Lithonia running back ALbert Gooding (20) cuts away from Clarkston defender Kaedon Ferris (22) for nice gain. Gooding finished with 112 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the 54-0 Lithonia win. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Lithonia Bulldogs and McNair Mustangs finished the regular season with shutout victories in region action on Thursday night.
Coach Kevin Barnes Bulldogs (6-4, 4-4) finished with a winning record for the first time since 2018 (6-5) with a 54-0 shutout of the Clarkston Angoras (0-10, 0-8) at Hallford Stadium on Thursday night.
Lithonia scored on the opening drive of the game when Jamon Coggins rolled right and then threw to the middle of the field to a wide-open Tyrese Jones at the five-yard line who ran the final five yards for the 32-yard scoring play. Zacharay McCalla hit the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 8:45 left in the opening quarter.
A short punt gave the Bulldogs the ball at the Angoras 23-yard line and Albert Gooding went the final 23 yards on the first play of the possession for the touchdown. McCalla was good again on the PAT.
Lithonia got the ball back at the 50 following another Clarkston punt and needed just three plays to hit paydirt with Coggins throwing to the left corner of the end zone where a leaping Kaden Miller made the grab on the 11-yard scoring toss. The PAT was no good for the lead to stay at 20-0 with 1:44 left in the opening quarter.
Clarkston’s Habeeb Abdulahi (54) blocks against Lithonia’s Jamari Davis (24). (Photo by Mark Brock)
The next two Lithonia scores came on punt returns of 42 by Kaden Miller and 50 yards by Tyrell Culbreath as the lead ballooned to 33-0 with 9:34 to play in the first half. A two-point try was no good and McCalla hit the PAT on the second punt return.
Lithonia took 40-0 lead into the half as Coggins did the honors on the final score of the half with an eight-yard touchdown run on a keeper around the right side. McCalla was good on the PAT.
Gooding pushed the lead out to 47-0 with 4:22 left in the half as he carried the load for four plays and 55 yards on the next scoring drive. He took the rock 40 yards to the house as he bounced outside and down the right sideline. McCalla’s PAT was good again.
Armani Myco wrapped up the scoring on a 41-yard quarterback keeper around the right side and into the end zone with 6:48 to play. McCalla tacked on the PAT for the final of 54-0.
Gooding finished the night with nine carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Coggins finished with two touchdowns passing (11-7-0, 91 yards) and another on the ground.
McNair 80, Utopian 0
McNair quarterback Jeremy Victor accounted for five touchdowns while leading the Mustangs to an 80-0 Division 1, Region 4-A win over Utopian Academy for the Arts (0-10, 0-6) at Godfrey Stadium on Thursday.
Victor rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another, a 10-yard scoring pass to Rashod Blalock, as the Mustangs (4-6, 2-4) increased their chances for playoff trip in two weeks.
Anterion Theodore put three rushing touchdowns on the board to go with a 65-yard score by Mauri Johnson and a five-yard touchdown by Nehemiah Clay. Keyontae Phillips added a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown to the books.
Steven Atchison and Evans Johnson III had two sacks apiece in the game to lead the Mustang defense.
DCSD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – WEEK 12
Thursday, Oct. 31
GODFREY STADIUM
McNair (4-6, 2-4)* 80, Utopian (0-9, 0-5) 0
HALLFORD STADIUM
Lithonia (6-4, 4-4) 54, Clarkston (0-10, 0-8)* 0
Friday, Nov. 1
ADAMS STADIUM
Woodward (6-3, 6-0) vs. Lakeside (4-5, 3-3)* (SN), 7:30 pm
COBB STADIUM
Social Circle (6-3, 4-1) vs. Towers (3-5, 1-4)* (SN), 7:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Chamblee (1-8, 1-5) vs. Arabia Mountain (1-8, 0-6)*, 7:30 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
South Atlanta (4-, 2-1) vs. Redan (3-6, 1-2)*(SN), 7:30 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Southwest DeKalb (6-3, 5-2) vs. Druid Hills (4-5, 3-4)*(HC), 7:30 pm
AWAY GAMES
Cedar Grove (3-5, 3-2) vs. Luella (4-5, 3-2)*, 7:30 pm
Columbia (3-6, 3-0) vs. Salem (1-8, 0-3)*, 7:30 pm
Dunwoody (3-6, 2-4) vs. Shiloh (3-6, 3-3)*, 7:30 pm
Tucker (7-2, 6-1) vs. Marist (9-0, 7-0)*, 7:30 pm
LAKEWOOD STADIUM
Stephenson (6-3, 4-1) vs. Douglass (7-2, 5-0)*, 7:30 pm
SOUTHERN CRESCENT STADIUM
Stone Mountain (1-7) vs. Riverdale (0-9), 7:30 pm
TARA STADIUM
M.L. King (3-6, 2-4) vs. Forest Park (1-7, 0-5)*, 7:30 pm
OPEN: Cross Keys (0-8), Miller Grove (5-5)
*–Region Game
(HC) – Homecoming
(SN) – Senior Night