Cedar Grove receiver Josiah Ashmon (7) makes lunging grab for pass against Champion’s Aiden Clark (1) to move the Saints near midfield in the 20-0 first round win of the Trail to the Title playoffs. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Defending Trail to the Title champions Cedar Grove Saints held the Champion Chargers offense to just 43 yards of total offense on the way to a 20-0 victory in the second game of the first round playoffs at Cobb Stadium in Avondale on Saturday.
Cedar Grove (7-0) picked up a 2-0 lead with 3:59 left in the first quarter as a punt snap by Champion went out of the end zone for a safety.
Champion (5-2) put on some defense of its own forcing fumbles as KJ Fitzgerald and Steven Lewis produced take aways on Cedar Grove’s next two possessions. The Chargers, however, were not able to take advantage of the turnovers.
Cedar Grove forced a turnover on downs at their own 47 with 4:41 to play and put together an 11-play drive that led to a Zack Bell one-yard run for the touchdown with just three seconds remaining on the first half clock. The two-point conversion failed and Cedar Grove held an 8-0 lead at the half.
Champion seemed to have stopped the drive on a sack of Bell by Chauncey Henderson and Christopher Smith Jr. on a fourth and five at the Charger 45 only to have horse collar tackler penalty thrown to give life to the Saints drive.
Champion quarterback Marcus Green (13) scrambles as teammate Tyson Zellars (0) blocks Cedar Grove defender Landon Carnahan (91) during the hard fought battle in the first round of the Trail to the Title playoffs. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Cedar Grove opened the second half with the ball and used all but 16 seconds of the quarter with a 14-play, 70-yard drive to all but put the game away at 14-0. Some tough running between the tackles by Dequarrion Trammell (6 carries, 23 yards) along with a 23-yard pass play from Bell to Josiah Ashmon set up Bell for his second touchdown run of the day, this time three yards.
The Saints forced a turnover on downs again and took over at the Charger 36 and needed seven plays before handing the ball to Trammell for a one-yard touchdown run for the final score of 20-0.
Landon Carnahan ended the Chargers last possession of the game with a fumble recovery he returned 79 yards only to have it called back by penalty. The Saints then ran out the final 49 seconds to close out the game.
Cedar Grove managed 149 yards against the tough Champion defense, 70 of which came on the drive to open the second half. Cedar Grove advances to the semifinals for the 13th time to play Stephenson (4-3) whom they defeated in the championship game a year ago.
Cedar Grove faces 2023 championship game opponent Stephenson at 9:00 am at Cobb Stadium in the semifinals.
DCSD MS FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS RESULTS
Saturday, Oct. 12
FIRST ROUND
Stephenson (4-3) 20, Chamblee (4-3) 0
Cedar Grove (7-0) 20, Champion (5-2) 0
Redan (7-0) 20, Freedom (3-4) 0
Chapel Hill (6-1) 20, Lithonia (6-1), 14
DCSD MS FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
Saturday Oct. 26
SEMIFINALS
COBB STADIUM
Cedar Grove (7-0) vs. Stephenson (4-3), 9:00 am
Redan (7-0) vs. Chapel Hill (6-1), 10:30 am