Sports
High school football notes
By Todd Holcomb
Nov 19, 2013Wide receivers took the spotlight during the first round of the state high school football playoffs, and they took it in record-setting stride.
In Lovejoy, junior Preston Williams caught seven passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns. He also intercepted a pass and made a touchdown-saving tackle. He returned a kickoff 37 yards to set up the game-winning touchdown — which he caught on a Hail Mary pass to beat Marietta 27-23.
In Jesup, Wayne County senior Krenwick Sanders caught six touchdown passes in a 49-34 victory over Monroe. They covered 60, 71, 20, 47 and 52 yards in the first half, 29 yards in the second.
And there were other top performers:
- Mundy's Mill RB Rodney Smith rushed for 348 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-13 victory against Houston County.
- Peachtree Ridge RB Jordan Ellis rushed for 263 yards and six touchdowns — 250 yards and five touchdowns in the first half — on 23 carries in a 59-20 victory against Lassiter.
- Ringgold QB Slade Dale rushed for 164 yards and passed for 220 and had a hand in seven touchdowns — four rushing, three passing — in a 55-54 victory over North Hall. It was Ringgold's first playoff victory.
- Banneker WR Quandarius Lee had 297 all-purpose yards on 15 touches and scored four touchdowns, three receiving and one rushing, in a 68-39 loss to Monroe Area. He completed a 36-yard pass.
- Blessed Trinity RB Chad Manthey rushed for 228 yards on 27 carries in a 41-14 victory over Jackson County.
- Brookwood RB Jesse Brown rushed for 239 yards and four touchdowns, three of more than 50 yards, in a 35-16 victory against Lambert.
- Carrollton DL Brandon Walton had two sacks for 14 yards in losses and returned an interception 31 yards in a 52-10 victory against Northwest Whitfield.
- Cedar Grove LB Bryson Allen-Williams made 23 tackles in a 22-14, four-overtime victory against Elbert County.
- Creekside RB Bricen Terry rushed for 187 yards and 22 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-14 victory against Lakeside-Evans.
- Heard County RB Duranta Dunson rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries and had 13 tackles in a 27-14 victory over Pepperell. Dunson has rushed for 1,730 yards on the season, 4,588 in his career.
- Hughes DE D'Andre Walker had 14 tackles, four for losses, two sacks and a forced fumble in a 34-20 victory over Valdosta. Teammate Keion Davis rushed for 202 yards and intercepted a pass.
- Lamar County RB/DB Lawrence Austin rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns on eight carries in a 58-15 victory over Metter. Austin also intercepted a pass and made four tackles.
- Lee County DB Nui Misajon had 2.5 sacks, two other tackles for losses, two pressures and a forced fumble in a 28-6 victory over Effingham County.
- Mays RB Randrecous Davis, making his first start in the backfield, rushed for 156 yards on 23 carries in a 14-10 victory against Clarke Central.
- North Hall RB Zac Little rushed for 267 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries in a 55-54 loss to Ringgold.
- Richmond Hill QB Nick Fitzgerald rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns and was 3-of-3 passing in a 13-7 victory against Thomas County Central.
- St. Pius RB/LB Dalton Wilson rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and had two sacks for 18 yards in losses in a 31-21 victory over Hart County.
- Thomasville RB Mario Cherry rushed for 252 yards and three touchdowns — two of more than 60 yards — on 16 carries in a 45-20 victory over Westside-Augusta.
- Ware County DB Zay Ealey had nine tackles and returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown in a 49-7 victory over Bainbridge.
- Westover RB Shannon Saunders rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in a 27-7 victory over Liberty County. DL Brenton Wimbley had six tackles and a sack, his 20th of the season, and Westover held Liberty County to 126 yards of offense.
- White County RB Dalton Whitfield rushed for 237 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries in a 52-28 victory against Adairsville.
