By Joey Marchant
With a 34-14 victory over East Laurens, Dodge has moved a step closer to making the state playoffs for the eighth straight season.
Dodge started the night by honoring its 2019 senior class. In a touching moment, Dodge Seniors brought out a #85 jersey in honor of Kevin Mack, a Dodge County Middle School player who passed away while in the eighth grade in 2016. Kevin was loved by all who knew him. My son told me the week of the Dublin game this year that one of the last times he remembered hearing Kevin speak was in the locker room after Dodge Middle squandered a halftime lead to Dublin in the 2015 Middle School Region Championship Game. Kevin tried to encourage his teammates who were taking the loss hard. “We will beat Dublin when we get to high school,” Kevin said. Kevin’s prediction came true as Kevin’s classmates beat Dublin in high school for the next two years. His old Dodge Middle teammates beat Dublin in 2016 for the Middle School Region Championship. Kevin’s memory lives on in the hearts of his teammates as demonstrated here Friday night.
Mason Mangham kicked off for Dodge squibbing it so as to protect against what happened on the opening kickoff the prior week. East Laurens returned it to its own 41 yard line where the Dodge Defense forced a three and out to start the game.
After an East Laurens punt, Dodge took over at its own 32 yard line. Kade Harpe started at quarterback for Dodge, but he was trying to get over a stomach virus and would not make it through the first quarter. Harpe completed a seven yard wide receiver screen to Keldrick Beck on the first drive, but Dodge could not make a first down. Timmy Johnson came in to punt and got off a 51 yard punt, which was inexplicably fielded by East Laurens at the two yard line and returned to the five yard line.
AJ Melvin dropped the running back for a loss on first down. On second down, Lamarie Mitchell intercepted a pass on the 22 yard line that deflected off the hands of an East Laurens receiver. Mitchell’s feet got tangled up as he came down with the ball, so Dodge would take over there. Kade Harpe kept the ball twice for a total of eight yards. Harpe then handed to Daylon Gordon who ran 14 yards for a touchdown. Mangham added the extra point to give Dodge a 7-0 lead.
Dodge went with the traditional kickoff this time as Tyrese Johnson dropped the returner on the East Laurens 22 yard line. The Dodge Defense forced a three and out with Nathan Coley fielding the punt in heavy traffic and returning it 11 yards to the East Laurens 45 yard line. Harpe tried to continue hitting Beck for a five yard gain on a curl route between two incompletions, but Dodge would go three plays and out, and Harpe’s night would be done. Timmy Johnson punted for 33 yards angling it out of bounds at the East Laurens seven yard line. Dodge forced a three and out, and the East Laurens line drive punt went out of bounds on its own 38 yard line where Dodge would take over.
Freshman Hunter Kirkley came in at quarterback to relieve the ailing Harpe who was noticeably sick on the sidelines between possessions. Kirkley hit Davis Marchant on a tight end screen pass for a gain of 27 yards to the East Laurens 11 yard line. Dodge’s Offense stalled, and Mangham connected on a 27 yard field goal to give Dodge a 10-0 lead.
Gabe Thompson kicked off, and a host of Indians tackled the returner on the East Laurens 28 yard line. On first down, Landynn Powers sacked the quarterback for a loss of eight yards. On second down, a blown coverage by Dodge resulted in a huge play for East Laurens. Two Dodge Defenders jumped a hitch route by a receiver allowing a second receiver to catch a pass running free down the sideline. Safety Ja’Lon Jaynes slowed him up on the Dodge 40 yard line allowing Timmy Johnson to catch the receiver from behind tomahawking the ball loose momentarily before the receiver gathered the ball in at the Dodge 10 yard line. Two plays later, East Laurens completed a touchdown pass. The extra point cut the Dodge lead to 10-7.
Nathan Coley returned the kickoff to the Dodge 34 yard line. Kirkley completed passes of 13 yards and 15 yards to Beck as well as a 23 yard pass to Kevin Sykes, Jr. to get Dodge to the East Laurens eight yard line. Gordon carried for gains of six, seven, zero and a one yard touchdown. Mangham’s extra point gave Dodge a 17-7 lead.
Kane Northcutt ran the kick returner out of bounds at the 24 yard line. Timmy Johnson, Noah Cummings and Javon McNeal combined to drop the East Laurens running back for a 1 yard loss on first down. On third down, Elisha Williams sacked the quarterback for a seven yard loss to force a punt.
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