FINAL: Friday night roundup

Central Gwinnett 23, Collins Hill 20 (OT)

For the fourth-straight week, Central Gwinnett found itself in a close game at the end. Quarterback Jarren Williams, who earlier this week was invited to play in the Army All-American Game, helped give the Black Knights their 17-0 lead at the half with touchdown passes to Khmari Thompson and Caleb Pierce. Collins Hill began its comeback in the fourth and tied the game 17-17 at the end of regulation. But the Black Knights held Collins Hill to a field goal in overtime, and Williams ran for the winning score. He finished 23-of-27 passing for 263 yards.

Colquitt County 28, Roswell 0

The first of Ty Leggett’s three touchdowns came on the ground and put host Colquitt County ahead 7-0 with 3:30 left in the second quarter. Quarterback Jacycee Harden threw a touchdown pass to Leggett and then the junior ran in his second touchdown to put the Packers up 21-0. Nigel Hillie added a rushing touchdown with 7:25 left in the final quarter.

East Coweta 42, LaGrange 10

Senior Devante Ford had a 2-yard touchdown four minutes into the game to give East Coweta a 7-0 early lead at home. With four minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Indians recovered a mishandled snap on a punt to extend their lead to 14-0. LaGrange scored its only points of the game with a 31-yard field goal and a second-quarter touchdown. Indians junior running back Gerald Green had a 32-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. East Coweta senior quarterback Christian Reid accounted for two touchdowns to close out the half, and East Coweta got a third-quarter touchdown by Ford.

Etowah 31, Newnan 14

Etowah quarterback Patrick Ferris threw a 55-yard pass to Blake Jones, and Nick Maddox III scored on a 40-yard rush to give Etowah a 17-7 lead at the end of the first half. Maddox found the end zone again in the third, and after Newnan cut into Etowah's lead with a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown, Ferris found Nick Oliver with a 28-yard touchdown pass for the 31-14 final. Ferris finished 10-of-14 for 146 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 45 yards, and Maddox had 23 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

Lakeside-DeKalb 52, Druid Hills 0

Lakeside-DeKalb’s offense did not punt, scoring on each one of its drives against Druid Hills. Quarterback Matthew Holt threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Demonte Pressley, and Otha Evans scored twice, on rushing touchdowns of 1 and 3 yards. Jeffrey Powell had a defensive touchdown for the Vikings.

Lambert 28, Cherokee 0

Lambert quarterback Bobby Gabriel scored the game’s first points with a 1-yard keeper early in the second quarter. A few minutes later, Lambert’s Gallil Guillaume blocked a Cherokee punt, which was recovered by Steven Majors for a touchdown, and the Longhorns built a 14-0 lead. A Lambert interception by Nathan Smith near midfield set up a 2-yard touchdown pass from Gabriel to tight end Chris Taylor to put Lambert up 21-0 before halftime. Lambert scored the game’s final points in the third quarter on a 78-yard run by Marcus Chatelain.

Marietta 24, Pebblebrook 20

Marietta narrowly beat Pebblebrook in a game littered with missed point-after attempts and failed two-point conversions. Harrison Bailey threw the first of his four touchdown passes to Christian Ford in the second quarter and Marietta took a 12-7 lead early in the third quarter lead when he found Ford again. Bailey answered a Pebblebrook touchdown with a 65-yard pass to Ramel Keyton, giving Marietta an 18-13 lead. Pebblebrook scored again to go up 20-18 in the fourth and forced a Marietta turnover on the next possession, but the Blue Devils defense had a goal-line stand. Bailey found Ford one more time with a 70-yard pass in the final minute to give Marietta the victory.

McEachern 49, Jonesboro 10

Six different McEachern players scored touchdowns, including Ali Scott, Jalen Thornton, Jaron Hull, Jontiere Terry-Thomas, Nasier Currie-Sudler and Dante Fleming. Thornton had six carries for 72 yards. McEachern went into halftime leading 28-3.

