DAWSONVILLE — Is this one of those games where the last one with the football wins?
It should be fun finding out.
Two of the most explosive teams in northeast Georgia — as well as Region 7-AAA rivals — face off on Friday when East Hall travels to Dawson County.
And both the Vikings (46, 526 yards per game) and Tigers (30.7 points, 42 in region play, and 388 yards per game) know that a victory could well open the path to at least one home playoff game come November.
Did we mention that the last four games between the two foes have been decided by an average of 7.5 points?
In other words, fans headed to Dawsonville on Friday should expect fireworks — coaches and players certainly are.
“I think they’re focused, they’re excited. You have to be excited if you’re playing a really good team,” said East Hall coach Bryan Gray, whose team is coming off a bye following a tough loss to No. 2-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian — but is still tied for second in Region 7-AAA and is aiming to bounce back in a rivalry that has produced some photo finishes of late. “We’ve had some really good games with them, and I expect Friday to be no different.”
Dawson County coach Sid Maxwell too is steeling his players for a challenge, as they look to try and stay tied with GAC at the top of the 7-AAA standings.
“We have an opportunity to take, still control the region. And that’s where you are and where you love to be at this point,” Maxwell said. “East Hall is a very good football team, scoring a whole lot of points — it’s always going to be a challenge to try and slow them down, and we’ve got to try to make sure we move the ball and try to keep up with them.”
Outside of GAC, no one has slowed the Vikings’ spread attack — even in their season-opening loss to Habersham they scored 55 points. And with so many bristling weapons it’s no wonder.
Senior quarterback Austin Parker (2,192 yards passing, 25 TDs, 2 INTs, 65 percent completion rate; 369 yards rushing, 4 TDs) keys an offense that features six receivers that have caught at least 10 passes and a touchdown. Sedrion Morse (31 receptions, 709 yards, 11 TDs) and Austin Brock (21 receptions, 440 yards, 4 TDs) lead the way.
Yet defenses that key on the East Hall passing attack can be just as easily gashed by the run and junior back Cambren Harrison (808 yards rushing, 13 TDs; 18 receptions, 331 yards, 2 TDs) — a fact the Tigers say they understand.
“On the defensive side of the ball we’re just trying to — just trying to get together our game plan and do what we always do and try to shut the run down and go for the pass after that,” Dawson County senior linebacker Logan Brumbelow said.
For all of the balance and ability of the Dawson offense — which features its own star quarterback in senior Coey Watson (1,110 yards passing, 11 TDs, 3 INTs, 65 percent completion rate; 243 yards rushing, 3 TDs) and budding star running back Vaughn Clark (956 yards rushing, 8 TDs) — Gray says the Dawson defense is perhaps even more impressive.
“I see a defense that might be better than their offense,” the Vikings coach said. “And I know the offenses in high school football always get all the credit, but anybody that can basically shut out Fannin, North Hall in back-to-back weeks and then keep Union very limited, that tells you something about their defense.”
Led by standouts like defensive linemen Taylor Swofford (5-foot-11, 285 pounds) Zac Baloga (6-2, 245) and linebackers Nate Umberger and Logan Brumbelow, the Tigers are stout against the run, while defensive backs Caleb Bell, Noah Brock and Logan Barnes have helped slow opposing passing attacks.
“Our two new linebackers have really grown (Umberger and Brumbelow) have really grown up and taken a leadership role, making sure we’re lined up correctly,” Maxwell said. “And good things happen when you’re at least lined up and know where you’re going.”
Certainly the Tigers offense also knows where it’s going, as a young group — bar Watson — has begun to find its rhythm, including receivers Ryan Glass (25 receptions, 438 yards, 5 TDs) and Ethan Cameron (26 receptions, 343 yards, 3 TDs). And after battling a knee injury early in the season, Watson’s return to health offers a scary proposition for opposing defenses.
“I saw them earlier in the year; they’ve made huge strides now that the Watson quarterback kid is healthy,” Gray said. “They’re dynamic on offense now.”
That means the Vikings — who have yielded points in bunches (36.7 points per game) but also proven opportunistic with 11 takeaways (5 INTs, 6 fumbles recovered) — must be ready for anything. Yet East Hall will look to stop the run first.
“We have to stop the inside run. That’s our goal every week,” Gray said. “We have to stop the run; we want to make people play on the perimeter.”
After taking a bye week to regain a modicum of health, the Vikings believe they are up for the challenge.
“We just have to do our job mostly. People know what they have to do, do their job, contain and, really, just run our routes good on offense as well,” Vikings senior Austin Brock said.
Dawson County too is relishing the showdown.
“This team’s got a lot of fight. They don’t know when to quit,” Coey Watson said. “To be so young, they’re so willing to do anything, and — whatever it takes to win they’re going to do it.”
If form holds, it’s going to take a lot — from both teams — to claim a key win on Friday.
GAME of the WEEK
EAST HALL at DAWSON COUNTY
- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
- WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Dawsonville
- RADIO: WDUN FM 102.9
- EAST HALL (5-2, 2-1 Region 7-AAA): Bye last week after 59-0 loss to GAC on Oct. 6
- DAWSON (5-2, 3-0 Region 7-AAA): Defeated Fannin County 43-3 last week.
- NOTABLE: Dawson tied with GAC for 7-AAA lead; East Hall tied for 2nd
- SERIES: Dawson leads 9-2, including two straight, but the last 4 games have been decided by an average of 7.5 points
