Blessed Trinity’s Ed Dudley is admittedly an old-school coach. He harkens back to the days when a stout defense and a good kicking game were two of the priorities needed to field a championship program. He still believes that, which is why the Titans should be competitive and in contention again this season.
“We’re a work in progress,” Dudley said. “I knew we could lean on our defense and we’ve done that. Our passing game is ahead of our running game and I feel good about it. Being good in the kicking game and good on defense, that’s the philosophy and we’re old-school enough to ride them.”
No. 7 Blessed Trinity (2-0) has shown off its good defense the first two weeks – a 24-0 win over rival St. Pius and a 45-7 romp over Holy Innocents’. The challenge will ramp up a bit this week when the Titans play at Prince Avenue Christian, which annually fields one of the state’s best passing attacks.
“It’s a different challenge,” Dudley said. “They have a very mobile quarterback and play a different style.”
Prince Avenue, the No. 3-ranked Private team, is the first in a line of difficult opponents that Dudley scheduled. After an off week, BT will play Class 5A No. 1 Milton, at No. 2 Private Hebron Christian and No. 1 Private Savannah Christian before starting a loaded Region 6-4A schedule. The five teams in their region have a combined 9-1 record after two weeks of competition.
The Blessed Trinity defense is led by inside linebackers Adrian Forbes and Lucas Smalls-Allen and freshman nose guard Dawson Smith (6-3, 235). Sophomore D.J. Jacobs (6-4, 215) has been a playmaker from his outside linebacker spot.
The safety spots, an area of uncertainty prior to the season, has been solidified by the play of Reginald “Deuce” Johnson, Caden Dawson and Ryder Register. Cornerback Marcelous Townsend has committed to Boston College.
The offense is guided by dual-threat quarterback Blake Goodman, a three-year starter. Goodman has thrown for more than 1,500 yards in each of the last two seasons and had 159 yards and two touchdowns against Holy Innocents’.
Junior Ahmontae Pitts is the top running back; he ran for 170 yards against St. Pius. Freshman M.J. Craft is the heir apparent.
The offensive line was a question mark when the season began, but has played well. Center Henry Harrington (6-1, 315) is the leader of the group.
“Our line play has improved,” Dudley said. “It still needs to get better, especially in the run game.”
Kicker Noah Goddard is healthy after having knee surgery in May. Goddard was named to the preseason all-state team by multiple outlets.
Creekside back in national spotlight: Creekside (0-1) remains unafraid to play great competition. Last year the Seminoles flew to California to play No. 1-ranked Mater Dei and this year they’re winging to Texas to play defending Texas state champion Desoto, ranked No. 5 nationally by MaxPreps.
“We’re always looking for games,” Creekside coach Maurice Dixon said. “We want to play teams that will help us get better and help us toward our goal of winning a state championship.”
Here are five other games to watch in Week 3:
Marist at Woodward Academy: No, 1 Marist (1-0) returns after an off week to play Class 5A No. 10 Woodward Academy (0-2) in a match between a pair of private schools that have been mixing it up since 1922. Marist had last week off and Woodward lost a tough 17-14 decision at Class 6A No. 10 Collins Hill. Marist leads the series 29-25-2 and won 17-10 in 2023.
Northside vs. Warner Robins: Expect another capacity crowd at McConnell-Talbert Stadium for the annual battle between these two intense rivals. Warner Robins (1-1) got back on track by beating Fayette County 42-7 with defensive end Isaiah Gibson getting five tackles and a sack to lead the defense. Northside (2-0) remained undefeated by defeating Baldwin 13-12. Warner Robins leads the series 41-25 and the Demons have won the last seven meetings, including 39-35 in 2023. The game will be live streamed on GPB.org.
Houston County at Perry: This is another big rivalry game with Houston Country bragging rights at stake. No. 2 Perry, which won the Class 4A championship in 2023, is off to a 2-0 start after its 49-39 win over Peach County. Perry running back Ahmad Gordon has rushed for 303 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Cullen McDaniel has rushed for 301 yards and four touchdowns, Class 5A No. 9 Houston County (2-0) is coming off a 44-34 win over Effingham County. Houston County holds a 7-5 lead in the series and has won four of the last five meetings, including 42-35 last year.
Central Carroll at Hiram: Two West Georgia area teams will try to bounce back from defeat when they meet in this non-region contest. Central (1-1) lost a shootout to Oxford, Ala., 56-46, as Oxford quarterback Mason Mims threw for 442 yards. Central’s J.R. Harris threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns and Jonaz Walton ran for 95 yards and one score. Nate Horsley had 12 tackles and caused a fumble. Hiram was beaten 38-21 by No. 10 Eastside. The Hornets feature quarterback Ethan Latimore, who threw for 320 yards in the opener, and Kaden Hamilton, who ran for 173 in the opener.
Mays at Douglass at Lakewood Stadium (Saturday): Only five miles separate these two Atlanta Public School representatives, so expect a big crowd to show up for this Saturday spotlight game. Both teams are coming off losses. Mays (1-1) ran into a buzzsaw and lost 52-16 to Hughes. Douglass (1-1) lost 23-7 to Westlake. Douglass leads the series 14-12 and won 21-18 last year to end a five-game streak for Mays.
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