King (2-5, 1-1) and Tucker (2-5, 0-2) at Adams Stadium. A win by the Lions could go a long way in securing a playoff berth with two region contests remaining during the last two weeks of play. The Tigers could get their foot in the door with a win and control their own destiny with games against Lithonia and Arabia Mountain remaining.
Two Region 4-5A clashes on Friday will set the tone for the rest of the season as well as Lithonia (0-7, 0-2) entertains Decatur (3-4, 2-0) at Adams Stadium and Chamblee (5-1, 2-0) travels to Godfrey Stadium to take on Arabia Mountain (3-4, 1-1).
Chamblee quarterback Fabian Walker takes his Bulldog team into Godfrey Stadium on Friday against the Arabia Mountain Rams in a big Region 4-5A contest. (Photo by Mark Brock)
A win by Lithonia could put the Bulldogs inline to win their way into the playoffs and knock Decatur out of a first-place tie atop the standings. Chamblee is working towards staying atop the standings with a 3-0 mark with a win against Arabia Mountain, but the Rams are playing to improve their playoff chances heading into the final two weeks.
Dunwoody (4-3, 0-2) takes on South Cobb (0-7, 0-2) at 7:30 at North DeKalb Stadium on Friday with eyes on making a run at a playoff berth in Region 4-6A over the final three weeks of the season.
Columbia (5-3, 2-2) wants to solidify its position at No. 3 in Region 5-2A as the Eagles travel to Hallford Stadium for a 7:30 kickoff against the Redan Raiders (2-6, 1-3). The Raiders want to get into the playoff hunt after a tough 44-41 loss to McNair last week.
DCSD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – WEEK 10
Thursday, October 20
ADAMS STADIUM
M.L. King (2-5) vs. Tucker (2-5)* (HC), 7:00 pm
AVONDALE STADIUM
Landmark (3-4) vs. Towers (0-6-1)* (SN), 7:00 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
Lakeside (5-2) vs. Stone Mountain (2-4) (SN), 7:00 pm
Friday, October 21
ADAMS STADIUM
Decatur (3-4) vs. Lithonia (0-7)*, 7:30 pm
AVONDALE STADIUM
Midtown (4-3) vs. Clarkston (1-6) (HC), 7:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Chamblee (5-1) vs. Arabia Mountain (3-4)* (SN), 7:30 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
Columbia (5-3) vs. Redan (2-6)* (HC), 7:30 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
South Cobb (0-7) at Dunwoody (4-3)*, 7:30 pm
AWAY GAMES
Cedar Grove (5-2) at Sandy Creek (7-1), 7:30 pm
Druid Hills (3-4) at Johnson Gainesville (0-7), 7:30 pm
OPEN: Cross Keys (0-7), McNair (4-4), Miller Grove (4-4), SW DeKalb (2-6), Stephenson (5-2)
*– Region Game
(HC) – Homecoming
(SN) – Senior Night