SW DeKalb simply shuts out Cedar Shoals

The game of football can be as simple as one wants it to be.

Longtime Southwest DeKalb coach Buck Godfrey reminded everyone that Friday night at Hallford Stadium by riding a rock-solid defense and a ball-control offense to a 13-0 victory against Cedar Shoals in a Class AAAA second-round game.

The Panthers (9-3) forced four turnovers, with junior safety Jarrod Golightly turning one of those into the game clincher by returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown early in the final quarter.

Meanwhile, Southwest DeKalb’s methodical ground game did the rest, with junior Kendrum Malcome’s 1-yard touchdown run with six seconds left in the first half capping off a textbook 76-yard, 14-play march.

“There were a lot of licks passed out tonight. We had a swarm of guys hitting them,” said Godfrey, who won his 240th game in his 26th year as the Panthers’ coach. “Defense and turnover here, turnover there is what won it for us.”

Southwest DeKalb opened the game at its basic best by piecing together 13 plays to reach the Jaguars’ 21, but the drive ended with a missed field goal.

Cedar Shoals countered quickly when senior quarterback Rashad Dalton broke loose on a keeper, but the 38-yard run was dashed when Southwest DeKalb 6-foot-6 senior end Allen Stripling caught Dalton from behind and punched the ball out of his hand. Panthers sophomore linebacker Anthony Allen then pounced on the loose ball at the 15 to end the threat.

Cedar Shoals failed to take advantage of another golden opportunity in the second quarter after senior TaBrian Resby blocked a punt that put the Jaguars at Southwest DeKalb’s 18. But four plays later the threat was repelled when Panthers junior linebacker Muhasibi Wakeel recovered a fumble at his 5-yard line on a bad quarterback-center exchange.

Cedar Shoals’ final chance to make a game of it was ended when junior tackle Isaiah Cook sacked Dalton on fourth down at the 30 yard line.

Southwest DeKalb finished with a total of 162 yards on 49 offensive snaps, while Cedar Shoals (7-5) managed only 112 yards on 34 plays.