By Joey Marchant
The Dodge County Indians traveled to Fitzgerald with something to prove. Over the last few years, Dodge fans have become accustomed to winning. Dodge has posted a 46-14 record over the last five years with two region championships.
However, this season has gotten off to a rocky start for Dodge. Bad luck, undisciplined play, a tough non region schedule, and a rash of injuries all contributed to a 1-2 start.
After rushing for 476 yards in the opener, Dodge was held to less than 100 yards rushing by West Laurens and Appling County. And the Dodge defense was giving up 40 points per game through the first three games.
The Indians made the trip down to Fitzgerald to take on its third ranked opponent in as many weeks. About half of the players who missed the Appling game were able to suit up for this one.
The Canes took the opening kickoff and marched down the field taking an 8-0 lead and chewing up half of the first quarter clock on a 13 play drive capped off by a 19 yard touchdown reception by Chance Gamble, who would prove a thorn in the Indians side all night.
The Canes would employ an interesting strategy in the kicking game. Despite having a left footed kicker in Alex Martinez who could seemingly kick the ball into the end zone whenever he chose to, Fitzgerald would employ a pooch kick strategy early in this one. Perhaps this was out of respect for the Dodge return team, which has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and had a third called back on a penalty. Jayleen Lemon fielded the first pooch kick and returned it 14 yards to the Fitzgerald 47 yard line. However, Dodge would go three and out on its first possession. Timmy Johnson punted for 34 yards downing Fitzgerald at its own 8 yard line.
Fitzgerald would make one first down before Nathan Coley forced a fumble that was recovered by Elisha Williams to give Dodge the ball at the Fitzgerald 28 yard line. Dodge brought Mikhail Carr in motion and faked the Jet Sweep. Fitzgerald converged on Carr, but Kade Harpe kept the ball and ran 14 yards for a first down to the Fitzgerald 14 yard line. Carr was used entirely as a decoy in the first half and would not touch the football. On the next play, Dodge used a late shift to move Harpe up behind the tight ends on the right side, and Gordon took a direct snap and ran 14 yards for a touchdown. Mason Mangham’s extra point cut the Fitzgerald lead to 8-7.
After Gabe Thompson’s kickoff, Fitzgerald would start on its own 34 yard line and move quickly down the field featuring the running of Mario Clark and the receiving of Gamble. An eight yard wide receiver screen pass to Gamble resulted in a Fitzgerald touchdown. Gamble had also drawn a key pass interference penalty on the drive. The extra point was missed, and Fitzgerald led 14-7.
The ensuing pooch kickoff dropped in front of Lemon who was able to corral it at the Dodge 40 yard line. Harpe hit a Davis Marchant for 14 yards to the Fitzgerald 46 yard line. Gordon had runs of five, 11 and two yards to get the ball to the Fitzgerald 28 yard line, but a crucial illegal procedure call made it second down and 13. Two incompletions brought up a fourth and 13. Harpe was tackled for no gain on a quarterback keeper, and the ball was turned over to Fitzgerald on downs.
Fitzgerald took over at its own 33 yard line where it converted one first down before the Dodge Defense stiffened. Landynn Powers ran the quarterback out of bounds on third down to force a punt, which rolled all the way to the Dodge 10 yard line.
Harpe completed a beautiful third down pass to Keldrick Beck for 10 yards to get Dodge out of the hole. Beck ran his man off the ball, and Harpe released the ball just as Beck broke back toward him to create separation from the defender. Gordon rushed for a gain of 23 yards to get the ball into Fitzgerald territory, but Lemon had a larger player rip the ball from his hands as he fought for yardage at the Fitzgerald 38.
Lemon got revenge on the next play as he blitzed and sacked the quarterback for a six yard loss. Two plays later, Mahan applied pressure to force an incomplete pass and another Fitzgerald punt, which rolled dead at the Dodge 38 yard line.
Scotty Davis went high in the air to snag a Harpe pass for an 11 yard gain. A screen pass to Gordon netted three yards. A big gain on a run by Beck was negated by a penalty for illegal formation. Harpe was then hit as he released a pass, which was intercepted and returned to the Dodge 44 yard line. Fitzgerald passed to Demarion Dixon for a 41 yard gain. Coley brought Dixon down inside the Dodge five yard line. Fitzgerald then ran its version of the goal line play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, which is now run by every high school team in America.
Quarterback Rashad Davis handed to Gamble who started left only to pitch to a wide receiver coming right who would try to pass to Davis in the end zone. Credit Lemon who recognized Davis was going out for a pass just in time to turn and run behind him providing just enough coverage to force the incompletion. Fitzgerald had to settle for a short field goal and led 17-7 at halftime.
Fitzgerald attempted an onside kick to start the second half. The play might have worked, but the kick did not travel the required 10 yards and Dodge alertly stayed away from it. Dodge took over at the Fitzgerald 43 yard line. Harpe hit Carr on a pass for six yards, but Dodge could not convert and called on Timmy Johnson to punt. Johnson hit it a little harder than he wanted, and the ball sailed 40 yards into the end zone.
Fitzgerald gained one first down before the Dodge Defense stiffened. Beck jumped a swing pass to Gamble and almost had his third interception return for a touchdown of the season. He had the ball in his hands, but he could not hang on. The play was also dangerously close to being a lateral, which would have been a fumble recovered by Dodge. Instead, it was an incomplete pass. Rico Caines and Jamal McNeal stopped the running back after a three yard gain on a toss sweep. Caines who was making his first start was around the ball all night long making 10 tackles. On third down, Dodge blew up a screen pass. Caleb Fluellen executed a spin move against a would be blocker and met the running back head up along with AJ Melvin who had stood up his blocker. Williams came in to help finish of the tackle.
Fitzgerald executed low line drive punts all game that prevented a Dodge return. However, this time Coley took a chance and scooped up the bouncing ball between four Fitzgerald Defenders and returned it 23 yards to the Fitzgerald 40 yard line. Dodge lined up in the same formation and ran the same play three consecutive times with Gordon gaining seven, 17 and 26 yards for the touchdown on the direct snap. Thompson’s extra point cut the Fitzgerald lead to 17-14.
Fitzgerald would start its next possession at its own 19 yard line where Gamble would take a direct snap and fake a run left only to pull up and loft one to his tight end who had hesitated at the line before running downfield. The play gained 32 yards to the Dodge 49 yard line, but luckily the ball hung in the air long enough to allow Caines to catch up to and tackle the tight end. Fitzgerald reached the Dodge 33 yard line where on third down Davis rolled right and attempted a throwback pass to the tight end. Powers read it and slapped the ball from the tight end’s hands.
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Sports
Russ's Sports Review
We have several things to talk about this week. It’s about magic numbers. Winning by the skin of their teeth and the hype of one of the biggest home games in Georgia history.
First, we will talk about the Braves magic number. It dropped to just four as the Braves won two of three games in Washington. The starting pitcher from Soroka and Foltynewicz pitched well out of the rotation and the bullpen stayed strong. The weekend did bring the return of Nick Markakis. He had a strong comeback as he had seven hits over the weekend. The weekend did have a downside as Charlie Culberson was hit in the face with a pitch. It gave him several facial fractures and he is certainly gone for the season. It is hopeful that Camargo can come back before the playoffs. Lets hope the rotation can get some rest and be ready to go for the downseason series.
Now for the football scene. Let’s start with the Falcons. The Sunday night clash with the Eagles was close and exciting but not very well played. Matt Ryan had a rough game with three interceptions but his fourth down pass to Julio Jones was the difference. What an awesome block that Jake Matthews sparked the play. The defense was pretty good the entire game. The NFC south is now very interesting now that Drew Brees is out for at least six games with thumb surgery. The birds have a big stretch coming up as they have three of their next four on the road. The running game must improve as it only has 13 total yards in two games. Devonte Freeman has been held to 41 total yards. Matt Ryan’s start hasn’t been very good either as he has been picked off five times in the first two games. He threw only seven the entire 2018 season. They hit the road this week to play the Colts.
Now for one of the biggest regular season games in recent memory for the Dogs. They have an 8:00 p.m. start on Saturday night against Notre Dame. This is the third meeting between the powers since 1980. Of course the first two meetings went to the Dogs. The first was in the Sugar Bowl and the second in Notre Dame recently. The hype for this one is huge. The Dogs come in ranked third and the Irish at number seven.
The odds makers really like the Dogs. They are early 14-point favorites and I agree with them. I don’t think the Irish can stop the Dogs on the ground or in the air. Georgia has way too much talent and depth on both sides of the ball. I think the Dogs prove to the world they are national contenders. Sanford Stadium will be jumping this Saturday.
First, we will talk about the Braves magic number. It dropped to just four as the Braves won two of three games in Washington. The starting pitcher from Soroka and Foltynewicz pitched well out of the rotation and the bullpen stayed strong. The weekend did bring the return of Nick Markakis. He had a strong comeback as he had seven hits over the weekend. The weekend did have a downside as Charlie Culberson was hit in the face with a pitch. It gave him several facial fractures and he is certainly gone for the season. It is hopeful that Camargo can come back before the playoffs. Lets hope the rotation can get some rest and be ready to go for the downseason series.
Now for the football scene. Let’s start with the Falcons. The Sunday night clash with the Eagles was close and exciting but not very well played. Matt Ryan had a rough game with three interceptions but his fourth down pass to Julio Jones was the difference. What an awesome block that Jake Matthews sparked the play. The defense was pretty good the entire game. The NFC south is now very interesting now that Drew Brees is out for at least six games with thumb surgery. The birds have a big stretch coming up as they have three of their next four on the road. The running game must improve as it only has 13 total yards in two games. Devonte Freeman has been held to 41 total yards. Matt Ryan’s start hasn’t been very good either as he has been picked off five times in the first two games. He threw only seven the entire 2018 season. They hit the road this week to play the Colts.
Now for one of the biggest regular season games in recent memory for the Dogs. They have an 8:00 p.m. start on Saturday night against Notre Dame. This is the third meeting between the powers since 1980. Of course the first two meetings went to the Dogs. The first was in the Sugar Bowl and the second in Notre Dame recently. The hype for this one is huge. The Dogs come in ranked third and the Irish at number seven.
The odds makers really like the Dogs. They are early 14-point favorites and I agree with them. I don’t think the Irish can stop the Dogs on the ground or in the air. Georgia has way too much talent and depth on both sides of the ball. I think the Dogs prove to the world they are national contenders. Sanford Stadium will be jumping this Saturday.
Appling defeates Dodge, 42-7
By Joey Marchant
Dodge County limped down U.S. 341 to Baxley where they were soundly defeated by the Appling County Pirates by a score of 42-7. Dodge hit the road without head coach Ken Cofer who was not eligible to travel with the team this week due to having been ejected from the game against West Laurens due to the team receiving two sideline infractions in that game.
The Indians were also without the following starters: Caleb Fluellen, Colby Lee, Cameron Gooch, Timmy Johnson and Jamerius Hines. Additionally, Noah Cummings would leave the game in the first quarter and Tyrese Johnson would leave at halftime. Still credit must be given to Appling County who is a very good football team and will make some noise in AAA this year.
Dodge would come out strong on defense as they held Appling to three and out highlighted by Tyrese Johnson dropping the running back for a 12 yard loss on a toss sweep.
Dodge took the ball at its on 47 yard line. A jet sweep by Mikhail Carr gained nine yards. A jet sweep by Carr the opposite way gained eight yards. Daylon Gordon would later score on a 22 yard run, but it was called back for an obvious block in the back. On third down and 14, Harpe got six yards back with a pass to Keldrick Beck. That left Dodge with 4th down and eight yards to go at the Appling 24 yard line, which was just outside of field goal range. Harpe threw an interception in the end zone resulting in a touchback.
Appling fullback RJ Conaway carried for 24 yards, 8 yards and 39 yards. After getting a breather, Conaway came back in to score from five yards out. The extra point gave Appling a 7-0 lead.
Dodge would take possession at its own 21 yard line when two players collided trying to field the kickoff. A screen pass to Gordon gained 13 yards but was called back for holding. From his own nine yard line, Gordon took a handoff and finding nothing inside bounced it outside for a 43 yard run to the Appling 48 yard line. The Dodge Offense stalled there, and Mason Mangham punted for 31 yards to the Appling 15 yard line.
Elisha Williams stuffed the run on first down, and Kane Northcutt stuffed the run on second down. However, Appling came back with a trick play of sorts on third down. They lined up in an unbalanced line meaning they took an offensive lineman from the right side and moved him over to the left side. This left an eligible receiver lined up in a three point where the right offensive tackle would normally line up. The receiver released inside and cleared the linebackers and safety without notice as the quarterback faked the handoff and bootlegged left hitting the receiver for a 32 yard gain before Beck caught up with him. Later in the drive, Appling went for the end zone where the pass bounced off an Appling receiver being defended by Beck and into the arms of Nathan Coley who returned it to the 23 yard line before a block in the back on the return brought it back to the Dodge 14 yard line.
