Tigers rout Red Devils to reach semifinals
■ RB Dodson scores four TDs for Whitehaven
Talk about sending a message.
Whitehaven advanced to the Class 6A state semifinals for the second consecutive year Friday, dominating on both sides of the ball to defeat Germantown, 52-7.
The victory gives the Tigers a home game next week against Mt. Juliet in a rematch of last year’s semis. Whitehaven won that one, 44-10, and should be very confident following their dismantling of the Red Devils.
“We wanted to send a message to the eastern part of the state that we can play football here too,” said Tigers star running back Mark Dodson. “We wanted to play this game with that championship mentality.”
Dodson was the catalyst early as the Tigers scored three touchdowns on their first 10 plays from scrimmage to take control.
The Ole Miss commitment capped off an eightplay, 65-yard drive with a 23-yard touchdown run around left end to put the Tigers ahead 6- 0 after the first series. Following a three-and-out by Germantown that lost about 20 yards, Dodson scored on a 39-yard run to make it 13- 0.
Whitehaven forced a fumble on Germantown’s next series and with the Red Devils keying on Dodson, quarterback Patrick Smith went 54 yards on a keeper to make it 20-0 with five minutes go to in the first quarter.
“We focused all week on taking the game over early,” said Whitehaven coach Rodney Saulsberry. “We wanted to build confidence, run the football but take whatever they gave us.”
Whitehaven scored three more times in the second quarter. Smith hit Gerald Perry with a 15yard touchdown pass, Darrius Sims returned a punt 63 yards for a score and Smith scored on a 2-yard run.
The Tigers’ defense, meanwhile, was stonewalling the Red Devils
(9-4) at every turn.
“We were focused,” said senior linebacker Adam Collins, who spent much of the game in the Red Devils’ backfield. “We watched film on them all week and we focused on their running game. We’re just on a roll right now.”
Still, said Saulsberry, “All they’re going to talk about is those seven points they gave up.”
Dodson added two more scores in the third, on a 21-yard run and on a 40-yard pass from Smith to give him 10 touchdowns in three playoff games.
“That running back is about as good as any we’ve ever seen,” said Red Devils coach Charlie White, whose team lost to Whitehaven in the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
“They should win the state championship.”