Harrison shuts down Peachtree Ridge

Harrison’s new head coach, David Hines, got his first victory, but it wasn’t without some of his own blood.

In a spirited pregame talk, Hines huddled with some of his players and, courtesy of an unintentional head butt with a player, sported a gash above his left eye after the game. But a 13-3 win over Peachtree Ridge had him feeling no pain.

“It’s really the kids’ win,” said Hines, who took over for Bruce Cobleigh. “They fought and worked hard and made plays when necessary, and I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

Harrison’s defense stuffed Peachtree Ridge all night, holding the Lions to 101 yards of offense, including seven plays for losses.

“The defense played excellent tonight,” Hines said. “For the first time out, I thought they did a spectacular job. This gives them something to build on.” Harrison’s offense was led by running back Robbie Godhigh, who sparked the Hoyas after sitting out the first quarter due to disciplinary reasons. Godhigh slithered through holes and broke tackles to finish with 77 yards on 20 carries. The senior’s 2-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter sealed the game for the Hoyas. “He’s a key part of our offense. He’s a spark plug for us. He can make plays,” Hines said.

Neither team could mount much offense in the first half, with the scoring limited to two field goals by Harrison’s Charlton Gutierrez.

Harrison, ranked No. 10 in Class AAAAA, finished the half with 101 total yards of offense. Peachtree Ridge’s sputtering offense managed only 32 total yards. Peachtree Ridge coach Bill Ballard fielded a team with several starters getting their first varsity experience, and while the defense was solid, it was readily apparent on offense.

“We made some turnovers and I think that was the key to the ball game,” said Ballard. “I think we’ll learn from this and grow and hopefully get better.”

Things get no easier next week for Peachtree Ridge, which travels to Lowndes.