Gordon Lee Clinches Final Playoff Spot With A 16-14 Win Over Armuchee.

Sports, Team FYN Sports

It was a very emotional Senior night at H.A. Lindsey Stadium in Armuchee Friday night. The Armuchee Indians and the Gordon Lee Trojans squared off in a head to head battle with the winner clinching the final playoff spot in 6A Public. It was a hard fought game with the visiting Trojans holding on for a 16-14 win.

 

Both teams traded punts on their opening possessions of the game. Gordon Lee went to work on their 2nd possession. A face mask penalty on the 1st play gave the Trojans good field position at the Armuchee 47. In 12 plays they were able to move the ball inside the Indian 10 yard but a 6 yard tackle for loss by Sophomore Jessie Smith forced Gordon Lee to settle for a 29 yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 1:06 left in the 1st Quarter. 

 

Armuchee put together a 13 play 80 yard drive on their opening drive of the 2nd Q. Senior RB Austin Stacy and Junior QB Chandler Desanto accounted for 75 yards of the drive on the ground. Stacy would take the hand off and plow ahead for a 9 yard TD to give the Indians a 7-3 lead with 6:09 remaining in the 1st half. 

 

Gordon Lee answered back quickly with a 71 yard 8 play drive of their own, all on the ground. The Trojans would score  on a 27 yd TD run and retook the lead at 10-7 with 2:38 remaining before halftime. 

 

The Indians received the 2nd half kickoff. Starting at their own 20 they used 15 plays, including a 4 and 1 conversion from Sophomore Ryland Steen, to march the ball to the Gordon Lee 27. Gordon Lee came up with 2 big stops on defense on 3rd and 4th down and Armuchee was forced to turn the ball over on downs with 5:39 remaining in the 3rd Q. 

 

The Armuchee defense stepped up and forced Gordon Lee to punt. Armuchee took over at their own 30 with 2:30 to play in the 3rd Q. After several positive run plays the Indians would commit their only turnover of the night coughing the ball up near midfield. Gordon Lee would take advantage of the fumble and go 50 yards in 5 plays, capped off by a 16 yard TD run. The extra point was no good and the Trojan lead was 16-7 with 10:30 min left in the game. 

 

The Indians would put together a 13 play 71 yard drive on their next series that included 2 big 4th down conversions. One was a 4th and 12 from their own 48. QB Chandler Desanto was being chased out of the pocket and heaved the throw downfield. Senior Kameron Parker leaped up between two defenders and brought the catch down at the Gordon Lee 15 yard line. Desanto would eventually take the QB keeper in from the 1 yard line to cut the lead to 16-14 with 3:24 to play. 

 

The home fans felt like there may be some magic in the air this night as the Indians lined up for the onside kick. The kick bounced around but the Trojans were able to bounce on the loose ball at their 35 yard line. The Indians used their timeouts and all Gordon Lee needed was one first down to end the game. On a 3 and 8 the Gordon Lee RB looked like he was caught behind the line of scrimmage but he reversed direction and broke free for a 38 yard gain. They were able to run out the clock and secure the 16-14 win and a spot in the GHSA State Playoffs. 

 

After the game Coach Green met with the Indians in the endzone and announced that he would miss the rest of the season as he begins radiation treatment for throat cancer on Monday. In a classy move the Gordon Lee Trojans wore green socks and the cheer team sported green bows in support of Coach Green’s battle. 

 

Notes:

 

Total Yards

Armuchee 234

Gordon Lee 209

 

Indian Leaders:

Rushing : Stacy (118), Desanto (51)

Passing: Desanto (65)

Rec: Parker (47), Drinic (11)

Armuchee Falls To Trion 48-7 In Key Region 6A Matchup

Sports, Team FYN Sports

   Mother Nature was the only thing that could stop Trion’s Rob Brown Thursday night. In a game suspended after 2 quarters due to lighting, the senior RB racked up 350 total yards with 6 TDs and added an interception in a 48-7 win over the Armuchee Indians. The win clinched a playoff spot for the Bulldogs in Region 6A Public. 

 

    The Bulldogs got on the board early. Trion’s Bryce Cordell intercepted an Indian pass near midfield on the 2nd play of the game. Rob Brown would score his 1st touchdown 3 plays later on a 39 yard run. The extra point was missed and Trion would lead 6-0 with 9:51 remaining in the 1st quarter. 

 

    The Indians answered with a 5 play 69 yard scoring drive. The big play was a 57 yard reception by Senior WR Malik Drinic. He would catch the ball in the flat and race down the right sideline before being pushed out at the 12 yard line. 4 plays later Sophomore Ryland Steen would score from 1 yard out. Sophomore kicker Grayson Perry’s extra point was good and the Indians led 7-6 midway through the 1st quarter. 

 

  A good kickoff by Perry pinned the Bulldogs on their own 12 to start their 2nd drive. Trion put together a 6 play 78 yard drive with Brown and Junior Logan Eller splitting the carries. Brown would score from 37 yards out to give the Bulldogs a 13-7 lead with 4:59 remaining in the 1st quarter. 

 

  Armuchee was forced to punt on their next possession going 3 and out. Desanto hit a beautiful 50 yard punt, backing Trion up to their 22 yard line. Two plays later Brown would score on his 3rd long run of the quarter. This one a 72 yarder to give the Bulldogs a 20-7 lead with 1:59 remaining in the 1st quarter. 

 

  Two plays later Trion’s Lucas Stoker picked off a Desanto pass and ran untouched 20 yards to the endzone to put the Bulldogs up 27-7 with 1:42 remaining in the 1st quarter. 

 

  Armuchee opened the 2nd quarter with their best defensive series of the game. Sophomore Ryland Steen and Senior JR Early came up with big stops to force the Bulldogs to punt. 

 

  After the punt, the Indians began the series deep in their own territory at their own 14. Armuchee was able to put together a 7 play drive that included a big 1st down run by Ryland Steen on a 4th and 1 from  their own 23. Rob Brown ended the drive with a leaping interception at midfield giving the Bulldogs good field position midway through the 2nd quarter. 

 

  Trion freshman QB Kade Smith would hit Brown on a screen pass for a 32 yard TD. The extra point was good and the Bulldogs led 34-7 with 4:40 remaining in the half. 

 

  Armuchee would start with good field position after the kickoff at their own 42. Two plays later they tried to throw one deep and Trion came up with their 4th interception of the half. Riley Blackwell returned the ball out to the 12 and Bulldogs would take over deep in their own territory. 

 

  Two plays later Brown would line up at QB in the Wild Bulldog formation and break several tackles on his way to the endzone to put Trion up 41-7 with 3:32 remaining in the half. 

 

  The Indians put together a 7 play drive on their next possession with Senior Austin Stacy carrying the ball 3 times for 23 yards. Desanto would leave the game shaken up after being sacked on a 3rd and 5 . Armuchee turned the ball over on downs at the Trion 40 with just 1:17 left to play in the half. 

 

  Kade Smith would once again find Brown on the screen pass for a 32 yard TD to end the scoring. The extra point was good and Trion would close out the quarter up 48-7. 

 

  After a lengthy lightning and rain delay at  halftime the game was called. Trion improves to 2-1 in Region play and will face Mount Zion next week in a game that may decide home field in the playoffs. Armuchee falls to 1-2 in Region play and will host Gordon Lee next Friday in what will be a playoff elimination game. 

 

Box Score:

 

                        1st               2nd          3rd             4th          Final

Trion                 27                21            x                x              48

Armuchee          7                  0             x                x                7

 

Total Yards:

 

Trion         446

Armuchee 109

 

Armuchee Leaders:

 

Rushing: Austin Stacy (46), Jessie Smith (31)

Passing: Chandler Desantos (63)

Receiving: Malik Drinic (57), JJ House (6)

Armuchee Improves to 5-1 With a 35-14 Win Over BEST Academy.

Sports, Team FYN Sports

The Armuchee Indians weren’t intimidated by the Big City Lights. In a rare 5:30pm start, they traveled to Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta to face the BEST Eagles in an important 6A Public matchup. The home team scored on their 1st and last possession, while everything in the middle was all Indians. The defense created 4 turnovers and held the Eagles to 160 total yards, with 86 of those yards coming on the final drive, in a 35-14 win.  

