By Jeff Haws

For the AJC

In recent years, Tucker has been known for its speed and explosive plays on offense.

The big play never came for the Tigers on Friday, but the defense picked up the slack.

In a defensive struggle, Tucker lost five fumbles, had no play longer than 18 yards and scored the only points of the game with 8:34 left in the first quarter to beat Stone Mountain 7-0.

The victory clinches a playoff spot for Tucker (7-1, 6-1 in Region 6-AAAA), while the Pirates (6-2, 5-2) can also qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2004 with a Lithonia loss to Lakeside on Friday night.

It was a night that began inauspiciously for Stone Mountain, going three-and-out on its first possession before a 5-yard punt set up the Tigers at the Pirates 20-yard line to begin their first drive.

Two plays later, Tyrelle Poole ran 15 yards up the middle nearly untouched for a touchdown, and Stone Mountain was quickly in a hole.

But after Tucker punted on its next possession, five of the Tigers’ next six drives ended with fumbles, two of those coming inside the Stone Mountain 20.

The ground and the ball were wet in Friday’s rainy conditions, but Tucker coach Franklin Stephens was quick to say that wasn’t a factor.

“We just made some miscues on offense,” Stephens said. “The weather had nothing to do with it. I just didn’t coach ball security well enough this week, and we’ll have to work on that.”

Tucker’s offense was a bit erratic, but its defense stood tough all night.

Stone Mountain didn’t seriously threaten until its final possession of the third quarter, when the Pirates took over at their own 5 following another Tucker fumble. On the second play, quarterback Jhyree Harris (6-of-22, 95 yards, 1 interception) completed a 35-yard pass to Octavious Andrews to the Pirates 41. Five plays and another first down later, he hit De’Antonio Murray for 35 yards to the Tucker 15 early in the fourth quarter.

From there, though, the Tigers defense stiffened, forcing the Pirates into a 27-yard field-goal attempt that never came close.

Looking across the field at a region rival his team had beaten five straight times and by a combined score of 72-13 the past two years, Stephens was complimentary of how far the Pirates had come in a year.

“Stone Mountain’s defense played their butts off tonight,” Stephens said. “Some people will say we were looking ahead to the Southwest [DeKalb] game, but no, we knew Stone Mountain was a very good team, and they played that way tonight.”

Poole had 133 yards on 19 carries for the Tigers.