SPORTS
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Saturday, November 10, 2018 3B
BUFORD
■ Continued from 1B
AUSTIN STEELE I The Times
Miller Grove’s Jamaal Roach gets sacked by Buford’s Jackson Powell during
Friday’s state playoff game at Tom Riden Stadium in Buford.
But an injury to the Wolverines’
starting quarterback Phillip Russell
early in the second quarter and the
entrance of backup Jamaal Roach
seemed to jump start Miller Grove’s
stagnant offense, and the defense
answered the call as the game started
to slip away from the visiting team.
Roach completed a 40-yard pass
on his first attempt, and Miller Grove
held the ball for 10:26 over the second
12-minute frame, forcing a pair of
takeaways and preventing the Wolves
from building on their 21-point lead
before the halftime break.
“We’ve just got to execute a little
better on both sides of the ball in those
times,” Ford said.
Despite dominating the time of
possession in the second quarter, the
Wolverines failed to get on the score-
board, failing to put up points after
driving inside the 20-yard line on a
pair of occasions. Buford’s lead head
ing into the break remained 21-0.
The Wolves turned the heat back on
to start the second half, opening the
third quarter with a 10-play drive that
ate up nearly five minutes of the clock
and ended with a 23-yard touchdown
run from Singleton.
After forcing a three-and-out on the
Miller Grove’s first second-half pos
session, Buford kept the foot on the
gas, grinding out the entire rest of the
third quarter and getting Singleton in
again, this time from 5 yards out.
“You’ve got to learn how to step
on the throat at the start of the half,”
Singleton said. “I feel like the more
we keep focusing on it, the more we’re
going to execute on it.”
The 35-point lead to open the fourth
quarter was enough for the Wolves
to comfortably ride out the rest of
the clock.
A pair of late touchdowns — pro
duced by a 94-yard pass from Roach
and a 6-yard strike on the final play
of the game — were not enough to
get Miller Grove back in the game,
as Buford cruised to the first-round
victory.
With the win, the Wolves will take
on Kell in the second round of the
Class 5A tournament.
“I’m really confident in the team
right now,” Singleton said. “I’m really
just worried about teaching the young
kids, making sure they’re on top of
what they need to do, but also keeping
up with what I need to do on film, in
meetings, practices. Everything that
goes into playing games day to day,
we’re all in for that.”
PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD
Gainesville falls in
first round of 6A state
playoffs to Creekside
Gionni Williams scored on a first-
half run for Gainesville in a 47-12 loss
to Creekside to open the Class 6A state
playoffs Friday in Fairburn.
With the loss, Gainesville’s season is
now finished with a 2-9 mark.
RIDGELAND 34, FLOWERY
BRANCH 14: Chase Dial-Watson
scored on a 3-yard run and Elijah
Gainey threw for a touchdown for the
Falcons in the first round of the Class
4A state playoffs Friday in Rossville.
With the loss, Flowery Branch’s sea
son is finished with an 8-3 mark.
Compiled by Bill Murphy
EAGLES
■ Continued from 1B
outplayed them and out-
physicaled them. And
when you do that, you win
games.”
George Walton broke
the scoreless tie minutes
into the game, though Riv
erside Military was quick
to answer back, and then
some.
Teasley put the Eagles on
the board on a 1-yard quar
terback run, and a missed
extra point cut it to 7-6 with
4:31 left in the first. Minutes
later, a Battles 61-yard scor
ing scamper put the Eagles
ahead, 13-7.
A 10-yard rushing score
put George Walton Acad
emy ahead a second time,
14-13 at the half.
But a Teasley 54-yard
touchdown strike to Jashod
Dabney and successful two-
point conversion gave Riv
erside Military the lead for
good.
Khalid Duke also con
verted a fourth-and 7 into a
26-yard run to help milk the
clock with under five min
utes left to play. A Michael
Madichie 36-yard field goal
stretched Riverside Mili
tary’s lead to 10 with 2:03
left.
Also for the Eagles,
Harry Kim led the defense
with 15 tackles.
Compiled by Sarah Woodall
NORTH
■ Continued from 1B
in all my years of
coaching, anything
that looms over the
top of you, the first
time you get that
win, it’s no longer
a monkey on your
back and it’s not
anything people talk
about anymore.
Once that’s away,
now it’s just a norm.
So moving forward,
we’re excited.”
North Hall (9-2)
scored in all four
quarters as it
racked up 41 unan
swered points and
outgained the triple-
option Warriors
team 338-108 in total
yards.
JT Fair (10 carries, 129
yards) scored three total
touchdowns to lead the Tro
jans. Meanwhile, quarter
back David Seavey (67 total
yards, interception) and
Daniel Jackson (68 yards,
touchdown) also found the
end zone as North
Hall accrued 317
yards on the ground.
