North Georgia win 2009 GFC Championship
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GFC Players Play in 1st Rotary Bowl All-Star Game
Gabe Jefferson #28 North Georgia), Terrell Wilson (Christian Heritage) to the right, and Art Parker (Cumberland Chrisitian) behind Gabe, participated in the Rotary Bowl for the South team.
Seven (7) GFC players have been selected to play in the Rotary International All-Star Game. Arthur Parker (Cumberland), Blake Bowers (Georgia Force), Brian Oliveira (Georgia Force), Devin Griffin (North Georgia), Gabe Jefferson (North Georgia), Raymond Smith (Georgia Force) and Terrell Wilson (Christian Heritage) will play for the south team. The game is for seniors who are looking to play at the next level. Players were chosen from public and private high schools and include Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Central Forsyth, Chattahoochee, Fellowship Christian, Holy Innocents, Holy Spirit, Kings Ridge, Milton, Mt.Vernon, North Forsyth, Pinecrest, Riverwood, Roswell, South Forsyth and West Forsyth.
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Glory For Christ All-Star Team
Adam Bieber – North Georgia # 68
Alex Umstead – Georgia Force # 44
Andrew Gifford – Bartow Generals # 47
Andrew Kolodziejski – Bartow Generals # 44
Andrew Weaver – Christian Heritage # 76
Arthur Parker – Cumberland Christian # 99
Austin Patterson – Holy Ground # 35
Ben Allison – Georgia Force # 25
Ben Keeling – North Georgia # 33
Brett Snyder – North Georgia # 13
Christian Tucker – Dominion Christian # 54
Daniel Pierce – Christian Heritage # 5
David Harley – Georgia Force # 46
Dylan Williams – Holy Ground # 56
Ethan Turnmire – Christian Heritage # 20
Evan Carr – Dominion Christian # 11
Frederick Kittle – Bartow Generals # 75
Gabe Jefferson – North Georgia # 65
Hunter Brumfield – North Georgia # 62
Julian “Duce” Hawkins – Dominion Christian # 2
Keylon Carpenter – Dominion Christian # 63
Mason Sikes – Christian Heritage # 41
Matt Tryall – East Atlanta # 75
Matthew Lugg – East Atlanta # 58
Michael Chunn – Dominion Christian # 26
Michael Jefferson – North Georgia # 36
Mitchell Bumgarner – Cumberland Christian # 28
Rashid Ali – East Atlanta # 7
Reid Hawkins – East Atlanta # 10
Riley Davis – North Georgia # 2
Ryan Hulvey – Holy Ground # 12
Seth Patterson – Holy Ground # 78
Terrell Wilson – Christian Heritage # 40
Tevin Austin – Georgia Force # 21
Tim Howard – North Georgia # 6
Zach Anderle – Christian Heritage # 75
Zavier Thompson – Georgia Force # 24
______________________________________________Glory For Christ Championship
goes to the
North Georgia Falcons
In the football world, there is a saying that is often used at the end of a game, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”. The Glory For Christ Championship Game between the North Georgia Falcons and the Christian Heritage Lions was played in a beautiful stadium on a absolutely beautiful day and both teams had shining moments throughout the game. It was something special to behold as both teams played their hearts out and it is really unfortunate that one team came out on the short end of the score. In a game of this magnitude, the championship game, there will be the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
North Georgia took the opening kickoff at the 22 yard line. Eleven plays later the Lions defense held on 4th down at the 32 yard line, taking over for the first time after the Falcons had the ball for almost 8 minutes. It only took Christian Heritage 3 plays to go 68 yards and a touchdown as QB Daniel Pierce connected with Mason Sikes who had gotten behind the Falcons defense. The extra point kick by Pierce was good and at 3:55 left in the first quarter Christian Heritage led 7-0.
The Falcons went 3 and out on their next possession and kick to the Lions. The Lions took over at the 19 yard line. Five plays later they punted and the Falcons took over at their own 35. Using a combination of passes and runs the Falcons moved to the Lions 35, then Tim Howard found his favorite receiver, Riley Davis, with a pass and Davis took it to the house (end zone) for a 35 yard TD. The extra point kick was blocked, leaving the Lions in the lead, 7 to 6, with 6:31 left in the 2nd quarter.
Christian Heritage went 3 plays and then punted to the Falcons 47. Howard went to work again as he connected on 5 passes, the last going 8 yards to Elijah Hiers for the score with 56 seconds left in the first half. Kicker Brett Snyder was good on the extra point kick and the Falcons had the lead at 13-7.
With less than a minute left in the half, the Lions moved the ball from the 27 all the way to the 7 yard line, however, the clock ran out before the Lions could get off another play. Halftime score: North Georgia 12 Christian Heritage 7.
