Cedar Grove 28, Lovett 21

They overcame their miscues by leaning on running back Grant Walker, who served as the workhorse by carrying the ball 28 times for 211 yards. His running set up first-and-goal situations for their 6-foot-6, 240-pound quarterback Jelani Woods to plug the ball in the end zone with rushing scores of 1, 1 and 8 yards. Woods also launched a 42-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Bell, then ran in the 2-point conversion to bring the score to its final margin with 4:17 remaining.

“He’s a diamond,” Smith said of Walker, a senior. “He’s a great running back and people got a chance tonight to see what he can do.”

The Lions opened the scoring on the game’s first possession, driving 92 yards on 14 plays, capped with a 3-yard run from quarterback Brady Tindall. The Saints answered on their first possession with Woods’ first rushing score from a yard out.

With 5:30 remaining in the half, Lovett’s Mason Anthony blocked a Cedar Grove punt at the Saints’ 19, smothering it with both hands. It dropped in front of him, he scooped it up and walked 9 yards into the end zone to give the Lions a 14-7 lead they’d take into halftime.

The Saints came out in the second half with Walker rushing for 38 yards on four carries, helping Cedar Grove reach the Lovett 8. That set up Woods’ second touchdown run, which tied the game.

Woods’ third rushing score from a yard out gave Cedar Grove a 20-14 lead after the missed extra point with 10:15 remaining. Walker rushed for 49 yards on that drive.

Lovett would take the lead on Tindall’s 8 yard run with 6:42 left, a play that was set up by a 22-yard pass from Tindall to Peyton Ringer two plays earlier. On third and 17, Tindall avoided what would have been a sack for a 10-yard loss, rolled to his right and threw a spiral to the sidelines, where a leaping Ringer pulled it in. After Tindall’s score and the extra point, the Lions had a 21-20 lead and momentum.

But the Saints responded and needed just six plays. On first and 10 from the Lovett 42, Woods connected on the long touchdown pass to Bell, then he made up for the missed extra point with his 2-point conversion run.

The Lions’ final drive stalled when, on fourth 10 on their own 21, Cedar Grove senior defensive lineman Justin Shaffer, who stands at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, swallowed Tindall on a sack for a 9-yard loss with less than a minute remaining.

“A region win - especially on the road - is big for us,” Smith said. “The new region is going to be tough for us…so it feels good to get a win.”

Woods finished with 82 passing yards on 3 for 11 passing. Bell’s touchdown catch was his only reception, and Jayden Hasselwood had two catches for 43 yards.

For the Lions, Tindall completed 21 of his 31 passes for 187 yards. Nick Jackson had five catches for 91 yards, and John Staton caught six passes for 44 yards. Staton led the Lions with 37 rushing yards while Tindall had 35.

The Lions will travel to play Towers, while the Saints travel to No. 8 Westminster. Both are Region 5 matchups.

Cedar Grove 7 0 7 14 - 28

Lovett 7 7 0 7 - 21

L - Brady Tindall 3 run (Jack McGowan kick)

C - Jelani Woods 1 run (Solee Fofana kick)

L - Mason Anthony 9 block punt return (McGowan kick)

C - Woods 8 run (Fofana kick)

C - Woods 1 run (kick failed)

L - Tindall 8 run (McGowan kick)

C- Dennis Bell 42 pass from Woods (Woods run)

Credit: Craig Sager

Credit: Craig Sager