On defense,
North Hall held
the Warriors to just
seven first downs
for the contest and
recorded three
takeaways, includ
ing interceptions
from Fair and Jack-
son and one fumble
recovery.
“We felt pretty
comfortable know
ing that for the next
two or three weeks
we’ll know what
we’ll see (in the
playoffs). We see
that as an opportunity.”
Compiled by Sarah Woodall
Fair
State scores
Class A private schools
First Round
Aquinas 30, Stratford 14
Brookstone 28, Christian Heritage 7
Hebron Christian Academy 20, Mt. Paran
Christian 10
Holy Innocents’ 44, Mount de Sales 21
Mount Vernon 41, Savannah Country Day 28
Riverside Military Academy 24, George
Walton 14
Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg 52, Whitefield
Academy 7
Wesleyan 10, Tattnall Square 8
Class A Public
First Round
Chattahoochee County 22, Macon County 12
Commerce 42, Seminole County 6
Emanuel County Institute 42, Manchester 20
Miller County 13, Turner County 6
Trion 20, Wilcox County 19
Class AA
First Round
Bremen 40, Union County 10
Brooks County 47, Screven County 0
Callaway 27, Elbert County 14
Douglass 34, Pepperell 0
Dublin 49, Toombs County 14
Fitzgerald 51, Harlem 14
Hapeville 32, Coosa 10
Heard County 63, Monticello 22
Jefferson County 28, Early County 21
Rabun County 65, Spencer 0
Rockmart 55, South Atlanta 0
Thomasville 42, Hephzibah 7
Washington County 31, Vidalia 25
GHSA Class AAA
First Round
Benedictine Military 45, Tattnall County 0
Calhoun 55, Fannin County 17
Cedar Grove 49, Hart County 0
Dawson County 44, Haralson County 22
Greater Atlanta Christian 49, North Murray 17
Jenkins 29, Appling County 22
Lovett 40, Morgan County 7
Monroe Area 38, Pace Academy 22
North Hall 41, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 6
Peach County 48, Ringgold 7
Pierce County 49, Windsor Forest 21
Pike County 9, Crisp County 3,0T
Westminster 35, Jefferson 7
Westside-Macon 32, Cook 18
GHSA Class AAAA
First Round
Baldwin 39, Perry 22
Blessed Trinity 55, Northwest Whitfield 16
Burke County 28, Howard 22
Cairo 44, Henry County 0
Cartersville 34, Stephens County 7
Columbus 35, Salem 32
Eastside 41, Hardaway 23
Marist 61, Heritage-Catoosa 20
Mary Persons 59, Richmond Academy 0
North Oconee 27, Sandy Creek 8
Pickens 42, White County 0
Ridgeland 34, Flowery Branch 14
GHSA Class AAAAA
First Round
Buford 35, Miller Grove 13
Cedar Shoals 41, Lithonia 0
Dutchtown 35, Harris County 0
East Paulding 28, Banneker 26
Kell 48, Carver-Atlanta 8
New Hampstead 21, Starr’s Mill 10
Rome 62, Maynard Jackson 14
Stockbridge 20, Veterans 14
Ware County 35, Riverdale 7
Warner Robins 27, Locust Grove 0
Wayne County 17, Jonesboro 9
GHSA Class AAAAAA
First Round
Allatoona 38, Centennial 7
Bradwell Institute 28, Grovetown 21
Coffee 45, Stephenson 17
Creekside 47, Gainesville 12
Creekview 38, Pope 14
Dacula 28, Northgate 0
Effingham County 16, Lakeside-Evans 10
Glynn Academy 42, Evans 7
Habersham Central 35, Douglas County 0
Harrison 23, Johns Creek 20
Lanier 20, Mays 12
Northside-Warner Robins 43, Tucker 21
Richmond Hill 19, Greenbrier 14
Sequoyah 34, Alpharetta 30
GHSA Class AAAAAAA
First Round
Archer 56, Forsyth Central 0
Colquitt County 34, Etowah 5
East Coweta 28, Marietta 26
Grayson 38, South Forsyth 6
Hillgrove 21, Pebblebrook 7
Lowndes 54, Cherokee 14
McEachern 48, Newnan 21
Mill Creek 13, Brookwood 10, 0T
Milton 28, South Gwinnett 19
Norcross 30, Mountain View 23
North Gwinnett 49, Central Gwinnett 0
Parkview 42, Collins Hill 19
Tift County 42, Roswell 7
West Forsyth 35, Newton 3
Westlake 28, North Paulding 24
GICAA Class AAA
semifinal
Community Christian 45, Calvary Christian 20
GISA Class AA
First Round
Brentwood 41, Westwood 7
GISA Class AAA
First Round
Southland 35, Westfield 7
Valwood 35, Augusta Prep 12
Associated Press
TECH
■ Continued from 1B
Each team has been
alternating quarterbacks.
