Devils fall at Dutchtown

Published 7:00 am Saturday, August 27, 2022

HAMPTON – Tift County and Dutchtown played three tight quarters Friday evening, but two late touchdowns by the Bulldogs allowed them to pull away to victory.

The 33-7 finish sent Tift to an 0-2 record ahead of next Friday’s battle with Colquitt County in Moultrie.

Dutchtown jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st frame before the Blue Devils halved it with an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown by Tyler Parker.

Neither team scored in the 2nd. The Bulldogs found some breathing room in the 3rd, then, in the 4th finished a long drive with a touchdown before taking advantage of a turnover for the final number.

Defenses led the way for both teams.

Tift ended two of the Bulldogs’ first three drives with interceptions. Jaden Nelson caught a fluttering Josiah Jarrett pass at Tift’s 41. Za’Morian Brown picked off one of Jarrett’s attempts to go deep inside the red zone.

In between the turnovers, Jarrett found Tishaun Brown in the middle of the field. A Blue Devil defender grabbed hold, but Brown was able to shake free to complete, the 72-yard strike at 4:44 in the 1st. A successful PAT kick later and the hosts were ahead 7-0.

After Brown’s pick, the Devils were trapped deep in their own territory and unable to escape. This led to trouble, as they were unable to corral a high punt snap. Tarez Hamilton fell on it in the end zone and it became a 14-0 game at 1:08.

The ensuing kickoff saw the ball go right to Parker own 20. Dutchtown aimed it well, to their own sideline in an attempt to pin him there, but Parker saw it coming and headed to the center of the field.

Dutchtown could not catch up and Parker darted through a midfield mob in the direction of his own sideline and bolted to paydirt.

Antonio Gomez provided the extra point kick and the Devils had cut into the lead with 53 seconds to go in the quarter, 14-7.

The 2nd quarter was one of punts as neither school could advance far enough to even consider a field goal.

Kaleb Jackson had an interception for the Bulldogs, but the defense refused to budge even with Dutchtown starting at midfield. Jaylen Green had a big 3rd down stop for a loss to end the series within a yard of where it started.

A promising start to the 3rd, gains by Damion Moate and Titus Beauford, were nullified by two procedure penalties. That allowed the Bulldogs to get a long drive started.

Jamal Bing carried on nearly every run for Dutchtown over the first three periods. In the 3rd, he ripped one for 16 yards immediately after the punt, then received help from teammates Amarion Yarbough and Hakeem Hodges to move further.

Bing got a big push from his offensive line for the final yard at 7:32. The extra point went awry, but the new 20-7 lead made for an uphill climb for Tift.

Dutchtown’s defense held the Devils in their own territory in the 3rd.

Jaden Randle’s sack ended the first possession of the 4th for Dutchtown, but they had held control of the ball for most of the 2nd half and weren’t about to let go.

Tift was stopped on downs. That set up a steady dose of Bing, who got the Bulldogs inside the 15 before Yarbough surged, taking defenders with him for a score at 4:59. A pass for two points failed.

A handoff squirted free on the Devils’ next play and Dutchtown fell on it at the 20. Jarrett finished up scoring with a pass to Gerrod Pope with 4:41 left.

Moate and Antavio Pierce were picking up first downs in rapid succession on Tift’s final drive, but the Devils ran out of time with the ball inside Dutchtown’s 30.