2024 TRAIL TO THE TITLE CHAMPIONS
CEDAR GROVE SAINTS
A dominant defensive performance propelled the Cedar Grove Saints to a 30-0 victory over the previously undefeated Redan Raiders and a repeat as the DeKalb middle school football Trail to the Title champions.
The Saints defense caused 13 plays for a loss against the Raiders with Defensive Player of the Game Kaysean Moses in on four those plays as Redan was held to a minus-four yards of total offense in the game.
After getting fumble to stop a Cedar Grove drive in the first quarter, the Raiders were forced to punt from their own 18 and Dequarrion Trammell got through a block to get a hand on the football to give the Saints the football at the Raider 17.
Two plays later the Saints would take the lead for good as a hard running D’Mani Bent ran over a defender at the three-yard line on the way to a 10-yard touchdown run. Zack Bell kept and split a pair of Raider defenders to add on the two-point conversion to make it 8-0 with 1:30 left in the first quarter.
Following a punt by the Raiders, Cedar Grove (9-0) scored three plays later as Trammell burst through the line on the way to a 41-yard touchdown run with 5:39 left in the first half. Bell again converted on the two-point run to make it 16-0.
Redan’s Benjamin Jackson (3) eludes Cedar Grove defender Zyan Allison (55) during Redan’s first ever Trail to the Title Championship appearance. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Tackles for a loss by Moses and Rashaad Welcome pushed the Raiders back to their own 15 and into a punting situation. The punt went high into the air, hit the ground and spun backwards to the Raider five to put the Saints in scoring position again. Bell kept on the first play for the five yard touchdown run and then converted his third two-point conversion of the game to make it 24-0 with 5:30 remaining in the first half.
The lead remained 24-0 at the half as the Saints were heading towards a third undefeated championship title having won a pair in the back-to-back title years of 2014 and 2015.
Cedar Grove was driving on the first possession of the second when Redan’s Benjamin Jackson stripped Bell of the football and recovered at the Raider 12. The Saints forced a punt but muffed the catch and Redan got some life picking up a first down on an 11-yard run by Jackson to the Cedar Grove 42.
A big tackled for a loss of nine yards by Cedar Grove’s Landon Carnahan forced the Raiders into a third and 22 situation. Jackson carried for six and three yards on the next two plays as the Saints defense force a turnover on downs.
On the second play Bell connected with Naheem Jones for an 18-yard gain to set up Trammell for another long touchdown run. Trammell ran off guard and cut down the right sideline on his way to a 35-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion was no good and the Saints led 30-0 with 19.9 seconds left in the third quarter.
Cedar Grove’s D’Mani Bent (6) scores a touchdown in the Saints 30-0 championship game win over Redan. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Cedar Grove forced a turnover on downs to start the fourth quarter and took over at their own 34. Two plays later Redan’s Jeremiah Yates intercepted a pass to give the Raiders the football back at the Saints 39. Two more tackles for a loss aided by Daysean Moses got the Saints the football back with 1:36 to play.
Cedar Grove ran out the clock to clinch the title for the second consecutive season as the Saints became the first program to win the championship back-to-back two times.
The matchup was the eighth title game to pit two undefeated teams and was the 15th season a team went undefeated on the way to the title.
Offensive player of the game Dequarrion Trammell finished the day with seven carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns and also had a blocked punt in the game. Championship Player of the Game Zack Bell ran for 57 yards and touchdown and added 64 yards passing on seven of nine throws as well as contributing to the defensive shutout.
Cedar Grove became the third team in the history of the Trail to the Title to win all three playoff games by shutout joining Stephenson (2022) and Salem (2021).
The Saints are set for a head-to-head with Howard Middle, a Bibb County team, on Saturday at 11:00 am at Thompson Stadium in Macon.
Trail to the Title MVPS
The Trail to the Title Championship MVPS were named following the game (l-r) Cedar Grove coach Adam Smith, Daquarrion Trammell (Offense), Zack Bell (Game MVP), Kaysean Moses (Defense) and DCSD Middle School Athletics Coordinator Paris Burd. (Photo by Mark Brock)
See links below for Trail to the Title History and Final 2024 standings: