Carrollton 42 LaGrange 6

The Grangers battled hard the first half, holding Carrollton to 14 points.  But the offense could not get on track and the Trojans came away with a 42-6 victory Friday night.

LaGrange punted all four possessions in the first half. Carrollton scored on a 56 yard drive with a Will Garrett quarterback sneak and a 51 yard drive when Garrett ran it in from 12 yards out. But in between, Emmanuel Swanson picked off Garrett's pass and LaGrange caused a fumble making the Trojans turn the ball over on downs.  The Grangers showed a fire in their bellies at intermission.

The Trojans worked to extinguish it as they scored on their next two possessions and forced LaGrange to punt on theirs.  A 70 yard drive capped by an eight yard TD run by Garrett and a 60 yard drive, set up by a 48 yard run by Dante Wigley and finished with a six yard scoring run by Malik Sheppard extended the Trojan lead to 28-0.  Daz Dunlap caused a Carrollton fumble and Kimani Barnes recovered, but LaGrange could not get points.  The Trojans did get points on an 85 yard drive finished by a 32 yard touchdown pass from Garrett to Jarrell Rowe. 35-0.  A mishandled pitch gave The ball back to Carrollton, but Tristian Dozier returned the favor, intercepting a Garrett pass. LaGrange again was forced to punt and the Trojans ended their scoring with a 56 yard Will Hesterlee run.  42-0.  LaGrange finally got on the board when Wynton Heard threw a 14 yard pass to Tay Rivers, who caught it in the end zone.   42-6 would be the final.

LaGrange finished the season 3-7, their third losing season in four years.  They also miss the playoffs for the first time since 1999.  Head Coach Donnie Branch announced he is stepping down as head coach .  I truly hope he is kept on as defensive coordinator.  He still has a lot of knowledge of the game and quality years of coaching ahead of him.  Whatever happens, I wish him well.

Troup Co. 27 LaGrange 8

An exciting first half and a one sided second-half led to Troup clinching a postseason berth and pretty much assuring the Grangers miss the playoffs.  LaGrange fell to the Tigers 27 to 8 at Callaway Stadium Friday night and the two halves could not have been more different.

Troup's opening drive resulted in a punt, but LaGrange fumbled the ball away. The Tigers started their next drive on the Granger 47 yard line and capitalized. A 26 yard touchdown run by Dre Towns gave Troup an early 6-0 lead. LaGrange failed on a fake field goal and Troup started at their own 2. The Granger defense held firm, forcing Troup to punt, but a bad snap sailed through the end zone for a safety. 6-2 Tigers. LaGrange took the lead with a 47 yard drive of their own when Hayden Olive caught a 10 yard touchdown pass from Wynton Heard. 8 to 6 Lagrange. After an exchange of punts, Daz Dunlap came away with a fumble and LaGrange started at the Troup 30.  But Taylor Stanford missed a 41 yard field goal and LaGrange went into the locker room leading 8-6.

The second half started in a fashion I have never seen before.  Troup kicked off toward the near sideline but no Granger touched it. The Tigers grabbed it at the LaGrange 26.  Five plays later, Will Smith snuck in from the 1 yard line and Troup took a 13 to 8 lead.  After a puntfest, Troup scored again following a 50 yard drive. Dre Towns ran it in from 16 yards out to give the Tigers a 20 to 8 lead. A Granger three and out gave Troup the ball at their 39. The 61 yard drive was capped when Daryl Dunlap found the end zone from 33 yards out. The game would end with a 27-8 Tiger victory.

The win sends Troup to the postseason to face the loser between Gilmer and Dalton. LaGrange's 13 year playoff run will likely come to an end.  The Grangers next play at Carrollton's Grisham Stadium for pride and to break the three game losing streak to the Trojans. I'll be there to cheer on a LaGrange. I hope you will be, too .

Sandy Creek 42 LaGrange 7

A few Sandy Creek Patriots came back off the injured list and some Grangers fell victim to the flu during the week.  When the game was over, the Grangers were just sick when they fell 42-7 at the Battlefield Friday night.

