Columbia’s Charles Harris (2) leads the way for teammate Jadan Baugh’s (3) run around the left side inside the 10 of Eagle’s Landing Christian during the Eagles 25-7 over the Chargers. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Columbia Eagles moved closer to securing a home playoff spot after knocking off the Eagle’s Landing Christian Chargers 25-7 on Friday night at Hallford Stadium.
After giving up a game-tying touchdown with 28 seconds to go in the first quarter, the Eagles (5-3, 3-1) shutdown the Chargers (2-5, 2-1) offense allowing just 72 yards of total offense while putting three touchdowns on the board on the way to the Region 5-2A victory.
Columbia answered the score marching 60 yards in eight plays fueled by senior Jadan Baugh who broke a 36-yarad run on the opening play of the drive. Baugh would convert a fourth and two at the Charger six-yard line with a five-yard run to set up his one-yard run to put the Eagles on top for good at 13-7.
Less than four minutes later the Eagles extended the lead as Cameron Graves threw over the middle to Corey Bryant who raced the final 15 yards of the 24-yard play into the end zone with 4:42 left in the half. The Eagles took the 19-7 lead into the half.
As the rain increased to start the second half things got a bit sloppy with the players slipping and the wet ball getting loose, and Columbia held to a 19-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Baugh (16 carries, 105 yards, 2 TDs) converted a fourth and goal from the Chargers’ five-yard line bulling his way into the end zone with 4:30 to play to make the final of 25-7.
Columbia defensive lineman Jamonta Tukes (58) makes a tackle in the backfield against Eagle’s Landing running back Gavin Walker during Colubmbia’s big Region 5-3A win on Friday. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Columbia stopped Eagle’s Landing’s opening drive of the game on the first of two interceptions by Baugh on the night and then drove 55 yards all on the ground for the first score of the game. D’Corey Holt got the drive rolling with runs of 14, 7 and 5 yards as Columbia moved to the 22 where they faced a fourth down and four.
Charles Harris went for 15 yards on the play to get the Eagles to a first and goal at the seven-yard line. Two plays later Graves kept and went up the middle for the one-yard touchdown run. Baugh added the PAT to make it 7-0 with 6:07 left in the first quarter.
Eagle’s Landing answered with a 67-yard drive to knot the game at 7-7 as a targeting call on a play the Eagles had stopped the Chargers on a fourth down kept the drive alive. Quarterback Luke Stansell kept for a one-yard touchdown run as the Chargers tied the game with 28 seconds left in the period.
Graves finished the night throwing for 41 yards and a touchdown and ran for 43 yards and a score. Lamaze Williams added 71 yards on 16 carries as the Eagles ran for 219 yards in the contest. The Eagles defense held the Chargers to minue-4 yards rushing on 22 carries and 133 yards in passing.
Dunwoody’s Malachi Cranshaw (with ball) dives into the end zone for the game clinching touchdown against St. Pius on Friday night. (Photo by Ken Langley)
Dunwoody 21, St. Pius 0
The Dunwoody Wildcats hit some big landmarks for the program by handing the St. Pius X Golden Lions a 21-0 Region 4-6A loss at North DeKalb Stadium on Friday night.
Dunwoody (6-1, 1-1) was 2-7 against St. Pius (1-6, 0-3) coming into the game having lost the last four in a row in a series that has played just 10 times, all since the 2000 season between the two teams in DeKalb County. The victory for the Wildcats was the first over the Golden Lions since the 2008 season and the first ever shutout of St. Pius.
The Wildcats assured themselves of their first winning season since 2011 (6-4) and kept them in the hunt for their first playoff berth since 2009.
Besides a defense getting its second shutout of the season and bouncing back from a 45-7 loss to Marist a week earlier, the offense was bolstered by the return of quarterback Matt Pearch who had missed three games with an injury.
Pearch (25 of 33 passing, 240 yards, 2 TDs) with the aid of running back Malachi Cranshaw got the Wildcats on the board first with a five-yard pass play for the opening score of the game. Christian Lee added the PAT to make it 7-0.
