Southwest DeKalb quarterback Justin Tomlin threw for 187 first-half yards – all in the final 13:30 of the half – to set the pace for the Panthers early in a 30-7 win over Dunwoody.
The Panthers (3-4, 2-1 Region 6-AAAAA) showed little reason to think they’d open up into a pass-happy offense early, running on 6 of 8 plays in their first drive, with the only two passes falling incomplete. They eventually punted after two first downs.
But, following a false start penalty and another moderately successful run, Tomlin found Javeon Cody on a wheel route down the right side with a perfectly thrown ball, and Cody went the rest of the way untouched for a 56-yard score to make it 7-0.
That ignited an offense that was shut out last week against Miller Grove, and had only scored 20 points once this season. In this game, they scored more points in the first half than they had in any full game.
That was largely thanks to the arm of Tomlin, who went 9 of 10 for 187 yards and 3 TDs between that first 56-yard score and the end of the half.
His other touchdowns went for 25 and 34 yards, the last one coming on another perfect strike to Matthew Wray with 3.9 seconds left to give the Panthers a 30-0 lead.
Tomlin finished 13 of 18 for 262 yards and 3 TDs. He completed 11 consecutive passes during a streak that spanned the second and third quarters.
“He’s a special player,” Southwest DeKalb coach Michael Tanks said, of Tomlin. “We said this last year – he can make all the throws, and he can control the ball game. We’re very lucky to have that young man on our football team.”
While the Southwest DeKalb aerial attack was taking shape, the Panthers defense was also putting its stamp on the game.
After the Wildcats (2-5, 0-3) used a balanced attack to put together a 13-play, 59-yard drive to the Southwest DeKalb 25-yard line to open the game, they stalled and missed the 42-yard field goal that would have given them the lead.
It would be their only scoring opportunity of the half.
Following that drive, Dunwoody had more turnovers (2) than first downs (1) in the first half, with the first turnover being an interception that Francisco Hunter returned for a touchdown that gave the Panthers a 15-0 lead.
“We made a few adjustments,” Tanks said. “We had our defensive ends taking the dive back. But we took our defensive ends off the dive back and put them on the quarterback.”
The Wildcats finished the half with 80 total yards – 21 on their final six possessions. The Panthers had 232 yards to go with their 30 first-half points.
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