Chapel Hill’s Cayden Whitlow (56) picks off a tipped pass during the Panthers’ 20-14 win over previously undefeated Lithonia in the first round of the Trail to the Title playoffs. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Chapel Hill Panthers broke a 14-14 tie in the third quarter on the way to a 20-14 Trail to the Title first round playoff victory over the previously undefeated Lithonia Bulldogs in the final game on Saturday at Cobb Stadium in Avondale.
A fumble recovery by Chapel Hill’s Zion Pruitt set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Panthers (6-1) putting Chapel Hill on the Lithonia (6-1) 24-yard line.
Ramello Jackson got the call on first and 10 at the 13 battling his way to the one yard where a Lithonia defender managed to punch the ball out and it rolled into the end zone. Pruitt was again good on the opportunity as he beat a Lithonia defender to the football as it lay in the end zone to give the Panthers the go-ahead six points with 3:25 left in the third quarter.
Marquise Easley, who had two key first half interceptions, stopped the Bulldogs next possession by breaking up a pass on fourth and seven to force a turnover on downs.
Chapel Hill stopped another threat as their own 22 as a pass bounced off a receiver’s hands, was tipped up in the air and an alert Cayden Whitlow came up with the interception.
Lithonia got the football back with 1:35 to play and a 17-yard pass from Willie Jones Jr. to Timothy Behling gave life to the Bulldogs at the Panthers’ 33-yard line. Following an incomplete pass, Jones dropped back and was forced out of the pocket only to have Samon Brown and Ethan Williams drag him down to end the game.
After stopping the Bulldogs on a fourth and 10 at the Chapel Hill 43, the Panthers ended the first quarter with a 6-0 lead on a two-yard run up the middle by Ramello Jackson. The two-point try was no good.
Lithonia’s Timothy Behling leaps high for a catch during the Bulldogs tough 20-14 loss to Chapel Hill in the first round of the Trail to the Title playoffs. Behling had a 51-yard touchdown run and a 15-yard pick-six in the losing cause. (Photo by Mark Brock)
It took just one play for the Bulldogs to answer as their big playmaker Timothy Behling raced 52 yards for a touchdown with 7:39 to play in the half. Jones hit Darrin Priest for the two-point pass to make it 8-6 in favor of the Bulldogs.
Easley got the first of his two interceptions of the first half at the Panthers’ nine-yard line to stop a Bulldog threat only to have Behling answer with a 15-yard pick-six to extend Lithonia’s lead to 14-6 with 1:58 left in the first half.
A swing pass from quarterback Matthew Brown was taken in by Latevious Booker for a 41-yard gain to the Bulldog one. Jackson finished off the drive with a one-yard plunge into the end zone to knot the game at 14-14.
Lithonia moved to the Chapel Hill 23 with just seconds remaining and Jones pass into the end zone as time expired was picked off by Easley as he ran in front of the receiver at the last second. Chapel Hill advances to the semifinals for the fourth consecutive season and eight overall to take on the Redan Raiders at 10:30 am on Saturday, October. 26 at Cobb Stadium.
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