The Lions took the second half kickoff, but could not get anything going and had to punt. The Falcons then ran 3 plays and had to punt which only went about 15 yards giving the Lions good field position at the 32 yard line. On the second play, Drew Lee of the Falcons recovered a Lions fumble at the 30 yard line. The Falcons marched down the field on 9 plays with a mixture of passes and runs, however, they stalled at the 30 yard line and on 4th down the Falcons lined up for a field goal. Kicker Brett Snyder then booted a 46 yard field goal to give the Falcons a 16 to 7 lead with 49 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
Both teams then traded possessions with neither team able to do much. Then the Lions took over at the 8 yard line and using the passing arm of Daniel Pierce connected on six passes, finding Ethan Turnmire for the TD of 29 yards. Daniel Pierce kick was good and the Lions were back in the game but still behind 16-14 with 3:36 left in the game.
After kicking off to the Falcons, the Lions defense bowed up and stopped the Falcons on 3 plays. The Falcons lined up to punt, but attempted a fake punt which the Lions were able to stop the Falcons short of a first down at the 43. The Lions took over and on first down, Pierce found Mason Sikes at the Falcons 11 yard line for a first down. The Falcons stopped RB Terrell Wison after a 3 yard gain, then Pierce tried a QB sneak that took it down to the 2 yard line, however, time was running down. The Lions decided to go for the win with a field goal, however, a bad snap was recovered by the Drew Lee of the Falcons, giving them the victory and the Glory For Christ Championship 16-14 over the Christian Heritage Lions.
The Falcons celebrated the thrill of being victorius while the Lions dealt with the agony of defeat after coming so close to the victory. It’s been a great season for both teams and nothing should take that joy away from either of these two team!
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
GLORY FOR CHRIST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
The North Georgia Falcons and the Christian Heritage Lions will play for the Glory For Christ Championship this Saturday at 2:00 at Riverwood High Stadium in Sandy Springs.
The Falcons beat the Force 7-0 in 2 overtimes while the Lions defeated Dominion Christian 56-20 to set up this season finale. Christian Heritage will be defending their championship from last year. It should be a great game as the last time they played (Oct 9th) North Georgia came away with the victory 13-6 over the Lions.
Christian Heritage is led by quarterback Daniel Pierce and running back Terrell Wilson. Wilson has run for over 1,000 yards this year, while Pierce running and passing ability gives the Lions a balanced attack on offense. Mason Sikes is Pierce’s favorite receiver. The Lions defense has been very good.
North Georgia has relied on its defense all year to keep them in the game and senior linebacker Gabe Jefferson leads the way along with junior linebackers Ben Keeling and Michael Jefferson. The line is anchored by big Kris Setser and Devin Griffin while Brett Snyder, Christian Jones and Riley Davis are leaders in the secondary. The Falcon offense is keyed by quarterback Tim Howard. The running back duties is split between Brian Ross and Michael Jefferson, while Riley Davis and Brett Snyder are two of Howard’s favorite targets when throwing the ball.
GFC Semifinal Results
North Georgia Falcons 7 Georgia Force 0 (2 overtimes)
Christian Heritage 56 Dominion Christian 20
THIS ARTICLE IS FROM THE DALTON CITIZEN NEWSPAPER:
Christian Heritage has earned its chance to win back-to-back league titles.
The Lions defeated Dominion Christian, 56-20, in the Glory For Christ Football League semifinals on Saturday at Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs and will play the North Georgia Falcons — who beat the Georgia Force, 7-0, in the day’s other semifinal — at 2 p.m. this Saturday at Riverwood.
Coach Mike Vaden said his Lions (9-1) executed their game plan well against Dominion Christian (7-3), a team they beat 27-12 during the regular season.
“We played really hard,” Vaden said. “Offensively, we moved the ball and, defensively, we contained their speed, which was our main concern heading into the game.”
The Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run from Daniel Pierce and a 25-yard pass from Pierce to Mason Sikes. But before the period ended, Dominion Christian blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown and, after a two-point conversion run, the score was 14-8.
Christian Heritage pulled away in the second quarter with three scores of 2 or fewer yards from Terrell Wilson, Pierce and Ethan Turnmire.
Pierce’s scoring run came on a 98-yard drive after a goal-line stand by the Lions defense.
“It seems like after Pierce’s score,” said Vaden, “that really took the life out of them.”
The Lions then scored twice in the third quarter on a 9-yard run for Pierce and a 23-yard pass from Pierce to Sikes, while Turnmire added a 4-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Dominion scored on a 5-yard pass in the third and a 27-yard run in the fourth.
Lions kicker Nick Jang was 6-for-6 on extra point kicks before leaving the game with an ankle sprain suffered while playing defensive back. In Jang’s absence, Cody Stansell converted two extra-point kicks.
Vaden said he expects Jang will be available to kick in next week’s game against the Falcons.
Last season, the Lions went 12-0 and won the league title with a 33-7 victory against the Crown Knights. In order for Christian Heritage to defend its title, the Lions must beat the Falcons (9-2), who handed them their only loss of the season, 13-6, last month in Dalton.
Vaden is hoping for better circumstances and a different outcome in the rematch.
“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “We’re praying not to have to play in the mud like we did the last game. The key to us next week will be making sure we don’t turn the ball over and taking advantage of every opportunity given to us.”
