Marist, Cartersville, Blessed Trinity, Troup, Mary Persons, Baldwin, Eastside and Cairo were all winners Friday night, and advanced to the GHSA 2018 Quarterfinals. Here’s how the second round unfolded.
Mary Persons extended a 20-point halftime lead by outscoring Woodward Academy 24-0 in the second half for a 65-21 win. Bulldogs running back Quen Wilson ran in three first-quarter touchdowns. Quarterback JT Hartage added a 35-yard rushing score and connected with DeAdrek Alford and Des Williams for passing touchdowns. Williams and Enrico Harden each returned interceptions for touchdowns, and TJ Morgan ran in a 30-yard touchdown before a late Mary Persons field goal marked the final tally.
Host Cartersville built a 41-0 lead and forced six Ridgeland turnovers in the first three quarters of a 41-7 win. Marcus Gary rushed for a 5-yard touchdown, and Tee Webb connected with Dadrian Dennis for a 30-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Webb threw three more touchdowns passes—all to tight end Jackson Lowe. Sunni Moorehead returned an interception 50 yards for a Cartersville touchdown, and teammates Marquail Coaxum, Marko Dudley and Evan Slocum also had interceptions in the victory.
Blessed Trinity was a 35-10 winner over North Oconee. Linebacker and Georgia-commit JD Bertrand intercepted a tipped North Oconee pass and returned it 16 yards to put the defending champs up 7-0 in the first quarter. North Oconee answered with a field goal, but Blessed Trinity’s Steele Chambers ran in a 30-yard touchdown to grow the lead to 14-3. Bertrand added a 25-yard touchdown reception from Jake Smith—who tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Davis in the third quarter to make it a 35-3 game.
Marist held St. Pius scoreless in the second half to win 24-8 on the road, avenging a 17-0 loss to its rival in September. After St. Pius got a sack in the end zone to go up 2-0 in the first quarter, Marist’s Brendan Farrell hit a 32-yard field goal in the second to put the War Eagles up 3-2. Marist quarterback Connor Cigelske rushed for a 42-yard touchdown with 4:46 to play in the first half to put his team up 10-2, but St. Pius answered two minutes later with a 68-yard touchdown pass from Connor Egan to Matthew Horner. Marist blocked the extra point to keep a 10-8 lead with 2:47 left in the half, and Kyle Hamilton made it 17-8 Marist after taking a direct snap 18 yards for a touchdown with 18 seconds remaining before halftime. Marist scored the game’s final points in the third quarter on a 79-yard Cigelske touchdown run, set up by a Josh Moore interception.
Undefeated Pickens was overwhelmed by an early scoring blitz and fell to visiting Troup 53-14. The visiting Tigers ran in two touchdowns, returned an interception for a touchdown and added a 70-yard touchdown pass to lead 28-0 with 7:22 still left in the first quarter. Troup grew the lead to 41-0 at the half with two more rushing scores before Michael Burrell’s 38-yard touchdown got Pickens on the board with 5:21 left in a running clock third quarter.
Baldwin scored all of its points in the second quarter, and defeated Columbus 21-0. The victory extends Baldwin’s winning streak to seven after the Braves’ 0-5 start to the season, and marks their first trip to the state quarterfinals since 2008.
Eastside quarterback Noah Cook threw two touchdowns and rushed for a score, and Taylor Carter ran in three Eagles touchdowns in a hard-fought 42-35 win over Burke County. Burke County trailed 42-28 entering the fourth quarter and made it a one-possession game with 9:49 left, but undefeated Eastside held for its school-record 12th win of the season.
Cairo held Thomson scoreless in the first half, led 31-6 after three quarters and closed out a 38-14 victory.
