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Loganville playoff hopes take a hit with loss
Published November 1, 2009
CONYERS – Rockdale County clinched a spot in the state playoffs with a 31-28 win over Loganville on Friday at Reid Stadium.
The Bulldogs forced three Loganville turnovers, turning two of them into touchdowns and celebrated Senior Night with their fifth win of the season.
Loganville dropped to 5-4 in Region 8-AAAA and must beat Winder-Barrow and hope Salem loses to undefeated Apalachee in the regular season finale to earn the fourth and final spot in the postseason.
“You can’t expect to beat good football teams coughing up the football,” Loganville head coach Eric Godfree said. “I thought we played well on both sides of the ball. We moved the ball on offense and played good defense most of the night, but we just can’t make those mistakes like we did in the first half.”
Rockdale County coach Michael Etheridge was also proud of his team and Loganville.
“That was just a good football game between two good football teams,” Etheridge said. “We played hard and they played hard. Loganville did some things on defense they hadn’t done all season and it took us a while to adjust. I thought our kids realize played with composure.
“Now, we need to beat Monroe Area next week and go into the playoffs with some momentum.”
The two teams exchanged punts on each of their first offensive series, but the Red Devils were the first to blink.
Storm Johnson, who was held to 106 yards on 27 carries while still scoring three touchdowns, fumbled on his first carry of the night. Rockdale County’s Byron Lawrence recovered the ball at the Loganville 4-yard line.
Rashawn Binns carried for the TD on a first-down run to give the Dogs a 6-0 lead with 9 minutes, 55 seconds left in the opening period.
Brandon Story booted the extra point and Rockdale took a quick 7-0 lead.
The Devils came back strong after the ensuing kickoff, driving 80 yards in 11 plays to tie the game, 7-7. Johnson carried the final 2 yards for the score and Matt Flynn kicked the PAT with 2:39 left in the first period.
Rockdale County showed its team speed on the next series when Brandon Harris got behind the Loganville secondary and quarterback Isaiah Gresham hit him with a 61-yard TD pass with :55 left in the opening quarter. Story’s PAT gave the Bulldogs a 14-7 advantage.
Loganville put the ball in play at its 20-yard line on the next series. Johnson picked up 5 yards on first down, but coughed up the football on the next play and Jerry Mathis fell on it for the Bulldogs at the Loganville 7. Rockdale quickly turned the turnover into points when Gresham kept it on a quarterback sneak four plays later from the 1-yard line.
The conversion by Story put Rockdale County on top 21-7 with 10:29 left in the second quarter.
Evidently upset by his mistake, Johnson quickly atoned by returning the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. A low snap from center on the extra point try left the Devils trailing 21-13 with 10:16 to go in the first half.
The Bulldogs took a 24-13 lead into the dressing room at intermission on a 31-yard field goal by Story with 7:01 on the clock. A 60-yard run by Kyle Tippins on the second play of the drive was an important part of the scoring march.
Rockdale County took the ball to start the second half and was forced to punt after picking up one first down. The high snap forced Darius Luka to run on the play. Luka fumbled and Jonathan Cantrell recovered for Loganville at the Rockdale County 35-yard line.
The Red Devils quickly punched it into the end zone in seven plays. Quarterback A.J. Schmidt scored on a 1-yard run with 6:21 remaining in the third quarter. Schmidt then hit Zach Hyers for the 2-point conversion and Rockdale’s lead was cut to 24-21.
Etheridge directed his team to go to the air more in the next series. Gresham completed four straight passes as the Bulldogs marched 73 yards for another touchdown. Binns scored his second of the night from 26 yards away on a run off right guard. Story’s conversion at the 11:32 mark in the fourth quarter pushed the lead to 31-21.
Loganville then showed some character of its own, driving 80 yards in 12 plays on the following series for its final touchdown of the night. Johnson scored from the 1 with 6:56 remaining, leaving the Red Devils trailing 31-28.
Rockdale County was stopped on the next offensive series, giving Loganville one last chance to win the game. The Devils took over at their 8-yard line and drove to the Rockdale 39 before Luca picked off a fourth-down pass by Schmidt to settle the issue.
Gresham ended the night with nine completions in 20 attempts for 134 yards for the Dogs. Tippins ran only four time for 68 yards to pace Rockdale on the ground.
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