Semifinals Preview: Here we are at the GFC Semifinal games and it shapes up to be two really good matchups. Any of the 4 teams playing are capable of winning the Championship. The first game is a rematch of teams who played 2 weeks ago, while the second game is a rematch of teams who played the first game of the GFC season. The Force and Falcons defenses are what keeps them in the game, but both had good offensive games last week. This game may be decided on turnovers. Christian Heritage and Dominion Christian met early in the year when both were still figuring out their offenses. Since that time both teams have been rolling up points while their defenses have done an excellent job as well. This game could be a track meet and come down to who has the ball at the end of the game.
GFC Semifinal Round to be held at Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs on Saturday, Nov 7th Game 1 begins at 1:00 Georgia Force vs North Georgia Falcons (home team) at 1:00 Game 2 following after Game 1 (approx 3:45) Dominion Christian vs Christian Heritage (home team)
>Directions to Riverwood High Stadium
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First round Playoff Results for Friday, October 30th
North Georgia 46 Cumberland Christian 0 The Falcons wasted little time in taking control of the game as they stopped Cumberland on their first possession, tackling the punter at the 25 yard line. Three plays later Michael Jefferson scored from the 5 yard line with 9:31 on the clock in the first quarter. Falcons 6 CCA 0. On the next CCA possession, Falcons linebacker Dan Lutz intercepted a pass at the 39 yard line. After a Falcon penalty, quarterback Tim Howard connected with Riley Davis for a 45 yard touchdown pass. Falcons 12 CCA 0. After holding CCA to 3 plays, Riley Davis took the CCA punt return for a 43 yard score. Falcons kicker Brett Snyder added the extra point kick. Falcons 19 CCA 0. At the start of the 2nd quarter, the Falcons Zach Howard scored from the one yard line. Snyder was good on the extra point kick. Falcons 26 CCA 0. The Falcons scored with 7:19 left in the half on a 48 yard Howard to Davis pass to go up 32-0. The final score of the half came after Brian Ross scored on a touchdown run of 5 and Snyder added the extra point kick. Falcons 39 CCA 0. The final touchdown came in the second half with Falcons quarterback Zach Waddell passing to Austin Rothenberger for a 34 yard touchdown. Riley Davis added the extra point kick, making final score of Falcons 46 CCA 0.
Lions stroll into playoff semifinals
from Dalton Daily Citizen staff reports
Daniel Pierce scored twice on returns and threw a touchdown pass to Mason Sikes, leading the Christian Heritage Lions to a 56-8 rout of the Bartow Generals in the first round of the Glory for Christ Football League postseason playoffs. The Lions (8-1) advance to the semifinals against the Dominion Christian Knights. Christian Heritage is the defending league champion, having won 12 consecutive games for the 2008 title. Lions coach Mike Vaden said after Friday’s game. “We do know we’ll be in for a real battle next week. Christian Heritage defeated Dominion Christian, 27-12, on Sept. 4. After Terrell Wilson got the Lions’ scoring started on a 19-yard run in the first quarter, Pierce returned a punt 58 yards for his first touchdown of the game. The extra point failed and the Lions led, 13-0. Still in the first quarter, Pierce intercepted a Bartow pass and galloped 85 yards for a touchdown. Nick Jang’s extra point gave the Lions a 20-0 advantage. In the second quarter, Pierce connected with Mason Sikes on a 28-yard touchdown strike, and Pierce ran for a two-point conversion and a 28-0 lead. Sikes added a 30-yard scoring run on a reverse and Jang’s extra point made it 35-0. Wilson scored again in the fourth quarter on a 45-yard run, Ethan Turnmire scored on a 4-yard scamper and Austin Lowe capped the Lions’ scoring with a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter. “I was real pleased with our defense tonight,” Vaden said. “We faced a big team, but our kids did an outstanding job. It was our best hitting in the second half of the season.” ]
Dominion Christian 31 Holy Ground 0
Georgia Force 37 East Atlanta 14
Game results from Friday, October 23rd
Georgia Force knocks off North Georgia Falcons 21-7
On a rainy night in Georgia after the rain finally stopped, the Force beat the Falcons. The Force took the opening kickoff and used 11 plays to go 81 yards capped off by a 12 yard touchdown run by Tevin Austin. Alex Harvie add the extra point kick and the Force led 7-0. The Force defense shut down the Falcons offense all the first half with the Falcons only getting the ball 4 times and not being able to get anything going. The Falcons fumbled the second half kickoff and on their next possession fumbled the ball. Force running back, Ben Allision, then ran 60 yards to set up a Matt Hardin to Blake Bower 3 yard touchdown pass. After the Harvie kick was good, the Force led 14-0 with 2:31 left in the third quarter. The Falcons finally got untrack with 3:50 left in the game. Two completed passes from Tim Howard to Brett Snyder (13 and 18 yards) followed by a touchdown pass of 13 yards to Riley Davis and an extra point kick by Snyder had the Falcons back within a score at 14-7. The Force offense was able to run time off the clock, but the Falcons got one final possession with 61 seconds on the clock and 80 yard to go. However, Force linebacker Alex Umstead picked off a Howard pass and ran the ball in for the touchdown, giving the Force the victory by a score of 21 to 7.