Dodge could not move the football, but Mangham got off a nice 43 yard punt. On 3rd down and very long, Appling Quarterback Jeremiah Holmes rolled right where Williams and Jamal Mahan did a good job of containing and turning the quarterback inside. However, the help was not there from the inside, and Holmes cut back for a 63 yard gain before Coley brought him down around the Dodge 12 yard line. After being backed up by a penalty, Holmes threw a 26 yard touchdown pass. The extra point made it 14-0 Appling.
On the ensuing drive, Harpe would complete passes of 12 yards to Tyrese Johnson and 12 yards to Kevin Sykes. However, the Dodge Offense would again stall. Mangham punted for 36 yards to the Appling 10 yard line.
Appling had consecutive runs of 34, 34 and 20 yards for a touchdown. The extra point made it 21-0 Appling.
Tyrese Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. The extra point cut the Appling lead to 21-7. However, Appling returned the ensuing kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown of its own. The extra point gave Appling a 28-7 lead, which it would take into halftime.
Appling would shut Dodge out in the second half adding two more touchdowns for the 42-7 victory. Appling outgained Dodge in the game by a total of 501 yards to 140 yards.
Dodge falls to 1-2 on the year, losing consecutive games for the first time since September 2016, and will travel to Fitzgerald to face the Purple Hurricane on September 20th at 7:30 pm. Hopefully, Dodge can get some of its injured players back and perform well against Fitzgerald so that it can begin Region Play the following week with some momentum. Fitzgerald is 3-1. Dodge defeated Fitzgerald in Eastman last year by a score of 28-9.
Dodge County limped down U.S. 341 to Baxley where they were soundly defeated by the Appling County Pirates by a score of 42-7. Dodge hit the road without head coach Ken Cofer who was not eligible to travel with the team this week due to having been ejected from the game against West Laurens due to the team receiving two sideline infractions in that game.
The Indians were also without the following starters: Caleb Fluellen, Colby Lee, Cameron Gooch, Timmy Johnson and Jamerius Hines. Additionally, Noah Cummings would leave the game in the first quarter and Tyrese Johnson would leave at halftime. Still credit must be given to Appling County who is a very good football team and will make some noise in AAA this year.
Dodge would come out strong on defense as they held Appling to three and out highlighted by Tyrese Johnson dropping the running back for a 12 yard loss on a toss sweep.
Dodge took the ball at its on 47 yard line. A jet sweep by Mikhail Carr gained nine yards. A jet sweep by Carr the opposite way gained eight yards. Daylon Gordon would later score on a 22 yard run, but it was called back for an obvious block in the back. On third down and 14, Harpe got six yards back with a pass to Keldrick Beck. That left Dodge with 4th down and eight yards to go at the Appling 24 yard line, which was just outside of field goal range. Harpe threw an interception in the end zone resulting in a touchback.
Appling fullback RJ Conaway carried for 24 yards, 8 yards and 39 yards. After getting a breather, Conaway came back in to score from five yards out. The extra point gave Appling a 7-0 lead.
Dodge would take possession at its own 21 yard line when two players collided trying to field the kickoff. A screen pass to Gordon gained 13 yards but was called back for holding. From his own nine yard line, Gordon took a handoff and finding nothing inside bounced it outside for a 43 yard run to the Appling 48 yard line. The Dodge Offense stalled there, and Mason Mangham punted for 31 yards to the Appling 15 yard line.
Elisha Williams stuffed the run on first down, and Kane Northcutt stuffed the run on second down. However, Appling came back with a trick play of sorts on third down. They lined up in an unbalanced line meaning they took an offensive lineman from the right side and moved him over to the left side. This left an eligible receiver lined up in a three point where the right offensive tackle would normally line up. The receiver released inside and cleared the linebackers and safety without notice as the quarterback faked the handoff and bootlegged left hitting the receiver for a 32 yard gain before Beck caught up with him. Later in the drive, Appling went for the end zone where the pass bounced off an Appling receiver being defended by Beck and into the arms of Nathan Coley who returned it to the 23 yard line before a block in the back on the return brought it back to the Dodge 14 yard line.
Dodge could not move the football, but Mangham got off a nice 43 yard punt. On 3rd down and very long, Appling Quarterback Jeremiah Holmes rolled right where Williams and Jamal Mahan did a good job of containing and turning the quarterback inside. However, the help was not there from the inside, and Holmes cut back for a 63 yard gain before Coley brought him down around the Dodge 12 yard line. After being backed up by a penalty, Holmes threw a 26 yard touchdown pass. The extra point made it 14-0 Appling.
On the ensuing drive, Harpe would complete passes of 12 yards to Tyrese Johnson and 12 yards to Kevin Sykes. However, the Dodge Offense would again stall. Mangham punted for 36 yards to the Appling 10 yard line.
Appling had consecutive runs of 34, 34 and 20 yards for a touchdown. The extra point made it 21-0 Appling.
Tyrese Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. The extra point cut the Appling lead to 21-7. However, Appling returned the ensuing kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown of its own. The extra point gave Appling a 28-7 lead, which it would take into halftime.
Appling would shut Dodge out in the second half adding two more touchdowns for the 42-7 victory. Appling outgained Dodge in the game by a total of 501 yards to 140 yards.
Dodge falls to 1-2 on the year, losing consecutive games for the first time since September 2016, and will travel to Fitzgerald to face the Purple Hurricane on September 20th at 7:30 pm. Hopefully, Dodge can get some of its injured players back and perform well against Fitzgerald so that it can begin Region Play the following week with some momentum. Fitzgerald is 3-1. Dodge defeated Fitzgerald in Eastman last year by a score of 28-9.
Lady Indians lost to Cordele but recover against Northeast Macon
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge High Lady Indians softball team split a pair of games last week. Dodge had a rough day in Cordele as they dropped an 8-0 decision. The Lady Indians recovered for a 15-0 region win over Northeast Macon. Dodge will host Veterans today (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m. They hit the road to play East Laurens on Thursday. They travel to Stone Mountain on Saturday for 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. games. On Tuesday, Dodge will host Bleckley County for a huge region match up.
The week started on a tough note as they stepped out of region play to play Crisp County. The Lady Indians only managed a second inning double by Gracie Lewis and a single by Makiyah Roberson on offense. Linzy Bowen actually pitched well as she allowed only one earned run.
Tuesday was a first for Dodge County softball. Silent softball was observed. The purpose of the event was to increase awareness regarding youth mental health in softball. The first inning would be completely silent as parents, coaches, players and umpires would not say anything. Dylanna Barton got the start on the mound against North East Macon. She had an easy inning that featured a pair of strikeouts. Barton led off the bottom of the first with a line drive down the right field line. The defender had trouble getting to the ball and Barton circled the bases for the inside the park homerun and a 1-0 Dodge lead. Dodge centered to do damage with two outs. Kyla Howell would triple to left center and a pitch to put runners on the corners hit Jaina Vae Patillo. A single to left center by Gracie Lewis would score both run for a 3-0 lead. Ava Roland would single in Lewis for a 4-0 lead after one inning.
Barton has an easy second with another pair of strikeouts. Dodge went back to work in the bottom of the second. Jacey Hickman singled and stole second. She scored on a ground ball from Sydney Powell for a 5-0 game. Patillo would double and that scored Powell and Howell for a 7-0 Dodge lead. Ava Roland drove in Lewis to cap off a five run inning for a 9-0 lead after two innings.
North East got their only base runner of the game on a hit by pitch. Dodge would finish this one in the bottom of the third. Barton would double and steal third and score on a passed ball for a 10-0 game. Powell and Patillo would walk and score for a 12-0 Dodge lead. Gracie Lewis would reach on an error and score on a triple by Ava Roland for a 13-0 game. Roland would score or a single by Carson Ethridge for a 14-0 game. Ethridge would steal second and score on an infield hit by Jacey Hickman and the final would be 15-0 Dodge.
The Dodge High Lady Indians softball team split a pair of games last week. Dodge had a rough day in Cordele as they dropped an 8-0 decision. The Lady Indians recovered for a 15-0 region win over Northeast Macon. Dodge will host Veterans today (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m. They hit the road to play East Laurens on Thursday. They travel to Stone Mountain on Saturday for 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. games. On Tuesday, Dodge will host Bleckley County for a huge region match up.
The week started on a tough note as they stepped out of region play to play Crisp County. The Lady Indians only managed a second inning double by Gracie Lewis and a single by Makiyah Roberson on offense. Linzy Bowen actually pitched well as she allowed only one earned run.
Tuesday was a first for Dodge County softball. Silent softball was observed. The purpose of the event was to increase awareness regarding youth mental health in softball. The first inning would be completely silent as parents, coaches, players and umpires would not say anything. Dylanna Barton got the start on the mound against North East Macon. She had an easy inning that featured a pair of strikeouts. Barton led off the bottom of the first with a line drive down the right field line. The defender had trouble getting to the ball and Barton circled the bases for the inside the park homerun and a 1-0 Dodge lead. Dodge centered to do damage with two outs. Kyla Howell would triple to left center and a pitch to put runners on the corners hit Jaina Vae Patillo. A single to left center by Gracie Lewis would score both run for a 3-0 lead. Ava Roland would single in Lewis for a 4-0 lead after one inning.
Barton has an easy second with another pair of strikeouts. Dodge went back to work in the bottom of the second. Jacey Hickman singled and stole second. She scored on a ground ball from Sydney Powell for a 5-0 game. Patillo would double and that scored Powell and Howell for a 7-0 Dodge lead. Ava Roland drove in Lewis to cap off a five run inning for a 9-0 lead after two innings.
North East got their only base runner of the game on a hit by pitch. Dodge would finish this one in the bottom of the third. Barton would double and steal third and score on a passed ball for a 10-0 game. Powell and Patillo would walk and score for a 12-0 Dodge lead. Gracie Lewis would reach on an error and score on a triple by Ava Roland for a 13-0 game. Roland would score or a single by Carson Ethridge for a 14-0 game. Ethridge would steal second and score on an infield hit by Jacey Hickman and the final would be 15-0 Dodge.
Lady Indian win 20-1 against Southwest
By Russ Ragan
It was a slow week for the Dodge High Lady Indians softball team as they played just one game. They traveled to Macon for a region game with Southwest. The game was never in question as they scored 10 runs in the first and coasted to a 20-1 win. Dodge will return home on Monday for a 5:30 p.m. start against Washington County.
Here is a stat rundown for the game: Dylanna Barton; one for two, three runs scored, two stolen bases and two walks. Sydney Powell; four for four, two runs scored and two RBIs. Logan White; two for two, two runs scored, two doubles, two stolen bases, two walks and two RBIs. Kyla Howell; two for two, two runs scored, one homerun, one walk and one RBI. Makiyah Roberson; two for two, two runs scored, one stolen base and one walk. JaineVae Patillo; one for one, three runs scored, a stolen base and two walks. Ava Roland; two for three, two runs scored, a double, a triple and two RBIs. Carson Etheridge; one for one, two runs scored, a walk, a stolen base and an RBI. Jacey Hickman; one for three, two runs scored and an RBI. On the mound, freshman Dylanna Barton pitched a no hitter with six strikeouts.
Upcoming games for the Lady Indians will be Tuesday, September 17 against Washington County and Wednesday, September 18 against Veterans. Both games will be played at home.
It was a slow week for the Dodge High Lady Indians softball team as they played just one game. They traveled to Macon for a region game with Southwest. The game was never in question as they scored 10 runs in the first and coasted to a 20-1 win. Dodge will return home on Monday for a 5:30 p.m. start against Washington County.
Here is a stat rundown for the game: Dylanna Barton; one for two, three runs scored, two stolen bases and two walks. Sydney Powell; four for four, two runs scored and two RBIs. Logan White; two for two, two runs scored, two doubles, two stolen bases, two walks and two RBIs. Kyla Howell; two for two, two runs scored, one homerun, one walk and one RBI. Makiyah Roberson; two for two, two runs scored, one stolen base and one walk. JaineVae Patillo; one for one, three runs scored, a stolen base and two walks. Ava Roland; two for three, two runs scored, a double, a triple and two RBIs. Carson Etheridge; one for one, two runs scored, a walk, a stolen base and an RBI. Jacey Hickman; one for three, two runs scored and an RBI. On the mound, freshman Dylanna Barton pitched a no hitter with six strikeouts.
Upcoming games for the Lady Indians will be Tuesday, September 17 against Washington County and Wednesday, September 18 against Veterans. Both games will be played at home.
Russ's Sports Review
It was a fairly good week for area sports overall. The Braves were great as they probably shut down the National League East Championship. The Bulldogs ran over Murray State as expected. Then there were the Falcons. What can you say? They were awful in every way as they were whipped by the Vikings.
