DAWSONVILLE — Dawson County was hoping to make history Friday night in the first round of the Class AAA playoffs Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
They did. And in the process the Tigers may also have made a statement in Class AAA.
Dawson County got its first-ever home playoff victory with a 63-40 win over Ringgold. But it was the manner in which the Tigers earned the win that may have the rest of the field taking notice.
The Tigers (8-3) used an explosive offense behind sophomore quarterback Coey Watson and senior wide receiver Tucker Maxwell to score on seven of their first eight possessions. The 63 points was the most ever scored by a Dawson County team and the most ever scored against a Ringgold defense.
Watson finished 16-for-23 passing for 336 yards and five TD passes. Maxwell had just 6 catches but four of them were for scores and he finished with 223 yards. He also added a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed the game early in the fourth quarter. Hunter Mitchell had 178 yards rushing and one touchdown.
“The guys really came out and played well,” Dawson County Sid Maxwell said. “We weren’t going for any records or anything. We were just trying to execute each play."
Ringgold (6-5) came in allowing just 22 points a game and just 20 total points during a three-game win streak to end the regular season.
With the historic win now behind them, the Tigers will get a chance to keep things going next week against Spencer in the second round.
“It was great for the community but really we didn’t talk too much about that during the week,” Maxwell said. “The kids have worked hard and they earned it.”
Maxwell said the first round is the separation between the pretenders and the contenders. Does he think his team is ready to prove it is a contender?
“I think the kids believe they are,” Maxwell said.”The community may truly believe it now. I certainly believe in them. But now we’re just going to have get ready for the next one.”
Both teams started fast. Ringgold took the opening kickoff and needed just six plays, capped by a 16-yard touchdown run by quarterback Devin Lancaster for a quick 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
But Dawson County answered right back. The Tigers used a pair of passes from Coey Watson to Tucker Maxwell to set up Watson’s 5-yard touchdown run tie the game with 5:31 left in the first quarter.
The Dawson County defense then forced a quick three-and-out by Ringgold on its next possession and then Watson and Maxwell went back to work. Watson helped move Dawson County into Ringgold territory with a nifty scramble and then he connected with Maxwell on a 14-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-7 lead with 2:07 left in the first quarter.
Ringgold answered back early in the second quarter when Lancaster capped a short drive after a kickoff out of bounds with a 9-yard touchdown strike to Drake Starks to tie the game at 14. It was all Dawson County the rest of the half.
Watson and Maxwell hooked up again for a 48-yard touchdown pass and got a Hunter Mitchell 2-point conversion run for a 22-14 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Dawson County defense forced another quick Ringgold possession and punt and Watson and Maxwell struck again for a 52-yard touchdown pass moments later for a 28-14 lead after a missed extra point.
Ringgold put together a late drive toward the end of the half but Abel Vargas’s 29-yard field goal attempt was blocked in the final seconds to keep the score 28-14 at halftime.
Dawson County came out firing in the third quarter and used two quick drives to push its lead to 42-21. The Tigers would seal the win in the fourth quarter intercepting Lancaster twice on consecutive throws to snuff any rally.
The two teams each scored a touchdown in the final minutes as the reserves got in the game.
Lancaster finished the game 20-of-38 for 279 yards passing with three TD passes.
SCORING SUMMARY
Ringgold............7.....7......14....12 -- 40
Dawson Co.......14.....14....21....14 -- 63
First Quarter
RG -- Lancaster 16 run (Vargas kick) 7-0, 9:10
DC -- Watson 5 run (Sanchez kick) 7-7, 5:31
DC -- Maxwell 14 pass from Watson (Sanchez kick) 14-7, 2:07
Second Quarter
RG -- Starks 9 pass from Lancaster (Vargas kick) 14-14
DC -- Maxwell 48 pass from Watson (Mitchell run) 22-14
DC -- Maxwell 52 pass from Watson (kick failed) 28-14
Third Quarter
DC -- Mitchell 14 run (Sanchez kick) 35-14
RG -- Brower 13 pass from Lancaster (Vargas kick) 35-21
DC -- Young 23 pass from Watson (Sanchez kick) 42-21
RG -- King 4 run (Vargas kick) 42-28
DC -- Maxwell 87 pass from Watson (Sanchez kick) 49-28
Fourth Quarter
DC -- Maxwell 27 INT return (Sanchez kick) 56-28
RG -- Fuentes 13 pass from Lancaster (pass failed) 56-34
DC -- King 15 run (Sanchez kick) 63-34
RG -- King 1 run (time expired) 63-40
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/11/349693/dawson-gets-record-setting-win-over-ringgold