Dunwoody scrapes by scrappy North Hall

Ahead by far on all scorecards, No. 3-ranked Dunwoody took a couple of haymakers late Friday night and suddenly was wobbling in a Class AAA state playoff game the Wildcats had dominated for nearly three quarters in North DeKalb Stadium.

Coach James Teter wound up with the 100th win of his career, but Dunwoody’s boss looked more punched out than pleased after the Wildcats held off North Hall for an 18-13 voctory.

Dunwoody (12-0) took a 15-0 lead on Austin Breed’s 18-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the third quarter. To that point, the Trojans had 17 yards in total offense and not a single first down.

Seventy seconds later, it was a two-point ballgame.

North Hall senior Beau Dehass returned the kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown after Dunwoody’s field goal, and Wildcats quarterback Erick Cooper lost the snap on his team’s next play from scrimmage. North Hall’s Ross Biggers recovered at Dunwoody’s 13-yard-line.

North Hall’s Avery Nix blasted off left tackle almost untouched, and his 13-yard scoring run and a point after pulled the Trojans (8-4) to 15-13 with 11:03 left.

“I think part of that was the letdown from giving them the ball after the touchdown on the kickoff,” Jeter said. “In the playoffs, you lose games when you have special teams mistakes and turnovers, and we about gave one away. I just told the boys we had to play with poise and get our composure back.”

Treaver Scales (19 carries, 124 yards) led the way, and Cooper (9-for-20, 172 yards, one touchdown) converted a critical third down with a 15-yard pass to LeFloyd Phillips as Dunwoody drove to one more field goal. North Hall gave itself a puncher’s chance, stopping the Wildcats on second- and third-and-goal from the 1 to force the kick.

Trailing 18-13, the Trojans drove from their 28 to Dunwoody’s 45 before a holding penalty left them with a third-and-21 they could not overcome.

Dunwoody outgained North Hall 410 yards to 65.

“We returned one [starter] on offense and four on defense,” North Hall coach Bob Christmas. “We lost three of our first five games, but they never, never quit.”