Dunwoody took a 14-0 lead into the half following a 49-yard pitch and catch play to Danny Boden and another Lee PAT.
Meanwhile the defense was led by Luke Cole (4 tackles for a loss, 1 sack) and Reid Neel (12 total tackles, 2 for loss) and Michael Lowenstein (7 tackles, 1 interception) was keeping the Lions off the scoreboard.
Harrison Martin (13 tackles) and Luke Phillips (7 tackles, 2 for loss) aided the defensive effort as Dunwoody took the 14-0 lead late into the fourth quarter when Cranshaw dove into the end zone with 1:45 to play. Lee tacked on the PAT for the 21-0 final.
Dunwoody is tied with Riverwood for third in the region standings with a big meeting coming up in two weeks as the Wildcats face South Cobb this coming week.
Redan 33, McNair 0
Avondale Stadium hosted the Redan Raiders homecoming game against the McNair Mustangs with Raiders coming out 33-0 victors in a key Region 5-2A matchup for both teams on Friday night.
The win gave the Raiders a leg up on a state playoff spot as they exploded for 27 second half points to take the victory, the first homecoming win in five years for the program, upped their lead in the DeKalb rivalry to 16-7 after dropping a 44-41 thriller a year ago.
Redan (3-5, 2-2) grabbed the early lead on a 25-yard pass play from Dameon Jones to Bryce Blackburn and led just 6-0 at the half in a defensive struggle.
Jamir Brown (20 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD) extended the lead to 13-0 in the third quarter and Jarvis Lamar scored on a 12-yard run to up the margin to 20-0. Brown added an 8-yard touchdown and Tyheim Behling scored to make it 33-0 late in the fourth quarter.
The Raider defense held McNair to under 100 yards of offense led by Willie Brown (4 pass breakups), Jamar Burse (5 tackles) and nose tackle Isaiah McDonald (4 tackles) who took on double teams and pushed into the backfield on numerous occasions to disrupt the McNair (4-4, 2-2) offense.
Cedar Grove 41, Douglass 0
The Cedar Grove Saints got back on the winning track by playing a home game and in their own classification as they took care of the Douglass Astros 41-0 in a Region 5-3A meeting at Godfrey Stadium on Friday night.
Quarterback EJ Colson returned after missing the 13-9 loss to Carver-Montgomery (AL) by hitting 11 of 17 passes for 150 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for another 65 to lead the Saints (3-5, 1-0) to the victory.
Malachi Miller made his three catches on the night count as he had two touchdowns and 62 yards on the night for the Saints. Boden Walker (recent Georgia Bulldog commit) ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns, one for 64 yards, and caught two passes for 38 yards.
The defensive shutout was led by Javon Beckford with eight tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one sack and one tackle for a loss.
DCSD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – WEEK 9
Thursday, Oct 12
AVONDALE STADIUM
Druid Hills (5-1-1) 58, Clarkston (1-6) 7
GODFREY STADIUM
Callaway (4-2) 47, Towers (0-7) 12
HALLFORD STADIUM
Stephenson (6-2)* 49, Miller Grove (5-3) 24
Friday, Oct. 13
ADAMS STADIUM
McDonough (5-2) 41, Stone Mountain (1-6) 6
AVONDALE STADIUM
Redan (3-5)* 33, McNair (4-4) 0
GODFREY STADIUM
Cedar Grove (3-5)* 41, Douglass (5-3) 0
HALLFORD STADIUM
Columbia (5-3)* 25, Eagle’s Landing Christian (2-5) 7
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Dunwoody (6-1)* 21, St. Pius (1-6) 0
AWAY GAMES
Holy Innocents (7-1)* 36, Southwest DeKalb (2-6) 0
OPEN: Arabia Mountain (6-1), Chamblee (3-4), Cross Keys (0-7), Lakeside (3-4), Lithonia (1-6), M.L. King (2-5), Tucker (4-3)
*–Region Game