GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Madison County held off a late North Hall charge to win the key Region 8-4A battle, 33-24, Friday Night at The Brickyard at Lynn Cottrell Stadium.
Camden Smith and the Madison County triple-option fought off The Brickyard magic in a game that went from a potential Red Raider (3-3, 2-2 Region 8-4A) blowout to a nailbiter late.
“Hats off to them and their speed,” North Hall coach Sean Pender said. “Their quarterback did a great job running the triple.”
Smith was tough to handle, putting up 133 rushing yards on eight carries in the first half, ripping off four 20-plus yard rushes, and taking one to the house.
He finished the game with 16 carries for 187 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He tacked 86 passing yards with four attempts and a touchdown. Madison County finished with 489 total yards, 403 coming on the ground.
Madison County controlled the first half, taking a 21-10 lead into the locker room at the half, but the momentum started to shift a bit to the Trojans (2-5, 2-3 Region 8-4A) near the end of the first half.
Dalton Hulsey was part of the wave, pouncing on a Red Raider fumble with 1:20 to go in the half. The Trojans answered immediately.
Walker Davis hit Ryals Puryear on a 25-yard strike to the left corner of the endzone to cut the Red Raider lead to 21-10. And on Madison's next drive, after driving inside the Trojans' 5-yard line, Britton Glover landed on another Red Raider fumble with 6 seconds left in the half.
Coming out of halftime, the Trojans looked to take full advantage of the tide change but gave up a time-draining touchdown drive by the Red Raiders.
All the momentum wasn't gone, however, as the Trojans North Hall put together back-to-back scoring drives -- a Tate Ruth 27-yard run and a Davis to Puryear 8-yard touchdown pass.
The Trojans were almost able to overcome the deficit. But after a 52-yard rushing touchdown by Ajay Jones was called back on a block-in-the-back penalty, the offense sputtered on their last two drives.
“We kept coming and kept coming at them; we just didn’t have enough,” Pender said.
Davis, a freshman, finished the night completing 10-of-15 passes for 110 yards and two scores. Ruth rushed 13 times for 96 yards and a TD.
“I am proud of the way Walker Davis played; he showed he is a game…he showed he is a very good football player,” Pender said. “He [Ruth] started off slow, but he started getting it going. He’s a tough player.”
North Hall travels to take on Chestatee next Friday.
