Sonoraville gets needed subregion win
Moore, Phoenix defense have big night on the road
— Bolstered by its dynamic rushing attack and a relentless, shutout performance from its defense, the Sonoraville Phoenix soared past the Haralson County Rebels in a dominant 33-0 subregion victory on Friday.
Containing speedy Sonoraville ( 4- 3, 1-1 Region 6-AAA South) quarterback Patrick Moore proved to be a nearly impossible task all evening. Aside from scrambling in the pocket, Moore rushed the ball just three times. However, he made each one count, slicing through the defense for a 38-yard score in the second quarter when the team was backed into a 3rd-and-22 situation.
On the following drive, Moore bounced a quarterback keeper back inside his blocks and accelerated past the defense for a 12-yard touchdown to put the Phoenix in complete control of the game. He finished with 64 total rushing yards.
A true dual-threat, Moore also produced with his arm. After ducking and dodging numerous sack attempts, Moore rolled out and tossed a 22-yard pass to wide receiver Casey Brooks in the end zone for six before the half. He collected another touchdown pass in the final quarter when Trenton Daniel out-jumped a Haralson County (0-6, 0-2) cornerback at the goal line for a 26-yard receiving touchdown.
“I thought Patrick was really solid us for us tonight, and he executed our offense well once again,” Sonoraville head coach Denver Pate said. “What he gives us is special, and we know we can count on him week in and week out.”
On top of the two passing scores, Moore threw for 206 yards on 16 completions. Daniel proved to be one of his favorite targets, hauling in four catches for 60 yards. Brooks racked up 66 yards on five snags.
Running back Tristan Key was the thunder to Moore’s lightning in the ground game. He rumbled for 88 yards on 15 carries, while routinely breaking off big gains. However, it was Tyler Lyles that picked up the final rushing touchdown, muscling in a fouryard score in the third quarter.
“We have to continue getting better at opening seams for these guys, but they loaded the box and we were able to have some nice runs on the perimeter,” Pate said. “I think our ability to run the ball was a big key for us tonight.”
The Phoenix defense won the battle at the line of scrimmage, disrupting the flow of the Rebel offense throughout the game with its pressure. The unit also took advantage of Haralson’s mishaps, with linebacker Colton Richards scooping up a fumble off of a botched snap in the second quarter that placed Sonoraville firmly in scoring position.
“Our defense was locked in from the start, and I know they were fired up for this one,” Pate said. “When they force a zero on the board, they know they get donuts, so they’ll be looking forward to that. Just a solid performance all-around for those guys.”
Haralson County quarterback Luke Cash managed to throw for 86 yards on six completions while under duress. Cash did gather 33 yards on the ground. Rebel offensive weapon Treylon Sheppard caught four targets for 53 receiving yards.
Sonoraville will be back in action next week when it hosts Adairsville at the Furnace in a huge subregion showdown.