Peachtree Ridge buries Coffee

Peachtree Ridge’s defense has been a little too aggressive at practice the last few weeks. Trying to preserve the team’s health during the playoffs, Coach Bill Ballard has had to tell his hit men to cool it.

The Lions unleashed all of that pent-up fury on Friday with a thorough beatdown of Coffee, 38-0, to advance to the Class AAAAA semifinals. Peachtree Ridge forced three first-half turnovers — all resulting in touchdowns — and scored a safety.

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Allen Sullivan/asullivan@ajc.com/Staff Photojournalist

Peachtree Ridge running back Ronnie Smith approaches the end zone in the first half. He scored on the next play.

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“We came out ready tonight,” said linebacker Eric Mitchell, part of a swarming defense that held the Trojans (9-4) to 64 yards on 34 carries. “This is the best we’ve played so far, but I think we can get better.”

Since a 37-0 shutout of Duluth two months ago, the Lions (11-2), winners of 11 in a row, are allowing fewer than six points a game. In their past five games, no foe has scored more than seven.

The defense triggered the scoring outbreak when A.J. McDonald pressured Trojans quarterback L’shaun Smith into an intentional grounding from the end zone, resulting in a safety. From there, turnovers undid Coffee.

“We got the breaks early, and they turned the ball over, and things went really well for us,” Ballard said. “Sometimes in the playoffs, momentum kind of gets going and it’s hard to stop. That’s what happened tonight.”

Ronnie Smith scored three touchdowns, and the Lions’ 38 points were a season-high.

Ballard said he would’ve loved another crack at Lowndes, the last team to beat the Lions in September. But that possibility was squashed when Grayson upended Lowndes. The Lions will get Grayson instead.

A coin flip will decide which team hosts. Before Friday’s game, there was a lot of talk about North Georgia vs. South Georgia, Ballard said. The Lions — and Grayson — “proved that they could hit with those guys.”

Peachtree Ridge avoids a long drive south, but the opponent is no less daunting.

“If [Grayson] is that good, we’ve got a tough order next week,” Ballard said.

Junior linebacker Glenn Mack led Camden with three tackles for losses and one sack. Woodstock managed only one first down in the second half.

Although junior Andre Johnson had a game-high 119 yards on 20 carries, Camden’s offense did not fare much better. The Wildcats were held to total of 169 yards on 46 plays.