GAINESVILLE, Ga. — If North Oconee had a mascot on defense, it would be a battering ram.
It's a heavy object swung or rammed against a door to break it down -- a heavy beam.
That's precisely what the second-ranked Titans (5-0, 3-0 Region 8-4A) did the North Hall offense, holding them to just 77 total yards en route to a 52-7 win at The Brickyard Friday night.
The Trojans (5-1, 3-1 Region 8-4A) punted six times, lost a fumble, had an interception, and were held to just six yards rushing.
"They have great players all over the place," North Hall coach Sean Pender said. "They outmatch us in every phase of the game. Their defensive line was phenomenal. They sprint to the ball. They had 11 guys out there, but it felt like they had 12 or 14 sometimes. Their offense is pretty good, too."
Indeed it was. The Titans racked up 425 yards on offense, 244 on the ground and 181 through the air.
Tate Titshaw, committed to Navy, led the Titans with 113 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. Quarterback Max Wilson finished the night 11-for-18, 167 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also added 57 yards on the ground and one touchdown.
Landon Roldan was Wilson's top target, hauling in seven catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns, including a 56-yard TD catch to open the second half.
The Trojans were riddled with penalties -- 12 for 69 yards -- that kept them behind the sticks in the first half.
"We would get a seven, eight-yard gains, and then a five-yard penalty," Pender said. "It kept us behind the sticks, and against a team like North Oconee, you can't expect to have success playing behind the sticks."
Otherwise, the North Hall defense wasn't shabby in the first half, holding the Titans to 24 points, nine of which came from the foot of JJ Poole. Poole's longest of the night was a 48-yarder as time expired in the first half.
"They did, but offensively, we couldn't move the football," Pender said about the defense. "But we gave them a short field position, and eventually, a team like North Oconee will score points. But, yeah, defensively, even though we gave up a lot of points, the defense played really good football for the most part."
North Hall scored a late touchdown on a four-yard run by Tanner Marsh, who was 12-18 passing for 76 yards and an interception.
The Trojans will now focus on a home playoff game as they travel to Madison County next week. It'll be another crucial Region 8-4A battle against a solid opponent.
"Madison's gonna be a real tough game," Pender said. "We've got to go to their place, and it's not an easy place to get a victory. Madison runs a very, very good offense, and their quarterback runs that triple option extremely well. It's going to be a tough football match."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2023/9/1206841/football-no-2-north-oconee-tames-north-hall-offense-in-52-7-win