East Atlanta Mustangs 50 Bartow Generals 42
Christian Heritage 48 Cumberland Christian Patriots 0
Barrow Christian 16 Holy Ground 0
Game Results for Friday, October 16th
North Georgia 11 Dominion Christian 8
Wow! What a game! The Falcons and the Knights played a great defensive game on this Homecoming Night for the Knights. On the 3rd play for Dominion Christian, QB DC Carroll hooked up with Julian “Duce” Hawkins for a 74 yard touchdown giving the Knights the lead. Michael Chunn was able to cross the goal line on the extra point attempt and the Knights led 8-0 with 7:33 left in the first quarter. In the second quarter with 3:15 left on the clock, Falcons QB Tim Howard connected with Riley Davis for a 50 yard touchdown play. Howard was successful running the ball into the end zone on the extra point attempt and the score was tied at 8-8. The Falcons kicked off and on the third play, Gabe Jefferson intercepted a pass to give the Falcons the ball on the 36 yard line. After several incompleted passes, Howard again connected with Davis for 21 yards down to the 15 yard line. Then on fourth down with 36 seconds to go in the half, kicker Brett Snyder booted a 36 yard field goal to give the Falcons a 11-8 half-time lead. Both teams had opportunities in the second half, but defensive stops kept them from scoring. The Falcons held on to win 11-8 and stopped Dominion’s 5 game win streak.
Holy Ground beats Cumberland Christian 36 – 8
The Holy Ground Stallions scored on two touchdown runs by Ryan Hulvey and two by Austin Patterson to beat Cumberland Christian and improve their record to 3-5. The first year program has won back to back games and look to extend their win streak next week.
Christian Heritage blasts Horizon Christian 59-14
Unity Christian (Rome) defeated the Bartow Generals 31-12
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Game results for Friday, Oct 9th
North Georgia 13 Christian Heritage 6
In the battle of unbeaten GFC teams, the North Georgia Falcons (5-0 GFC, 6-1 overall) defeated the Christian Heritage Lions (5-1, 6-1 overall) 13-6, ending the Lions’ 18-game winning streak. With lightning and rain delaying the game for 2 hours, it almost seemed like this game wasn’t going to be played. The Falcons scored on the first possession against the Lions, using 13 plays to go 75 yards. Brian Ross scored the touchdown, running 24 yards with 3:06 left in the first quarter. After a missed extra point, the Falcons had a 6-0 lead. On the opening drive of the second half, North Georgia had a 12-play drive that went 67 yards with Ross again scoring from the 6 yard line. This extended the Falcons lead to 13-0 when Brett Snyder was good on the extra point kick. The Falcons used up almost 7 minutes of the clock with this drive. The Falcon’s tenacious defense kept the Lions’ offense in check all night. Late in the third quarter, the Falcons were forced to punt and Daniel Pierce was able to pick up the ball and elude several tacklers on his way to a 52 yard touchdown. The Lions were unsuccessful on the extra point attempt and the Falcons were able to hold on for the victory.
Dominion Christian 26 Georgia Force 20
The surprise team of the GFC is Dominion Christian, who beat the Georgia Force 26-20. After losing their opening GFC game to Christian Heritage, they have won 5 straight games. The Knights scores came on 4 touchdowns by Julian Hawkins (3 on runs of 67,20 and 11 yards plus a 69 yard pass from DC Carroll). After going up 20-0 in the first quarter, the Knights gave up a touchdown in the 2nd quarter and led 20-7 at half-time. The Force took the second half kickoff and scored to cut the lead to 20-14, then recovered a fumble and scored to tie the game at 20-20. The Knights could have folded at this point, but didn’t, and in the 4th quarter, they put together a drive that gave them the lead and the victory.
East Atlanta 33 Cumberland Christian 6
The Mustangs won their second GFC game by defeating Cumberland 33 -6. Reid Hawkins led the way as he threw for 2 touchdowns.
