1. 'Mirror' Red Terrors outlast Dalton, 20-13
November 21st, 2015
by Jeff Rancudo/Correspondent
DALTON,Ga. — On a field that felt more like a rain-soaked trampoline than natural grass turf and had
the traction of a slip-and-slide, Glynn Academy was sure glad its running game made the difference
Friday night at Harmon Field.
Running back Garrison Hurd pounded out 189 yards on 26 carries to lead the Red Terrors to a 20-13 win
over Dalton in a Georgia Class AAAAA second-round playoff game. Glynn Academy racked up 275
yards rushing and held the Catamounts to negative-44 yards rushing and recovered two Dalton fumbles.
Dalton ended its season 9-3. Glynn Academy (10-2) advances to face Stockbridge, a 40-34 winner over
Gainesville.
"We knew that we would have trouble running the ball," Dalton coach Matt Land said. "We threw the ball
OK, but they did outstanding. We were beat tonight by a team that was like playing a mirror. The things
they do well are what we do well, but they just did it better tonight. We certainly wish them good luck
from this point on."
The proud Dalton squad found a way to stay close to the Red Terrors by going to the passing game, even
though quarterback J.P. Tighe was hurried often and sacked four times.
Trailing 20-13, the Cats were still within reach of the Red Terrors when Dalton defensive back Jordan
McKinney blocked a 25-yard field-goal attempt by Banks Entwistle with 8:36 left in the game.
On the ensuing drive, Dalton gained a first down with passes of 8 and 5 yards to Wyatt Erwin, but what
turned out to be the last Dalton threat stalled when Glynn Academy sacked Tighe on consecutive plays,
forcing a punt. The stocky and mud-covered Hurd took over from there,closing out the game with six
runs for 53 yards.
"We have worked all week on blocked kicks because we felt we could do that this week," Land said.
"Jordan had worked so hard, and he is a guy that is just a playmaker. He was given an opportunity and he
didn't disappoint. I wish we could have capitalized."
Dalton actually led 7-6 in the game when Kryric McGowan hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass from
Tighe with 1:47 left before halftime. On the drive, Tighe connected with Tyler Noland on passes of 33
and 9 yards before throwing a strike on a post pattern to McGowan.
However,the Red Terrors stormed back to score on a 29-yard hook-and-lateral with 30 seconds to go
before intermission to take a 13-7 lead.
Catamount Austin Mills got the ball back for Dalton early in the third quarter when he recovered a punt
that was muffed by Glynn Academy's Morris Demery. Six plays later, IsaiHernandez booted a 28-yard
field goal to pull Dalton within 13-10 at the 7:40 mark. Dalton, however, would get no closer as the Red
Terrors' running game took over and ate up the clock in the fourth quarter.
Glynn Academy quarterback Deejay Dallas capped an 8-play, 57-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown
run and a 20-10 lead with 5:04 left in regulation.
Dalton's Hernandez kicked a 47-yard field goal with 2:45 to go.
Contact Jeff Rancudo at sports@timesfreepress.com.