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-| g November 16, 2016
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The best
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County sports
MP advances to Round 2 with blowout win
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BY RICHARD DUMAS
forsyth@mymcr. net
The Mary Persons Bulldogs
walloped North Clayton 45-12
in the first round of the AAAA
state playoffs on Friday to ensure
another home game at Dan Pitts
Stadium.
The Bulldogs, ranked No. 7 in
AAAA by the Atlanta Joumal-
Constitution, will host Heritage
(Ringgold), a first-time playoff
participant, in the second round of
the state playoffs at 7:30 p.m. this
Friday.
MP, which enters the second
round on a season-best, six-game
winning streak, opened the play
offs with a bang on Friday, scoring
six touchdowns in the first half
alone en route to a 45-0 halftime
lead. MP sophomore running
back Quen Wilson received a rare
start, and showed why MP head
coach Brian Nelson had faith in
him, rushing for a career-high
220 yards and a touchdown on 14
first-half carries.
In all, MP outgained North
Clayton 441 to 14 in total yardage
in the first half. As MP rested its
starters in the second half, the
Eagles dominated the final two
periods, outgaining MP 162 to -6
after halftime. The second half
was played with
in front. 21-0 with 11:53 left, before
halftime.
Moments later, a failed North
Clayton fake punt, gave MP
excellent, field position at. its own
47-yard-line. On MP’s first, play
from scrimmage, Speir hooked up
with Roger Akins deep down the
left, sideline for a 40-yard gain. On
the very next, play, Speir again
found Akins, this time on a tunnel
screen. Akins maneuvered behind
his blockers on the left, side and
scampered into the end zone for a
13-yard score with 9:43 left in the
second quarter. Davis’ extra point,
gave MP a commanding 28-0 lead
and the rout was on.
North Clayton quarterback
Keelin Lee tried to get. something
going on the Eagles’ next, series,
but. his deep pass attempt, down
the right, sideline was picked off
by MP’s Tyricus Danielly. The
Bulldogs then drove 70 yards on
seven plays, taking more than
three minutes off the clock, en
route to yet. another score. The
biggest, play on the series was
a 29-yard strike from Speir to a
wide-open Bryan Hunter. Five
plays later, Sims, fined up in the
backfield, ran a draw play to the
left for a 24-yard touchdown with
6:14 remaining in the second
WELLS
FARGO
a running clock
thanks to the
GHSA mercy
rule.
Despite the
33-point, win,
MP played
sloppy at. times,
turning the ball
over five times.
The game would
have been even
further out. of
hand at. the half
had Wilson not
fumbled into
the end zone for
a touchback in
the first, quarter.
MP quarterback
Caleb Speir also
threw a first-
half, red-zone interception.
MP received the ball
to start, the game, and it.
took just, four plays for
the Bulldogs to score first..
Wilson rushed for a com
bined 61 yards and three
first, downs on three carries
to advance the ball to the
six-yard-fine. From there,
senior Zach Harvey finished
off the drive with a six-yard
scoring run as he waltzed
through a gaping hole on
the right, side with 10:35 left,
in the first, quarter. Dawson
Daniel’s extra point, gave
MP a quick 7-0 lead.
MP senior defensive end
Malik Herring then set. the
defensive tone on North
Clayton’s first, offensive play,
stuffing Eagles’ running
back Jaiquan Earls for a
three-yard loss on the first,
play. North Clayton would
eventually punt, after a
t.hree-and-out.. and MP wast
ed little time adding to its
lead. The Bulldogs drove 72
yards on five plays, capped
by a 43-yard touchdown toss
from Speir to Jatori Sims,
who was running wide open
deep down the left. seam.
James Davis’ extra point, put.
MP in front. 14-0 with 7:26
left, in the first, quarter.
North Clayton’s ensu
ing drive reached midfield,
but. the Eagles were sty
mied by a 23-yard-loss on
a bad snap, cleaned up
by MP senior linebacker
Vic Henderson. MP had a
chance to add to its advan
tage moments later, but.
Wilson fumbled on the
one-yard-fine into the end
zone for a touchback after a
52-yard dash.
After yet. another North
Clayton punt, MP’s offense
started at. midfield with
1:34 left, in the first, quar
ter. Harvey rushed three
straight, times for a com
bined 28 yards. Wilson then
added two more rushes for
15 total yards to advance
to the Eagles’ seven-yard-
fine. Speir then handed off
to slot, receiver Jatori Sims
on a reverse headed right..
The speedy Sims crossed
the goal fine untouched for a
seven-yard score on the first,
play of the second period.
Daniel’s extra point, put. MP
lIPCu
sssaeg
cr v mr7 ( ; i 1 f v i • • f
Sophomore tailback
Quen Wilson • No. 27
| had 220 rushing yards
and a TD in a 45-12 win
quarter. Daniel’s extra
point, gave MP a 35-0 lead.
North Clayton’s next,
major miscue came
moments later when punter
Yaya Diaby dropped a
long snap and was forced
to fall on the fumble at. the
Eagles’ own eight.-yard-
fine. However, the Eagles’
defense rose to the occasion
as Isaiah Bell intercepted
a Speir fade intended for
Deadrek Alford in the back
right, comer of the end zone.
But. North Clayton’s glory
was short-lived. Three
plays later, MP’s Danielly
returned the favor, pick
ing off a high throw by
reserve quarterback Deon
Aexander and returning
the interception down to
the North Clayton 19-yard-
fine. Aexander entered in
the second quarter after
the starter Lee was injured
on a hard hit. along the
North Clayton sideline.
MP’s drive stalled thanks
to a bad center snap on 3rd-
and-1. However, MP still
got. additional points on the
scoreboard because junior
kicker Aex Rivera blasted
a 36-yard field goal
straight down the
middle with 56 sec
onds left, in the second
quarter.
But. the Bulldogs
still weren’t, done in
the first, half. Two
plays later, senior cor-
nerback Trayon King
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Mary Persons senior cornerback Trayon King intercepted this pass from
North Clayton’s Deon Alexander that led to MP’s final touchdown of the
first half, a 70-yard run by Quen Wilson. (Photo/Kim Holderfield)
intercepted an Aexander
pass and gave MP the ball
once again with 35 seconds
left, in the first, half. After a
four-yard mn on first, down,
MP offensive coordinator
Jason Morrow instructed
Speir to hand off to Wilson
one more time to end the
half. This time, Wilson
unexpectedly slashed
through a hole up the mid
dle, and his blazing speed was too
much for a tired Eagles’ defense.
Wilson exploded all the way to the
end zone for a most, unlikely half
ending 70-yard touchdown. Davis’
third extra point, of the first, half
put. MP in front. 45-0 at. halftime.
Wilson said he was just, trying to
get. five or six yards and mn out.
the clock when a big hole devel
oped on the left, side of the fine.
Nelson said of Wilson’s mn:
“I didn’t, expect, to do that.. But.
Quen’s got. the ability to do that,
when he touches the ball. And he
did it. a couple of times tonight.. I
thought, he ran the ball well, and
the offensive fine blocked pretty
good.”
With MP’s starters standing on
the sideline throughout, a mean
ingless second half, the Bulldogs
faltered on both sides of the ball.
see BULLDOGS page 2B
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