Let’s start with the Braves. I will be the first to admit that this team wasn’t as good as they were to become. They did get so much better at the trade deadline as they got bullpen help from Shane Greene and Mark Melancon. It took a little while to get Greene going. He has been great as of late in the eighth inning role. Melancon is finally healthy and he is proving to be a great closer.
At least for now the young Braves starters are great. Foltynewicz was great in the critical first game against the Nationals. He also gave seven great innings in Monday night’s win against the Phillies. Fried has also been the pitcher he was hyped up to be for a few years now. The Braves would give the Dodgers, Yankees and Astros a real run for their money with a true number one starter. The problem is there are very few of them out there. The offense is being led by the veterans Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson. Freeman has been good all year as he leads all of baseball in RBIs. The hot one as of late has been Donaldson. He hit his 37th homerun in Monday night’s win over Philly. Acuna, who has been ice cold, hit his 38th dinger to lead off Monday night. October baseball should be very interesting.
It was no shock in Georgia that the Dogs blew out Murray State 63-17 on Saturday in Athens. There were three freshmen that stood out. Redshirt freshman running back Zamir “Zeus” White had 72 yards on just eight carries and a touchdown. The wide outs were also very good. George Pickens had 78 yards on just four catches and a touchdown. The other is Dominick Blaylock. He had 48 yards on just three catches. It looks like the offense will be in good hands after this year even if Fromm and Swift leave for the NFL draft. I don’t think either one will return.
Then there were the Falcons. They were bad in so many ways. They did nothing on offense and the defense was beat up and for good measure they got a punt blocked. Everything went wrong.
They will take another shot at things this Sunday in the home opener against the Eagles.
Let’s start with the Braves. I will be the first to admit that this team wasn’t as good as they were to become. They did get so much better at the trade deadline as they got bullpen help from Shane Greene and Mark Melancon. It took a little while to get Greene going. He has been great as of late in the eighth inning role. Melancon is finally healthy and he is proving to be a great closer.
At least for now the young Braves starters are great. Foltynewicz was great in the critical first game against the Nationals. He also gave seven great innings in Monday night’s win against the Phillies. Fried has also been the pitcher he was hyped up to be for a few years now. The Braves would give the Dodgers, Yankees and Astros a real run for their money with a true number one starter. The problem is there are very few of them out there. The offense is being led by the veterans Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson. Freeman has been good all year as he leads all of baseball in RBIs. The hot one as of late has been Donaldson. He hit his 37th homerun in Monday night’s win over Philly. Acuna, who has been ice cold, hit his 38th dinger to lead off Monday night. October baseball should be very interesting.
It was no shock in Georgia that the Dogs blew out Murray State 63-17 on Saturday in Athens. There were three freshmen that stood out. Redshirt freshman running back Zamir “Zeus” White had 72 yards on just eight carries and a touchdown. The wide outs were also very good. George Pickens had 78 yards on just four catches and a touchdown. The other is Dominick Blaylock. He had 48 yards on just three catches. It looks like the offense will be in good hands after this year even if Fromm and Swift leave for the NFL draft. I don’t think either one will return.
Then there were the Falcons. They were bad in so many ways. They did nothing on offense and the defense was beat up and for good measure they got a punt blocked. Everything went wrong.
They will take another shot at things this Sunday in the home opener against the Eagles.
Russ's Sports Review
The Bulldogs opened the season on Saturday night with a dangerous SEC east road game in Nashville against Vanderbilt. They did what they needed to do and that was to jump out early and they did as they grabbed a 21-0 lead and they coasted to a 30-6 win. The second half was nothing special as they did little in the red zone. A couple of dynamic players were important in the win. The first was wide out Demetris Robertson. He had a rough year last year after transferring from Cal. He caught his first three passes including the first touchdown of the game. The second was the long awaited debut of red shirt freshman Zamir “Zew” White. He had 53 yards on just five carries. This week is the home opener as Murray State comes and they are just a 49 point underdog. It was a rough weekend for the SEC East as South Carolina was upset by North Carolina and the shocker was Tennessee losing to Georgia State at home. Also Missouri lost despite being a 21-point favorite at Wyoming.
The Falcons will get things going for real this Sunday as they hit the road to play the Vikings. The Birds are a four-point underdog for the game. The big news for the week was the re-signing of kicker Matt Bryant. Honestly, he should have never been let go to start with. I guess the other big story is what hasn’t happened yet and that is the new contract to super star wide out Julio Jones. The plan was to have a deal done prior to the start of the season. All I can say there is that they better hurry. It looks like it will be a two-team race between the Falcons and the Saints. I guess the Panthers could make it a three-team race but we will have to see. It will come down to the health of Falcons defense if they want to compete this year.
Okay, time to talk baseball. It was a big week for the Braves as they were riding a five-game winning streak going into Tuesday night’s play against the Blue Jays. The Nationals had been playing very well also but they finally lost to the Mets on Monday so the lead reached 6-5. This week is huge as the Nationals come to Atlanta starting on Thursday. The week has belonged to Freddie Freeman. The veteran first baseman has 38 homeruns and 114 RBIs entering Tuesday night’s play. He had a pair of homeruns and drove in five in Sunday’s win over the White Sox. The pitching and especially the bullpen has been a lot better. Shane Greene and Mark Melancon have been lights out in the late innings. Lets hope the young arms of Soroka and Fried can continue to hang on in September. Fried was great against the Sox with 11 strikeouts. They are off to a great start in September. A good weekend against the Nationals will go a long way to a National League East championship. It would be one I didn’t think would happen.
The Falcons will get things going for real this Sunday as they hit the road to play the Vikings. The Birds are a four-point underdog for the game. The big news for the week was the re-signing of kicker Matt Bryant. Honestly, he should have never been let go to start with. I guess the other big story is what hasn’t happened yet and that is the new contract to super star wide out Julio Jones. The plan was to have a deal done prior to the start of the season. All I can say there is that they better hurry. It looks like it will be a two-team race between the Falcons and the Saints. I guess the Panthers could make it a three-team race but we will have to see. It will come down to the health of Falcons defense if they want to compete this year.
Okay, time to talk baseball. It was a big week for the Braves as they were riding a five-game winning streak going into Tuesday night’s play against the Blue Jays. The Nationals had been playing very well also but they finally lost to the Mets on Monday so the lead reached 6-5. This week is huge as the Nationals come to Atlanta starting on Thursday. The week has belonged to Freddie Freeman. The veteran first baseman has 38 homeruns and 114 RBIs entering Tuesday night’s play. He had a pair of homeruns and drove in five in Sunday’s win over the White Sox. The pitching and especially the bullpen has been a lot better. Shane Greene and Mark Melancon have been lights out in the late innings. Lets hope the young arms of Soroka and Fried can continue to hang on in September. Fried was great against the Sox with 11 strikeouts. They are off to a great start in September. A good weekend against the Nationals will go a long way to a National League East championship. It would be one I didn’t think would happen.
Lady Indians win a pair of region games
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge High Lady Indians had a big week as they had a pair of region games on Tuesday. Dodge overcame a slow start to beat East Laurens 13-2. Thursday was the big game as they traveled to Cochran to play Bleckley County. Junior pitcher Linzy Bowen would pitch a dazzling one hit shutout in a big 9-0 win.
The win puts Dodge in control of 3-AA play as the leader of the region at the end of the regular season and Dodge will be the top seed for the state tournament as there will be no region tournament at the end of regular season play. Dodge will play at Southwest Macon this Thursday.
Dodge hosted East Laurens last Tuesday. Dodge would trail 2-0 after the first. Freshman Dylanna Barton got the start on the mound for Dodge. She had an easy second as fellow freshman Ava Roland gunned down a would be stolen base. The Lady Indians then went to work at the plate. Gracie Lewis doubled to left center and Makiyah Roberson singled to put runners on the corners. Roberson would steal second and both runners would score on a single by Bailey Harvey and the game would be tied at 2-2. Harvey would score on a wild pitch to give Dodge the lead at 3-2. JainaVae Patillo would single and score and the Dodge lead would go to 4-2 going to the third.
Barton had a strong third with a pair of strikeouts. Aniyah Black and Logan opened the inning with a double and a single. Gracie Lewis drove home Black as she reached on an error for a 5-2 Dodge lead. Makiyah Roberson would triple to right center that scored White and Lewis for a 7-2 lead. Ava Roland singled home Roberson for an 8-2 game. Sydney Powell would single home Carson Ethridge who was running for Roland and Patillo for a 10-2 game. Black would drive in Powell for an 11-2 lead going to the fourth.
It would be an easy fourth for Barton as she had an easy inning that featured her fifth strike out. Singles from Roberson and an RBI single from Roland gave Dodge a 13-2 lead. Barton had an easy fifth for the 13-2 final. Barton pitched well allowing just three hits and two runs.
Dodge failed to score in the top of the first in the Bleckley showdown. After walking the lead off batter she struck out the next three all swinging to keep the game scoreless going to the second.
Logan White reached on an error and Gracie Lewis singled to begin the inning. One out later, Bailey Harvey singled home White for a 1-0 lead. Ava Roland reached on an error as two runs scored and the Dodge lead would be 3-0. The Lady Royals got a single to right that just got by a diving Sydney Powell with two out. Bowen got a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
Dodge would put the game away in the third. Singles from Black, White and Lewis loaded the bases with nobody out. Makiyah Roberson would hit a double to left and when the ball got past the left fielder everyone scored and suddenly the game was 7-0 and that was a gracious plenty for Bowen. She struck out the side for the second time in three innings.
The inning did feature the only caught looking strike out Bowen had on the day. Dodge put the finishing touches to the game in the fifth. Roberson would be hit by a pitch and score on a wild pitch. Patillo would single home Harvey who also singled and the Dodge lead would reach 9-0.
The fifth for the Lady Royals featured their hardest hit of the day but Sydney Powell made a beautiful diving catch. A strike out and a fly ball to Roberson to center would do it for the 9-0 final. Bowen walked just one and struck out 10 while allowing just one hit.
The Dodge High Lady Indians had a big week as they had a pair of region games on Tuesday. Dodge overcame a slow start to beat East Laurens 13-2. Thursday was the big game as they traveled to Cochran to play Bleckley County. Junior pitcher Linzy Bowen would pitch a dazzling one hit shutout in a big 9-0 win.
The win puts Dodge in control of 3-AA play as the leader of the region at the end of the regular season and Dodge will be the top seed for the state tournament as there will be no region tournament at the end of regular season play. Dodge will play at Southwest Macon this Thursday.
Dodge hosted East Laurens last Tuesday. Dodge would trail 2-0 after the first. Freshman Dylanna Barton got the start on the mound for Dodge. She had an easy second as fellow freshman Ava Roland gunned down a would be stolen base. The Lady Indians then went to work at the plate. Gracie Lewis doubled to left center and Makiyah Roberson singled to put runners on the corners. Roberson would steal second and both runners would score on a single by Bailey Harvey and the game would be tied at 2-2. Harvey would score on a wild pitch to give Dodge the lead at 3-2. JainaVae Patillo would single and score and the Dodge lead would go to 4-2 going to the third.
Barton had a strong third with a pair of strikeouts. Aniyah Black and Logan opened the inning with a double and a single. Gracie Lewis drove home Black as she reached on an error for a 5-2 Dodge lead. Makiyah Roberson would triple to right center that scored White and Lewis for a 7-2 lead. Ava Roland singled home Roberson for an 8-2 game. Sydney Powell would single home Carson Ethridge who was running for Roland and Patillo for a 10-2 game. Black would drive in Powell for an 11-2 lead going to the fourth.
It would be an easy fourth for Barton as she had an easy inning that featured her fifth strike out. Singles from Roberson and an RBI single from Roland gave Dodge a 13-2 lead. Barton had an easy fifth for the 13-2 final. Barton pitched well allowing just three hits and two runs.
Dodge failed to score in the top of the first in the Bleckley showdown. After walking the lead off batter she struck out the next three all swinging to keep the game scoreless going to the second.
Logan White reached on an error and Gracie Lewis singled to begin the inning. One out later, Bailey Harvey singled home White for a 1-0 lead. Ava Roland reached on an error as two runs scored and the Dodge lead would be 3-0. The Lady Royals got a single to right that just got by a diving Sydney Powell with two out. Bowen got a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
Dodge would put the game away in the third. Singles from Black, White and Lewis loaded the bases with nobody out. Makiyah Roberson would hit a double to left and when the ball got past the left fielder everyone scored and suddenly the game was 7-0 and that was a gracious plenty for Bowen. She struck out the side for the second time in three innings.
The inning did feature the only caught looking strike out Bowen had on the day. Dodge put the finishing touches to the game in the fifth. Roberson would be hit by a pitch and score on a wild pitch. Patillo would single home Harvey who also singled and the Dodge lead would reach 9-0.
