Tucker’s Evan Ffrench (kicking) kicks out of the hold of teammate Connor Whaley. Ffrench has scored 50 points (26-27 PATs, 4-5 field goals, 2 receiving TDs) on the season. He and his Tiger teammates take on Arabia Mountain in a key Region 4-5A contest on Friday at Godfrey Stadium. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Arabia Mountain hosting Tucker in Region 4-5A play is one of several key games as DeKalb teams try to up their playoff seeding on the final week of the high school football regular season this weekend.
The Rams (4-5, 2-2) and Tigers (4-5, 2-2) clash 7:00 pm on Thursday with the No. 3 seed out of Region 4-5A on the line on Arabia Mountain’s senior night at Godfrey Stadium.
It is just the third meeting between the two teams and the first since 2013, a 46-12 win by Tucker who is 2-0 vs. the Rams. Tucker won its first two games of the season before dropping five in a row going into its matchup with Martin Luther King two weeks ago needing wins to secure a 16th consecutive playoff appearance.
The Tigers responded with a 57-8 win over the Lions and then knocked off Lithonia 44-12 last weekend to secure a playoff spot. Running back Jordan McCoy who is approaching 1,000 yards (978 yards) after six games played racked up 366 yards and seven touchdowns in the two wins to propel the Tigers to the wins.
Daniel Nduckwe (17) battles a Lithonia defender to come up with a touchdown pass in a game earlier this year. Ndukwe had 14 catches for 235 yards and 4 TDs on the season. He will take on the Tucker Tigers along with his teammates on Friday in an important Region 4-5A match up. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Arabia Mountain bounced back from a loss two weeks ago with a 27-0 shutout of Martin Luther King this past Friday to clinch a playoff spot themselves. It is the Rams first playoff appearance since the 2020 season. Quarterback Julian Shanks led the way on offense for the Rams throwing touchdown passes to Jordan Miller and Kenneth Hollinger and running 36 yards for another score in the win over the Lions. Arabia Mountain’s defense led by Daniel Turpin (4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss) and Malcolm Snipes (5 tackles, 1 interception) held the Lions to just 17 yards of total offense.
There are two other Thursday night games with playoff implications including Stephenson (5-3,3-1) hosting Southwest DeKalb (2-7, 0-4) and Dunwoody (5-4, 1-3) hosting North Atlanta (6-3, 2-2).
Stephenson can still capture the Region 6-4A No. 1 seed with a win and some help. Dunwoody could clinch a playoff spot with a win against a tough North Atlanta squad.
FRIDAY
Cedar Grove vs. Carver-Atlanta
The No. 1 ranked Cedar Grove Saints (6-2, 2-0) can sew up the Region 5-3A No. 1 seed with a win over the No. 4 ranked Carver-Atlanta Panthers (6-2, 1-1) in a 7:30 pm kickoff at Godfrey Stadium on Friday.
The Saints are coming off a bye week following a big win over No. 3 ranked Sandy Creek on the road two weeks ago. Cedar Grove is set to play in front of the home crowd for the first time this season as they have weathered a travel heavy schedule. The game with Carver is a rematch of the 2021 Class 3A state championship game won by the Saints. Cedar Grove is having both homecoming and senior night.
Carver is also coming off a bye-week after defeating Douglass two weeks ago.
Chamblee vs. Lithonia
The Chamblee Bulldogs (6-2, 3-1) are looking to bounce back from a disheartening last-minute loss to Decatur last week that was for the Region 4-5A title as they travel to Clarkston’s Hallford Stadium to take on the Lithonia Bulldogs (0-9, 0-4) at 7:30 pm.
Chamblee is locked into the No. 2 seed heading into the playoffs and looking for a seven-win season. Lithonia is looking for the upset on senior night to end a 10-game skid dating back to the first round of the playoffs in 2021.
DCSD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – WEEK 12
Thursday, November 3
AVONDALE STADIUM
Westminster (6-3, 3-1) vs. Miller Grove (3-6, 1-3) (SN)*, 7:00 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Tucker (4-5, 2-2) vs. Arabia Mountain (4-5, 2-2)*, 7:00 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
SW DeKalb (2-7, 0-4) vs. Stephenson (5-3, 3-1) (SN)*, 7:00 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
North Atlanta (6-3, 2-2) vs. Dunwoody (5-4, 1-3) (SN)*, 7:00 pm
Friday, November 4
ADAMS STADIUM
Clarkston (2-7) vs. Lakeside (7-2), 7:30 pm
AVONDALE STADIUM
Towers (0-8-1) vs. Columbia (6-3, 3-2) (SN)*, 7:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Carver-Atl (6-2, 1-1) vs. Cedar Grove (6-2, 2-0) (HC/SN)*, 7:30 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
Chamblee (6-2, 3-1) vs. Lithonia (0-9, 0-4) (SN)*, 7:30 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Stone Mountain (3-6) vs. Druid Hills (4-5) (SN), 7:30 pm
AWAY GAMES
M.L. King (2-7, 1-3) vs. Decatur (5-4, 4-0)*, 7:30 pm
McNair (4-5, 2-3) vs. Eagle’s Landing Christian (5-4, 4-1)*, 7:30 pm
OPEN: Cross Keys (0-8), Redan (2-8)