The Patriots opened the game with a 56 yard drive in eight plays that finished with a two yard touchdown run by Delvin Weems.  7-0 Sandy Creek.  The teams exchanged punts and the Patriots found the end zone again.  A 20 yard scoring pass from Cole Garvin to Jacari Brooks made it 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.  LaGrange went three and out again and Sandy Creek went the full 85 yards for a touchdown.  A 64 yard run by Weems made it 21-0 Patriots.  Quan Delaney fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and Creek only needed 28 yards to get another score.  They did in one play when Eric Swinney rushed into the end zone.  28-0 Patriots.  After a Granger punt, Sandy Creek went 93 yards in only three plays.  A 15 yard run by Swinney made it 35-0 at intermission.

The second half used a running clock.  Creek drove down to the Granger 18 in nine plays when Corey Perkins intercepted Garvin's pass and he was finally brought down at the Patriot seven yard line.  It took one play for Benny Gray to find the end zone.  35-7 Creek.  The Patriots turned the ball over on downs, but on LaGrange's next possession, I saw the worst call all year.  A screen pass to Perkins from Wynton Heard bounced off Perkins' hands and hit the ground.  The officials said it was a fumble and the Patriots recovered.  They drove 66 yards to the end zone when freshman Marvin Hubbard ran it in from seven yards out.  Time expired with the #1 team in the state winning 42-7.

This leaves the Grangers in a tough position with the Troup game next.  Win, and there will likely be a three way tie for the last two playoff spots between LaGrange, Troup and Alexander.  Lose, and LaGrange will have to beat Carrollton and hope for a lot of help to make the playoffs.  On paper, Troup should win.  But I have seen games where Troup should have won, but LaGrange came out on top.  I believe LaGrange can win.  We'll see you at Callaway Stadium.

LaGrange 36 Fayette County 20

The Grangers avenged a loss last year to Fayette County by beating the Tigers 36 to 20 Friday night at Callaway Stadium.  LaGrange remains one game behind the region leaders with three games left to play.

The Tigers opened the scoring with a 59 yard pitch from Daveion Nash to Montrell Kelley to take a 7-0 lead. The teams exchanged turnovers but LaGrange had to punt the ball away. Fayette turned the ball over on downs after a failed fake punt but the teams traded ineffective drives. The Grangers cracked the egg on the scoreboard on their first drive of the second quarter by going 62 yards.  Benny Gray scored from four yards out and the two point conversion gave LaGrange an 8-7 lead.  Desmond Harris recovered a fumble for the second time and LaGrange got points from it. A 52 yard pass from Wynton Heard to Tay Rivers set up a one yard touchdown plunge by Gray. 15-7 Grangers. Fayette responded with a 60 yard TD catch from Nash to Milan Astin. The teams would go to the locker room with LaGrange leading 15-14.

The Grangers opened the second half with a bang. On the first play from scrimmage, Mon Denson raced 65 yards to the end zone. 22-14 Grangers. Emmanuel Mann recovered a fumble but LaGrange could not get points. The defense held the Tigers to a three and out and the offense scored again.  A 24 yard pass to Hayden Olive extended the Granger lead to 29-14. Fayette County returned the favor with a 41 yard quarterback keeper. LaGrange blocked the extra point attempt and it was 29-20. The Grangers got an insurance score when Heard found Quan Delaney in the end zone. 36-20 would be the final score.

The kicking game improved as Taylor Stanford was a perfect 4 for 4 in PATs.  The defense found new playmakers as I called Desmond Harris and Dontavious Joiner's name more often than any other game.

Now LaGrange travels to The Battlefield to face Sandy Creek. The Grangers played toe to toe with Alexander and Alexander played toe to toe with the Patriots. LaGrange will have to play with no mistakes to beat the number one team in AAAA. I believe the Grangers have the talent and the coaching to win. But they will need to make the plays in all three phases to come out on top. Let's pack the stands and cheer on the Men in Blue.

Alexander 33 LaGrange 19

Shaw 2010.  Haralson County 2011.  Fayette County 2012.  Now Alexander 2013.  These are road games LaGrange needed to win to gain a foothold in the playoffs.  And even though LaGrange battled back to make the playoffs those three years, they find themselves in a hole with the toughest part of the region schedule ahead. 

Alexander scored one touchdown in the first half, and took advantage of three Granger turnovers to win 33-19 in Douglasville.  The two teams exchanged punts twice to open the first half.  But in the waning seconds of the first quarter, Michael Land-Davis found the end zone from 50 yards out to give the Cougars a 6-0 lead.  LaGrange answered with a five play, 68 yard drive that stalled inside Alexander's one yard line.  The score remained 6-0 after LaGrange's 32 yard field goal attempt failed on a bad snap with no time left on the clock.

