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Local teams seek trips to state quarterfinals

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Tonight, Sandy Creek, Starr’s Mill and Landmark Christian play in the second round of the state football playoffs against some formidable opponents. While Landmark and Sandy Creek get another home game, Starr’s Mill is taking a road trip to Kingsland, Ga. to take on the top ranked Camden County Wildcats.

Starr’s Mill (10-1) got off to a very slow start in last week’s game against Riverdale, but exploded for 24 points in the second half. Scoring for Starr’s Mill were Kyle McCreary with two touchdowns, Antonio Scott with one and Keegan Hanie with a field goal. Riverdale gained a lot of yards but couldn’t put enough points on the board, falling 24-6. Coach Mike Earwood credited Matt Johnson with having a tremendous game on defense with 10 individual tackles, 13 overall and a caused fumble. Earwood also cited good play from offensive lineman Tony Barr.

“The kids settled in better in the second half and the defense played with more intensity and focus,” said Earwood.

Now the Panthers will face Camden County (11-0), a team ranked eighth in USA Today’s Super 25. The Wildcats defeated Colquitt County 9-0 last week to advance to the second round of the AAAAA playoffs. They have posted six shutouts on the year and have outscored their opponents 454-56 this year. Among the players to watch for Camden County are running backs Brandon West and Darlon Spread and safety Willie White who had two interceptions last week.

Earwood feels confident about his team and their chances Friday night.

“We’re a decent team too,” said Earwood. “We’re an extra point away from being undefeated and we just have to continue to do what we do.”

The winner of this game will face the winner of Collins Hill and Cherokee.

Sandy Creek also got off to a slow start against Jones County last week, only generating seven points in the first half. The Patriots fared much better in the second half, as their running game got going and the defense contained nearly all of the Greyhounds drives. Scoring for Sandy Creek last week were Brent Brewer with two touchdowns and Reggie Ellington and Angelo Garibaldi with one each. Quarterback Josh Haney kept a number of important drives alive with big runs and key passes, while Jake Turing got some playing time at the helm as well. Sandy Creek’s defense played another tremendous game with Michael Lockett, Gerren Griffin and others playing extremely well.

Their opponent tonight is Griffin (10-1), which overcame a 28-14 halftime deficit to win 49-48 over Thomas County Central. Ahmad Mayo scored five touchdowns for the Bears and ran for 176 yards in the win. Griffin’s only loss was to Northside, Warner Robins 30-0 on Sept. 3. That loss was one of two matches where Griffin was held below 35 points scoring.

Landmark Christian (7-4) defeated Aquinas last week 20-12 to advance to the second round. It wasn’t easy as the War Eagles trailed 12-7 at the half, after committing four turnovers in the first half, two of which came in the Aquinas red zone. Quarterback Matt Moody threw for close to 200 yards in the first half and finally connected for a touchdown as time expired in the first half. Scoring for Landmark were Tyler Tidwell, Jimmy Edens and Tommy Kinney. Coach Kenny Dallas also cited good play from Miles King, who had five catches for close to 100 yards.

Their opponent this week is Bremen, which defeated Landmark 35-0 on Sept. 18.

“We’re excited to play them again,” said Dallas. “We’ve won six in a row and we’re not young and inexperienced anymore.” It will be a tough game as Bremen (10-1) has posted four shutouts this year and has outscored their opponents 408-83. In games against the same opponents both teams have 3-1 records, beating Eagle’s Landing Christian, Whitefield Academy and Our Lady of Mercy and losing to Bowdon.

All games tonight are scheduled to start at 7;30 p.m.