Holy Ground 32 Bartow Generals 13 Holy Ground picked up their first GFC win beating Bartow last night. Andrew Kolodziejski and Andrew Gifford scored for Bartow. __________________________________________________________________________________
GAME OF THE WEEK (Oct 9) : Christian Heritage vs North Georgia
By Larry Fleming [email protected]
Christian Heritage has played two of the three best teams in the Glory for Christ football league, and beaten them both. The third team in that trifecta — the North Georgia Falcons — will travel to Dalton on Friday to challenge the Lions (6-0 overall, 5-0 GFC), who have won 18 straight games over the past two seasons. The Falcons have a 5-1 overall record and are 4-0 in league play. “Traditionally, their one of the top powers in the league,” Lions coach Mike Vaden said Wednesday. “They’ve been in the playoffs each of the three years we’ve been in the league. And they’re one of the founding teams of the league.” However, each time the Lions have been challenged this season by title contenders, they’ve came out on top. They beat Dominion Christian, 27-12, and the Georgia Force, 16-14 in previous regular-season showdowns. Now, it’s time to battle the Falcons. “It’s always a competitive game,” Vaden said. “We have beaten them twice at their place and two years ago they came up here and beat us in the final 17 seconds of the game. We’ll have to play 48 minutes of football to compete with these guys.” That’s exactly what the Lions have been doing all season. The offense, directed by coordinator Danny Carter, has averaged 41.5 points per game and the defense is allowing just 8.0 points an outing. In six games, the Lions have held three opponents to eight points or less, with two shutouts in that stretch. “North Georgia is a very experienced team,” Vaden said. “Most of their starters on offense and defense are back from last year. Tim Howard is a fine quarterback and very effective at what he does with their offense. “And Riley Davis has done a fine job for them as a receiver and they’ve got a new kid, Brett Snyder, who has really solidified their kicking game.” Vaden said the Falcons will utilize the spread offense and sometimes shift into a two tight end I-formation set when they’re in short-yardage situations or trying to control the tempo. “They’ve got some experienced linemen who come off the ball well and push you around because of their size,” Vaden said. “We’ve had to make some adjustments defensively because of their line spreads that are designed to create lanes for the backs.” Defensively, the Falcons will use a 5-3 stack, which Vaden said has become a popular scheme in the GFC, and also a 3-5 alignment. “That 3-5 is relative new,” Vaden said. “Quite a few schools have gone to that. What we have to do is move the ball on the ground to set up our passing game. I think we can throw against them, but it’s only going to be effective if we’re running the ball.” The Lions are led by Terrell Wilson, who is the workhorse at running back on offense and middle linebacker on defense. Quarterback Daniel Pierce makes the offense go and can either run or pass effectively. Ethan Turnmire, Cody Stansell, Mason Sikes and Daniel Groce are all counted on by Vaden to keep their streak alive.
Dominion Christian vs Georgia Force (in Suwanee at George Pierce Park)
In another important GFC battle, the Dominion Christian Knights (4-1) face off against the Georgia Force (3-1). Both teams need to win in order to keep their hopes of finishing in first place alive. There is still alot of football left to be played, but this game will certainly determine positioning in the GFC standings. The Knights are led by DC Carroll, who makes the offense go, while the Force running tandem of Ben Allison and Tevin Austin key their ground attack. Dominion has been more potent on offense, but the Force defense will be a major test for the Knights.
Bartow Generals at Holy Ground (in Carrollton)
This will be a 3 yards and a cloud of dust game between two teams that love to run the ball. Bartow has the edge because of their size, but Holy Ground has more speed. Turnovers could be the deciding factor in this game.
Cumberland Christian at East Atlanta (in Conyers
The Mustangs have not played up to their potential, however, turnovers have a way of keeping them from scoring. If the Mustangs can hold onto the ball, they should score a lot of points. Cumberland has had trouble scoring as well, so they hope this is that week that they can put points on the board. The Patriots have also had injuries that has depleted their roster. ________________________________________________________________________________________
Game Results for Friday, Oct 2nd
Christian Heritage 53 Holy Ground 14
Christian Heritage stayed unbeatened as they outmanned Holy Gound Academy 53-14. Leading the way was Daniel Pierce as he scored on a 67 yard interception, a 90 yard punt return and ran 5 yards for a touchdown. He also threw a 39 yard touchdown pass to Mason Sikes. Sikes also scored on a 27 yard run and a 44 yard interception. Terrell Wilson anchored the Lions ground attack with touchdown runs of 27 and 12 yards. He also had a 40 yard interception for a score. Cole Deviese was able to complete a two-point conversion pass to Cody Stansell. Nick Jang kicked two extra points and Cody Stansell kicked one. Holy Ground was led by Ryan Hulvey who had a 16 yard touchdown run. He also ran for 108 yards on 18 carries. The Stallions Austin Patterson scored on a 3 yard run. The 2-point attempt was success as Dontavious Agan caught a pass from QB Lee Neuen to round out the scoring. The Christian Heritage Lions have won 17 straight games over the past two year.
Dominion Christian 40 East Atlanta 20 The East Atlanta Mustangs drew first blood when Reginald Spear, who appeared to be stopped for a loss, lateraled the ball on his way down to Michael Diaz and Diaz scampered into the endzone to go up 6-0. The Knights answered with a score of their own as Michael Chunn capped a Knight drive with a 4 yard run tying the game at 6-6. After a defensive stop, the Knights score again on their next possession with a 61 yard scoring strike from DC Carroll to Evan Carr. The Knights defense stiffened causing the Mustangs to punt, but the snap sailed over Daniel Trout’s head and Brad Clemments recovered it in the endzone for another Knight score. The Knights scored on the opening possession of the second half with a 68 yard touchdown pass to Breland McCulley that ignited the Knights offense as they scored on the next two possessions, a 51 yard TD pass to Evan Carr, and a 20 yard TD pass to Duce Hawkins. Bringing the score to 40 – 6. The Mustangs were able to get on the board with two more scores late in the forth quarter bringing the final score to 40 – 20. DC Carroll was 11 of 14 for 227 yards and 4 TD Passes. Evan Carr had 129 yards on 4 receptions with 2 for scores.
