The View from the Booth: September 13

Leftovers from Last Week

I was out of town last weekend and didn’t get a chance to congratulate the Lakeside Vikings on their 28-14 win over Dunwoody last Friday. Nice to see the Vikings, under first year coach Mike Rozier, pick up their first victory since a 7-6 win over Redan almost two years ago. 

Decatur QB Devontae Carter got a nod as ‘Best of the Rest’ this week from Georgia High School Football Daily for his performance last week in a 46-7 victory over Therrell. Carter was 15 of 19 passing for 176 yards and three TDs. St. Pius LB Danny Crochet made the same list thanks to the interception and two tackles-for-loss he registered in the Golden Lions 50-14 victory over North Oconee.

Former DeKalb Stars Shine Last Week: One in the SEC, One in the NFL

Former DeKalb stars Stephen Hill and A.J. Hawkins were big contributors to victories by their teams during this past weekend’s football action.

Hill, a 2009 Miller Grove grad, got the start at WR for the New York Jets in his first game as a pro and the second round pick from Georgia Tech paid dividends quickly.

Hill had five catches for 89 yards and two TDs in the Jets’ 48-28 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. His first TD went for 33 yards on a pass from Mark Sanchez to give the Jets a 14-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

The pair connected again with 9:38 to play in the third quarter on a 17-yard pass play to put the Jets ahead 41-7.

Hawkins, a 2008 M. L. King grad, was named SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week for his play in helping Ole Miss defeat Texas-El Paso 28-10 last Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi.

The right guard was part of an Ole Miss offensive line that racked up 538 yards of total offense, including 330 on the ground. It was the first time Ole Miss had rushed for more than 300 yards since a 435-yard performance against Fresno State in 2010.

The Lithonia, Ga., native made his 18th career start and second at right guard after playing center and left guard his first three seasons.

DeKalb Teams in the State Rankings

In the GHSA Poll: Tucker passed Northside-Warner Robins for the top spot in the Class AAAAA rankings this week after their big win over North Atlanta last Friday. The Tigers are joined in this week’s rankings by two other DeKalb teams: Stephenson at #4 and M.L. King at #7.

After their 21-17 home loss to Thomas County Central last week, the Marist War Eagles fell to #8 in the Class AAAA rankings. Grady is #3.

In Class AAA, the St. Pius Golden Lions check in at #3 after their 50-14 drubbing of North Oconee last week.

Last week’s home loss to Thomas County Central cost Marist its spot on the Maxwell Ratings all-classification Top 25 list. With the War Eagles falling off, only three DeKalb schools remain: Tucker comes in at #4, M.L. King is #13 and Stephenson makes the list at #23.

Within their own classifications on the Maxwell list, Tucker is #2 in Class AAAAA with M.L. King right behind at #3 and Stephenson #7. Marist is #4 in Class AAAA while St. Pius is #4 in Class AAA.

This Week’s Games Involving DeKalb County Teams

Tucker, M. L. King and Stephenson hold three of the top seven spots in the Class AAAAA high school football rankings and all three host region foes this weekend.

Tucker vs. Arabia Mountain

Top ranked Tucker (2-0) meets Arabia Mountain (1-1) for the first time ever Friday night at 8 p.m. at Adams Stadium. The Tigers look to extend their winning streak to 18 games against the Rams.

Tucker opened Region 6-AAAAA play with a 40-0 shutout of North Atlanta last week. Arabia Mountain fell 28-18 to No. 7 Stephenson (1-0) in the region opener for both teams.

Marist vs. Lovett

Marist travels to Lovett for a 7:30 p.m. Friday matchup. It’s the first ever meeting between the two schools. The War Eagles (1-1) are No. 4 in Class AAAA; Lovett (2-0) is No. 5 in AA.

Marist QB Myles Willis, committed to Boston College, has rushed for 237 yards on 50 carries in the War Eagles' first two games, including a 159-yard effort in a 30-13 victory over Clarke Central in the opener. Gray King rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries in a 21-17 loss to Thomas County Central last week.

Lovett preseason all-state selection Grant Haley scored the only TD in a 7-3 victory over Woodward Academy in the opener, then had two interceptions as the Lions beat Blessed Trinity 24-7 two weeks ago. Lovett has given up just 10 points and 330 yards of total offense in two games.

St. Pius vs. Lovett

St. Pius travels to Thomson for a Friday 7:30 p.m. matchup with the Bulldogs at The Brickyard. It’s the first time the two schools have played. St. Pius is 2-0 and No. 2 in Class AAA; Thomson is 2-0 and No. 5 in the same classification.

Thomson RB Chris Jordan has rushed for 493 yards in two games, including 328 in a 51-27 victory over Lakeside of Evans last week, when the Bulldogs racked up more than 700 yards in total offense. Torrie Battle has 183 yards rushing in two games.

Like Thomson, St. Pius is a run-first team. Ryan Braswell has rushed for 224 yards and five TDs on 32 carries in two games. QB Jake Spear has rushed for 90 yards and passed for 92.

M.L. King vs. Mays

No. 4 ranked M. L. King (2-0) opened the season with consecutive shutouts, including an 18-0 win over SW DeKalb last Saturday night. Mays (1-1) travels to Hallford Stadium Friday for an 8:00 p.m. matchup with the Lions following a 17-7 win over Miller Grove in their region opener.

Stephenson vs. Dunwoody

The No. 5 Stephenson Jaguars fell victim to Hurricane Isaac in Week 2 as Pensacola Pine Forest (FL) had to pull out of the game at North Gwinnett due to school closings in Florida. The Jaguars played their first game last Friday night and came away with a 28-18 win over Arabia Mountain. The Jaguars host Dunwoody (0-2), a 28-14 loser to Lakeside last Friday, in a 7:30 p.m. Saturday game at Hallford Stadium.

Here’s the complete game schedule for this week:

Thursday, September 13

Greater Atlanta Christian (3-0) vs. Chamblee (2-0), Adams, 7:00 p.m. (game originally scheduled for Friday at North DeKalb but moved due to ongoing turf problems)

Friday, September 14

Towers (0-2) vs. Clarkston (0-2), Hallford, 5:15 p.m.

Hebron Christian (0-1) vs. Cross Keys (0-2), Adams, 5:15 p.m.

McNair (1-1) vs. Douglass (0-2), Lakewood, 5:30 p.m.

Wesleyan (1-1) vs. Stone Mountain (1-1), Avondale, 7:30 p.m.

Lakeside (1-1) vs. SW DeKalb (1-1), Panthersville, 7:30 p.m.

Marist (1-1) at Lovett (2-0), 7:30 p.m.

St. Pius (2-0) at Thomson (2-0), The Brickyard, 7:30 p.m.

Columbia (2-0) at Stockbridge (1-1), 7:30 p.m.

Decatur (1-1) vs. Greenville (2-0), Decatur High, 7:30 p.m.

Mays (1-1) vs. M.L. King (2-0), Hallford, 8:00 p.m.

Arabia Mountain (1-1) vs. Tucker (2-0), Adams, 8:00 p.m.

Grady (2-0) vs. Riverdale (2-0), Grady Stadium, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 15

Redan (1-1) vs. Cedar Grove (1-2), Panthersville, 7:30 p.m.

Therrell (0-2) vs. Druid Hills (1-1), Adams, 7:30 p.m.

Dunwoody (0-2) vs. Stephenson (1-0), Hallford, 7:30 p.m.

North Atlanta (0-2) vs. Miller Grove (1-1), Avondale, 7:30 p.m.

Open: Lithonia (0-3)

I won’t be at Adams Stadium tonight for the relocated GAC vs. Chamblee game due to a prior obligation, but I will be behind the microphone tomorrow night for the double-header featuring the Tucker vs. Arabia Mountain nightcap game.

Enjoy this weekend’s games everyone. Check back Sunday for results and recaps.

John Becker is a 30-year Atlanta resident, currently living in Virginia-Highland. John’s a freelance writer and an avid high school, college and pro football fan (much to the detriment of most other productive activities during the fall). As the Voice of Adams Stadium (public address announcer), John brings a unique perspective to his analysis of high school football in DeKalb County and he looks forward to sharing his insight with fans through his blog.

The writer can be reached at jnbecker@me.com or followed on Twitter at @JNBecker.