Southwest DeKalb shuts out Tucker

By Glennis Curry

For the AJC

When asked how many region titles his Southwest DeKalb teams have won, coach Buck Godfrey struggled to find a number. Using his fingers and the help of a nearby assistant, he settled on 15.

“I think that’s right, but that’s not what matters,” Godfrey said after his team beat Tucker 26-0 at Adams Stadium on Friday night. “What matters is that these kids go on and make something of themselves.”

What Godfrey could remember easily was that 238 of his former players have played college football, and 186 also left with a diploma in hand.

As many as 27 Panthers might sign letters-of-intent in February, and that talent overwhelmed the defending Class AAAA state champions in every phase of the game.

“We don’t have to do too much to get these guys ready to play,” Godfrey said. “This team is self-motivated. These were the same guys that went to the quarterfinals last year. They know what it takes.”

In consecutive weeks, third-ranked Southwest DeKalb (8-1, 8-0) allowed one score combined to last year’s champion and last year’s runner-up, Marist. The latter outcome came without Ken Malcome, DeKalb County’s leading rusher. The Georgia commitment suffered a sprained ankle in last week’s game. Senior quarterback Steven Coates picked up the slack by passing for three touchdowns and running for another.

Coates led the Panthers’ first scoring drive, going 3-for-4 for 47 yards and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Marques Dixon with 8:45 to play before halftime. He sneaked in from 1 yard out on the next drive, and then led two short drives in the third quarter with touchdown passes to William Goodwin and Jonathan Mincy.

He completed 10 of 15 passes for 151 yards.

“He’s been doing it for us all year,” Godfrey said. “If he had not been hurt against M.L. King, he’d be among the passing leaders in the state.”

No. 8 Tucker (7-2, 6-2) had held Southwest DeKalb to one touchdown in their past two meetings, both Tucker victories, but the Panthers erased any thought of a shutout with two second-quarter scores.

The region’s best scoring defense, allowing eight points per game, stuffed the Tucker run game and held the Tigers to 95 total yards. Tucker had averaged just under 260 yards a game on the ground, but could muster only 86 on 28 attempts.