Chamblee’s Ashton Bolston celebrates one of his four rushing touchdowns in Chamblee’s 49-14 win over Lithonia on Thursday night. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Senior quarterback Ashton Bolston scored four touchdowns, threw for one and blocked a punt to lead the Chamblee Bulldogs to a state playoff berth clinching 49-14 win over the Lithonia Bulldogs at North DeKalb Stadium on Thursday night.
Chamblee (4-6, 2-3) needed a win to secure a second consecutive trip to the Class 5A state playoffs scored three second quarter touchdowns to pull away for the win.
Leading 7-6 heading into the second quarter, Chamblee scored just seven seconds in as Bolston kept for a nine-yard touchdown run. Zeke Edwards added the PAT to make it 14-6.
Five minutes later Bolston scored his second touchdown of the quarter keeping for a 5-yard run into the end zone with 6:31 to play. Edwards hit his third PAT of the night to extend the Chamblee to 21-6. A bad snap on a punt attempt by Lithonia gave Chamblee the ball at the Lithonia 33 and Bolston would carry the ball three times for 26 yards in the short drive.
Chamblee got the ball back on a short punt and Bolston threw to the front pylon at goal line where Joey David caught the ball and got it into the end zone for the 20-yard scoring play. Alex Dakhli hit the PAT to make it 28-6 with 3:16 left in the half. The lead would remain the same as the teams headed off the field for the break.
A 38-yard run by George Ross early in the second half set up another Bolston run for a touchdown. Bolston got his third touchdown of the night on a 13-yard scamper to the end zone with 8:10 left in the third period. Dakhli added the PAT to make it 35-6.
Two minutes later Bolston blocked a punt and the Bulldogs recovered at the Lithonia 14. Bolston took the snap two plays later and ran up the middle for 14 yards and the touchdown with 6:01 to play. Dakhli again hit the PAT to push the advantage to 42-6.
Lithonia’s Keyontay Hambrick (4) and Jason Bond (2) wrap up Chamblee running back Jaylen Tipton. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Lithonia answered with a 75-yard drive behind the play of Amani Myco and Ty’Rell Cullbreath to score. Cullbreath had runs of 15 and 11 yards to help set up a 9-yard touchdown pass from Myco to Caleb Hill. Jason Bond ran in the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 48-14 with 1:33 left in the third quarter.
Chamblee added one more score with 11:31 to play as backup quarterback Everett Boyer threw into the end zone to a leaping Edward Reed who hauled in the pass just inbounds for the final score of the game. Edwars hit the PAT. Boyer threw to Isaiah Jordan for a 37-yard gain to set up the score.
Marco Pless gave Chamblee an early 7-0 lead they would never relinquish as he bulled into the end zone from three yards out for the first score of the game with 5:10 remaining in the first quarter. The play was set up by a 22-yard pass from Bolston to Dempsey Allers.
Lithonia closed the gap to 7-6 with 1:40 to play in the first quarter as Caleb Hill got around the right end and raced won the sideline on his way to a 33-yard touchdown run. The PAT was wide as the score remained 7-6.
Bolston finished the night with 12 carries for 70 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while throwing for 139 yards on 9 of 14 passes and a touchdown. Boyer finished with a 4 for 7 passing night for 52 yards and a touchdown. Dempsey Allers finished with four receptions for 80 yards in the game.
Lithonia was led by Amani Myco who passed for 120 yards and a touchdown in the game and Caleb Hill who ran for one TD and caught a Myco pass for the other.
In other Region 4-5A play, Decatur (5-5) defeated Martin Luther King Jr. 24-6 at Godfrey Stadium as the Lions’ season came to an end at 2-8.
The McNair Mustangs’ (4-6) season came to a finish with a 42-26 Region 5-2A loss to Eagle’s Landing Christian at Hallford Stadium.
DCSD FOOTBALL RESULTS – WEEK 12
Thursday, Nov. 2
GODFREY STADIUM
Decatur (5-5) 24, M.L. King (2-8)* 6
HALLFORD STADIUM
Eagle’s Landing Christian (5-5) 42, McNair (4-6)* 26
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Chamblee (4-6)* 49, Lithonia (1-9) 14
DCSD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – WEEK 12
Friday, Nov. 3
ADAMS STADIUM
Arabia Mountain (8-1) vs. Tucker (6-3)* (SN), 7:30 pm
AVONDALE STADIUM
Columbia (6-3) vs. Towers (1-8)* (SN), 7:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Druid Hills (7-1-1) vs. Stone Mountain (1-8) (SN), 7:30 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
Stephenson (7-2) vs. SW DeKalb (2-7)*, 7:30 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Lakeside (4-5) vs. Clarkston (1-8) (SN), 7:30 pm
AWAY GAMES
Miller Grove (5-4) at Westminster (6-3)*, 7:00 pm
HENDERSON STADIUM
Dunwoody (8-1) vs. North Atlanta (8-1)*, 8:00 pm
LAKEWOOD STADIUM
Cedar Grove (4-5) vs. Carver-Atl (2-6), 8:00 pm
OPEN: Cross Keys (0-10), Redan (4-6)
*–Region Game
(SN) – Senior Night