Meadowcreek 29, Forsyth Central 27

Meadowcreek responded to a late-game Forsyth Central touchdown with a 20-yard Christopher Linares field goal with six minutes left that proved to be the game-winner. Meadowcreek's Jeremiah Caldwell scored on a 75-yard pass on the first play of the game and Alonzo Howard added an interception return for a touchdown. Chauncey Williams had two long touchdown runs and finished with 185 yards rushing. Meadowcreek is 3-0 for the first time in school history.

Newton 47, Peachtree Ridge 28

After a scoreless opening quarter, Newton scored a 70-yard touchdown on a pass from quarterback Myron Middlebrooks to Adarius Thomas followed by a failed two-point conversion. Peachtree Ridge answered with a touchdown to take a brief 7-6 lead, but Newton finished the half with two more touchdowns, including another by Thomas. Peachtree Ridge responded with a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown by Payton Bowens. Though the Lions would score one more touchdown in the third quarter, Newton controlled the fourth quarter with two touchdowns to decide the game.

Northside-Warner Robins 22, Lanier 7

Senior quarterback Marcus Jolly scored all three of visiting Northside-Warner Robins’ touchdowns. After coming back from a 7-0 deficit in the first half, the Northside defense held the Longhorns scoreless for the remainder of the game. With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, kicker Cory Munson made a 43-yard field goal to put the Eagles up comfortably 22-7.

South Forsyth 30, South Gwinnett 23

In the first quarter, home team South Gwinnett held South Forsyth scoreless while putting seven points on the board. With 1:35 remaining in the first half, South Forsyth scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion to take the lead. South Forsyth senior quarterback Cal Morris rushed for a touchdown to put the Eagles up 15-7 with 8:50 left in the third. Ryan Pontrelli caught a Morris pass for another Eagles touchdown. South Gwinnett rallied back and pulled ahead late in the game 23-22 with a field goal, but another Morris touchdown run put South Forsyth back on top to stay.

CLASS AAAAAA

Alpharetta 34, Centennial 31

Alpharetta scored 17 straight points in the final 8:34 of the game to steal a victory on the road after the Raiders were down 31-17. Raiders quarterback Matthew Downing threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Robbie Ruppel and a 22-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Hill in the fourth. Downing also scored on a 65-yard run that tied the game at 31-31. Alpharetta’s Dylan Schorr hit a game-winning field goal as time expired that was set up by an interception by cornerback Jaycee Horn with 34 seconds remaining in the game. Centennial quarterback Max Brosmer threw a touchdown to Cal Dickie for the game’s first touchdown in the first quarter and ran in a 31-yard touchdown. Centennial freshman wide receiver Julian Nixon ran and threw for a touchdown and Alpharetta’s Kevin Watkins had a 58-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

Chattahoochee 21, Cambridge 13

Chattahoochee's star sophomore T Lee scored a touchdown to put the Cougars up 13-7 with 8:11 left in the fourth quarter, and a 42-yard touchdown run from Max Webb extended the home team’s lead to 19-7 before Lee scored the two-point conversion to make it 21-7 with 5:38 left in the game. Cambridge’s Ridge Polk hauled in a 25-yard touchdown catch that cut Chattahoochee’s lead to 21-13 with four minutes remaining in the game. After punting the ball back to Cambridge, Lee iced the Chattahoochee victory with an interception with 1:23 left.

Dacula 9, Arabia Mountain 0

Visiting Arabia Mountain came away empty after driving down to the Dacula 2-yard line in the first quarter and getting intercepted by Dacula’s Michael Burrell in the end zone before the half. Zach Gerks gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead with a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter, and then Jalen Perry iced the game with a rushing touchdown with 4:42 left.