Georgia Force 59 Cumberland Christian 8
North Georgia 49 Bartow Generals 0
The Falcons offense was very efficient scoring on the first play on each of their first 4 possessions of the game. On their first possession, QB Tim Howard connected with Brett Snyder for a 79 yard TD pass. The 2nd possession resulted in a Howard to Riley Davis 71 yard TD pass. Brian Ross ran 49 yards for a TD on the 3rd possession and Riley Davis returned a punt 85 yards for a score on the 4th possession. The Falcons went on to score on another Tim Howard to Riley Davis pass of 81 yards, a Brian Ross run of 23 yards, and a 50 yard TD pass from Howard to Ryan Rivers. Kicker Brett Snyder was good on all 7 extra point kicks. Howard completed 9 of 10 passes for 274 yards and 4 touchdown. Gabe Jefferson, Kris Setser and Christian Jones led the Falcon defense. Bartow’s running game was successful in moving the ball up and down the field and had opportunities to score. Andrew Gifford and Andrew Kolodziejski each had over 100 yards rushing. _______________________________________________________________________________________
CHRISTIAN HERITAGE KICKS GEORGIA FORCE 16-14 Daniel Pierce plays quarterback for Christian Heritage, but it was his foot, not his arm, that made the difference in the game. With less than two minute remaining in the game and the Lions behind 14-13, Pierce kicked a 35 yard field goal that barely made it over the goalpost to win the game 16-14 over the Georgia Force. It was a defensive battle throughout the game. In the first half, the Lions scored first to go up 7-0, but the Force answered to tie it at 7-7. The Force had a goal-line stand just before the half that kept Christian Heritage from scoring again. The Force went up 14-7 in the third quarter, but the Lions answered with a score of their own. However, the extra point kick was blocked making the score 14 to 13 in favor of the Force. Both teams had opportunities to score, but as the clock was winding down, the Lions moved the ball down the field and on fourth down decided to kick the winning field goal that made it 16-14. The Force still had time to rally and completed a long pass inside the 5 yard line, however, an illegal formation penalty nullified the catch and ended the Force’s chance of scoring.
GFC game results for Thursday & Friday, Sept 24 & 25:
Dominion Christian Knights 44 Bartow Generals 16
Christian Heritage Lions 45 East Atlanta 0
By Doug Hawley (Daily Citizen Correspondent)
So much for homecoming distractions to hinder Christian Heritage’s unbeaten football team Friday night. “Homecoming’s always fun, but I was worried ahead of time about the distractions,” head coach Mike Vaden said following his team’s 45-0 rout of East Atlanta. “We played so well on offense and defense. It was one of our better games.” During the first quarter, the Lions (3-0, 4-0 in league play) raced to a 20-0 lead, built a 39-0 halftime advantage and coasted to victory in the Glory For Christ Football League encounter over the outmanned Mustangs (1-2, 1-2) as they captured their 16th straight win over a two-year period. Quarterback Daniel Pierce had a direct hand in five touchdowns — including three passing and two running. He threw two scoring tosses to Mason Sikes worth 17 and 33 yards and a 35-yarder to Daniel Groce. His touchdown runs of 6 and 7 yards produced the Lions’ first two scores. Pierce completed 6 of 8 passes for 144 yards and no interceptions. Sikes had 111 yards on four catches. “Our coaches did a good job in getting us focused,” Pierce said. “Since this is my first year to play quarterback (Pierce was a starting wide receiver and backup signal-caller a year ago), I’m continuing to get better.” Burly fullback Terrell Wilson led the rushers with 87 yards on a dozen carries. However, the 6-foot, 215-pound senior made his primary mark from his linebacking position by scooping up a Mustangs’ fumble and rambling 70 yards to score in the second quarter. “I saw that Daniel Groce (linebacker) had the quarterback stood up, and I was able to pull it out,” Wilson said. “I probably enjoy more a defensive touchdown because you don’t have that much opportunity to do so.” Cody Stansell got Christian Heritage’s final touchdown on a 35-yard run in the third quarter. Nick Jang kicked three extra points. A tenacious defense recovered three fumbles, with the work done by Ricky Gomez, Zack Anderle and Wilson. The Lions’ dominance was shown in the 375 yards of offense (231 rushing and 144 passing) to the Mustangs’ 141 (90 and 51, respectively).