The second half was nothing like the first half.  The Grangers scored when Mon Denson ran 30 yards for a touchdown.  6-6.  Alexander answered with a 24 yard touchdown run by Davis.  13-6 Cougars.  Benny Gray fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and the Cougars only had to go 35 yards.  They did in four plays, one was a one yard TD run by Davis.  20-6 Alexander.  Gray scored from 20 yards away to narrow the Cougar lead 20-13.  But Alexander scored again on a touchdown pass from Baylor Whitfield.  26-13.  LaGrange answered with a 70 yard touchdown run by Mon Denson.  26-19.  Yet another touchdown run by Davis extended the Cougar lead 33-19.  LaGrange returned the kickoff to the Cougar 17, but three plays later, Wynton Heard threw an interception in the end zone.  A 70 yard drive going four and a half minutes gave LaGrange the ball at their own 9 after the ball went over on downs. But on the fifth play, Heard fumbled the ball away and the Cougars ran out the clock.

In the Chestatee game last year, Coach Branch talked about the Grangers "breaking Chestatee's serve."  Alexander broke LaGrange's serve by causing three turnovers.  In order for the Grangers to make the playoffs, they need to win two of the next four games.  The opponents are Fayette County (who beat LaGrange last year), Sandy Creek (who won three of the last four state titles), Troup (who is better than last year) and Carrollton (the #2 team in the state).  Definitely an uphill battle, but the games are played on the field.

Next week is Senior Night where the seniors will be honored.  Also the 2003 State title team will also be honored.  Let's pack Callaway Stadium and support the Grangers next week.

LaGrange 58 Columbus 7

A dominant first half gave the Grangers enough of a lead so the mercy rule would take effect in the second half. LaGrange scored on every offense of possession and even one defense of possession before intermission en route to a 58-7 win over the Columbus Blue Devils at Callaway Stadium.

The Grangers' opening drive went 68 yards in seven plays, ending with a two yard scoring sweep by Tay Rivers. The second drive went 88 yards in seven plays, capped off by a 70 yard touchdown catch from Wynton Heard to Mon Denson. The third took one play, a 55 yard speed sweep by Rivers.  The fourth drive brought out the punting unit. But Gus Golden used his arm, throwing the ball to Benny Gray for a 44 yard touchdown.  25-0 by the end of the first quarter.

The fifth drive went 75 yards in only four plays when Gray ran up the middle for 56 yards and the score.  On the next Blue Devil possession, Mike Hardy picked off a Derrick James pass and took it back 75 yards for six points. LaGrange's last drive of the half went 64 yards with Gray running up the middle again for 40 yards and again crossing the goal line.  46-0 at the half.

The Grangers' first drive of the second half saw freshman quarterback Ahmad Ogletree go 25 yards on a keeper. 52-0 LaGrange.  The teams exchanged punts and Columbus finally got on the board.  A 64 yard pass from Brandon Maple to James Traylor, one of only four seniors on the roster, and it was 52-7.  Both teams turned the ball over on downs, but LaGrange would then recover a Blue Devil fumble. The Grangers finished the scoring with a 28 yard touchdown run by sophomore Kimani Barnes and the final was 58-7.

Eight straight possessions with a touchdown and no turnovers for LaGrange. Plus no one got hurt. Now the Grangers make the trip to Douglas County to face the Alexander Cougars. I'd love to see a big crowd make the trip and cheer on the men in blue.

LaGrange 30 Shaw 7

The Grangers came into Kinnett Stadium and defeated the Shaw Raiders in an improbable fashion, having only three penalties not counting a couple of late delay of game infractions.  The 30 to 7 victory gives LaGrange a 1-0 region record and some much needed confidence.

The Grangers opened the first half holding shot two or three and out, and getting the ball at the Raider 35 yard line.  Six plays later Benny Gray rushed in from two yards out in the two-point conversion made it 8-0 LaGrange.  Another Raider three and out give the Grangers the ball at the their own 36 yard line.  On the ninth play of the drive, Mon Denson found the end zone from 28 yards away . 16-0 LaGrange.  Shaw answered with a 12 play, 50 yard drive of their own, ending with a three yard quarterback keeper by Tyron Huff.  But LaGrange would respond with a 56 yard drive in 11 plays with Gray scoring again from the seven yard line.  23-7 Grangers. Shaw's next drive stalled when Dazmon Dunlap stripped the ball and Jeremiah Wright ran it to the 47. But Gus Golden was called in to punt and Shaw could not move the ball forward as the first half expired.