Douglas County 21, Northgate 0

Uriah West had a 2-yard rushing touchdown during the first quarter to begin Douglas County’s shutout victory over Northgate. After a scoreless second quarter, Xavier Hopson rushed for a 47-yard touchdown with 10:25 left in the third. A 46-yard rushing touchdown by West in the fourth would give the senior running back a pair of touchdowns.

Johns Creek 21, Pope 13

Pope led 13-0 before a 50-yard touchdown pass from Zach Gibson to Matt Casey put Johns Creek on the board before the half. Pope’s Ryan Stuetzer hauled in three interceptions in the first half, but Johns Creek used its running game in the second half to outscore Pope 14-0. Johns Creek running back Nate Hope ran in touchdowns of 22 yards and 2 yards late in the third and fourth quarters.

Lee County 49, Americus-Sumter 14

Lee County's Nikko Cruz rushed for five of the Trojans’ seven touchdowns. Cruz found the end zone four times in the opening quarter, and visiting Lee County would take a 28-14 lead into the half. With 7:54 left in the third quarter, Shaun Kimbrough scored on an 18-yard run, and then Jase Orndorff found Josh Asbury on an 18-yard touchdown pass to build Lee County’s lead to 42-14 take. Cruz added his fifth touchdown with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter.

North Atlanta 14, Dunwoody 0

North Atlanta defeated Dunwoody in its first shutout victory in six years. Sophomore quarterback Wiley Hartley threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Carey Wynn to put North Atlanta up in the first quarter. Deondre Ezzard found the end zone after a 3-yard rush, giving the Warriors their 14-point lead. Sophomore defensive tackle Wesley Horton led the North Atlanta defense with two sacks. This win brings North Atlanta to its first 3-0 record in seven years.

CLASS AAAAA

Banneker 26, Whitewater 9

After trailing 9-7 at the half, Banneker's defense locked down Whitewater for the remainder of the game and the Trojans scored 19 straight points to come away with the win. Banneker fumbled on its opening drive of the second half, but Whitewater turned the ball over on downs and failed to capitalize on the recovery. A 15-yard rushing touchdown by Dionte Bonneau, his second of the night, put the Trojans ahead 13-9 going into the fourth. Zerian Hood ran it in with eight minutes to play, and Tarique Dennis capped off the Banneker victory with a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown for the 26-9 final.

Fayette County 42, Mundy’s Mill 23

Jekobe Coleman found Reginald Books for a 40-yard touchdown pass, and Shane Leinberger ran in a 1-yard touchdown to give host Fayette County a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Mundy’s Mill capitalized on a blocked punt and found the end zone to cut the lead to 14-7 at the half. In the third quarter, Michael Robinson recovered a fumble to set up a Cory Andrews touchdown run, and Jalil Dabney increased the Fayette County lead to 28-7 with a 25-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, Dabney added a 66-yard touchdown run and Andrews also ran in his second touchdown of the second half to give the Tigers a commanding 42-15 lead.

McIntosh 40, Luella 14

McIntosh took to the road and had no trouble remaining undefeated for the season while keeping Luella winless. Bradley Ector scored each of the Chiefs’ first two touchdowns en route to a 14-0 lead after one quarter. McIntosh ran off 27 unanswered points to begin the game before the Lions finally got on the scoreboard. The Chiefs got additional touchdowns from Dane Kinamon, Ryan Cate and Ahmad Ragland to run away with the victory. Deandre Wade had an interception that set up McIntosh’s third touchdown.

Paulding County 18, Hiram 14

Host Paulding County got on the board first with a touchdown pass from Brantley Mauldin to Jason Ledford for 17 yards. Hiram blocked the extra point before answering with a touchdown and PAT to take the lead to close out the first quarter. Mauldin and Ledford connected once more for a 55-yard touchdown pass with another failed PAT. Hiram would score again and grab the lead in the third, but the Patriots answered with another Mauldin touchdown pass to get the win.

