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PAGE 4B
BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
APALACHEE FOOTBALL 2011
2011 Schedule/Results
Aug. 26
Habersham Central
L 35-38
Sept. 2
OPEN
Sept. 9
Floweiy Branch
L 20-42
Sept. 16
@ Salem
L7-14
Sept. 23
@ Heritage
L17-22
Sept. 30
Madison County
W45-9
Oct. 7
@ Rockdale County
W 34-21
Oct. 14
Clarke Central
L 28-37
Oct. 21
Cedar Shoals
W 28-13
Oct. 28
Winder-Barrow
7:30 p.m.
Nov. 4
Loganville
7:30 p.m.
All games are Region 8-AAAA contests
Region 8-AAAA Roundup
Flowery Branch
8-0
8-0
Heritage
8-1
8-1
Clarke Central
7-1
7-1
Habersham Central
4-4
4-4
Loganville
4-4
4-4
Salem
4-4
4-4
Apalachee
3-5
3-5
Cedar Shoals
3-3
3-3
Madison County
2-6
2-6
Rockdale County
1-7
1-7
Winder-Barrow
0-8
0-8
LAST WEEK’S SCORES
Apalachee 28, Cedar Shoals 13
Flowery Branch 49, Loganville 21
Clarke Central 55, Madison Co. 20
Heritage 45, Habersham Central 42
Salem 42, Winder-Barrow 7
THIS WEEK’S REGION GAMES
Apalachee @ Winder-Barrow; Salem
@ Flowery Branch; date Central
@ Rockdale County; Cedar Shoals
@ Madison County; Habersham
Central @ Loganville; Heritage is off
CLASS AAAA TOP 10
1. Tucker
(8-0)
2. Noithside Warner Robins
(8-0)
3. Flowery Branch
(84))
4. Statesboro
(84))
5. Ware County
(7-1)
6.Marist
(7-1)
7. Lovejoy
(84))
8. Noithgate
(84))
9. Warner Robins
m
10. East Paulding
(7-1)
The Class AAAA Top 10 poll which will
be used each week in the Barrow Journal
is compiled by Georgia High School
Football Daily. Tire poll is conducted by
Chip Save and Todd Holcomb, regarded as
the leading high school footballjournalists
in the state. Teams in bold are members cf
Region 8-AAAAc
Gut check: Wildcats defeat Cedar Shoals
CLEARING THE WAY
Aplachee High School offensive linemen Chris Guthrie (54) and Josh Doman (51) help the Wildcats on their
way to a key region victory Friday against Cedar Shoals. The 28-13 win keeps Apalachee’s playoff hopes
alive for the 2011 season. Photo by Jessica Brown
By Chris Bridges
cbridges @ barrow journal, com
T he Apalachee High School
football team has gotten hot
at a critical time.
The Wildats notched their third
Region 8-AAAA victory defeating
Cedar Shoals 28-13 on Homecoming.
The win keeps Apalachee's playoff
hopes alive, although the Wildcats
will need some help to claim the
No. 4 seed.
“During the last five weeks, I am
extremely proud of how we have
fought,” AHS coach Shane Davis
said. “We are 3-1 in our last four
games and we are play
ing extremely hard. Cedar Shoals
Even going back to the
Heritage game, we had
a chance to win.”
The win was espe
cially gratifying for the Wildcat
players and coaches since several
key players were out with injuries.
That caused some players to have
to step in and compete for the first
time on the varsity level.
“The players have never stopped
working, never stopped believing
and never given up on the season,”
Davis said. “As a coach, that makes
you awfully proud. We have always
tried to take things one game at a
time and not get too high or too low
emotionally. We had a few games
get away from us early that we had
some chances to win. However, we
are continuing to battle and are still
alive for the playoffs, even though
we would need some help.”
Last Friday, Stanley Williams led
the AHS offense with 135 yards on
the ground, most of which came
in the first half. Quarterback Clint
Ashe also had a big night with 138
yards through the air. Ashe con
nected with Jermaine Smith with
all eight of his completions and a
touchdown.
