Metro roundup: Kell beats Centennial in OT

By Staff Reports

For the AJC

Kell 34, Centennial 33 (OT): A six-yard touchdown run from running back Brian Randolph, combined with kicker Kyle Morris’ successful extra-point try, lifted the Longhorns past Centennial in a rainy thriller.

Kell jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead. But Centennial, led by the three-headed rushing attack of quarterback Scott Laffler, and running backs Zietrick Smith and Carlson Carty (299 combined yards) stormed back to take the lead in the second half.

Trailing 27-19 with less than three minutes left, junior quarterback Austin Petrick drove the Longhorns into Centennial’s red zone. Petrik was then intercepted, but a roughing-the-passer penalty against the Knights gave Kell new life. The junior quarterback then completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Carter with nine seconds remaining. Petrik scrambled into the end zone on Kell’s two-point conversion attempt to even the score. Centennial’s Zietrick Smith scored on the first overtime possession but the Knights failed to convert the extra point, leaving the door open for the Longhorns.

-- ADAM LAZARUS

Dacula 9, Parkview 6 (OT): Anderson Agudelo completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Roberts in overtime as Dacula (3-3) beat Parkview (4-3) in Lilburn. The touchdown came after a Parkview field goal gave the Panthers the lead at 6-3. The game was tied 3-3 at the end of regulation.

Parkview had two good chances to score a touchdown in overtime, but a dropped pass and a penalty negated both chances, resulting in the field goal.

The Falcons, whose defense had four first-half-interceptions, scored their only points in the first half with a Chase Loyd field goal. Parkview’s Julian Vann intercepted a pass and ran it down to the Dacula 5-yard line late in the third quarter. But a penalty and sack ended the threat and the Panthers had to settle for a field goal to tie the game.

Parkview quarterback Jack Esmonde completed 20 of 33 passes for 141 yards. Dacula’s Roberts had 47 yards rushing on 18 carries and 30 receiving yards.

-- ERIC BRUCE

M.L. King 15, Newton 8: Mack Brown Jr. sparked M.L. King, which overcame five turnovers with a second-half rally over visiting Newton.

The Lions (6-0, 3-0 in 2-AAAAA) used six plays to march 65 yards on the opening drive of the second half to take the lead.

Brown, who finished with 92 yards on 14 carries, put the Lions on top with a 30-yard touchdown run with 9:22 left in the third quarter.

Momodou Martah added a 32-yard field goal, his first kick of the season, in the fourth quarter.

The Lions committed three turnovers in the first half.

Newton (3-3, 1-2) capitalized on the first as D.J. Hill intercepted a pass from Kevin Byard and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown.

On MLK’s next series Byard threw an errant pitch that was recovered by the Rams, and was subsequently replaced by Cameron Myers on the next possession. Myers then threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Cleveland Andrews with 6:30 left in the first half.

-- BRYAN FAZIO

Lovett 26, Blessed Trinity 0: The visiting Lions limited the Titans to three first downs and 82 total yards and scored twice on defense to keep Lovett near the top of the Region 6-AA standings.

The Lions (3-1, 6-1) broke the game open with two touchdowns in less than a minute late in the first half to make it 21-0, with the second score coming when Bo Anderson recovered a fumble near the Blessed Trinity goal line and fell into the end zone.

Lovett closed out the scoring with a safety midway through the final period, with the Lions’ other second-half points coming on a field goal after a fumble recovery at the Titans’ 27.

Jonathan Carkhuff passed for 236 yards, including a touchdown to Max Williams.

-- MIKE BLUM

Sandy Creek 48, McIntosh 9: The Patriots (5-1, 2-0) rang up 41 first-half points and cruised at home in a 5-AAAA subregion win over the Chiefs (3-3, 0-2).

Rajion Neal rushed for three touchdowns, including a 63-yarder on the game’s opening drive, and returned a kickoff 97 yards for another score.

Quarterback Ronnie Bell scored twice on the ground and threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Alex Chisum.

All of McIntosh’s points came from the defense, most of them on Nick Morrow’s 17-yard interception return for a first-quarter touchdown.

-- MONROE ROARK

Woodstock 27, Harrison 15: Quarterback Kevin Bolak’s 1-yard touchdown run with 6:18 remaining sealed the victory for Woodstock (5-1), which spoiled Harrison’s homecoming. Bolak opened the scoring with a 25-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper with 9:04 remaining in the first quarter.

Zach Hilton and Tanner Skogen also added touchdowns. Skogen’s 46-yard punt return for a score at the 5:04 mark of the third quarter broke open a 7-3 game.

-- MICHAEL PADEN

Peachtree Ridge 28, Mill Creek 0: Brad Roby scored three times as Peachtree Ridge stayed in the region title hunt with a win over Mill Creek.

Brandon Stanley put the Lions (5-1, 4-0 in 7-AAAAA) on the board with a 3-yard run with 4:12 left in the first quarter, before Roby took over.

The Vanderbilt committment made it 14-0 on a 27-yard interception return with 11:40 left in the half, then hauled in a 38-yard touchdown pass from Nick Lombardo four minutes later. Roby’s final score came on a 30-yard run on a reverse with 4:48 left in the third quarter.

-- STEVE SHELNUTT

Holy Innocents’ 41, Landmark Christian 18: The Bears took the Region 5-A lead with a win over visiting Landmark Christian.

Holy Innocents’ quarterback tandem of Will Allen and John McKay totaled 256 yards and a touchdown on the ground as the Bears rushed for 354 yards as a team. The Bears completed one pass in the game, but it was Allen’s 38-yard strike to Jordan Miller to start off the second half.

Holy Innocents’ defense held Landmark to 105 yards, including only 39 yards on the ground.

The win leaves Holy Innocents at 6-1, 5-0 in Region 5-A. Landmark Christian fell to 4-3, 4-1.

-- BAILEY WEBB

Westminster 29, Avondale 6: Ralph David Abernathy IV scored on a 15-yard run and a 48-yard pass from William Linginfelter as Westminster (4-2, 3-0) beat Avondale (3-3, 1-2) in a Region 6-AA game.

John Egan intercepted a pass for Westminster that set up his 5-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Chester. Jeff Oser kicked two field goals. Westminster led 26-0 at halftime.

-- TODD HOLCOMB