The fifth for the Lady Royals featured their hardest hit of the day but Sydney Powell made a beautiful diving catch. A strike out and a fly ball to Roberson to center would do it for the 9-0 final. Bowen walked just one and struck out 10 while allowing just one hit.
Dodge defeats Bradwell Institute 49-37
By Joey Marchant
Dodge County opened the 2019 season by outlasting the Bradwell Institute Tigers by a score of 49-37 on Coach John M. Peacock Field at Memorial Stadium.
Bradwell would take possession at its own 20 yard line after a touchback on the opening kickoff by Mason Mangham. The Tigers picked up two first downs moving out to their own 45 yard line before an errant snap by Bradwell resulted in a 22 yard loss. This proved a drive killer for Bradwell, but the Tigers were able to pin Dodge at its own 18 yard line with a nice high punt.
Daylon Gordon took the handoff from Kade Harpe on Dodge’s first play from scrimmage and ran virtually untouched for an 82 yard touchdown. Davis Marchant’s block on the middle linebacker cleared the way for Gordon. Mikhail Carr rushed for a two point conversion to give Dodge an 8-0 lead.
Bradwell would start its next possession on its own 36 yard line and move quickly to the Dodge 15 yard line where Carr made a touchdown saving tackle on the quarterback after a 27 yard gain on the keeper. From there, Carr dropped the quarterback for a one yard loss on first down. Elisha Williams sniffed out the screen pass and dropped the running back for a three yard loss on second down. On third down, the quarterback rushed for 10 yards before Jamal Mahan tackled him short of the first down at the Dodge nine yard line. Bradwell connected on a 26 yard field goal from there to cut the Dodge lead to 8-3.
Carr returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for an apparent touchdown, but the play was called back to the Dodge 27 yard line for a penalty on the return. Harpe hit Timmy Johnson with a pass for 3 yards on first down. Consecutive carries by Nathan Coley resulted in a Dodge first down at its own 37 yard line. Harpe hit Marchant who gained two yards before being horse collared by a defensive lineman. The resulting penalty gave Dodge a first down at the Bradwell 46 yard line. Later in the drive, Harpe would hit Carr in stride streaking down the sideline for a 52 yard touchdown pass. Gabe Thompson added the extra point to give Dodge a 15-3 lead. A penalty on Bradwell enforced on the kickoff allowed Mangham to drive the ball into the end zone for a touchback.
Two plays later, Coley forced a fumble, which was recovered by Williams at the Bradwell 28 yard line. Gordon carried up the middle for 10 yards making a man miss at the line before running over the safety. Gordon’s helmet came off in the process, which resulted in the play being blown dead by rule. A Bradwell player slammed Gordon to the ground. Harpe came in to defend his teammate and earned a 15 yard penalty moving the ball back to the Bradwell 33 yard line. Two plays later, Harpe handed to Keldrick Beck on an end around play that gained 24 yards to the Bradwell 10 yard line. Two plays later, Noah Cummings, who started at defensive end, came in for his only snap at quarterback. He faked a handoff and hit Carr in the corner of the end zone on a beautiful fade route for an 18 yard touchdown. Mangham nailed the extra point to give Dodge a 22-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
However, Bradwell would come roaring back. The Tigers started on their own 38 yard line where Cummings dropped the quarterback for a one yard loss on first down. On the next play, Bradwell went to the air for a 63 yard touchdown pass. The wide receiver faked a wide receiver screen route and then took off down the field. The Dodge corners appeared to bite on the fake. Carr came over from his safety position but could not make the touchdown saving tackle this time. Blaine Pritchett came off the corner and blocked the extra point attempt. Dodge led 22-9.
Dodge took possession at its own 20 yard line after a touchback. Harpe went to the air hitting Timmy Johnson for 11 yards, Tyrese Johnson for five yards and Beck for 26 yards. Gordon rushed for a 14 yard gain to the Bradwell 35 yard line. Lemon had runs of eight yards and four yards. Coley rushed for eight yards to the Bradwell 15 yard line. The Dodge Offense stalled, and Mangham was wide left on a 37 yard field goal attempt.
Bradwell took over at its own 20 and moved down the field largely on the legs of its quarterback. However, the Dodge Defense stiffened at its own 24 yard line. On first down, Mahan and Williams blew up the screen pass dropping the running back for a loss of one yard. On second down, Mahan grabbed the running back in the backfield and flung him backwards dislodging the ball in the process, which was recovered by Javon McNeal. The play earned Mahan the 13 WMAZ Rib Rocker Award.
Dodge took over at its own 35 yard line and would drive to Bradwell’s 27 yard line highlighted by a 16 yard run by Gordon. The Bradwell Defense held on fourth down when Harpe overthrew Timmy Johnson.
When Bradwell took over, Williams sacked the quarterback for a one yard loss. McNeal sacked the quarterback for an 11 yard loss. Dodge would force a punt to end the half with a 22-9 lead.
The two teams traded punts to start the third quarter. Then Gordon rushed for a 69 yard touchdown on a counter trap play. Gordon ran behind the pulling linemen Jarred Frost and Noah Pace. He made the safety miss and ran untouched to the end zone. Harpe handled a low snap and Thompson split the uprights with the extra point to give Dodge a 29-9 lead.
Bradwell came roaring back by returning the ensuing kickoff to the Dodge 11 yard line and scoring on a run up the middle on the next play. The extra point cut the Dodge lead to 29-16.
Carr returned the ensuing kickoff to the Dodge 26 yard line where Harpe hit Marchant on a tight end screen pass for 24 yards to midfield. Two plays later, Coley ran 45 yards to the Bradwell five yard line. However, two plays later Coley would fumble the ball away to Bradwell.
Bradwell would throw incompletions on first and second down. Mahan dropped the running back for a big loss on third down forcing Bradwell to punt with the ball sitting just outside its goal line. Dodge brought pressure and almost blocked it, but the punter got off a low line drive punt. Coley fielded it on the Bradwell 33 yard line and raced down to the 10 yard line. A face mask penalty moved it to the five yard line, and Lemon would take it in from there on a direct snap for the Dodge touchdown. Mangham drilled the extra point, and Dodge led 36-16.
Dodge lost containment on the kickoff, and Bradwell brought it out to the Dodge 48 yard line. Bradwell quickly moved down the field to the Dodge 24 yard line where despite heavy pressure from Mahan, the quarterback threw a touchdown pass. Bradwell converted the extra point to cut the Dodge lead to 36-23.
Carr had a nice return, but a penalty moved it back to the Dodge 18 yard line. This time Dodge ran the counter trap to the left with Quinn Whitehead and Colby Lee pulling. Gordon took the handoff and split three defenders who converged on him. He would then outrace the Bradwell Defense for another 82 yard touchdown run. Thompson converted the extra point to stretch the Dodge lead to 43-23.
It was about this time that the momentum began to shift. The Georgia heat began to take its toll as often happens in a season opener. Bradwell being a much larger school with virtually no players playing on both sides of the ball was better suited for the heat. Dodge played a lot of players, and came into the game having trained hard, but several key players began to suffer cramps. The game now looked like a heavyweight fight where one guy opens up with a flurry of punches but eventually punches himself out while his opponent paces himself and cruises to victory. There was no doubt who was the better team, but could Dodge hang on?
Dodge fans began to watch the clock while still in the third quarter. A short kickoff allowed Bradwell to start at its own 37 yard line. Tyrese Johnson came up from his safety position and dropped the quarterback for a one yard loss on first down. However, on second down, a Dodge defender pulled up with a cramp in the middle of a pass play allowing the receiver to run free down the field before Pritchett caught up with him inside the Dodge 10 yard line. Two plays later, the quarterback floated one into the end zone, and Beck picked it off returning it to the Dodge 27 yard line.
The third quarter would finally end with Dodge leading 43-23. Dodge could not make a first down, and Timmy Johnson came in to punt. The kick took a Dodge roll and netted 41 yards. Bradwell flew down the field scoring a touchdown and extra point to cut the Dodge lead to 43-30.
Bradwell would try an onside kick that looked like trouble for Dodge until the ball changed directions and took a lateral bounce toward the sideline coming up short of the 10 yards required of an onside kick. Dodge would take over with great field position at the Bradwell 32 yard line. Dodge appeared to be ready to deliver the knockout punch after runs by Gordon and Coley, but a holding call on a nice run by Beck left Dodge in second and long. Two incompletions left Dodge facing a fourth and 13 at the Bradwell 27. It was too far for a field goal, so Dodge left its offense on the field. Bradwell brought a blitz which swallowed Harpe before he could find a receiver giving Bradwell the ball back at its own 34 yard line.
Dodge lost containment on the next play as the quarterback took it down the sideline for a 66 yard touchdown run. The extra point cut the Dodge lead to 43-37. All Bradwell needed was one stop, and it would be in position for a game winning drive. Dodge would look to Carr who was also suffering from cramps to give them a spark on offense. Credit Coach Cofer who has brought a lot of new plays to the Dodge playbook, but he dialed up an old play familiar to Dodge fans when he called for Carr on the Jet Sweep. Carr took it left on one play and right on the next play totaling 39 yards on two carries, his only two rushes of the game. Carr limped off the field, and Dodge went back to Gordon on the next play. A pulling Frost blocked the defensive end, and tight end McNeal absolutely obliterated the outside linebacker. Gordon broke the tackle of the middle linebacker and veered to the outside outrunning everyone to the goal line. The snap on the extra point was high, and Thompson’s kick was blocked. Dodge led 49-37.
Bradwell would eventually score again, but have its touchdown called back for a penalty. Then with Mahan and Williams bearing down on the quarterback, he threw the ball into the arms of McNeal who returned it 39 yards to the Bradwell 46 yard line. Dodge could not score, but Timmy Johnson came in for a 38 yard punt that pinned Bradwell on its own five yard line. Bradwell threw four incompletions giving Dodge the ball back. Dodge went into its Victory formation, and Harpe took a knee to finally run out the clock on Dodge’s 49-37 victory.
Dodge was excited to get the victory in Coach Cofer’s first game at Dodge County. The team showed a lot of heart to persevere down the stretch and grind out the victory. The Dodge Offense rolled up over 600 yards. Dodge will now have an open week in which to get some rest and go to work correcting its many mistakes. It has been said that a team improves most between its first and second game of the season. We look forward to seeing if that proves true for Dodge this year.
Dodge will take on the AAAA West Laurens Raiders on September 6th at 7:30 in Eastman. West Laurens is a talented team who the Indians have narrowly defeated for the last three years in a row, so you can bet the Raiders have this one circled on their calendar. West Laurens will bring a lot of fans, so we need all Dodge fans to be there and be loud.
Statistical leaders for
Dodge were as follows:
Passing: Kade Harpe was 7 for 17 for 122 yards with 1 TD.
Noah Cummings was 1 for 1 for 18 yards with 1 TD.
Rushing: Daylon Gordon had 13 carries for 322 yards and 4 TDs.
Nathan Coley had 10 carries for 74 yards.
Mikhail Carr had 2 carries for 39 yards.
Jayleen Lemon had 5 carries for 17 yards and 1 TD.
Keldrick Beck had 1 carry for 24 yards.
Receiving: Mikhail Carr had 2 catches for 70 yards and 2 TDs.
Davis Marchant had 2 catches for 25 yards.
Timmy Johnson had 2 catches for 14 yards
Keldrick Beck had 1 catch for 26 yards.
Tyrese Johnson had 1 catch for 5 yards.
Defense: Jamal Mahan had 15 total tackles including 9 solo tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble.
Elisha Williams had 10 total tackles including 6 solo tackles and a sack and a fumble recovery.
Noah Cummings had 7 tackles including 2 tackles for loss.
Javon McNeal had 5 tackles including 4 solo tackles and 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception.
Nathan Coley had 4 tackles and forced a fumble.
Keldrick Beck had 3 tackles and 1 interception.
Special Teams: Mason Mangham was 0/1 on field goals and 2/2 on extra points.
Gabe Thompson was 3/4 on extra points.
Timmy Johnson averaged 42.33 yards on 3 punts.
Dodge County opened the 2019 season by outlasting the Bradwell Institute Tigers by a score of 49-37 on Coach John M. Peacock Field at Memorial Stadium.
Bradwell would take possession at its own 20 yard line after a touchback on the opening kickoff by Mason Mangham. The Tigers picked up two first downs moving out to their own 45 yard line before an errant snap by Bradwell resulted in a 22 yard loss. This proved a drive killer for Bradwell, but the Tigers were able to pin Dodge at its own 18 yard line with a nice high punt.
Daylon Gordon took the handoff from Kade Harpe on Dodge’s first play from scrimmage and ran virtually untouched for an 82 yard touchdown. Davis Marchant’s block on the middle linebacker cleared the way for Gordon. Mikhail Carr rushed for a two point conversion to give Dodge an 8-0 lead.
