Jordon Simmons scored two touchdowns to help McEachern build a three-touchdown lead in the first half, and the Indians’ defense kept North Forsyth in check from start to finish in a 42-14 victory in the second round of the Class AAAAAAA playoffs Friday in Powder Springs.
Second-ranked McEachern (12-0) advanced to the quarterfinals for the fifth time in seven seasons. The Indians will be at home next Friday against fifth-ranked North Gwinnett, which advanced with a 60-10 victory over Walton. McEachern and North Gwinnett last met in the 2017 semifinals, when the Bulldogs won 38-17 on the way to the Class AAAAAAA championship.
McEachern took a 6-0 lead on Simmons’ first touchdown run, a 2-yarder with 5:15 to play in the first quarter, then established firm control with two touchdowns in the final 3:14 of the quarter.
On North Forsyth’s next possession, Raiders quarterback Brady Meitz was sacked by Justin Akomah for an 8-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 play, giving the Indians the ball at the North Forsyth 24. McEachern quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson scored on the next play for a 13-0 lead. The Indians made it 20-0 when Jamari Bellamy intercepted a pass and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first quarter.
“It’s like a snowball,” McEachern coach Franklin Stephens said. “You know, you’ve got to have some momentum. Football is a game of ups and downs and momentum.”
North Forsyth’s only first-half touchdown came on a 31-yard interception by Miles Hartsfield midway through the second quarter, but Simmons answered with his second touchdown, a 58-yard run with 3:30 to play in the half that gave the Indians a 27-7 lead.
Simmons ran for 133 yards on 17 carries and had a two-point conversion run in addition to his touchdowns. He led a running game that finished with 201 yards on 33 carries. Del Rio-Wilson and Bryce Archie were a combined 6-of-11 passing for 43 yards and a touchdown.
North Forsyth (7-5) rallied last week from a 41-16 second-half deficit to beat Brookwood 44-41 for its first playoff victory since 2015. This week, however, the Raiders were unable to to get anything going offensively, much less mount a second consecutive comeback.
The Raiders finished with 165 yards of total offense, 52 of which came on their final possession of the game, a 15-play, penalty-aided drive that ended with Meitz’s 11-yard touchdown run with 1:34 remaining. North Forsyth had 66 yards rushing on 38 carries, and Meitz was 14-of-25 passing for 99 yards with two interceptions.
“I thought we did enough to win the football game,” Stephens said. “We made enough plays, whether it was offense or defense. I was glad to see our defense come out a get a score tonight. Unfortunately, offensively we decided to give them one. We’re still having those inconsistencies that we shouldn’t be having.”
North Forsyth - 0-7-0-7 - 14
McEachern - 20-7-8-7 - 42
First quarter
M - Jordon Simmons 2 run (run failed), 5:15
M - Carlos Del Rio-Wilson 24 run (Denzell Moore kick), 3:14
M - Jamari Bellamy 68 interception return (Moore kick), 0:16
Second quarter
N - Miles Hartsfield 31 interception return (Will Peltz kick), 6:45
M - Simmons 52 run (Moore kick), 3:30
Third quarter
M - Carlos Del Rio-Wilson 1 run (Simmons run), 1:46
Fourth quarter
M - Javon Baker 6 pass from Bryce Archie (Moore kick), 8:09
N - Brady Meitz 11 run (Peltz kick), 1:34
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