Georgia Force 26 Holy Ground Academy Stallions 0
Holy Spirit Prep 41 North Georgia 18
The North Georgia Falcons lost to the Holy Spirit Prep Cougars in a battle of unbeaten teams in a non-conference game. The Cougars (4-0) were in the state semi-finals of the GISA I-AAA Championship last year and are looking to return to seek their first championship this year. The Cougars are loaded with talent and that starts with All-State Quarterback Curtis Johnson, who ran for 2 touchdown and threw three touchdowns passes to lead Holy Spirit Prep. The Falcons fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter, then scored on an 85 yard interception by Brett Snyder at the beginning of the second quarter to cut the lead to 14-6. The Cougars took advantage of a Falcon fumble and a bad punt to score twice before halftime to go up 27-6. The Falcons regrouped at halftime having done very little on offense. The second half saw the Falcons do alot better both on offense and defense, but they never could get back into the game. The passing game accounted for both of the Falcons scores as Tim Howard connected with Michael Jefferson for a 55 yard touchdown pass and then found Riley Davis for a touchdown that went 45 yards. _______________________________________________________________________________________
Game results for Friday, Sept 18th
Bartow Generals 44 Cumberland Christian 8
Dominion Christian Knights 38 Holy Ground 0
Holy Ground came out the first quarter with a ball control offense that kept the ball for over half the quarter, but Dominion’s defense was able to hold them off from scoring. Dominion was able to move the ball using a combination of runs and passes, and went up 8 – 0 on a Christian Tucker run 6 yards out. Holy Ground was again able to sustain another drive behind the running of Ryan Housey. Dominion’s bend but did not break defense was able to stop another Holy Ground drive. Then Dominion was able run off 30 additional unanswered points as the Knights pulled out for the victory 38-0. The Knights Micheal Chunn had 3 touchdowns and 60 yards rushing, while Duce Hawkins added 97 yards including a 56 yard touchdown run. Dominion’s Christian Tucker led all tacklers with 7 solos, and James Kim and BillyMack McAlpin provided outstanding defensive support.
North Georgia Falcons 35 East Atlanta Mustangs 6
In a battle of unbeaten teams, the score of this game does not indicate how good a football game it was! East Atlanta and North Georgia were scoreless through the first quarter. The Falcons were able to drive the ball on their first possession, but fumbled the ball on the 7 yard line. After holding the Mustangs to 3 plays, the Falcons fumbled the punt and the Mustangs took over in good field position. The Mustangs were unable to capitalize and had a TD pass called back because of a holding call. At the start of the second quarter the Falcons drove the ball down to the 19, but were stopped when they fumbled the ball and East Atlanta recovered. With 5:21 left in the half the Falcons were finally able to score on a 9 yard run by Michael Jefferson. Brett Snyder added the extra point and the Falcons led 7-0. Then with 1:14 left in the half, North Georgia fullback Ben Keeling scored on a 38 yard run. Snyder was perfect on the extra point kick. Falcons 14 Mustangs 0. The Mustangs took the kickoff and on the first play scored on a 48 yard pass from QB Reid Hawkins to Reg Spears. The Falcons defender almost intercepted the ball, but the deflected ball was caught by Spears who ran it in for the score. The Mustangs two point attempt was stopped short of the goal. Halftime score: Falcons 14 Mustangs 6 The third quarter went back and forth with neither team able to put the ball in the end zone, then with 1:07 left in the 3rd quarter, Michael Jefferson intercepted a pass and returned it 45 yards for a score. Snyder was good on the attempt. Falcons led 21-6. The Falcons scored with 10:17 left in the 4th quarter on a 20 yard run by Michael Jefferson and the extra point kick by Snyder to go up 28-6. With 3:52 left in the game, Falcons’ cornerback Elijah Heirs intercepted a pass and returned it to the 5 yard line. Two plays later, Gabe Jefferson scored on a 2 yard run and after Brett Snyder added the extra point kick, the final score was 35-6. _______________________________________________________________________________________
Game results for Friday, Sept 11th games:
Christian Heritage Lions 61 Bartow Generals 8
Wilson rumbles in Lions victory By Jimmy Espy [email protected]
The Bartow Generals looked like a pretty big team coming on the field at Christian Heritage on Friday, but by halftime the visitors were flatter than the deck of an aircraft carrier. The Lions stormed to a 61-8 win. Terrell Wilson ran for 248 yards, including three touchdowns, and Ethan Turnmire added three more scores on the ground and 84 yards rushing for the Lions, who are now 3-0 in the Glory for Christ Football League. It was the team’s 15th consecutive win, including a league championship last season. “We were able to break some long runs on them and that kind of surprised me,” Lions head coach Mike Vaden said. Christian Heritage scored nine TDs, including runs of 72, 46 and 37 yards. The Lions also hit big on two TD passes, with quarterback Daniel Pierce tossing a 42-yard scoring strike to Mason Sikes and a 31-yarder to tight end Daniel Groce. “It was my first touchdown catch in my life,” said Groce, who also starts at linebacker on defense. “I was pretty nervous.” Groce, a senior, said the team’s defense played “pretty well. We worked hard this week on trying to stay low.” Hugging the ground was a good idea for the Lions defenders, particularly when Bartow’s 275-pound fullback Andrew Gifford was pounding away on one of his 16 carries. Gifford finished with 80 yards rushing and his teammates chipped in 167 more (for 255 total), but except for one long third-quarter march that ended in a TD run by Stephen Coriell, the Generals gained most of their yardage between the 30-yard lines. Christian Heritage was up 41-0 at the half, scoring four rushing TDs and two passing. They added three more rushing scores in the second half. Nick Jang hit 7-of-9 PAT kicks. “We played them last year and they ran a similar offense,” Vaden said. “They are so big we couldn’t play our regular defense. Instead, we attacked the gaps and made sure that every three plays we rotated our defensive linemen. They got fatigued.” Bartow had only 17 players dressed out and by halftime the Lions’ superior numbers and several walloping hits by the defense and special teams appeared to have the visitors ready to load up and head home. Pierce was 2 for 2 passing for 73 yards, both TDs. He also had a 2-yard TD run. Behind a dominant offensive line performance, Christian Heritage piled up 469 yards rushing. Seth Defoor had 49 yards on only four carries. Marshall Williams chipped in 64 yards before a knee injury sent him to the sidelines.