Bradwell would start its next possession on its own 36 yard line and move quickly to the Dodge 15 yard line where Carr made a touchdown saving tackle on the quarterback after a 27 yard gain on the keeper. From there, Carr dropped the quarterback for a one yard loss on first down. Elisha Williams sniffed out the screen pass and dropped the running back for a three yard loss on second down. On third down, the quarterback rushed for 10 yards before Jamal Mahan tackled him short of the first down at the Dodge nine yard line. Bradwell connected on a 26 yard field goal from there to cut the Dodge lead to 8-3.
Carr returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for an apparent touchdown, but the play was called back to the Dodge 27 yard line for a penalty on the return. Harpe hit Timmy Johnson with a pass for 3 yards on first down. Consecutive carries by Nathan Coley resulted in a Dodge first down at its own 37 yard line. Harpe hit Marchant who gained two yards before being horse collared by a defensive lineman. The resulting penalty gave Dodge a first down at the Bradwell 46 yard line. Later in the drive, Harpe would hit Carr in stride streaking down the sideline for a 52 yard touchdown pass. Gabe Thompson added the extra point to give Dodge a 15-3 lead. A penalty on Bradwell enforced on the kickoff allowed Mangham to drive the ball into the end zone for a touchback.
Two plays later, Coley forced a fumble, which was recovered by Williams at the Bradwell 28 yard line. Gordon carried up the middle for 10 yards making a man miss at the line before running over the safety. Gordon’s helmet came off in the process, which resulted in the play being blown dead by rule. A Bradwell player slammed Gordon to the ground. Harpe came in to defend his teammate and earned a 15 yard penalty moving the ball back to the Bradwell 33 yard line. Two plays later, Harpe handed to Keldrick Beck on an end around play that gained 24 yards to the Bradwell 10 yard line. Two plays later, Noah Cummings, who started at defensive end, came in for his only snap at quarterback. He faked a handoff and hit Carr in the corner of the end zone on a beautiful fade route for an 18 yard touchdown. Mangham nailed the extra point to give Dodge a 22-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
However, Bradwell would come roaring back. The Tigers started on their own 38 yard line where Cummings dropped the quarterback for a one yard loss on first down. On the next play, Bradwell went to the air for a 63 yard touchdown pass. The wide receiver faked a wide receiver screen route and then took off down the field. The Dodge corners appeared to bite on the fake. Carr came over from his safety position but could not make the touchdown saving tackle this time. Blaine Pritchett came off the corner and blocked the extra point attempt. Dodge led 22-9.
Dodge took possession at its own 20 yard line after a touchback. Harpe went to the air hitting Timmy Johnson for 11 yards, Tyrese Johnson for five yards and Beck for 26 yards. Gordon rushed for a 14 yard gain to the Bradwell 35 yard line. Lemon had runs of eight yards and four yards. Coley rushed for eight yards to the Bradwell 15 yard line. The Dodge Offense stalled, and Mangham was wide left on a 37 yard field goal attempt.
Bradwell took over at its own 20 and moved down the field largely on the legs of its quarterback. However, the Dodge Defense stiffened at its own 24 yard line. On first down, Mahan and Williams blew up the screen pass dropping the running back for a loss of one yard. On second down, Mahan grabbed the running back in the backfield and flung him backwards dislodging the ball in the process, which was recovered by Javon McNeal. The play earned Mahan the 13 WMAZ Rib Rocker Award.
Dodge took over at its own 35 yard line and would drive to Bradwell’s 27 yard line highlighted by a 16 yard run by Gordon. The Bradwell Defense held on fourth down when Harpe overthrew Timmy Johnson.
When Bradwell took over, Williams sacked the quarterback for a one yard loss. McNeal sacked the quarterback for an 11 yard loss. Dodge would force a punt to end the half with a 22-9 lead.
The two teams traded punts to start the third quarter. Then Gordon rushed for a 69 yard touchdown on a counter trap play. Gordon ran behind the pulling linemen Jarred Frost and Noah Pace. He made the safety miss and ran untouched to the end zone. Harpe handled a low snap and Thompson split the uprights with the extra point to give Dodge a 29-9 lead.
Bradwell came roaring back by returning the ensuing kickoff to the Dodge 11 yard line and scoring on a run up the middle on the next play. The extra point cut the Dodge lead to 29-16.
Carr returned the ensuing kickoff to the Dodge 26 yard line where Harpe hit Marchant on a tight end screen pass for 24 yards to midfield. Two plays later, Coley ran 45 yards to the Bradwell five yard line. However, two plays later Coley would fumble the ball away to Bradwell.
Bradwell would throw incompletions on first and second down. Mahan dropped the running back for a big loss on third down forcing Bradwell to punt with the ball sitting just outside its goal line. Dodge brought pressure and almost blocked it, but the punter got off a low line drive punt. Coley fielded it on the Bradwell 33 yard line and raced down to the 10 yard line. A face mask penalty moved it to the five yard line, and Lemon would take it in from there on a direct snap for the Dodge touchdown. Mangham drilled the extra point, and Dodge led 36-16.
Dodge lost containment on the kickoff, and Bradwell brought it out to the Dodge 48 yard line. Bradwell quickly moved down the field to the Dodge 24 yard line where despite heavy pressure from Mahan, the quarterback threw a touchdown pass. Bradwell converted the extra point to cut the Dodge lead to 36-23.
Carr had a nice return, but a penalty moved it back to the Dodge 18 yard line. This time Dodge ran the counter trap to the left with Quinn Whitehead and Colby Lee pulling. Gordon took the handoff and split three defenders who converged on him. He would then outrace the Bradwell Defense for another 82 yard touchdown run. Thompson converted the extra point to stretch the Dodge lead to 43-23.
It was about this time that the momentum began to shift. The Georgia heat began to take its toll as often happens in a season opener. Bradwell being a much larger school with virtually no players playing on both sides of the ball was better suited for the heat. Dodge played a lot of players, and came into the game having trained hard, but several key players began to suffer cramps. The game now looked like a heavyweight fight where one guy opens up with a flurry of punches but eventually punches himself out while his opponent paces himself and cruises to victory. There was no doubt who was the better team, but could Dodge hang on?
Dodge fans began to watch the clock while still in the third quarter. A short kickoff allowed Bradwell to start at its own 37 yard line. Tyrese Johnson came up from his safety position and dropped the quarterback for a one yard loss on first down. However, on second down, a Dodge defender pulled up with a cramp in the middle of a pass play allowing the receiver to run free down the field before Pritchett caught up with him inside the Dodge 10 yard line. Two plays later, the quarterback floated one into the end zone, and Beck picked it off returning it to the Dodge 27 yard line.
The third quarter would finally end with Dodge leading 43-23. Dodge could not make a first down, and Timmy Johnson came in to punt. The kick took a Dodge roll and netted 41 yards. Bradwell flew down the field scoring a touchdown and extra point to cut the Dodge lead to 43-30.
Bradwell would try an onside kick that looked like trouble for Dodge until the ball changed directions and took a lateral bounce toward the sideline coming up short of the 10 yards required of an onside kick. Dodge would take over with great field position at the Bradwell 32 yard line. Dodge appeared to be ready to deliver the knockout punch after runs by Gordon and Coley, but a holding call on a nice run by Beck left Dodge in second and long. Two incompletions left Dodge facing a fourth and 13 at the Bradwell 27. It was too far for a field goal, so Dodge left its offense on the field. Bradwell brought a blitz which swallowed Harpe before he could find a receiver giving Bradwell the ball back at its own 34 yard line.
Dodge lost containment on the next play as the quarterback took it down the sideline for a 66 yard touchdown run. The extra point cut the Dodge lead to 43-37. All Bradwell needed was one stop, and it would be in position for a game winning drive. Dodge would look to Carr who was also suffering from cramps to give them a spark on offense. Credit Coach Cofer who has brought a lot of new plays to the Dodge playbook, but he dialed up an old play familiar to Dodge fans when he called for Carr on the Jet Sweep. Carr took it left on one play and right on the next play totaling 39 yards on two carries, his only two rushes of the game. Carr limped off the field, and Dodge went back to Gordon on the next play. A pulling Frost blocked the defensive end, and tight end McNeal absolutely obliterated the outside linebacker. Gordon broke the tackle of the middle linebacker and veered to the outside outrunning everyone to the goal line. The snap on the extra point was high, and Thompson’s kick was blocked. Dodge led 49-37.
Bradwell would eventually score again, but have its touchdown called back for a penalty. Then with Mahan and Williams bearing down on the quarterback, he threw the ball into the arms of McNeal who returned it 39 yards to the Bradwell 46 yard line. Dodge could not score, but Timmy Johnson came in for a 38 yard punt that pinned Bradwell on its own five yard line. Bradwell threw four incompletions giving Dodge the ball back. Dodge went into its Victory formation, and Harpe took a knee to finally run out the clock on Dodge’s 49-37 victory.
Dodge was excited to get the victory in Coach Cofer’s first game at Dodge County. The team showed a lot of heart to persevere down the stretch and grind out the victory. The Dodge Offense rolled up over 600 yards. Dodge will now have an open week in which to get some rest and go to work correcting its many mistakes. It has been said that a team improves most between its first and second game of the season. We look forward to seeing if that proves true for Dodge this year.
Dodge will take on the AAAA West Laurens Raiders on September 6th at 7:30 in Eastman. West Laurens is a talented team who the Indians have narrowly defeated for the last three years in a row, so you can bet the Raiders have this one circled on their calendar. West Laurens will bring a lot of fans, so we need all Dodge fans to be there and be loud.
Statistical leaders for
Dodge were as follows:
Passing: Kade Harpe was 7 for 17 for 122 yards with 1 TD.
Noah Cummings was 1 for 1 for 18 yards with 1 TD.
Rushing: Daylon Gordon had 13 carries for 322 yards and 4 TDs.
Nathan Coley had 10 carries for 74 yards.
Mikhail Carr had 2 carries for 39 yards.
Jayleen Lemon had 5 carries for 17 yards and 1 TD.
Keldrick Beck had 1 carry for 24 yards.
Receiving: Mikhail Carr had 2 catches for 70 yards and 2 TDs.
Davis Marchant had 2 catches for 25 yards.
Timmy Johnson had 2 catches for 14 yards
Keldrick Beck had 1 catch for 26 yards.
Tyrese Johnson had 1 catch for 5 yards.
Defense: Jamal Mahan had 15 total tackles including 9 solo tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble.
Elisha Williams had 10 total tackles including 6 solo tackles and a sack and a fumble recovery.
Noah Cummings had 7 tackles including 2 tackles for loss.
Javon McNeal had 5 tackles including 4 solo tackles and 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception.
Nathan Coley had 4 tackles and forced a fumble.
Keldrick Beck had 3 tackles and 1 interception.
Special Teams: Mason Mangham was 0/1 on field goals and 2/2 on extra points.
Gabe Thompson was 3/4 on extra points.
Timmy Johnson averaged 42.33 yards on 3 punts.
Lady Indians Split Games
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge High Lady Indians split a pair of games over the past week. Dodge opened the week with a tough 10-6 loss to Veterans. Dodge ran their region record to 3-0 as they got an 18-1 road win at Washington County. This Thursday, Dodge will travel to Bleckley County for a 5:30 p.m. clash with the Lady Royals.
Dodge got off to a rough start against Veterans. The Lady Indians trailed 6-0 going to the fourth. Logan White led off the inning with a walk and she advanced to second on a hit by Sydney Powell. While would later score to put Dodge on the board trailing 6-1. Dodge got the bats going in the sixth as they trailed 8-1. Bailey Hervey led off with a hit by pitch. White added with her second hit of the day to put two runners on. Ava Roland would get a one-hit out that scored Hervey for an 8-2 game. Dylanna Barton would single home Roland for an 8-3 game.
The Lady Indians would actually make things real interesting in the seventh. Aniyah Black singled to lead off. A walk to Gracie Lewis and another hit by pitch by Hervey loaded the bases for Logan White. The junior hit a line shot to the right field corner that scored Carson, Ethridge and Lewis for a 10-5 game. A wild pitch would score Hervey for a 10-6 game. A single by Powell and then walks to Roland and Pattillo loaded the bases and brought the typing run to the plate. Unfortunately, the runners would be stranded and Dodge would fall 10-6.
The Lady Indians returned to region play in Sandersville to play Washington County. Dodge wasted no time getting things going. Dylanna Barton led off by getting hit by a pitch. One out later, Aniyah Black doubled her home for a 1-0 game. Logan White remained hot as she hit a two-run homerun for a 3-0 lead. JaineVae Pattillo singled home Mikayah Roberson and Bailey Hervey for a 5-0 lead. Dylanna Barton singled home Ava Roland and Pattillo for a 7-0 lead going to the bottom of the first.
The Lady Hawks got an unearned run off of Linzy Bowen in the first to cut the lead to 7-1. Both teams failed to score in the second. Dodge put the game away in another big inning. Roberson reached on an error and Bailey Hervey singled to lead off the third. Ava Roland singled home Roberson for an 8-1 lead. Aniyah Black singled home a pair of runs and White singled home her third of the day for a 14-1 lead.
