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PAGE 2B
^Reporter
November 21,2012
Preview
continued from the front
les with 94 while also inter
cepting three passes. Outside
linebackers Tre Davis and
Johnta Scandrett have also
picked up their play in recent
weeks. Davis has nine tackles
for a loss in 2012 while
Scandrett got his first two
sacks of the year in MP's 40-14
first-round win over Statesboro
on Friday.
Nelson said playing Cairo
will be a challenge, but he said
his MP team will give the
Syrupmakers their best shot.
"We're just gonna go play
whoever they tell us to play,
wherever they tell us to play
them," Nelson said of the play
offs. "We've had that one game
at a time mentality all year.
And we're just going to take it
again and go down and try to
play four quarters of football
and play with great energy
and effort and play with a lot
of desire and heart and all
those different words you want
to throw in there. And at the
end of 48 minutes, we'll just
see where we're at."
If MP beats Cairo, the
Bulldogs would face the win
ner of the second round
matchup between Ridgeland
and LaGrange. If Ridgeland
wins, MP would travel to
Ridgeland, which is located in
Rossville, on Friday, Nov. 30. If
LaGrange wins, MP would
host at Dan Pitts Stadium on
Friday, Nov. 30.
Dawgs control
title destiny
Georgia linebacker Jarvis
Jones wraps up former Cairo
star Johnathan Bryant during
the Bulldogs’ 45-14 victory
over the Eagles at Sanford
Stadium Saturday. If the Bull
dogs beat Georgia Tech and
Alabama in the next two
weeks, UGA could play for
the national title. (Photo/Kim
Holderfield)
MP
continued from the front
sneak for an MP touchdown.
Kenny Miller's extra point
gave MP a 7-6 lead with 3:53
left in the first quarter.
Things quickly got worse
for the visitors. Statesboro's
DiQuan Brunson fumbled
the ensuing kickoff, and MP's
Dee High recovered the loose
ball. MP's offense could not
capitalize on the miscue,
however, as the Blue Devils'
defense forced a punt.
Then, with 36 seconds left
in the first quarter, MP
began another long offensive
march. MP went on a 9-play,
74-yard touchdown drive,
aided by two key Statesboro
penalties, a block in the back
and a facemask. Davis ran
seven times for 49 yards on
the drive, but senior fullback
Terri Dewberry got the glory
at the end when he polished
off the drive with a two-yard
touchdown run on third-and-
goal. Kenny Miller's extra
point was good, and the
Bulldogs grabbed a 14-6
advantage with 9:38 left in
the second quarter.
MP's next offensive series
ended with a critical mis
take. Banks completed a
short pass to Dewberry, who
ran about 10 yards after the
catch up to midfield, where
he was blasted by Statesboro
safety Tim Key. The ball
popped loose from the nor
mally reliable Dewberry's
grasp, and the Blue Devils'
Jacob Schofield recovered the
fumble.
Once again, MP's defense
was up to the challenge,
however. MP linebacker Tre
Davis made a key third-down
tackle in the open field to
force another Statesboro
punt. Davis' stop was the
Blue Devils' last good chance
to grab control of the game.
MP took possession with 5:52
left in the second quarter,
and the Blue Devils would
not see the ball again until
the third quarter was nearly
halfway over.
Davis went back to work on
MP's next series, rushing
three times for 16 yards to
open the drive. Banks then
connected on three of his
next four passes for a com
bined 34 yards. MP's drive
eventually stalled at the
Statesboro 6-yard-line, but
Miller knocked through a 23-
yard field goal as time
expired to give MP a 17-6
halftime lead.
Smelling blood, the
Bulldogs' offense went right
back to work to open the sec
ond half. Davis once again
set the tone, rushing twice
for a total of 11 yards to start
the drive. Later in the series,
Davis got involved in the
passing game, catching a 15-
yard pass from Banks to set
up 4th-and-1 at the Blue
Devils' 20-yard-line. This
time, the Statesboro defense
stood firm, as Key once again
blasted Dewberry for no
gain.
However, Statesboro's fun
was short-lived. On the
fourth play of the Blue
Devils' ensuing series, things
turned permanently in MP's
direction. In a bizarre
sequence emblematic of MP's
dominance Friday,
Statesboro quarterback Colin
Chance dropped a center
snap on third-and-six.
Several MP defenders dove
for the loose ball, but some
how Statesboro offensive
lineman Quazie Murphy
came out of the scrum with
the football. Murphy, who
was over 275 pounds, had
only one defender to beat to
get to the first down marker.
Unfortunately for Murphy,
that defender was Ralls, who
stripped the ball away from
the lineman, picked it up and
sprinted 37 yards to daylight
for a most-unlikely MP
touchdown. Miller's extra
point gave the Bulldogs a 24-
6 lead with 5:22 left in the
third quarter.
Ralls said he started the
play about 15 yards from the
line of scrimmage but broke
toward the ball as soon as he
saw Chance drop the snap.
