Sandy Creek runs past Starr's Mill

By Glennis Curry

For the AJC

Sandy Creek running back Raijon Neal snatched away any hope of an upset Friday when he streaked up the left sideline with less than eight minutes left to play against Starr’s Mill. His 67-yard touchdown run avenged an earlier lost fumble and sealed a 31-13 road win on the Panthers’ senior night in Fayetteville.

The Patriots, 7-1 and ranked No. 4 in Class AAAA, delivered a less-than-typical scoring performance but still gained more than 400 yards of offense to clinch the 5-AAAA sub-region title.

Neal, a Mississippi State commitment, lost a fumble at the Starr’s Mill 1-yard line early in the third quarter. It appeared he crossed the goal line before losing the ball, after which the Panthers drove 65 yards for a score and trimmed the Patriots’ lead to 24-13.

Neal regrouped and rushed for all 84 yards on the last Sandy Creek scoring drive, including his second touchdown run. He finished with 242 yards on 29 carries.

“He’s a big-time player, and he did what big-time players do,” Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker said. “If there’s another running back in the state of Georgia that’s as good as he is, I don’t want to play against him. I wouldn’t take another one over him.”

Sandy Creek gathered a 17-point lead in the first half in a persistent rain at Panther Stadium, including 177 yards passing from junior quarterback Ronnie Bell. Bell connected with Jarrett Davis for an 89-yard touchdown score at the end of the first quarter. Backed into third-and-28, Bell faked to Neal and threw a deep ball to Davis, who caught the ball at the 50 and beat a defender to the right corner of the end zone.

Bell, a junior, passed for 218 yards and two touchdowns on 9-of-16 passing.

“He gives us the ability to stretch the field,” and that allows Raijon to do his thing,” Walker said. “When they are working together, with the offensive line, we get a lot of things done.”

The teams were tied atop Region 5-AAAA Division A. Sandy Creek will face the Division B champion, most likely Villa Rica, in two weeks. Starr’s Mill had already beaten third-place Northgate and will play the Division B third seed in a play-in game.

Starr’s Mill (4-4, 3-1 in Region 5-AAAA), threatened but never led. Adam Holley completed 14 of 19 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. Zach Laskey rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.