Miami coach Mark Richt
announced Thursday he
will start redshirt freshman
N’Kosi Perry over senior
Malik Rosier for the second
time this season.
“I think both Malik and
N’Kosi practiced well,”
Richt said. “I think both
competed well. We’re just
making the decision based
on what we think gives us
the best shot.”
Marshall, a senior, may
keep the starting job for
coach Paul Johnson. Oli
ver, a redshirt freshman,
has seen his playing time
increase, including in last
week’s 38-28 win at North
Carolina.
Marshall said he’s confi
dent Johnson “is going to put
the team in the best position
to win.”
“Ultimately that’s what
we’re all here for,” Marshall
said.
Here are some more
things to know about the
Miami-Georgia Tech game:
LOVING ATLANTA:
Richt is right at home when
facing off against Georgia
Tech.
He’s a perfect 14-0 as a
coach at Bobby Dodd Sta
dium, the Yellow Jackets’
home field. Florida State
was 5-0 there when Richt
was an assistant for the Sem-
inoles, Georgia was 8-0 there
when he was the Bulldogs’
head coach and Miami won
there in 2016. Richt was a
Miami player in 1978 when
the Hurricanes lost at Geor
gia Tech.
STRENGTH VS.
STRENGTH: Miami ranks
first in the ACC and second
in the nation in total defense,
allowing 264.7 yards per
game. Georgia Tech leads
the nation with its average
of 377 yards rushing per
game. Richt said it will be a
challenge for his defense to
contain the Yellow Jackets’
option attack.
“Playing against them,
for the last 10 years of my
career, it is tough on an
offense to be sitting there
waiting, waiting, waiting for
an opportunity, if it holds
true to form,” Richt said.
“But our defense has played
well against them in the past
and I have a lot of faith and
confidence in this week.”
GEORGIA
■ Continued from 1B
DYNAMIC DUO:
D’Andre Swift and Elijah
Holyfield are carrying on
Georgia’s tradition of elite
running backs.
After nagging injuries
slowed his production much
of the season, Swift is feeling
better than he has since his
dynamic freshman year. It
sure showed last week when
he ripped off 156 yards
and two touchdowns in last
week’s 34-17 victory over
Kentucky , clinching a sec
ond straight SEC East title
for the Bulldogs.
“I’m definitely getting
back to my old self,” Swift
said.
Holyfield rushed for
a career-best 115 yards
against the Wildcats and
leads the Bulldogs with 674
yards. Swift is right on his
heels (622 yards) and both
are averaging over 6 yards
per carry, giving Georgia
the SEC’s top-ranked rush
ing attack at 233.8 yards per
game.
RUNNING WOES: While
Georgia’s ground game is
humming, Auburn’s is a
mess.
Four players have taken
a shot as the No. 1 running
back and the line has been
shaky all season. The Tigers
are coming off their worst
showing of the season, gain
ing just 19 yards rushing in
the victory over Texas A&M.
Malzahn said he can’t
afford to abandon the run
ning game against Georgia.
“The more talented teams
that you play, the more
important it is to be bal
anced,” he said.
Malzahn thought youth
was issue early in the season.
Not anymore.
“We’re getting to a point
now where we need to be
more effective,” the coach
said. “That’s our chal
lenge, whether it’s getting
a little more creative in the
run game or doing things
a little bit different or not
doing some of the things as
much. All those things are on
deck ”
CHANGE OF PACE: Jake
Fromm is unquestionably
Georgia’s top quarterback,
but freshman Justin Fields
has provided an effective
weapon off the bench.
Fields is more of a dual
threat than Fromm, which
forces opposing defenses to
worry more about contain
ment than teeing off when
the youngster’s on the field.
He rushed for 26 yards on
six carries against Ken
tucky, which also helped to
open up things for Swift and
Holyfield.
“Justin brings a different
element to the game,” Swift
said. “He can pass. He can
run. The defense is aware
of that. The ends need to
stay on their jobs. If they
don’t respect it, Justin’s just
going to run, so they’ve got to
respect it.”
THE BIG SHORT: Geor
gia is still trying to sort out
its struggles in short-yard-
age situations. The Bulldogs
were a bit more effective
in the win over Kentucky,
but the issue reared its
head again when they were
stuffed for no gain on a pair
of third-and-1 situations and
a false-start penalty ruined a
fourth-and-goal at the 1.
“We worked really hard
on it last week and that’s
probably the most frustrat
ing thing is that we didn’t
overcome the obstacles
we had previously,” coach
Kirby Smart said.
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