OAKWOOD, Ga. — It was an Isaiah Whitmire fumble recovery in the end zone that changed the game's tide as West Hall knocked off Johnson 23-7 in the annual Battle of Oakwood on Friday.
Whitmire jumped on a Demetri Moon fumble five seconds into the fourth quarter to break the Spartans scoring drought. The touchdown was a backbreaker for the Knights.
"That was huge," West Hall coach Krofton Montgomery said. "This is always a big win, especially in the community. This game means a lot to our alumni."
West Hall (1-1) got some help from their specials teams, punting Johnson (0-2) inside the 10 twice and once inside the 20.
"Our punter did a good job tonight pinning them deep," Montgomery said. "Of course, they had some penalties and mishaps, too. So, we kind of smelled blood and took advantage of it."
That's exactly what they did on Johnson's final third-quarter possession, pinning the Knights at their 8-yard line, then a penalty pushed them back to the 2-yard line. That's when Whitmire came out of the pile with the fumbled ball as the referees lifted their arms in the air.
It was a much-needed momentum swing for the Spartans, who were only up 9-7 at the time, and an absolute balloon buster for the Knights.
The Knights, however, played physical all night.
Jesus Ponce and Kahlil Jackson were among Knight defenders wreaking havoc in the backfield, sacking West Hall quarterback Brett Sturm twice and holding the Spartans' rushing attack to 92 yards.
"Johnson is on the right track," Montgomery said. "They played very hard and physical tonight. If they stay healthy, and I don't know their schedule, they'll win some games."
Early on, the Spartans finally broke the stalemate with 2:10 left in the opening period on a Sturm one-yard run, and two minutes later, Riley Packard dropped Jud Farmer in the end zone for a safety to go up 9-0.
Johnson responded with a grinding 90-yard drive that ate 10 minutes off the second quarter clock. Quarterback Greyson Higgins capped the long drive with a one-yard dive into the end zone, cutting the score 9-7.
In the second half, the Spartans couldn't get anything going against the physical Johnson defense. The Knights dropped the Spartans for a loss on each of the next three drives, forcing punts.
Johnson, however, turned the ball over on three of its five drives, two of which were cashed in for scores, and missed an 18-yard field goal in the second half.
West Hall's final touchdown came off a Johnson fumble. Brady Clark scooped up the fumble and returned to the Knights' 5-yard line, and a couple of plays later, Zack Wagner darted in for the touchdown with 55 seconds left in the game.
"We've got a long way to go," Montgomery said. "We've just got to keep working, but it's always good to beat your rival. But we've got a long way to go."