 

  On the second play of the game  BEST picked off a pass from Junior QB Chandler Desanto and had great field position at the Indian’s 31. 

 

After a negative play and a false start the Eagles faced a long 3rd and 19 at the Indian 40. A late hit on the QB would give BEST a fresh set of downs at the 17. Six plays later they would go in from 10 yards out. A successful 2 point conversion gave the home team a 8-0 lead with 5:43 left in the 1st Quarter. 

 

The Indians put together a 7 play drive moving the ball into BEST territory but were forced to punt near midfield. The punt was muffed by the BEST receiver and was recovered by the Indians in the Endzone, but by rule it was deemed a touchback and the Eagles took over at their own 20 with 1:45 left in the 1st quarter. 

 

Three plays later Senior Riley Ross had his first of two interceptions on the night setting the Indians up with good field position at the BEST 24 as the 1st Quarter came to an end. 

 

Armuchee was able to get the ball down to the Eagle 7 yd line, aided by a roughing the passer penalty. On a “Wild Indian” play, Senior Alex Wright attempted a pass into the endzone on 3rd and 5 but the pass was intercepted and returned to the 31 yard line with 10:30 left in the 1st half.

 

BEST broke open a 69 yard TD on the 1st play, called back by a holding penalty in the backfield. After a delay of game and a too many men on the field penalty, the Eagles were forced to punt from their own 14. After a 30 yard punt the Indians would start with good field position with 9:42 left in the half. 

 

Eight plays later Alex Wright would bull his way across the goal line on a 4th and goal from the 1. After a missed extra point the lead was cut to 8-6 with 4:32 remaining in the half. 

 

After a touchback kickoff from Sophomore Grayson Perry the Eagles started on their 20. Two plays later Junior Jessie Smith would strip the BEST QB and Freshman Jakson Hightower would pick the ball out of the air setting up the Indians at the Eagle 21. 

 

Two plays in, Chandler Desanto found Senior Will Daniel on a 26 yard scoring strike. The 2 point try was unsuccessful and the Indians went to halftime up 12-8. 

 

BEST put together an interesting drive to open the 2nd half. Starting at their own 20 after another touchback, they had a 9 play drive that resulted in 3 first downs and a net of -8 yards. The big play was a 15 yard tackle for loss by Sophomore Ryland Steen on a 3rd and 28. The Eagles would punt from their own 12 with 7:34 left in the 3rd quarter. 

 

After a 28 yard punt the Indians once again took over in Eagle territory. A 14 yard pass to Senior JJ House, who had 103 yards receiving on the night, and a couple of unsportsmanlike penalties on BEST would give Armuchee the ball inside the 10. QB Chandler Desanto would score on a 2 yard keeper making the score 19-6 with 4:50 left in the 3rd. 

 

. After an onside kick recovered by Sophomore Jackson Coonley, Armuchee went to work near midfield. A 6 play 49 yard drive would end in a Ryland Steen 1 yard TD run putting the Indians up 26-6 with 2:04 left in the 3rd. 

 

BEST had a big return on the ensuing kickoff called back due to a hold and after tacking on a false start they started at their own 9 . The Eagle QB dropped back in the pocket on the first play and was stripped by Jakson Hightower. Senior Austin Stacy jumped on the loose ball in the endzone giving the Indians a 32-8 lead after 3 quarters of play. 

 

Riley Ross would get his 2nd pick of the night early in the 4th quarter  and Armuchee would give their young guys a chance to get some reps with Sophomore Easton Jackson and Freshman Luke Lively getting some carries. 

 

The Eagles would score on a 46 yard TD run midway through the final quarter and Armuchee added a Grayson Perry field goal for the final 35-14 margin. 

 

The Indians are off this Friday and will be back in action Oct 22 when they host Region rivals the Trion Bulldogs. 

 

Notes: (Unofficial numbers)

 

Total Yards: Armuchee 218; BEST 160

 

Passing: Desanto 164

Rushing: Desanto 22; Wright 21

Receiving: House 103; Daniel 54 

 

Tackles: 

Early (7), Ross (7), Smith (6), Steen (6)

 

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