Rome wins big over Cedar Shoals

With the Cedar Shoals defense trying to contain Rome High running back Jamious Griffin as best it could, the visiting Jaguars found out that focusing on one weapon only allows the others to step up.

Wolves quarterback Knox Kadum and receiver Xavier Roberts-Donaldson connected on seven passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns to help No. 1 Rome to complete a 35-3 victory last Friday night at Barron Satdium, sending Rome to the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state playoffs for the third straight year.

Kadum was 9 of 14 for 204 yards passing and ran for a score on top of the two touchdown passes to RobertsDonaldson as the Wolves rolled up 509 yards of offense.

“What happens is if you take away, for example Jamious, then you get Knox, and obviously you’ll see as we get into the playoffs Knox becomes a bigger factor,” Rome head coach John Reid said.

Even with the Jaguars’ defense focusing on Griffin, the North Carolina State commit still managed 169 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown run, on 20 carries for an average of 8.5 yards per carry.

Kadum got his team on the scoreboard in the first quarter on a 2-yard yard run for a 7-0 score after the Jaguars held the Wolves (12-0) to a four-andout on their opening possession of the game. The senior then connected with RobertsDonaldson on a 39-yard touchdown pass with 4:42 left in the first half for a 21-3 score, and a 20-yard pass with 4:52 left in the third quarter to put the Wolves up 28-3.

Roberts-Donaldson said they were expecting the Jaguars (8-4) to put most of their focus on Griffin.

“We had planned for it,” he said. “We executed it and played well, and then the offensive line protected Knox so I could get the ball, and when I got it, I just made plays.”

Traceton Lawrence scored the final touchdown of the night for the Wolves on a 12-yard run just before the end of the third quarter.

Reid said another big win is good for morale, but there’s always another challenge ahead. The Wolves will have to head out on the road next Friday to face No. 4-ranked Dutchtown (12-0), which defeated Griffin 28-7 on Friday.

“You can’t just think you’re going to walk through the playoffs. Not in this state and not with the good quality teams that are out there,” Reid said. “Every game is not a state championship. You can’t win the final one unless you win the third-round one. You have to play those teams somehow, and we’ve got a tough draw looking at us.”

Rome’s defense kept Cedar Shoals out of the end zone all night and held the team to 166 yards of offense. The Jaguars’ only score came on a 32-yard Gabe Bush field goal with 5:02 left in the second quarter. Derricus Smith led the defense with six tackles. DeKerion Jones had two interceptions on defense — one of which led to a touchdown — and Jamar Roberts had a pick as well.

Darlington 28, Aquinas 12

What the Darlington defenders near the front started against Aquinas on last Friday night, the ones in the secondary stepped up to help finish it.

The No. 10-ranked Tigers forced two lost fumbles and intercepted Irish quarterback J.P. Lambert three times in the second half as Darlington picked up a 28-12 win in the second round of the Class A Private state playoffs.

The contest at Chris Hunter Stadium was the first of the postseason for Darlington, which started the playoffs with a bye in the first round.

Kolin Rogers finished with 145 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers, who are making back-to-back trips to the state quarterfinals after holding a precarious 14-12 lead at the start of the fourth quarter against Aquinas.

Darlington head coach Tommy Atha said his players’ attitude in the final period gave him a good look at just what his team can accomplish when faced with a tough task.

“What I really liked is I felt the kids gritted their teeth and squared their jaws and said, ‘We’re not going to lose this football game.’ We made adjustments and plays on defense, we made big plays when we had to, and came up with interceptions and sacks,” Atha said.

“That’s a good football team. They were 9-2 for a reason and a perennial playoff team. To be able to beat them and go back to the quarterfinals for the second year in a row, play in Week 13, that’s just a tremendous feeling.”

Darlington defensive players

like Tate Ratledge, Cade Brock and Rhett McDurmon set the table early, getting through Aquinas’ front line and into the backfield to disrupt Lambert and the Irish’s running game.

McDurmon came up with two fumble recoveries, while Ratledge came through the line nearly untouched at one point in the fourth quarter and sacked Lambert for a 10-yard loss. Barrick Wade then picked him off on the next play with the Tigers up 28-12 with 4:38 left to play, all but ending the Irish’s chance at a comeback.

Demetrius Rogers had a breakout game for the Tigers, running for 129 yards on just 10 carries and pulling down an interception that set up a 3-play, 22-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter that gave Darlington a 14-6 lead.

Aquinas (9-3) had a successful drive going through the air later in the period that ended with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Lambert to Joseph Welch, but the Tigers answered near the start of the fourth quarter as quarterback Frank Manning executed a draw play that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Atha Jr. with 10:21 on the clock.

Alex Liddle connected on his third of four extra point attempts to give Darlington a two-score cushion.

The ensuing drive by the Irish was halted four plays in as Casey Gunn picked off the Tigers’ third and final Lambert pass of the night, this one leading to Kolin Rogers scoring on a 33-yard run — his longest of the night — with 5:46 left to play.

“I’m going to tell you, I was extremely proud of our secondary,” Atha said. “Because not only did we get three interceptions, but we broke up a lot of potential first-down passes. That’s the most physical our secondary has been, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Darlington (9-2) will have to go on the road this Friday to face the Class A Private defending state champions of Eagles Landing Christian Academy, who defeated Trinity Christian 48-14 last Friday.