Have guns, will travel
High-powered offenses to hit the road for playoffs
CHATSWORTH, Ga. — North Murray and LaFayette combined for 14 touchdowns in an offensive showcase between GHSA Region 6-AAA teams to close the regular season Friday night.
In the end, North Murray’s home run passing attack outlasted the Ramblers’ slow burn rushing attack, 49- 42, to lock up the region’s No. 3 seed in the state playoffs that begin next week.
Seth Griffin passed for four touchdowns — three of them caught by junior Michael McDade — and more than 300 yards for the host Mountaineers (6-3, 6-2).
For LaFayette (4-5, 4-3), the rushing duo of Jamario Clements and combined for more than 300 yards on the ground and six total touchdowns.
“We’ve been explosive the whole year. We’ve averaged 42 points in every region game,” North Murray coach Preston Poag said. “We made big plays early to get a lead. I knew it would be important to make them come back. We just have to get our defense better moving forward. That’s what’s worrying me a little bit.”
The Mountaineers held a 35-21 lead at halftime after the teams combined for more than 600 yards in the first two quarters, and both offenses continued rolling as they traded touchdowns right out of the break.
Early in the fourth quarter, Lafayette’s Ramsey threw what appeared to be a momentum-shifting interception, but then the Mountaineers fumbled the ball back to the Ramblers’ offense. A play later, Clements ran 43 yards for a touchdown to cut North Murray’s lead to seven points.
With just more than seven minutes to play, North Murray’s Dante Tidwell punched in what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown from a yard out.
“We had a few big momentum killers that would’ve eased our mind a bit, but you can’t let that stuff get to you,” Poag said. “We were able to regroup and run it just about every play until we did enough.”
Despite the loss, there was good news for the Ramblers.
With Ringgold also losing to Rockmart on Friday night, Lafayette will represent 6-3A as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs — snapping a 27-year postseason drought for the program.
“We’ve got a real happy family and a happy community within our sports, and it helps us in all sports, but especially football,” Lafayette coach Paul Ellis said. “I told them let’s not get on the bus to go get beat. We need to go expecting to win. You’ve got to take small steps to take a big one, and hopefully getting into the playoffs can do that for us.”