Bowen coasted through the third. She picked up a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the third as she worked around a pair of errors. Dodge kept the offense going in the fourth. Aniyah Black got her second double and third RBI of the day as she drove in Barton for a 15-1 game. Two outs later, Logan White got her third hit and fourth RBI of the day as she drove in Black for a 16-1 game. Roberson got her third hit of the game as she singled home White. Kyla Howell wrapped up the days scoring as she knocked in Roberson for the 18-1 final. Bowen allowed but one hit and she added six strikeouts in the win.
The Dodge High Lady Indians split a pair of games over the past week. Dodge opened the week with a tough 10-6 loss to Veterans. Dodge ran their region record to 3-0 as they got an 18-1 road win at Washington County. This Thursday, Dodge will travel to Bleckley County for a 5:30 p.m. clash with the Lady Royals.
Dodge got off to a rough start against Veterans. The Lady Indians trailed 6-0 going to the fourth. Logan White led off the inning with a walk and she advanced to second on a hit by Sydney Powell. While would later score to put Dodge on the board trailing 6-1. Dodge got the bats going in the sixth as they trailed 8-1. Bailey Hervey led off with a hit by pitch. White added with her second hit of the day to put two runners on. Ava Roland would get a one-hit out that scored Hervey for an 8-2 game. Dylanna Barton would single home Roland for an 8-3 game.
The Lady Indians would actually make things real interesting in the seventh. Aniyah Black singled to lead off. A walk to Gracie Lewis and another hit by pitch by Hervey loaded the bases for Logan White. The junior hit a line shot to the right field corner that scored Carson, Ethridge and Lewis for a 10-5 game. A wild pitch would score Hervey for a 10-6 game. A single by Powell and then walks to Roland and Pattillo loaded the bases and brought the typing run to the plate. Unfortunately, the runners would be stranded and Dodge would fall 10-6.
The Lady Indians returned to region play in Sandersville to play Washington County. Dodge wasted no time getting things going. Dylanna Barton led off by getting hit by a pitch. One out later, Aniyah Black doubled her home for a 1-0 game. Logan White remained hot as she hit a two-run homerun for a 3-0 lead. JaineVae Pattillo singled home Mikayah Roberson and Bailey Hervey for a 5-0 lead. Dylanna Barton singled home Ava Roland and Pattillo for a 7-0 lead going to the bottom of the first.
The Lady Hawks got an unearned run off of Linzy Bowen in the first to cut the lead to 7-1. Both teams failed to score in the second. Dodge put the game away in another big inning. Roberson reached on an error and Bailey Hervey singled to lead off the third. Ava Roland singled home Roberson for an 8-1 lead. Aniyah Black singled home a pair of runs and White singled home her third of the day for a 14-1 lead.
Bowen coasted through the third. She picked up a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the third as she worked around a pair of errors. Dodge kept the offense going in the fourth. Aniyah Black got her second double and third RBI of the day as she drove in Barton for a 15-1 game. Two outs later, Logan White got her third hit and fourth RBI of the day as she drove in Black for a 16-1 game. Roberson got her third hit of the game as she singled home White. Kyla Howell wrapped up the days scoring as she knocked in Roberson for the 18-1 final. Bowen allowed but one hit and she added six strikeouts in the win.
Lady Indians split games for first week of action
By Russ Ragan
It was a busy week for the Dodge High Lady Indians Softball. Dodge played five games over the week including a pair of region games. The week opened with a tough 11-6 loss to a strong West Laurens team. Region play opened on Tuesday against Southwest Macon. Dodge rolled to a 15-0 game that wasn’t near that close. Thursday Dodge traveled to Macon to play Northeast. The game wasn’t close as the Lady Indians rolled to a 19-1 win. Dodge traveled to Cordele to play in the Watermelon Classic. The opener was a shoot-out between Dodge and Ware Counties. The Lady Indians rallied from six runs down to tie the game before falling 11-9 in extra innings. Dodge would rally in their second game as they defeated Brantley County 5-2.
The Lady Raiders started strong as they took a 4.0 lead in the first. Dodge would cut the lead in half as Aniyah Black knocked in Dylanna Barton and Makiyah Roberson to cut the lead to 4-2. The Lady Raiders kept the bats going with five more runs in the second to move the lead to 9-2. Dodge would come back in the 4th as Barton drove in Logan White who doubled for a 9-3 game. Ava Roland walked and runner Jainavae Patillo and the game was 9-4. Dodge trailed 11-4 before Gracie Lewis singled home Roberson for an 11-5 game. Bailey Harvey wrapped up the games scoring with a very long homerun to dead center that cleared everything. The final was 11-6.
Dodge welcomed Southwest Macon to Eastman on Tuesday. The Lady Patriots have had no lunch against Dodge and today would be no different. Dylanna Barton got the start on the mound and pitched a perfect game with seven strikeouts in the 15-0 win. Here is an offensive rundown: Barton two for two with three runs scored and three stolen bases; Makiyah Roberson two for two with three runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI; Logan White one for one with three runs scored, four stolen bases and two RBIs; Sidney Powell one for two with one run scored and two RBIs; Jainavae Patillo two walks and two stolen bases; Kyla Howell two runs scored and two stolen bases; Ava Roland one for one with a stolen base and two RBIs; Carson Ethridge had two walks and Jayci Hickman had a walk and an RBI.
Dodge went to Northeast Macon on Thursday. This one wasn’t close as well as Dodge rolled to a 19-1 win. Barton pitched well again as she allowed only an unearned run going up two hits and striking out six. Here is the offensive breakdown: Barton had two stolen bases and a run scored; Robertson two for two with three runs scored, two triples and an RBI; White three for three with three runs scored, two doubles, a stolen base and three RBIs. Powell two for two with three RBIs, three stolen bases, a triple, a homerun and two RBIs; Howell has a stolen base and a walk; Roland three runs scored and two stolen bases; Patillo two for three with two runs scored and a triple; Ethridge two for two with two runs scored and Hickman with a single, a walk and a run scored.
The competition level went way up on Saturday as Dodge opened with Ware County in Cordele. As has been the case, Dodge got off to a slow start as Ware jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first. Dodge would come back in their half of the first. Roberson tripled with one out and Black followed with a walk. Gracie Lewis singled home Roberson for a 6-1 game. Logan White knocked in Black for a 6-2 game. Sidney Powell knocked in Lewis for a 6-3 game. Ware added to the lead in the second as they scored three more for a 9-3 game but back came Dodge. Dylanna Barton singled and stole second with one out. Aniyah Black got a two-out single to cut the lead to 9-4. Black would score on an error and Lewis knocked in Harvey for a 9-6 game.
The game was still 9-6 when Dodge came to the plate in the third. Barton doubled to left center that scored Kyla Howell for a 9-7 game. Robertson would double and score for a 9-8 game. Black would get an RBI double to finally tie the game at 9-9. The game stayed at 9-9 going to extra innings as the time limit ran out. Ware scored a pair of runs in the sixth for an 11-9 win.
Linzy Bowen got the ball on the mound for Dodge against Brantley County. Dodge trailed 2.0 but it could have been worse as Bowen got a pair of strikeouts to leave the bases loaded. The game was still 2-0 going to the bottom of the second. Ava Roland doubled with two outs and Jainavae Patillo walked with two out. Barton got an RBI hit scoring Ethridge who was running for Roland. Aniyah Black singled home Patillo to tie the game at 2-2. Bowen settled down on the mound as she had four strikeouts through three innings. Dodge would grab the lead in the bottom of the inning. Logan White reached on an error and Sydney Powell walked with one out. Bailey Harvey got a sacrifice fly to score White for a 3-2 Dodge lead. Powell would steal home for a 4-2 Dodge lead. Bowen had an easy top of the fourth and Dodge would increase the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Barton doubled to left to lead off the inning. Aniyah Black would hit a sacrifice fly to score Barton. Roberson moved Barton with a ground out. Brantley had one more swing at things in the fifth, as the 90-minute time limit was about to run out. A walk and a pair of hits loaded the bases. Pop-ups to Sydney Powell and Bailey Harvey would end this one and Dodge would take a 5-2 win.
It was a busy week for the Dodge High Lady Indians Softball. Dodge played five games over the week including a pair of region games. The week opened with a tough 11-6 loss to a strong West Laurens team. Region play opened on Tuesday against Southwest Macon. Dodge rolled to a 15-0 game that wasn’t near that close. Thursday Dodge traveled to Macon to play Northeast. The game wasn’t close as the Lady Indians rolled to a 19-1 win. Dodge traveled to Cordele to play in the Watermelon Classic. The opener was a shoot-out between Dodge and Ware Counties. The Lady Indians rallied from six runs down to tie the game before falling 11-9 in extra innings. Dodge would rally in their second game as they defeated Brantley County 5-2.
The Lady Raiders started strong as they took a 4.0 lead in the first. Dodge would cut the lead in half as Aniyah Black knocked in Dylanna Barton and Makiyah Roberson to cut the lead to 4-2. The Lady Raiders kept the bats going with five more runs in the second to move the lead to 9-2. Dodge would come back in the 4th as Barton drove in Logan White who doubled for a 9-3 game. Ava Roland walked and runner Jainavae Patillo and the game was 9-4. Dodge trailed 11-4 before Gracie Lewis singled home Roberson for an 11-5 game. Bailey Harvey wrapped up the games scoring with a very long homerun to dead center that cleared everything. The final was 11-6.
Dodge welcomed Southwest Macon to Eastman on Tuesday. The Lady Patriots have had no lunch against Dodge and today would be no different. Dylanna Barton got the start on the mound and pitched a perfect game with seven strikeouts in the 15-0 win. Here is an offensive rundown: Barton two for two with three runs scored and three stolen bases; Makiyah Roberson two for two with three runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI; Logan White one for one with three runs scored, four stolen bases and two RBIs; Sidney Powell one for two with one run scored and two RBIs; Jainavae Patillo two walks and two stolen bases; Kyla Howell two runs scored and two stolen bases; Ava Roland one for one with a stolen base and two RBIs; Carson Ethridge had two walks and Jayci Hickman had a walk and an RBI.
Dodge went to Northeast Macon on Thursday. This one wasn’t close as well as Dodge rolled to a 19-1 win. Barton pitched well again as she allowed only an unearned run going up two hits and striking out six. Here is the offensive breakdown: Barton had two stolen bases and a run scored; Robertson two for two with three runs scored, two triples and an RBI; White three for three with three runs scored, two doubles, a stolen base and three RBIs. Powell two for two with three RBIs, three stolen bases, a triple, a homerun and two RBIs; Howell has a stolen base and a walk; Roland three runs scored and two stolen bases; Patillo two for three with two runs scored and a triple; Ethridge two for two with two runs scored and Hickman with a single, a walk and a run scored.
The competition level went way up on Saturday as Dodge opened with Ware County in Cordele. As has been the case, Dodge got off to a slow start as Ware jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first. Dodge would come back in their half of the first. Roberson tripled with one out and Black followed with a walk. Gracie Lewis singled home Roberson for a 6-1 game. Logan White knocked in Black for a 6-2 game. Sidney Powell knocked in Lewis for a 6-3 game. Ware added to the lead in the second as they scored three more for a 9-3 game but back came Dodge. Dylanna Barton singled and stole second with one out. Aniyah Black got a two-out single to cut the lead to 9-4. Black would score on an error and Lewis knocked in Harvey for a 9-6 game.
The game was still 9-6 when Dodge came to the plate in the third. Barton doubled to left center that scored Kyla Howell for a 9-7 game. Robertson would double and score for a 9-8 game. Black would get an RBI double to finally tie the game at 9-9. The game stayed at 9-9 going to extra innings as the time limit ran out. Ware scored a pair of runs in the sixth for an 11-9 win.
Linzy Bowen got the ball on the mound for Dodge against Brantley County. Dodge trailed 2.0 but it could have been worse as Bowen got a pair of strikeouts to leave the bases loaded. The game was still 2-0 going to the bottom of the second. Ava Roland doubled with two outs and Jainavae Patillo walked with two out. Barton got an RBI hit scoring Ethridge who was running for Roland. Aniyah Black singled home Patillo to tie the game at 2-2. Bowen settled down on the mound as she had four strikeouts through three innings. Dodge would grab the lead in the bottom of the inning. Logan White reached on an error and Sydney Powell walked with one out. Bailey Harvey got a sacrifice fly to score White for a 3-2 Dodge lead. Powell would steal home for a 4-2 Dodge lead. Bowen had an easy top of the fourth and Dodge would increase the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Barton doubled to left to lead off the inning. Aniyah Black would hit a sacrifice fly to score Barton. Roberson moved Barton with a ground out. Brantley had one more swing at things in the fifth, as the 90-minute time limit was about to run out. A walk and a pair of hits loaded the bases. Pop-ups to Sydney Powell and Bailey Harvey would end this one and Dodge would take a 5-2 win.