Rome 54, Kell 33

In a shootout that featured three ties and three lead changes, Rome eventually took control to slip past visiting Kell. The Wolves trailed 10-0 after one quarter but erupted thereafter, tying the game at 25-25 going into the second half and seizing a 47-33 advantage heading into the final 12 minutes. Xavier Roberts had a 20-yard touchdown run, a 42-yard touchdown reception and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Kirby. Kirby also hauled in a 26-yard scoring strike from Knox Kadum. Jamious Griffin tacked on three touchdown runs for Rome.

Starr’s Mill 56, Chapel Hill 21

An interception by Starr’s Mill’s Ryan Cockes in the first quarter led to a Panthers score, as Cole Gilley had his first 2-yard rushing touchdown of the night. Gilley rushed for a second 2-yard touchdown during the same quarter to put the Panthers up by 14 points. A 78-yard receiving touchdown by Elijah Brown kept Chapel Hill in the game with 5:43 left in the first quarter. Starr’s Mill scored 28 straight points in the second half, including a 39-yard rushing touchdown by Khalen Sims, his second score of the game.

Stockbridge 13, Dutchtown 7

For the second consecutive week, Stockbridge gave up a touchdown on its first defensive possession and then allowed nothing the rest of the way as the home team took care of Dutchtown. The Tigers’ stout defensive effort featured an interception return for a touchdown by DeMaje’ Carter to put them on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter. Stockbridge took the lead with what proved to be the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 5-yard run by Marquez Ezzard with less than 10 minutes remaining. Shanaan McKoy scored Dutchtown’s lone touchdown.

CLASS AAAA

Blessed Trinity 28, Creekview 27

After allowing 27 first-half points by Creekview, host Blessed Trinity shut out the Grizzlies offense the rest of the game and pulled out a 28-27 comeback victory. The Titans were down 12-0 in the first quarter after Creekview took advantage of a recovered fumble. Blessed Trinity got on the board with the first of quarterback Jake Smith's two touchdown passes before the end of the first and Steele Chambers rushed for a score with two minutes in the half to bring the score to 27-14. Chambers came up big again with four minutes to play, intercepting a pass to put the ball back in Smith's hands, and a 60-yd pass to Ryan Davis gave the Titans a 28-27 lead and the victory. Smith also rushed for a score.

Cartersville 38, Westlake 5

Three Rico Frye touchdown runs and made field goals by both teams resulted in a 24-3 halftime lead for visiting Cartersville, which entered the second half with a 325-80 advantage in total yards. In the third quarter, Cartersville added a 26-yard Trevor Lawrence touchdown pass to E.J. Turner and a Lawrence fumble at the Westlake 5-yard line that was recovered for the the Canes’ final touchdown. Cartersville’s 38-3 lead forced a running clock in the final quarter, and Westlake added a safety with less than two minutes left.

Marist 17, St. Pius 14

Timmy Bleekrode kicked a 25-yard field goal as time expired to lead visiting Marist past St. Pius. Quarterback Chase Abshier helped the War Eagles’ victorious effort with a 1-yard touchdown run and a scoring strike to Patrick Miles with 19 seconds left in the first half. The Golden Lions tied the score at 14-14 with five minutes remaining on a touchdown run by Scott Braswell before Marist marched on its game-winning drive. Abshier passed for 72 yards and added 80 on the ground. Jason Jones finished with 82 rushing yards and a score for St. Pius.

Sandy Creek 26, Morrow 0

In a showdown between two undefeated teams, Sandy Creek used a dominant defense and a steady diet of handoffs to Jordan Clark on the way to a shutout victory over visiting Morrow. Clark scored all three of the game’s touchdowns, two in the second quarter and one more in the third. Following a scoreless opening quarter, the Patriots took a 14-0 lead at halftime and led 20-0 going into the fourth. David Gonzales added two field goals to put the game away for Sandy Creek.

