By Kyle Dean/Sports Editor
ROSWELL — Roswell High ran for 237 yards in a 42-7 rout of Tift County Friday night at Ray Manus Stadium in Roswell.
Roswell running backs Duvall Smith and Martez Sumler combined for 215 of those yards, and quarterbacks Brian Hickman and J.P. Douglas kept the Blue Devils on their toes with 158 passing yards.
“They played really well,” Tift head coach Jay Walls said.
The Hornets wasted little time in moving the football, when on their first series — the Hornets used a 23-yard pass play and a 26-yard run by Smith to move the ball inside the Tift 5-yardline.
But Smith fumbled on the exchange, and Tift’s Bre’nard Williams recovered the ball at the Devils’ 3.
Roswell wasted little time on their next possession, when Hickman hooked up with Chris Boyd for a 43-yard completion down to the 6-yardline of the Devils.
Smith punched in the score two plays later on a 6-yard run. Richie Leone added the PAT and the Hornets led 7-0 with 6:36 remaining in the first quarter.
Tift went on a short drive to the Roswell 34, but were forced to punt.
The snap went over DD Jackson’s head, and the Hornets tackled him on the Devils’ 41 yardline.
Roswell then used a four-play drive to get in the endzone, behind another Smith touchdown from three yards out.
Leone’s PAT put the Hornets up 14-0 with 1:52 remaining in the quarter.
Early in the second quarter, the Hornets used a 44-yard run by Sumler to get inside the Tift 5 once again. Two plays later, Sumler went over the pile for another Hornet rushing touchdown with 10:43 remaining in the half.
The Devils scratched the scoreboard with just over two minutes remaining in the half, with a 10-play, 51-yard drive that was capped off by a Markeith Hayes rushing touchdown. Calvin Clark’s kick was good, and the Devils trailed, 21-7.
Tift received the ball in the second half, and had a promising drive ended on an interception by Roswell.
Roswell scored on the ensuing possession on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Hickman to Boyd in the third quarter.
The Hornets put the game out of reach with two scores in the final quarter.
Smith scored on another touchdown run with 11:27 remaining in the game, and reserve tailback Demetrius Hightower scored with seven minutes remaining in the game to give the Hornets a 42-7 lead.
The Devils were led offensively by Micah McCant, who rushed for 50 yards in the game. Malcom Dixon finished 8-of-16 for 78 yards with one interception on the night.
The Devils (0-1) will host Brooks County on Friday night at Brodie Field. Game time is slated for kickoff at 8 p.m.
