MT. AIRY — The new-look Dawson County offense looked just fine Friday night in the Tigers’ season opener against Habersham Central at Raider Stadium.
The Tigers, switching to a more ground-oriented spread attack in 2018, churned out 320 yards on the ground with new senior quarterback SeVaughn Clark pounding out 199 yards and three touchdowns, none more important than his final one, a 5-yard scamper with 53 seconds left to give Dawson County a thrilling 32-28 victory.
Tigers’ newcomer and bruiser Ahmad Kamara added 144 yards and one score as the pair wore down the Raiders defense with a 5:39 game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. Kamara had 40 yards and Clark 20 yards on the final drive.
“I thought we were consistent all night on the ground and that was our game plan coming in,” Dawson County coach Sid Maxwell said. “We still have a lot to work on but I feel like after watching that we also have plenty to build on. SeVaughn and Ahmad I thought both had outstanding games.”
Habersham coach Benji Harrison, despite the loss, also found some positives to walk away with despite watching his group denied in yet another close finish. The Raiders (0-1) lost eight games by just 37 total points and six games by 4-points or less in 2017.
“We don’t worry about what happened last year. I’m frustrated any time we lose so how close it is doesn’t matter all that much,” Harrison said. “We’re a young team with a lot of talent and I thought they did a great job of adjusting and responding.”
New Raiders’ quarterback senior Tre Luttrell dazzled at times with a 74-yard touchdown run and a 64-yard touchdown pass to Dontarus Bailey. But he and the Habersham defense were overshadowed by the size of Clark and Kamara.
“That’s (Dawson’s) style and they did what we saw on tape,” Harrison said. “Those two guys are tough to stop. But we gave ourselves a chance. That was a fun football game and I feel this team is going to continue to get better and we’ll be competitive each week.”
Both teams struck on their opening drives. The Tigers marched 77 yards in 12 plays, capped by a Kamara 28-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead. Clark was 3-for-3 for 30 yards passing and added 18 yards rushing on the drive as well.
Habersham answered right back, however, when Luttrell, after dropping the first snap, scooped up the loose ball and then weaved and serpentined 74 yards through the Tigers defense to tie the game at 7-7 just 25 seconds later.
It was all Dawson County the rest of the first half. The Tigers defense forced one Habersham turnover, two punts, and stopped the Raiders on downs inside the Tigers 15.
Clark reclaimed the lead for Dawson County with a 14-yard scoring run and Riley Herndon added a 2-point conversion for a 15-7 lead with 44 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Raiders defense hung tough in the second quarter forcing one punt and held the Tigers to a 25-yard Caleb Bonesteel field goal with 1:34 left after stopping Clark twice inside the Habersham 5.
The Habersham offense got the balance it wanted with 75 yards rushing and 72 yards passing in the first half. But after Luttrell’s 74 yard scamper on the opening play, the Raiders were held to just total 73 yards and just 1 yard rushing the rest of the half.
However, Habersham struck quick in the third quarter when Luttrell and Bailey connected on their long touchdown pass on the third play of the second half to cut the lead to 18-14. It was a simple out route that Bailey shook off a tackler and then outraced the Tigers defense the final 54 yards.
But Clark answered back quickly for the Tigers sprinting through and past the Habersham defense for a 66-yard touchdown run on the next possession to push the lead back to 25-14 with just under nine minutes left in the quarter.
Luttrell and Bailey hooked up again on their next possession with a 12-yard scoring pass to pull within 25-21.
The Habersham defense then forced consecutive Dawson County punts, including the second one that pinned the Raiders back to their own 8. Three straight Tracey Lowery runs, however, moved Habersham to its own 43 and two plays later Jackson Clouatre busted straight up the middle and outraced the Tigers for a 50-yard score to give the Raiders their first lead at 28-25 with 6:53 left.
“I was real proud of how the guys didn’t quit and kept coming back. I feel good about moving forward,” Harrison said.
But the Raiders couldn’t hold on. Clark’s 5-yard run gave the Tigers the final lead and on the ensuing kickoff, a squib kick by Bonesteel hit a Habersham player and the Tigers recovered at the Raiders 43 sealing the victory.
SCORING SUMMARY
Dawson Co......15.....3......7....7 -- 32
Hab Central.......7......0....14....7 -- 28
First Quarter
D -- Kamara 28 run (Bonesteel kick) 7-0, 7:36
H -- Luttrell 74 run (Escamilla kick) 7-7, 7:11
D -- Clark 14 run (Herndon run) 15-7, 0:44
Second Quarter
D -- Escamilla 25 FG 18-7, 1:34
Third Quarter
H -- Bailey 64 pass from Luttrell (Escamilla kick) 18-14, 10:12
D -- Clark 66 run (Bonesteel kick) 25-14, 8:53
H -- Bailey 12 pass from Luttrell (Escamilla kick) 25-21, 4:53
Fourth Quarter
H -- Clouatre 50 run (Escamilla kick) 28-25, 6:32
D -- Clark 3 run (Bonesteel kick) 32-2, 0:53