The two teams exchanged turnovers to open the second half, with Emmanuel Mann rumbling to the Shaw 26.  On that drive's fourth play, Benny Gray again found the end zone from five yards out.  30-7 Grangers.  Daz Dunlap created another Raider turnover on Shaw's very next play, and two teams kept each other off the scoreboard the rest of the game. LaGrange's last drive went 56 yards and milked 5:05 off the clock.

The Granger defense gave up a total of 14 points the last six quarters. The offense gave up one turnover in that same timeframe.  An excellent job going into Homecoming next week. By my math, LaGrange only needs three more wins to make the playoffs .  But the way they are coming together, don't be surprised if you see them win more than that.

Thomson 31 LaGrange 28

Friday's game with Thomson had many similarities to last year's game.  The home team came out to a big lead, the visiting team battled back, and the Grangers gave up three turnovers that led to three Bulldog scores. The result was the same with Thomson winning, this time 31-28 at the Brickyard.

LaGrange opened the game going three and out, but Thomson could not capitalize, turning the ball over on downs at the Granger 27.  Zach Giddens threw his first interception, but the Granger defense held firm, forcing the Bulldogs to punt.  Giddens' next pass was also intercepted, giving Thomson the ball at the Granger 20,  The next play saw Chris Tutt throw to Felton Hatcher for a touchdown.  7-0 Thomson.  A third interception gave Thomson the ball at the Granger 18.  Ricky Martineez kicked a 31 yard field goal and it was 10-0 Thomson.  After an exchange of punts, Wynton heard pitched the ball to Mon Denson, but he couldn't handle the pitch.  Quay Cummings picked up the bouncing ball and ran in for a Bulldog touchdown.  17-0.  LaGrange answered back with a 72 yard drive ending with a 41 yard touchdown run by Mon Denson.  17-6.  The Bulldogs responded with a 71 yard drive of their own and a 40 yard touchdown run by Leon Jones.  24-6.  LaGrange's last drive was extended by a muffed punt, and six plays later Tavone caught a seven yard touchdown pass from heard.  24-12 at intermission.

Thomson's opening drive of the second half went 72 yards and ended with a six yard touchdown run by Keonte Grissom.  31-12.  LaGrange answered with a 69 yard drive of their own, also ending with a six yard touchdown run, this one by Shevondre Maddox.  31-20 with the two point conversion pass from Heard to Dontavious Joiner.  Thomson would punt, LaGrange turned the ball over on downs o a fake punt, and Thomson would turn the ball over when Tay Glover stripped the ball and Dazmon Dunlap recovered.  But LaGrange would go three and out.  Thomson't next drive did not end in points, but they would chew up six minutes 35 seconds before missing a field goal.  The teams exchanged punts again and LaGrange's last drive went 93 yards in only seven plays.  A 12 yard touchdown run by Heard and a two point run by Khamani Barnes narrowed the Thomson lead to 31-28.  LaGrange would not get another possession.

Enough has been written about the non-football activities that happened on the field.  Two Grangers were ejected as were four Bulldogs.  They will likely be suspended next week.  As of this writing, no other players have been hit with a suspension.  We will know more Friday.

The Grangers were down 19 points and never gave up.  After the initial second quarter drive, the defense did not give up another point.  But giving up 17 points off turnovers proved to be too deep of a hole to come out of.  Now LaGrange starts the region schedule at Kinnett Stadium where the Shaw Raiders will be waiting.  Airtime Friday is 7:00 on WCJM 100.9 FM.  We'll see you there.

Harris County 38 LaGrange 27

Sometimes momentum swings like a pendulum. Sometimes momentum swings like a wrecking ball. After taking a 27 to 10 lead into the fourth quarter, the Grangers gave up 28 straight points to lose to Harris County for the first time 38 to 27 in Hamilton Friday night.

