Football - 2007
Class A Semifinals - Athens Acad. vs. Wilcox Co.
By Larry "L.A." Williams
Dec 7, 2007, 11:40 EST

Class A Semifinals

Athens Academy (12-1) vs. Wilcox County (12-1)

Wilcox Co. headed to the Class A State Finals

Gibson and Marshall score twice to pace the "Patriots"

Georgia Dome – Atlanta, GA

Wilcox Co. WR-Alfonzo Dennard goes high to grab this pass over Athens Acad. DB-McKay Matthews

Atlanta, GA – The final score was lopsided but the game was played closer than the score indicate. Athens Academy put up a gallant effort but at the end of the day Wilcox County’s speed and quickness on both sides of the ball was too much for them to deal with.

The hitting started early as the 12-1 “Spartans” from Athens Academy squared off against the 12-1 “Patriots” from Wilcox County as the defenses controlled the early part of the first-quarter of play.

Athens Academy got the first break of the game when DB-McKay Matthews picked off a pass attempt by Wilcox County QB-Lorenzo Dennard at the 9-yard line just when it appeared the “Patriots” were going in for a score.

Wilcox County turned the tables a few minutes later when LB-Paul Grace force a fumble and CB-Willie Gibson recovered the ball on the 23-yard line.

The “Patriots” quickly took advantage of the turnover when Dennard hit two-way star Willie Gibson with a swing pass that he took in from the 9-yard line with 6:22 left in the first-quarter. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

Athens Academy mounted a drive moving the ball down to the Wilcox County 31-yard line, but on 4^th down an incomplete pass by QB-Will Daniel gave the ball to the “Patriots”.

The Athens County defense stepped up and forced their second turnover of the day when they forced Dennard to fumble and DB-Anand Agrawal recovered the ball on the Wilcox County 19-yard line as time ran out in the quarter.

At the start of the second-quarter the “Spartans” hit paydirt when Daniel found WR-McKay Matthews wide open for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The PAT by K-Mark Allen gave them a 7-6 lead.

Athens Academy QB-Carter Daniel prepares to hand off to FB-Jef Turner

A 20-yard run by Wilcox County RB-Antonio Marshall gave the “Patriots” a first and ten at the “Spartans” 30-yard line with 5:36 left in the half. On the next play Dennard hit WR-Alfonzo Dennard with a short pass that he turned into a 30-yard touchdown run. Once again the two-point conversion failed and Wilcox County led 12-7.

Wilcox County finished off a big first-half when Dennard hit Gibson for 37-yards to the Athens Academy 3-yard line. Marshall cleaned up with a short touchdown run. The “Patriots” finally completed a two-point conversion to take a 20-7 lead into the half.

Athens Academy came out in the third-quarter and quickly got after when Daniel hit WR-Wright Shamp for 30-yards to the Wilcox County 37-yard line. The drive stalled when Wilcox County SS-Randy Denmark put a bigtime hit on WB-James Colquitt on the 3-yard line forcing him to drop the pass.

Wilcox County's defense forces a fumble that CB-Willie Gibson (#12) recovered

Disaster was turned into joy for Wilcox County when Athens Academy S-Wright Shamp had a sure interception but the ball went through his hands into the waiting arms of Wilcox County TE-Joe James who turned the pass into a 47-yard gain to the Athens Academy 16-yard line. A few plays later the “Patriots” finished off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Marshall, his second touchdown of the game. The score gave Wilcox County a 26-7 lead with 4:33 left in the third quarter.

Athens Academy didn’t quit, they marched right back down the field and it look as if they had scored when Daniel lofted a nice 26-yard pass to Colquitt but it fell through his hands incomplete in the endzone.

With time running out in the third-quarter Dennard hit Gibson with a short pass that the speedy wideout turned into an 80-yard touchdown run and a 32-7 Wilcox County lead.

Athens Academy scored the finals points of the game on a short touchdown run by WB-Will Callaway put it was too little to late as Wilcox County advances to next weeks Class A Championship game against the winner of the Clinch County/Emanuel County Institute game.

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