“Cedar Shoals is a very good
defensive team,” Ashe said after
the game. “It was a very physical
game.”
Apalachee took the opening
kickoff and matched 54 yards. A
nine-yard run by Williams put the
Wildcats up 7-0 following the point
after kick by Christian Vasquez
with 9:30 left in the first quarter.
Jody Mathis, who also had to step
in on the offensive side of the foot
ball at wingback, stopped Cedar's
first offensive series when he inter
cepted a fake punt attempt.
That would lead to a
60-yard drive by AHS
which was capped by a
14-yard run by Williams
with 4:15 left in the first
quarter.
With their backs against the wall,
the visiting Jaguars mounted a
79-yard drive in 12 plays which
ended on a 12-yard touchdown
pass from Darius Jordan to Chris
Middlebrooks with 3:53 left before
halftime.
However, the Wildcats would
answer with a key score just before
the second quarter ended as Ashe
called his own number, reaching the
endzone from four yards out. That
score would prove to be key and
make a difference in the outcome.
Vasquez added his third extra point
of the night and AHS took a 21-6
lead into the lockeroom.
The scoring drive right before
halftime showed effective clock
work by Davis and Wildcat offen
sive coordinator Joel Miller.
Cedar Shoals would pull to with
in 21-13 on its second series of
the second half on a 1-yard run by
Adrian Washington. The 130 yards
on 19 carries gained by Washington
STEPPING IN
Jody Mathis played a key role in
Apalachee’s win Friday.
Photo by Jessica Brown
led the Jaguars.
However, AHS would slam the
door on Cedar Shoals on a 60-yard
pass completion from Ashe to Smith
with 7:49 left.
“This was a good win,” said AHS
fullback Eric Tanner. “We knew
it would be a tough game and it
was.”
“To be able to get this win against
a team still fighting for a playoff
spot says a great deal,” Davis said.
“We came out and played well early
and then overcame some things
during the game. I am very proud
of how this team has bounced back.
It’s a long season and they will
always be ups and downs, but you
have to be able to battle through all
of it. We had some young players
grow up and show that they will be
capable of making more contribu
tions for us in the future.”
13
Apalachee 28
Several teams
remain in
playoff chase
While the scenarios are many
and several teams are involved,
the Apalachee High School
football team still has a chance
to make it into the playoffs.
Flowery Branch, Heritage
and Clarke Central are all but
certain to finish as the top three
(in some order.) That leaves
AHS, Habersham Central,
Salem, Loganville and Cedar
Shoals to battle for the final
spot.
Here's what AHS needs to
happen:
•The Wildcats need to win
their final two games against
Winder-Barrow High School
and Loganville.
•Loganville needs to defeat
Habersham Central this
Friday.
•Then, the favored teams
need to win the rest of their
games.
AHS
Notebook
That would create a sce
nario where AHS, Loganville,
Habersham and Cedar and
Salem were all 5-5 with no
team sweeping the rest. That
would likely cause a mini
game of some degree to be
played to determine the
No. 4 seed.
It could be wild and hectic
before all is said and done.
The first order of business for
the Wildcats is simple, how
ever: win the final two games,
which begins this week with
the Battle of Barrow matchup
atWBHS.
• ••
The AHS Wildcats had to
deal with numerous injuries
last week. Chris Chapman and
Zay Henry were both held out
due to concussions suffered in
the Clarke Central game.
Chapman said his injury
occured at the very end of the
contest. He said he hoped to
be back for the Winder-Barrow
High School game this week.
FJ Smith is out for the sea
son with a knee injury.
With Henry unable to play,
the AHS coaches moved Jody
Mathis to a wingback position.
Von Heard also saw time in the
offensive backfield.
Even the game’s leading
rusher, Stanley Williams, was
dinged up but while he was
limited in yardage in the sec
ond half, head coach Shane
Davis said he did not think it
was because of the injury.
• ••
Captains for the game were
Chris Guthrie, Chris Morris,
Clint Ashe and Cole Shook.
— compiled by
Chris Bridges
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