Arabia Mountain lineback Terray Bryant (1) has a nose for the football and leads a stingy Arabia Mountain defense that allows just 11.7 points per game. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The No. 8 ranked Arabia Mountain Rams and Southwest DeKalb Panthers meet with the Region 5-5A No. 1 seed on the line in their 8:00 pm kickoff at Godfrey Stadium on Friday.
The game won the WSB-TV Game of the Week honors and will have the WSB Sports team on hand to witness what could be a classic battle with big playoff implications.
The Rams enter the game at 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the region in the program’s best start to a season and looking to get the program’s first-ever eighth win.
Coach Stanley Pritchett relies on a fast-pace offense averaging 37.4 points per game and a stingy defense allowing just 11.6 points per game.
Running backs Brandon Snowball (652 yards rushing, 8 TDs) and Carl White III (554 yards rushing, 10 TDs) lead the ground attack while three different quarterbacks have played a role in the 7-1 start. Samad Noble started the first six games before missing the last two and has passed for 610 yards and 6 TDs while Bryson Williams has filled in with 396 yards passing and 5 TDs.
Receiver Michael Miller (35 receptions) has 3 touchdowns and 388 yards receiving to lead the receiving corps.
The defense is led by pre-season All-State linebacker Terray Bryant who has two fumble returns for touchdowns and a punt return for a score.
Junior quarterback Justin Tomlin (17) returned to get the Panthers on track for a three-game win streak. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Panthers (5-3, 3-0) have won three in a row with the return of junior quarterback Justin Tomlin who missed two games due to an injury. Since his return the team has scored 49, 40 and 33 points in wins over Chamblee, Miller Grove and Lithonia. Tomlin has passed for 1,388 yards in six game with 13 touchdowns while rushing for a team high 452 yards and three touchdowns.
Devaughn Brown and Javeon Cody both have over 400 yards receiving on the season.
The Panther defense is led by junior linebacker Eris Walker who has over 70 tackles, 6 tackles for a loss and 3 sacks on the season.
Another big game in Region 5-5A is set for Saturday at Avondale Stadium with Lithonia (3-5, 2-1) facing off with Miller Grove (3-5, 1-2) which could decide the No. 3 seed for the Class 5A state playoffs. A win by Lithonia would all but sew up the No. 3 seed heading into the playoffs.
The Class 6A No. 6 Tucker Tigers (7-1, 5-0) travel to Tara Stadium tonight (Thursday) to face Mt. Zion-Jonesboro (3-5, 2-3) with sights set on staying atop the Region 4-6A standings heading into the big rivalry game with the Stephenson Jaguars next weekend.
Stephenson (5-3, 4-1) takes on rival Martin Luther King (2-6, 0-5) in the Lions’ homecoming trying to keep pace in the region standings and an opportunity to force a three-way tie next week when the Jaguars take on Tucker.
DCSD WEEK 11 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
HOME GAMES
Friday, Oct. 28
ADAMS STADIUM
Woodward Acad. (8-1, 5-0) vs. Druid Hills (3-5, 1-3), 5:15 pm
Berkmar (0-9, 0-5) vs. Lakeside (4-4, 1-3), 8:00 pm
AVONDALE STADIUM
Westminster (6-2, 5-0) vs. Towers (4-4, 3-2), 7:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
McNair (3-5, 1-4) vs. Cedar Grove (6-2, 4-1), 5:15 pm
SW DeKalb (5-3, 3-0) vs. Arabia Mountain (7-1, 3-0), 8:00 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
M.L. King (2-6, 0-5) vs. Stephenson (5-3, 4-1) (HC), 7:30 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Alpharetta (5-3, 4-2) vs. Dunwoody (2-6, 1-5), 7:30 pm
Saturday, Oct. 29
AVONDALE STADIUM
Lithonia (3-5, 2-1) vs. Miller Grove (3-5, 1-2), 7:30 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
Forest Park (0-9) vs. Clarkston (1-7), 5:15 pm
Redan (2-6, 1-4) vs. Stone Mountain (1-7, 0-5), 8:00 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Columbia (2-6, 0-3) vs. Chamblee (1-7, 0-3), 7:30 pm
AWAY GAMES
Thursday, Oct. 27
Tucker (7-1, 5-0) vs. Mt. Zion-Jonesboro (3-5, 2-3), Tara Stadium, 7:00 pm
Friday, Oct. 28
Cross Keys (1-4) at Patuala Charter (0-5), 7:30 pm