Ralls said, "I saw it fum
bled, and I saw the lineman
pick it up. I knew I couldn't
tackle him that good, so I
just tried to strip it."
Nelson said it was just
another example of Ralls
making a critical play for his
team.
"He gives you a headache
sometimes. You're like, 'Oh
no, don't do that. Yeah!"'
Nelson said of Ralls. "I
thought we we were going to
get the fumble, and then I
saw that big lineman come
out of there, and I'm looking
over here, and we really
don't have anyone here. It's
kind of like he just came out
of nowhere and got it. But
he's got a knack for those
magical plays or the big play.
He's just got a knack for it. I
don't know what it is. It's not
really coaching. It's him
making plays."
Statesboro's rushing attack
finally got going on its next
drive. Led by talented senior
running back DeQuan
Daniels, the Blue Devils
embarked on a 13-play, 61-
yard scoring drive. Daniels
capped the drive with a one-
yard touchdown dive and
then ran for a two-point con
version to cut MP's lead to
24-14. Unfortunately for the
Blue Devils, the touchdown
drive ate up more than five-
and-a-half minutes of much-
needed clock.
Seeing momentum shifting
back Statesboro's way, Ralls
and MP snatched it right
back. Ralls returned the
ensuing kickoff 66 yards,
breaking away from a Blue
Devils defender at midfield
who had grabbed his jersey.
Once again Davis did most of
the work on MP's next series,
but it was Dewberry who got
the touchdown. Starting at
Statesboro's 30-yard-line,
Davis accounted for MP's
first 27 yards of the series
before Dewberry ran straight
up the middle for a three-
yard touchdown run with
7:02 left in the fourth quar
ter to put MP up 31-14.
MP's Tra Taylor picked off
Chance on Statesboro's next
drive and returned it 32
yards to the Blue Devils' 20-
yard-line. Miller made anoth
er field goal, this one from 21
yards for a 34-14 MP advan
tage. Statesboro's final
chance to score was thwarted
several minutes later when
MP linebacker Johnta
Scandret blindsided Chance
on fourth down for the MP
sack. MP's Demario Webb
tacked on MP's last touch
down three plays later on an
11-yard run to give MP the
40-14 final advantage.
Davis led MP with 168
yards on 29 carries while
also catching two passes for
31 yards. Davis had been
limited to just 36 combined
carries in the last four games
of the regular season after he
suffered an ankle sprain on
Oct. 19. Nelson said he told
Davis on the Monday before
the Statesboro game that his
practice repetitions would no
longer be limited by the
ankle, and the MP star sub
sequently practiced all week.
Davis said his ankle was
only "about 98 percent"
Friday, but he had no choice
but to tough it out because it
was the playoffs.
"I was excited about coming
back full time," Davis said. "I
was just feeling it."
Dewberry rushed for 24
yards and two touchdowns
on seven carries to aid the
MP running game. Banks
passed for 120 yards on 9 of
14 passes. Senior Macey
Zellner led MP in receiving
with 37 yards on three recep
tions.
Statesboro's rushing attack
was paced by Daniels, who
had 74 yards and a touch
down on 14 carries. MP's
defense, led by Scandret,
who had two sacks, and
Quen Shannon, who had 10
tackles, limited Chance to
just 24 yards passing on 4 of
10 attempts, including an
interception.
Even though it was
Nelson's first playoff win, he
only wanted to talk about his
players after the game.
"I'm just real proud for
these kids," Nelson said. "I'm
real excited for them because
we ask these kids to do so
much. And they commit so
much of their time and ener
gy and effort to us. It's a good
reward for them to be able to
do this. I really don't look at
it as anything on me. I'm just
happy for these kids that
they get this opportunity."
ADVERTISEMENT
Monroe County Reporter
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SURVEY
Uranium and Radon in Monroe County, Georgia
Please contact the Georgia Department of Public Health, Chemical Hazards Program at
404-657-6534 if you have questions or health concerns about uranium and/or radon.
ATLANTA (GA) - The Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), Chemical Hazards Program, is encouraging
residents living in Juliette io complete a community environmental health survey. In fall 2011, GDPH received sampling
data results showing elevated levels of naturally-occurring uranium in well water and radon in homes in Monroe County,
Georgia In response, GDPH is working with residents to help address their environmental and health concerns about
exposure to uranium and radon. The survey deadline is December 15, 2012.
The survey consists of a 5-page questionnaire that asks about health and environmental concerns, uranium and radon
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Reports created from the survey results will not contain any personal identifiers such as name or address.
These reports will contain grouped information only. Your information will not be shared.
Residents can obtain a survey online at www.dph.cta.Qov/survev, or by calling Pamela Noah at 404-657-6534. Surveys
are also available at the Monroe County Cooperative Extension and the Rum Creek Store, 8703 Hwy,87. Individuals can
return completed surveys to GDPH by mail or fax as indicated on the survey.
For more information on this or any other public health program, please contact:
Pamela Noah
Public Health Program Consultant
Chemical Hazards Program
Georgia Department of Public Health
404-657-6534
Thank you for your participation!