Woodward Academy 39, Riverwood 34

Riverwood failed on a 2-point conversion after Griffin Brown ran in a 45-yard touchdown, and Woodward Academy was able to hold onto a 21-20 lead at the half. Riverwood regained the lead with a safety in the third quarter, but Tajh Gary answered with a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown to put Woodward back ahead 27-22 heading into the fourth quarter. Woodward kicker Marshall Golick added a 22-yard field goal, but Riverwood eventually answered with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Tre Young that gave the Raiders a 30-28 lead with 6:20 left. Woodward reclaimed the edge after a 38-yard Golick field goal, but then Young returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to put Riverwood back up 34-33 with 3:02 left. Woodward’s game-winning touchdown came on a 22-yard pass from Christian Wylder to Hunter Sellers with 2:03 left. Wylder also connected with Ambe Caldwell in the first half and ran in a 6-yard touchdown in the opening quarter.

CLASS AAA

Cedar Grove 33, Columbia 0

Cedar Grove quarterback Xavier Dennis threw two touchdown passes and also rushed for a score to lead the host Saints. Jadon Haselwood and Trevon Richardson were the recipients of the Dennis touchdown passes, and Darrell Neal added the Saints’ other rushing touchdown. Haselwood also returned a punt for a touchdown. Cedar Grove scored all 33 points before the half.

CLASS AA

B.E.S.T. Academy 22, Douglass 19

Nakia Davis threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Rashad Whitehead with two minutes left in the third quarter, and that gave visiting B.E.S.T. Academy the cushion it needed in a win over Douglass. Whitehead added the two-point conversion to make it a two-possession game. Darryl McClellan rushed for a touchdown with two minutes remaining in the contest, but Douglass could get no closer. McClellan also had a third-quarter score for the Astros, cutting their halftime deficit from 14-7 to 14-13.

Northeast 56, Twiggs County 14

Northeast broke a school record for most points scored in a game and opened up a 28-0 lead in the first quarter. A T.J. Miles touchdown run preceded two Vincent McCarthy rushing scores, and then Nolan Ussery added a 21-yard touchdown run with 20 seconds left in the quarter. McCarthy scored a third time from 18 yards out in the second quarter to make it 35-0. Zyquan Williams added a 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and then McCarthy ran in his fourth touchdown of the game from 60 yards out.

CLASS A

Fellowship Christian 24, Our Lady of Mercy 6

Visiting Fellowship Christian had a 17-point second quarter to pull away. In the last two minutes of the half, the Paladins got a safety and a Cameron Gill return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, then a two-point conversion. The Paladins scored on a 1-yard pass from Brooks Bryant (12-of-19, 175 yards, 2 TDs) to James Milhollin in the first quarter, and Bryant hit Casey Barham for a 66-yard touchdown pass in the second. Barham had six catches for 152 yards. Lawson Haigler led the Paladins with 105 yards rushing on 20 carries. Defensive lineman Billy McCurry had 13 tackles, seven solo, and two sacks.

Mt. Pisgah 45, Walker 21

Mt. Pisgah had a goal-line stand on Walker's opening drive, and Jacob Cendoya's 40-yard pass to David Woodward set up a short touchdown pass to Trey Murphy in the final minute of the first quarter. Kai Williams ran for a touchdown to put the Patriots up 14-0, and after the Wolverines got on the board with 2:23 left in the half, Cendoya found Woodward again to give the Patriots a 21-7 lead at the half. Cendoya scored early in the third on a quarterback draw and Williams ran for a 62-yard touchdown off a swing pass on the next possession. Chase Grande capped off a big third quarter for the Patriots when he ran back an interception to give Mt. Pisgah a 42-14 lead going into the fourth.

Prince Avenue Christian 28, Towns County 0

The Wolverines got the scoring started on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Grant Roland to Christian Parrish with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter. Roland and Parrish increased the lead to 14-0 midway through the second quarter with a 30-yard touchdown pass. J.J. Hudson added to the lead on a 19-yard run, and then Roland found Parrish for a third touchdown on a 43-yard throw with 11:47 left.