Towers Macada McDonald (1) runs past Elite Scholars’ defender Tyler Brown (5) for one of her two touchdowns on the night in Towers 20-0 win. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Towers quarterback Shaniya Presley ran for one touchdown and threw for two to lead the Towers Titans to a 20-0 Division 1 Area 8 girls’ flag football victory over Elite Scholars Academy at Hallford Stadium on Senior Night.
All the scoring came in the first half with Presley directing the team. Towers had Elite Scholars backed up at its own four-yard line after turning the ball over on downs after coming up four-yards short of the score.
Elite Scholars punted and Towers got the football at the 21. Presley opened the two-play drive with a 15-yard pass to Macada McDonald and penalty pushed the ball to the three-yard line. Presley ran a quarterback draw straight up the middle for the touchdown. McDonald ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead with 11:26 left in the first half.
Towers held the Royal Knights to a three and out and after a nice punt return was set up at the Knights’ five-yard line. A fumble in the backfield backed up the Titans to the 11. Following an incomplete pass, Towers was facing a fourth and goal at the 11 when Presley found McDonald for the touchdown. The extra point conversion failed, and Towers led 14-0 with 4:45 to play in the half.
Another punt by the Knights followed another three-and-out forced by the tough Titan defense and Towers got the football at the Knights’ 35-yard line.
Tracy Yelegoiyee started the drive with a 14-yard run down to the 21. On the next play Presley connected with McDonald for a 21-yard touchdown pass play to make it 20-0 with 19 seconds left in the half.
Elite Scholars opened the second half with an interception by Taryn Waters for their first and only scoring threat of the game as they took over on the Towers 30. Akira Brathwaile completed a 15-yard pass to Madison Murphy to the 15.
Four plays later Towers’ Normanday Miller got a sack on Murphy on fourth down for a loss of five to end the Knights’ scoring threat. The Knights would get no closer than the Towers 22 the rest of the way. Towers squandered a pair of scoring opportunities late in the half turning the ball over on downs at the four.
Towers (8-2, 4-0) remains undefeated in Area 8 North action.
Druid Hills Katie Retzlaff (8) looks to pass against Elite Scholars in a 14-6 loss on Senior Night at Hallford Stadium. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Elite Scholars 14, Druid Hills 6
Elite Scholars (2-2, 2-2) bounced back in the nightcap to rally past the Druid Hills Red Devils 14-6 in another Area 8 North contest following all three teams celebrating Senior Night in between the two games.
Druid Hills (1-5, 0-3) scored on its first possession on an exciting scramble and run by Katie Retzlaff. Facing third and eight on the Elite Scholars’ 28-yard line, Retzlaff dropped to pass and was chased to her right where she spun around and outran the defense to the left and down the sideline for the touchdown. The extra-point conversion was no good to keep the lead at 6-0 with 14:54 to play in the half.
Elite Scholars was driving as the half got under a minute to play and reached the Druid Hills 11. Retzlaff got through on the final play of the half to sack Madison Murphy to end the threat as the teams went to the break.
The second play of the second half Murphy intercepted a pass and returned it to the Druid Hills’ eight-yard line to set up the tying touchdown. Murphy scrambled and went around the right side for the score with 17:20 to play in game. Murphy gave the Knights the lead for good at 8-6 with her converting the two-point conversion on another run.
Druid Hills had a tough time getting out of the shadow of their own goal in the next two possessions. A failed fourth down attempt with 11:33 to play gave the Knights the football at the Druid Hills’ nine-yard with the opportunity to extend their lead.
A big pass break-up at the goal line by Druid Hills’ Ruby Davis on third down set up a fourth and 11 for the Knights. The Red Devils held and took over at their own 10. A personal foul on Druid Hills nullified a big first down by Audriana Hubbard and ended up forcing a fourth and one with five minutes to play.
A fourth down pass went incomplete, and the Knights took over. Five plays later Murphy hit Hannah Williams on a five-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-6 with 2:03 to play.
Druid Hills was out of time outs and was only able to get two plays off before the game clock ran out.
RECENT GAMES
GAME 1
Miller Grove 13, Lakeside 0
Miller Grove (2-3, 4-4) opened a doubleheader sweep with a 13-0 Division 2 Area 5 win over the Lakeside Vikings recently.
The Wolverines’ defense was stout all night including a big stop on Lakeside (1-7, 1-4) at the Miller Grove goal line to get a turnover on downs. Later Marquia Butler had a pick-six for 20 yards. Leenika Andrews also scored a touchdown for Miller Grove.
Game 2
Miller Grove 19, Stockbridge 0
The Wolverines stepped out of Area play in the nightcap with a 19-0 win over Stockbridge to complete the sweep.
The defense was again tough as Alayiah Rogers got the second pick-six of the night for the Wolverines returning the interception 50 yards for the touchdown. Chania Benjamin and Zaniyah Arnold pitched in as both added a touchdown for Miller Grove.
St. Pius X 2, Tucker 0
A big Division 2 Area 5 contest between the Tucker Tigers and St. Pius X Golden Lions proved to be a big defensive battle with St. Pius escaping with a 2-0 win.
St. Pius (8-1, 5-0) broke through for a safety with a tackle on a Tucker (5-3, 5-1) running back in the endzone which proved to be the deciding score of the game. The Tucker defense was led by Maliyah Davis (interception) and Trinity Head (two pass deflections).
McNair vs. Columbia
The McNair Mustangs swept a pair of games from the Columbia Eagles in recent flag football action. The Mustangs (2-3) won the first game 18-0 and followed with a 16-0 victory in the nightcap against Columbia (1-5).
See link below for latest DCSD Flag Football Area Standings: