High school football scores, top story lines: Carver advances, heartbreak for Hardaway
Carver made quick work of most of its opponents in 2020.
Even though the Tigers weren’t at their best, that didn’t change Saturday night in the first round of the GHSA state football playoffs.
The Tigers beat Jenkins 26-3 at Memorial Stadium to open the Class 4A playoffs. Carver’s defense did what it did to most 2020 opponents, as did the offensive one-two punch of quarterback D.J. Riles and running back Jaiden Credle.
Riles was pressured constantly but utilized his legs to avoid a vicious Jenkins pass rush. He threw for 88 yards and one touchdown, and ran for another 103 yards and one touchdown.
The Tigers got those first-game playoff jitters out of the way. Now, the competition ramps up.
Carver hosts Baldwin next week.
The Tigers were not at their best Saturday night. But the effort they gave was still enough to carry them to a comfortable playoff win, albeit against an outmatched Jenkins team.
That’s bad news for whoever draws Carver, should they beat Baldwin next week, in the 4A bracket. And it’s great news for Carver, since the Tigers now know that, even on a bad night, they’re still one of the more formidable teams in the classification.
Imagine what will happen once the Tigers find their stride.
Final scores
Friday
- Calvary Christian 23, Skipstone 0
- Commerce 52, Manchester 20
- Pacelli 37, Mount de Sales 3
- Stratford 42, Brookstone 21
- Lincoln County 29, ChattCo 13
- Creekside 47, Harris County 28
Saturday
- Islands 22, Hardaway 18
- Carver 26, Jenkins 3
- LaGrange 30, New Hampstead 26
- Benedictine 42, Troup 35
Callaway advances in 2A playoffs after Banks County forfeit.
Stars of the week
D.J. Riles, quarterback, Carver
It wasn’t pretty, but Carver moved past Jenkins in the opening round of the 4A playoffs. The Tigers’ quarterback was a big reason why.
Riles threw for 88 yards and one touchdown, and ran for another 103 yards and one touchdown, as the Tigers punched their ticket to the second round.
Joe Sandoval, running back/defensive back, Calvary Christian
A two-way performance by Sandoval highlighted Calvary Christian’s semifinal-winning effort.
Sandoval recorded 66 receiving yards, but his biggest contributions came on defense: The junior recorded 11 total tackles (eight solo) and two interceptions as the Knights beat Skipstone.
3 things to know
1. Heartbreak for Hardaway
Hardaway led 18-0 with 9:45 left in the fourth quarter at Islands in Savannah. Then, it all went wrong.
The Sharks scored 22 unanswered points in the final 8:20, then late in the game Island’s defense sealed the win on a John Dickerson interception, his third of the game.
2. Calvary advances to state title
The Calvary Knights are one win away from their first state football championship in school history.
The Knights beat Skipstone 23-0 Friday night and will host the GAPPS state championship game next week. They’ll face Community, which they handled with ease earlier in the season.
3. Instant classic in LaGrange
LaGrange got all it could handle from New Hampstead on Saturday night, but some late heroics sealed the Grangers’ spot in the second round of the GHSA Class 4A playoffs.
The Grangers, who trailed 26-17 early in the fourth quarter, scored and recovered an onside kick with 4:03 to play. One play later, Kale Gibbs scored from 8 yards out to give the Grangers a 30-26 lead.
And the Grangers defense iced the win, producing a fourth-down stop with just under two minutes to play.
What’s next?
Calvary Christian vs. Community, Dec. 4, time TBD
The Knights face Community for the GAPPS Class 3A state championship next week. If they win, it’ll be the first football state title in the young program’s history.
Carver vs. Baldwin, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Carver plays host to Thomas County Central in the second round of the GHSA Class 4A playoffs next week at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers haven’t lost in 2020.
This story was originally published November 28, 2020 at 10:09 PM.
