The Loganville Tribune

Red Devils fall in 8-AAAA opener

By Danny Daniels
The Walton Tribune

Published August 30, 2009

ATHENS — For the third straight time, the Loganville vs. Clarke Central game went down to the wire. And reminiscent of the 2007 meeting — won by the Gladiators on a last-second field goal — this one left the No. 10-ranked Red Devils with a bad taste in their mouths.

Loganville, trailing 20-15 with 6 minutes, 54 seconds remaining, drove from its own 21-yard line to the Clarke 14 before a fourth-and-3 pass by senior quarterback A.J. Schmidt was intercepted inside the 5. The Gladiators hung on for the five-point Region 8-AAAA victory in the 2009 season opener for both teams.

Neither team had much trouble moving the football up and down the field, but the two combined for 28 penalties and five turnovers to keep the scoring at a minimum.

Loganville was flagged 15 times for 144 yards while Clarke Central accrued 115 yards in penalties on 13 plays.

Loganville took the opening kickoff and quickly got on the scoreboard, driving 69 yards in only three plays to take a 6-0 lead. Storm Johnson, making his Loganville debut, scored from 25 yards away on his first play from scrimmage. Two other critical plays in the drive included a pass interence call against the Gladiators and a 24-yard completion from Schmidt to Sam Jones that took the ball down to the 25. Johnson carried it into the end zone on the next play. The point after touchdown was no good.

Johnson ended his first game in the red and black with 109 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

The Gladiators took the lead on the next series, marching 63 yards in eight plays and scoring on a two-yard run by Cedar Shoals transfer quarterback Martay Mattox. Clarke Central converted the PAT for a 7-6 lead with 6:26 left in the first.

Loganville tacked on six more points with 6:47 remaining in the second quarter. Cody Godfree recovered a Mattox fumble at the Clarke 20. Johnson carried six consecutive times with his final carry of two yards resulting in a TD.

The Devils went for two points on the conversion by Schmidt’s attempt to hook up with Jones on a fade route was unsuccessful,but the Red Devils took a 12-7 advantage.

Clarke Central quickly answered on its next possession and went ahead 14-12 on Mattox’s second TD of the night — a 5-yard scamper around right end. The PAT was good with 5:37 left in the half.

Loganville got another chance in the before intermission and made the most of it. Trevor Parsell fell on a Clarke Central fumble at the Clarke 30-yard line with :15.7 showing on the clock. After Schmidt connected with Mykel Wyyet on a 15-yard pass to the Gladiators’ 15, Schmidt threw incomplete and coach Eric Godfree called on place-kicker Connor Lockridge, who was true from 33 yards away with a field goal that gave his team a 15-14 halftime lead.

Clarke Central held the Devils scoreless in the second half. The winning touchdown came when Mattox dove into the end zone from the 1 with 4:34 to go in the third quarter. It was the junior’s third TD of the contest.