The Tigers' opening drive went 65 yards in seven plays and ended with a 22 yard touchdown run by Esaias Chapman. 7-0 Harris County.  After the teams exchanged punts, the Grangers got on the board with a 72 yard touchdown run by Wynton Heard.  The teams exchanged punts again and the Grangers got the lead with a 19 yard touchdown catch from Heard to Tavone Rivers. 14-7 Grangers.  The Tigers responded with a 13 play drive of their own that ended with a 39 yard field goal by Isaac Grimes. 14-10 Grangers.  A muffed kickoff gave the Grangers the ball at their own two yard line.  The Grangers would then go the full 98 yards in nine plays finishing it off with a with an eight yard touchdown catch by Quan Delaney.  20-10 at the half.

The Grangers punted to open the second half, but Harris County would fumble the ball away and DJ Towns would recover at the Harris County five.  Two plays later, a 4 yard touchdown run by Mon Denson extended the Grangers lead to 27 to 10 by the end of the 4th quarter.

The Tigers started the next drive at their own 34, and five plays later an 8 yard touchdown catch by Josh Stein closed the gap to 27 to 17.  A great kickoff return gave the Grangers the ball at the Tiger 20 yard line, but the LaGrange could not capitalize. On fourth down, Taylor Stanford missed a 41 yard field goal, and the score remained 27 to 17.  Harris County then engineered an 80 yard drive in 10 plays, ending with a 21 yard touchdown run by Keith Jenkins.  27-24 Grangers.  Heard then threw a long interception and the Tigers set up shop at their own 37.  Seven plays later it would be Jenkins again finding the end zone from 22 yards out. The Tigers went up 31 to 27.  A pick six by DJ Washington sealed the deal, and the Tigers would win 38 to 27.

This was Harris County's first win over Lagrange in their school's history.  Besides the talent wearing black and gold, the biggest reason for the loss was the inexperience of the team in knowing how to handle the momentum change.  Harris County scored a touchdown in their very first possession, then they scored a touchdown in each of their last four possessions.  Coach Branch said the Grangers have a lot of work to do, but they have an off week. So they will have plenty of time to work on what needs fixing.

Newnan 42 LaGrange 20

The Grangers battled for two and a half quarters against a good team from Newnan.  But an unlikely event turned the game around in favor of the Cougars and LaGrange dug themselves a deep hole they could not pull out of.

LaGrange had an impressive opening drive, going 70 yards in ten plays, ending with a 23 yard touchdown pass from Wynton Heard to Tavone Rivers.  7-0 Grangers.  An exchange of punts gave Newnan the ball at their own 20.  13 plays later, Bailey Bryant threw a touchdown pass to Randell Arnold from 17 yards out,  7-7.  LaGrange went three and out and Newnan returned the punt to the Granger 23.  Five plays later JK Britt scored from eight yards out and it is 14-7 Cougars.  The teams exchanged punts again and Newnan drove down to the Granger eight before coughing up the ball.  DJ Towns recovered and LaGrange ran out the clock.

LaGrange recovered an onside kick to start the second half and capitalized.  A 50 yard touchdown run by Mon Denson tied the game at 14.  But Newnan answered with a five play, 65 yard drive when Bailey connected with Imanuel Griggs from 21 yards.  21-14 Newnan.  Another punt exchange and LaGrange drove to the Cougar 22.  Benny Gray fumbled the ball and the Cougars recovered.  Like Granger opponents did 12 times last season, Newnan scored off the Granger miscue.  a 69 yard catch by JK Britt extended Newnan's lead 28-14.  LaGrange's punt was returned to the Granger 39.  It only took Newnan four plays to go the distance.  Kelvin Khayyam ran it in from the 28.  35-14 Cougars.  Heard then fumbled the ball, giving Newnan a 20 yard field.  In three plays, Damion Key ran it in from eight yards out.  42-14 Newnan.  LaGrange answered with a quick two play, 85 yard drive when Heard rumbled in from 46 yards away.  42-20 Newnan.  The teams exchanged punts and that would be how the game ended.

After the Gray fumble, Newnan scored on their next three drives.  If LaGrange scores a touchdown, that may have changed the whole outcome.  It definitely would have helped LaGrange's confidence.  Now the Grangers must pull themselves back up and face Harris County.  LaGrange has never lost against the Tigers.  No, mentioning that here will not jinx LaGrange.  I do not believe anything I type here has any effect on how the game is played on the field.  The coaches are too good and the players too talented.   They will get to show that in Hamilton next week.  We'll see you there.