Russ's Sports Review
You can say a lot of things about the Braves’ week but boring wasn’t one of them. They beat the Dodgers, who are the National League’s best team, in a best of three. They won despite starting two players that weren’t in the majors a week earlier. The bullpen had back-to-back strong finishes. Star outfielders were also snatched out of the game for not hustling. The lead was five games over the Nationals going into Tuesday night’s series against the Marlins.
Let’s start with who is he. A week ago the Braves bought up veteran minor league Rafael Ortega. He has been around for a while as he made his MLB debut in September of 2012. He made his first start for the Braves Sunday against the Dodgers. You know the rest. He would hit a grand slam that helped beat the Dodgers 5-3. It looks like Inciarte and Markakis are both probably out for most of the remaining season anyway. They made another outfield move on Monday as they picked up veteran Billy Hamilton off of waivers. Hamilton has blazing speed and plays a great defensive outfield. Hamilton has one huge problem. He can’t hit. If he could just steal first, that may happen one day because remember it’s happening in the independent leagues on balls that go in the dirt the batter can run. So maybe one day. Expect him to be a late inning defensive replacement and a pinch runner.
They also made an infielder move as they picked up Aldeiny Hechavarria. He was originally picked up by Toronto under Alex Anthropolis. He will play a really good shortstop until Dansby Swanson returns, hopefully by the end of this month. He got some big hits over the weekend and he made some plays in the field.
Did new pick up Shane Greene turn the corner over the weekend? He looked great in a pair of eighth inning outings, against the Dodgers no less. Also, Mark Melanson really looked good in the closers role. I think the pen will be the key to how far this team goes in the post-season. The most bizarre was with Ronald Acuna. He thought he had his 35th homerun on Sunday so he posed for a second at the plate. The only problem is that it didn’t go out of the park. He settled for a long single! He then got thrown out trying to steal second. That got him a justified early exit from the game as Snitker pulled him. That was similar to Andrew Jones getting pulled for show boating on a catch that he didn’t make. No telling what the week has to offer.
In case you missed it, Georgia is ranked number three in the AP and coaches poll. It looks like a healthy Zamir “Zeus” White is making quite the impact in Bulldog practices. He looks healthy and he could make a huge impact in the 2019 season.
Let’s start with who is he. A week ago the Braves bought up veteran minor league Rafael Ortega. He has been around for a while as he made his MLB debut in September of 2012. He made his first start for the Braves Sunday against the Dodgers. You know the rest. He would hit a grand slam that helped beat the Dodgers 5-3. It looks like Inciarte and Markakis are both probably out for most of the remaining season anyway. They made another outfield move on Monday as they picked up veteran Billy Hamilton off of waivers. Hamilton has blazing speed and plays a great defensive outfield. Hamilton has one huge problem. He can’t hit. If he could just steal first, that may happen one day because remember it’s happening in the independent leagues on balls that go in the dirt the batter can run. So maybe one day. Expect him to be a late inning defensive replacement and a pinch runner.
They also made an infielder move as they picked up Aldeiny Hechavarria. He was originally picked up by Toronto under Alex Anthropolis. He will play a really good shortstop until Dansby Swanson returns, hopefully by the end of this month. He got some big hits over the weekend and he made some plays in the field.
Did new pick up Shane Greene turn the corner over the weekend? He looked great in a pair of eighth inning outings, against the Dodgers no less. Also, Mark Melanson really looked good in the closers role. I think the pen will be the key to how far this team goes in the post-season. The most bizarre was with Ronald Acuna. He thought he had his 35th homerun on Sunday so he posed for a second at the plate. The only problem is that it didn’t go out of the park. He settled for a long single! He then got thrown out trying to steal second. That got him a justified early exit from the game as Snitker pulled him. That was similar to Andrew Jones getting pulled for show boating on a catch that he didn’t make. No telling what the week has to offer.
In case you missed it, Georgia is ranked number three in the AP and coaches poll. It looks like a healthy Zamir “Zeus” White is making quite the impact in Bulldog practices. He looks healthy and he could make a huge impact in the 2019 season.
Lady Indians open season with loss against Perry, 10-2
The Dodge High Lady Indians opened their 2019 softball season on Thursday as they traveled to Perry. The game didn’t go well for the Lady Indians as they dropped a 10-2 decision. On Saturday, Dodge traveled to Harlem to play in the Chic Fil A Tournament. Dodge won the opening game 2-0 over Lakeside. The Lady Indians dropped a 6-5 decision to Washington-Wilkes. Dodge returns to play Thursday as they travel to Northeast Macon. They also play Saturday in the Watermelon Tournament in Cordele. They open with Ware County at 9:30 a.m. They play Brantley County at 1:30 p.m. Dodge will not return to home action on Tuesday, August 27. The game scheduled for Tuesday, August 20 against Dublin will not be played. Also, the game scheduled for September 12 in Dublin will not be played. Dodge will play East Laurens on August 27.
It was a rough season opener for Dodge County in Perry. Dodge couldn’t get started as they trailed 7-0 after two innings. Dodge got on the board in the fifth. Makiyah Roberson doubled and scored. Aniyah Black added a long homer to left center to cut the Perry lead to 7-2. Black added another single. Dylanna Barton added a hit in the game. The final was 10-2.
Dodge traveled to Harlem Saturday to play in the Chic Fil A Tournament. Dodge opened up against Lakeside. Linzy Bowen got the start on the mound for the Lady Indians. Dodge got on the board in the first. Dylanna Barton opened with a walk and she would score on a fly out by Aniyah Black for a 1-0 Dodge lead. Bowen worked around a walk as Ava Roland threw out a would be stolen base and the Dodge lead stayed 1-0. Bowen got on a roll after that. She retired eight in a row including four strikeouts.
Dodge added an insurance run in the fifth. Gracie Lewis led off with a single and she would score on a fly out from Dylanna Barton and the lead would go to 2-0. Bowen went the distance allowing just two hits and striking out seven.
Dodge trailed 2-0 going to the third against Washington-Wilkes. Kyla Howell would lead off the third with a single. Bailey Harvey would double her home to make it a 2-1 game. Logan White would drive in Harvey to tie the game at 2-2.
The Lady Indians took the lead in the fourth. Aniyah Black doubled to lead off the inning and Gracie Lewis walked. Ava Roland knocked in Black for a 3-2 Dodge lead. Howell would drive in Lewis for a 4-2 game. Logan White would drive in Howell and the Dodge lead would reach 5-2. Unfortunately Dodge couldn’t hang on to the lead. Wilkes would rally back in the fifth. They would score four runs and take the 6-5 win.
It was a rough season opener for Dodge County in Perry. Dodge couldn’t get started as they trailed 7-0 after two innings. Dodge got on the board in the fifth. Makiyah Roberson doubled and scored. Aniyah Black added a long homer to left center to cut the Perry lead to 7-2. Black added another single. Dylanna Barton added a hit in the game. The final was 10-2.
Dodge traveled to Harlem Saturday to play in the Chic Fil A Tournament. Dodge opened up against Lakeside. Linzy Bowen got the start on the mound for the Lady Indians. Dodge got on the board in the first. Dylanna Barton opened with a walk and she would score on a fly out by Aniyah Black for a 1-0 Dodge lead. Bowen worked around a walk as Ava Roland threw out a would be stolen base and the Dodge lead stayed 1-0. Bowen got on a roll after that. She retired eight in a row including four strikeouts.
Dodge added an insurance run in the fifth. Gracie Lewis led off with a single and she would score on a fly out from Dylanna Barton and the lead would go to 2-0. Bowen went the distance allowing just two hits and striking out seven.
Dodge trailed 2-0 going to the third against Washington-Wilkes. Kyla Howell would lead off the third with a single. Bailey Harvey would double her home to make it a 2-1 game. Logan White would drive in Harvey to tie the game at 2-2.
The Lady Indians took the lead in the fourth. Aniyah Black doubled to lead off the inning and Gracie Lewis walked. Ava Roland knocked in Black for a 3-2 Dodge lead. Howell would drive in Lewis for a 4-2 game. Logan White would drive in Howell and the Dodge lead would reach 5-2. Unfortunately Dodge couldn’t hang on to the lead. Wilkes would rally back in the fifth. They would score four runs and take the 6-5 win.
Dodge defeats Hawkinsville 51-0 in scrimmage
By Joey Marchant
Dodge County opened the 2019 football season by traveling to Hawkinsville for a preseason scrimmage with the Red Devils. Many Dodge County fans braved the heat in order to get an early look at this year’s team. On the field, Hawkinsville was outnumbered and outmanned from the start.
Hawkinsville started on offense. On the first play from scrimmage, Caleb Fluellen got immediate penetration up the middle flushing the quarterback out of the pocket where Elisha Williams sacked him for a 10 yard loss. On second down, Jamal Mahan dropped the running back for a loss of three yards. Hawkinsville got 14 yards back on third down, but Keldrick Beck dropped the quarterback well short of the first down forcing a punt.
Dodge took over at its own 45 yard line where Noah Cummings faked a handoff and hit Mikhail Carr for a 65 yard touchdown pass. Carr ran right past his defender on a simple vertical route, and Cummings hit him in stride. Mason Mangham added the extra point for a 7-0 Dodge lead.
Dodge held Hawkinsville to only three plays on its next possession highlighted by Daylon Gordon dropping the quarterback for a six yard loss.
After a Hawkinsville punt, Dodge took over at the Hawkinsville 45 yard line where Gordon took a handoff running over one defender and spinning out of the arms of another defender on his way to a 32 yard run. Cummings would later roll right and hit Timmy Johnson on a 12 yard pass to the one yard line. Cummings would call his own number from there taking it in for the one yard touchdown. The extra point was no good, and Dodge had a 13-0 lead.
On Hawkinsville’s next possession, Javon McNeal dropped the running back for a loss of two yards on first down. Blaine Pritchett blew up Hawkinsville’s second down play when he hit the ball carrier five yards in the backfield allowing Cummings to fly in to finish him off for a seven yard loss. Hawkinsville was able to complete a long third down pass for a first down at the Dodge 46 yard line. Three plays later, Carr intercepted a pass at the Dodge 30 yard line and set sail down the sideline for what appeared to be a 70 yard return for a touchdown. However, a Dodge defender turned blocker could not resist an opportunity to level the Hawkinsville quarterback well behind the play. Until recently, this type of block would have been legal as players were warned to “keep your head on a swivel.” However, the block is no longer legal in high school football due to player safety concerns. As a result, the interception would stand, but Carr’s touchdown was negated and a penalty marked off from the spot of the foul leaving the ball at the Hawkinsville 45 yard line.
Kade Harpe came in to run the Dodge offense. Nathan Coley used his speed as he went around the left side for a gain of 35 yards to the Hawkinsville 10 yard line. Fluellen blocked both the defensive end and the linebacker on the play. Another Coley run moved the ball to the 1 yard line. On the next play, Coley lined up for a direct snap. Hawkinsville got penetration, and Coley fumbled the snap which Hawkinsville recovered.
On the next play, Hawkinsville went to the air again resulting in another interception for Carr as his momentum carried him out of bounds at the Hawkinsville 30 yard line. After Tyrese Johnson rushed for 7 yards on a jet sweep, Harpe went to work on the short passing game. He hit Jackson Bowen for 3 yards and a first down. A five yard pass to Ja’lon Jaynes was backed up due to a holding call on the perimeter. Harpe hit Beck on what appeared to be a 23 yard touchdown on a wide receiver screen pass, but another holding call on the perimeter negated the touchdown. Dodge would eventually miss a field goal.
Hawkinsville took over on its 35 yard line where they managed to start a drive aided by Dodge penalties. However, Carr intercepted a pass on the Dodge goal line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. Gabe Thompson added the extra point giving Dodge a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter.
On the next Hawkinsville possession, Jamerius Hines hauled in a one handed interception and returned it 38 yards. Later, Coley took a direct snap from the Hawkinsville 15 yard line and ran up the middle behind lead blockers Cummings, McNeal and Davis Marchant before cutting to the sideline for an apparent touchdown run, which was again negated by a holding penalty on the perimeter. Coley then carried for 9 yards, and Elisha Williams carried for five yards to the Hawkinsville one yard line. On the next play, Williams muffed the direct snap giving Hawkinsville the ball on its own five yard line.
Hawkinsville was able to escape the shadow of its own goal line with the help of a questionable pass interference call. On third down, AJ Melvin applied pressure up the middle causing an incomplete pass and forcing a Hawkinsville punt.
Dodge took over on the Hawkinsville 35 yard line. On third down, Cummings hit Seth Cossett for 12 yards on a tight end screen pass. On the next play, Gordon took the handoff and with Cossett leading the way ran untouched up the middle for a 23 yard touchdown. Mangham added the extra point for a 27-0 Dodge lead.
