There are still two games left to play and lot can happen at the end of the season. But the CCA Patriots probably punched their ticket to the postseason Thursday night with a 49-0 win over the Crisp Academy Wildcats at Patriot Field in Douglas.
The top 10 teams in CCA’s classification make the playoffs. This week, the Patriots were ranked #6. They should move up in next week’s rankings. However, CCA has one of its toughest games of the year next week against Vidalia Heritage Academy, the #2 ranked team, on the road in Vidalia. The Patriots finish the season at home on October 24 against Westwood, currently ranked #7. “I don’t decide all those things. It should. They had us at six in the rankings today and we can only go forward from there after a win like that. Next week is going to be a big decider whether it’s home field or away and that kind of thing,” said CCA head coach Jed Marsh after the game.
And speaking of the game itself – the Patriots scored 49 points on 18 offensive plays. Their time of possession was miniscule. But they made the most of every opportunity the Wildcats gave them and the CCA offense worked quickly and efficiently. Take the Patriots’ leading rusher on the night, Dalton Rogers. He ran for 114 yards on just three carries, thanks in large part to an 85-yard touchdown he broke late in the game. Rogers finished with two touchdowns and three two-point conversions.
The Patriots scored the very first time they touched the ball. After Crisp Academy’s first drive of the game got extended thanks to a roughing the kicker penalty on a punt, CCA forced a second punt. Return man Jonah Hall fielded the kick and found a seam, returning the punt 80 yards for a touchdown. The point-after was no good but the Patriots had a 6-0 lead with 8:54 remaining in the first quarter.
Rogers struck again at the end of the first quarter with a 25-yard run. Coach Marsh opted to go for two. Rogers converted and with 1:35 left in the first quarter, CCA was up 14-0.
On the ensuing possession, Crisp Academy fumbled and Luke Rudd recovered on the Crisp 10-yard line. The Patriots didn’t waste any time in making the most of the turnover. Quarterback Sam Ables found Tyson Crosby for a 10-yard touchdown pass. They went for two again and once more, Rogers converted for a 22-0 CCA lead early in the second quarter.
The Wildcats were unable to do much following the kick and ended up punting. Hall broke another long return, making it all the way to the Crisp Academy 32. CCA scored quickly again – Tyson ate up all 32 yards for his second touchdown of the night. The two-point conversion was no good. The Patriots, however, had a very comfortable 28-0 advantage halfway through the second quarter.
The CCA defense held the Wildcats again and forced another punt. On the first play after taking possession – and with the second quarter winding down — Ables hit Ethan Duran for a 71-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left. Duran then turned around and made the extra point for a 35-0 lead.
The Patriots got the ball first to open the third quarter. And that’s when Hall struck again. He returned the kick 68 yards for a touchdown. CCA went for two and Rogers made it in yet again. Just 21 seconds into the third quarter, the Patriots were up 43-0. CCA scored once again, this time on Rogers’s aforementioned 85-yard run near the end of the game to cruise to a 49-0 win.
Crosby ran the ball three times for 55 yards and a touchdown. He also caught one pass for 10 yards and a touchdown. Luke Russ (one catch for 15 yards) and Ethan Duran (one catch for 71 yards and a score) were Ables’s other targets. Ables was three of eight passing for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Hall returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns as well.
It would be unfair to discuss this game – and the season, really – without mentioning the defense. “Defense keeps you in games and it sets your offense up. Our offense has struggled at times this year and our defense kept us in those games. I couldn’t be more proud of our defense. I’ve got freshmen all up front and they’re playing their hearts out,” said Coach Marsh.
The Patriots held their opponent scoreless for the second consecutive week without two of their better players on the defensive side of the ball. Clay Phillips and Jett Hart are both out nursing injuries. Hart should be back but Phillips has a broken bone in his foot that likely ended his season. In their absence, the rest of the defense rallied and refused the Wildcats any mercy.
The other half of the Duran family – Damian – led the team in tackles and hurries Thursday night.
“Last year, our theme was brick by brick. We had to build everything here. Now we’re seeing the product of all the work they’re putting in and I want to keep it going. CCA is going in the right direction and I’m proud of all the work everyone’s been putting in around here,” said Coach Marsh.
The Patriots are 7-2 on the season and have won six in a row. Next week’s game against Vidalia Heritage kicks off at 7:30 p.m. in Vidalia.