Hawkinsville tried to put together a drive before halftime, but Coley intercepted a pass inside the Dodge 20 yard line. Harpe came back in to run the offense. Harpe hit Kevin Sykes for 15 yards and Timmy Johnson for 12 yards. Harpe scrambled for a 19 yard gain. Coley had a nine yard run, and Jayleen Lemon had a six yard run. Harpe hit Lemon on a screen pass, and Lemon raced 30 yards for a touchdown.
Thompson nailed the extra point, and Dodge led 34-0.
Dodge forced another Hawkinsville punt, and Cummings came back out to run the offense. Carr had a 10 yard run. Cummings hit Tyrese Johnson running a post pattern for 21 yards and Gordon on a screen pass for 22 yards. However, Dodge could not score after reaching the Hawkinsville 16 yard line as the first half ended.
Coach Ken Cofer would sit most of his starters to start the third quarter. Hunter Kirkley came in to run the offense behind the first team offensive line, which was still in the game. Jakevious Bray had runs of 35 yards and 8 yards to open the drive. Kirkley would later score on a 5 yard quarterback keeper. Mangham added the extra point, and Dodge led 41-0.
Javarious Collins had an interception to give the ball back to Dodge at the Hawkinsville 40 yard line. Ty Denton came in to run the offense. Behind the running of Bray and Rico Caines, Dodge drove to the Hawkinsville 10 yard line where Thompson connected on a 27 yard field goal giving Dodge a 44-0 lead.
Dodge then stopped Hawkinsville on fourth down and took over at its own 30 yard line. Kirkley re-entered at quarterback and hit Jonah Collins with a 15 yard pass. Kirkley then faked a handoff and rushed around the right side for a 55 yard touchdown to cap the scoring. Mangham added the extra point making the final score: Dodge 51 Hawkinsville 0.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows: Nathan Coley led the team in rushing with 68 yards on 6 carries with a long of 35 yards. Jakevious Bray had 67 yards on six carries with a long of 35 yards. Daylon Gordon had 66 yards on 5 carries including a 23 yard touchdown. Hunter Kirkley had 60 yards on 2 carries including a 55 yard touchdown.
Noah Cummings was 4/9 passing for 110 yards with 1 touchdown. Kade Harpe was 6/10 passing for 63 yards with 1 touchdown. Hunter Kirkley was 1/1 passing for 15 yards.
Eleven different receivers caught passes for Dodge. Timmy Johnson led in receptions with 2. Mikhail Carr had a 55 yard touchdown reception. Jayleen Lemon had a 30 yard touchdown reception.
Javon McNeal led the defense with eight tackles including five tackles for loss. Daylon Gordon had 4 tackles including two tackles for loss. Elisha Williams had 3 tackles including a sack. Noah Cummings had three tackles including two tackles for loss. Blaine Pritchett had two tackles including one tackle for loss.
Mikhail Carr had three interceptions including one returned 100 yards for a touchdown. Jamerius Hines, Nathan Coley and Javarious Collins each had one interception.
Mason Mangham was 0/1 on field goals and 4/4 on extra points. Gabe Thompson was 1/1 with a 27 yard field goal and 2/3 on extra points.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the offensive line. These guys are the most important position group on any football team and often the least recognized. Starters were Center Pat Stevenson, Right Guard Hunter Rahn, Left Guard Jarred Frost, Right Tackle Colby Lee, and Left Tackle Noah Pace. Davis Marchant started at Tight End. Five of the six were making their first varsity start. Caleb Fluellen, Cameron Gooch, Seth Cossett and Javon McNeal also played extensively. They did a good job opening holes in the running game and protecting the quarterbacks all night.
The game was never in question, but Dodge had plenty of mistakes that will need to be corrected before the regular season starts on August 23rd at 7:30 pm as the Indians host 6A Bradwell Institute. Come out and support the Indians.
Dodge County opened the 2019 football season by traveling to Hawkinsville for a preseason scrimmage with the Red Devils. Many Dodge County fans braved the heat in order to get an early look at this year’s team. On the field, Hawkinsville was outnumbered and outmanned from the start.
Hawkinsville started on offense. On the first play from scrimmage, Caleb Fluellen got immediate penetration up the middle flushing the quarterback out of the pocket where Elisha Williams sacked him for a 10 yard loss. On second down, Jamal Mahan dropped the running back for a loss of three yards. Hawkinsville got 14 yards back on third down, but Keldrick Beck dropped the quarterback well short of the first down forcing a punt.
Dodge took over at its own 45 yard line where Noah Cummings faked a handoff and hit Mikhail Carr for a 65 yard touchdown pass. Carr ran right past his defender on a simple vertical route, and Cummings hit him in stride. Mason Mangham added the extra point for a 7-0 Dodge lead.
Dodge held Hawkinsville to only three plays on its next possession highlighted by Daylon Gordon dropping the quarterback for a six yard loss.
After a Hawkinsville punt, Dodge took over at the Hawkinsville 45 yard line where Gordon took a handoff running over one defender and spinning out of the arms of another defender on his way to a 32 yard run. Cummings would later roll right and hit Timmy Johnson on a 12 yard pass to the one yard line. Cummings would call his own number from there taking it in for the one yard touchdown. The extra point was no good, and Dodge had a 13-0 lead.
On Hawkinsville’s next possession, Javon McNeal dropped the running back for a loss of two yards on first down. Blaine Pritchett blew up Hawkinsville’s second down play when he hit the ball carrier five yards in the backfield allowing Cummings to fly in to finish him off for a seven yard loss. Hawkinsville was able to complete a long third down pass for a first down at the Dodge 46 yard line. Three plays later, Carr intercepted a pass at the Dodge 30 yard line and set sail down the sideline for what appeared to be a 70 yard return for a touchdown. However, a Dodge defender turned blocker could not resist an opportunity to level the Hawkinsville quarterback well behind the play. Until recently, this type of block would have been legal as players were warned to “keep your head on a swivel.” However, the block is no longer legal in high school football due to player safety concerns. As a result, the interception would stand, but Carr’s touchdown was negated and a penalty marked off from the spot of the foul leaving the ball at the Hawkinsville 45 yard line.
Kade Harpe came in to run the Dodge offense. Nathan Coley used his speed as he went around the left side for a gain of 35 yards to the Hawkinsville 10 yard line. Fluellen blocked both the defensive end and the linebacker on the play. Another Coley run moved the ball to the 1 yard line. On the next play, Coley lined up for a direct snap. Hawkinsville got penetration, and Coley fumbled the snap which Hawkinsville recovered.
On the next play, Hawkinsville went to the air again resulting in another interception for Carr as his momentum carried him out of bounds at the Hawkinsville 30 yard line. After Tyrese Johnson rushed for 7 yards on a jet sweep, Harpe went to work on the short passing game. He hit Jackson Bowen for 3 yards and a first down. A five yard pass to Ja’lon Jaynes was backed up due to a holding call on the perimeter. Harpe hit Beck on what appeared to be a 23 yard touchdown on a wide receiver screen pass, but another holding call on the perimeter negated the touchdown. Dodge would eventually miss a field goal.
Hawkinsville took over on its 35 yard line where they managed to start a drive aided by Dodge penalties. However, Carr intercepted a pass on the Dodge goal line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. Gabe Thompson added the extra point giving Dodge a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter.
On the next Hawkinsville possession, Jamerius Hines hauled in a one handed interception and returned it 38 yards. Later, Coley took a direct snap from the Hawkinsville 15 yard line and ran up the middle behind lead blockers Cummings, McNeal and Davis Marchant before cutting to the sideline for an apparent touchdown run, which was again negated by a holding penalty on the perimeter. Coley then carried for 9 yards, and Elisha Williams carried for five yards to the Hawkinsville one yard line. On the next play, Williams muffed the direct snap giving Hawkinsville the ball on its own five yard line.
Hawkinsville was able to escape the shadow of its own goal line with the help of a questionable pass interference call. On third down, AJ Melvin applied pressure up the middle causing an incomplete pass and forcing a Hawkinsville punt.
Dodge took over on the Hawkinsville 35 yard line. On third down, Cummings hit Seth Cossett for 12 yards on a tight end screen pass. On the next play, Gordon took the handoff and with Cossett leading the way ran untouched up the middle for a 23 yard touchdown. Mangham added the extra point for a 27-0 Dodge lead.
Hawkinsville tried to put together a drive before halftime, but Coley intercepted a pass inside the Dodge 20 yard line. Harpe came back in to run the offense. Harpe hit Kevin Sykes for 15 yards and Timmy Johnson for 12 yards. Harpe scrambled for a 19 yard gain. Coley had a nine yard run, and Jayleen Lemon had a six yard run. Harpe hit Lemon on a screen pass, and Lemon raced 30 yards for a touchdown.
Thompson nailed the extra point, and Dodge led 34-0.
Dodge forced another Hawkinsville punt, and Cummings came back out to run the offense. Carr had a 10 yard run. Cummings hit Tyrese Johnson running a post pattern for 21 yards and Gordon on a screen pass for 22 yards. However, Dodge could not score after reaching the Hawkinsville 16 yard line as the first half ended.
Coach Ken Cofer would sit most of his starters to start the third quarter. Hunter Kirkley came in to run the offense behind the first team offensive line, which was still in the game. Jakevious Bray had runs of 35 yards and 8 yards to open the drive. Kirkley would later score on a 5 yard quarterback keeper. Mangham added the extra point, and Dodge led 41-0.
Javarious Collins had an interception to give the ball back to Dodge at the Hawkinsville 40 yard line. Ty Denton came in to run the offense. Behind the running of Bray and Rico Caines, Dodge drove to the Hawkinsville 10 yard line where Thompson connected on a 27 yard field goal giving Dodge a 44-0 lead.
Dodge then stopped Hawkinsville on fourth down and took over at its own 30 yard line. Kirkley re-entered at quarterback and hit Jonah Collins with a 15 yard pass. Kirkley then faked a handoff and rushed around the right side for a 55 yard touchdown to cap the scoring. Mangham added the extra point making the final score: Dodge 51 Hawkinsville 0.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows: Nathan Coley led the team in rushing with 68 yards on 6 carries with a long of 35 yards. Jakevious Bray had 67 yards on six carries with a long of 35 yards. Daylon Gordon had 66 yards on 5 carries including a 23 yard touchdown. Hunter Kirkley had 60 yards on 2 carries including a 55 yard touchdown.
Noah Cummings was 4/9 passing for 110 yards with 1 touchdown. Kade Harpe was 6/10 passing for 63 yards with 1 touchdown. Hunter Kirkley was 1/1 passing for 15 yards.
Eleven different receivers caught passes for Dodge. Timmy Johnson led in receptions with 2. Mikhail Carr had a 55 yard touchdown reception. Jayleen Lemon had a 30 yard touchdown reception.
Javon McNeal led the defense with eight tackles including five tackles for loss. Daylon Gordon had 4 tackles including two tackles for loss. Elisha Williams had 3 tackles including a sack. Noah Cummings had three tackles including two tackles for loss. Blaine Pritchett had two tackles including one tackle for loss.
Mikhail Carr had three interceptions including one returned 100 yards for a touchdown. Jamerius Hines, Nathan Coley and Javarious Collins each had one interception.
Mason Mangham was 0/1 on field goals and 4/4 on extra points. Gabe Thompson was 1/1 with a 27 yard field goal and 2/3 on extra points.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the offensive line. These guys are the most important position group on any football team and often the least recognized. Starters were Center Pat Stevenson, Right Guard Hunter Rahn, Left Guard Jarred Frost, Right Tackle Colby Lee, and Left Tackle Noah Pace. Davis Marchant started at Tight End. Five of the six were making their first varsity start. Caleb Fluellen, Cameron Gooch, Seth Cossett and Javon McNeal also played extensively. They did a good job opening holes in the running game and protecting the quarterbacks all night.
The game was never in question, but Dodge had plenty of mistakes that will need to be corrected before the regular season starts on August 23rd at 7:30 pm as the Indians host 6A Bradwell Institute. Come out and support the Indians.
Team Bullseye places at nationals
Dodge County was represented at the 2019 National Archery in Schools Program Championship in Nashville, Tennessee held in late July. Noah Coleman participated in the bullseye flight and scored 294 out of a possible 300. Noah, along with Jacob Towns and Deanna Yancey shot in the 3-D championship. They all ranked in the top twenty-five percent of the national archers participating. “ These archers practiced hard and showed a true commitment to their team, school,” stated Elaine Pittman, head coach of the Dodge County Team Bullseye. Coaches Jason and Brenda Williams escorted these team members to the competition. The Dodge County Team Bullseye is so grateful and appreciative for the Williams’ contribution to the team as well as the entire coaching staff. We are also so thankful for the contributions made to this team by Gabby Ellis Cossett, George Johnson and Chris Bass.
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