Dominion Christian Knights 43 Cumberland Christian Patriots 8
The Knight’s defense played as if they had something to prove as they registered 8 sacks, and 4 interceptions on their way to a GFC victory. They constatnly swarmed the ball. Christian Tucker had a 10 tackle day and a interception. Elijah Johnson and Hee Chan Lee kept the relentless preasure on Cumberland’s offense. The Knight’s defesnse was victimized with a scoring strike from Patriots QB Mitchell Bumgarner to TE Arthur Parker. The secondary, led by Brooks Tompkins, and CJ Fields, was able to bottle up the receivers and each had an interception. Offensively, the Knights sputtered the first series but found their rhythm with a 20 yard touchdown run by Duce Hawkins. The Knight’s offensive attack was led by Michael Chunn who rushed for over 150 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. DC Carroll threw two touchdown passes and the Knights were able to come away with the victory 43-8.
East Atlanta Mustangs – bye week
Georgia Force – bye week
North Georgia Falcons 38 Holy Ground Academy Stallions 0
The Falcons scored first on a 3 yard run by Ben Keeling and kicker Brett Snyder was good on the extra point attempt. In the second quarter, the Falcons scored on a touchdown run of 2 yards by QB Tim Howard and on two passes of 31 yard and 49 yards from Howard to Riley Davis . Brett Snyder was good on all 3 extra point attempts. In the third quarter, the Falcons scored on a pass of 38 yards from Howard to Davis. Snyder was good on the extra point kick. Snyder finished the scoring when he booted a 25 yard field goal. The Falcons rolled up 344 yards of offense (170 passing and 174 rushing).
Friday, Sept 4th Game Results:
Christian Heritage Lions 27 Dominion Christian Knights 12
The Christian Heritage Lions outlasted Dominion Christian in a hard fought game at Harrision High School in Kennesaw. Ethan Turnmire opened the scoring for the Lions with an interception and return of 26 yards in the 1st quarter. Nick Jang added the PAT. In the second quarter, CHS recovered a fumble deep in Dominion territory and Terrell Wilson ended the drive with a 2 yard TD run. There was no scoring in the 3rd quarter but the play was dominated by the defense of the DC Knights who constantly thwarted the Lions offense. In the 4th quarter the Knights close the gap to 14 to 6 on a 41 yard TD pass from QB Supi Santeri to Julian Hawkins. PAT failed. Christian Heritage responded with a 38 yard touchdown drive capped by and 1 yard TD run by Terrell Wilson. Dominion recovered a CHS fumble and marched 30 yards to their 2nd score on another Santeri to Hawking pass of 6 yards. PAT failed. CHS final touchdown (27 yard TD run by Wilson, PAT by Jang) with less than 2 minutes to go in the game iced the victory.
East Atlanta Mustangs 39 Holy Ground Stallions 12
Georgia Force 47 Bartow Generals 20
QB Matt Hardin led the Force with 107 yards rushing on 7 carries including a 1 yd TD run and 43 yd TD. Zavior Thompson had a 20 yards. Nathan Justus had a 32 yd run for a TD and Raymond Smith had a 9 yd TD reception. Tevin Austin had 4 carries for 82 yards including 1 for 55 yards, while Michael Bardsley added a 54 yard run late in the game. Force defense was led by David Harley with 8 tackles and 3 assists, and Zavior Thompson with 8 tackles. Brian Oliveria had 6 tackles.
The Falcons kicked off to start the game and held CCA on three downs. The CCA punt was returned to the 4 yard line by Riley Davis and Brian Ross scored a touchdown on a 4 yard run. Brett Snyder added the extra point. The Patriots almost scored on the next possession, when QB Mitchell Bumgarner connected with Arthur Parker for a touchdown, however, a holding penalty negated the score. After the Falcons took over, QB Tim Howard was able to connect with Ryan Rivers on a 15 yard touchdown pass and Brett Snyder was good again on the extra point kick. Falcons 14-0. In the 2nd quarter, Michael Jefferson finished off a Falcon drive with a 6 yard touchdown. Snyder was successful on the kick. NG 21-0. Cumberland then got on the board as QB Mitchell Bumgarner lofted a pass to Parker who took it 50 yard for the score. NG 21 CCA 6 The Falcons returned the kickoff to the 40 and in three plays were able to score when Riley Davis caught a slant pass from Tim Howard and scooted 30 yards to the end zone. Brett Snyder was successful on the extra point attempts and the Falcons led 28-6 at the half. The only score in the second half came when Riley Davis took a pitch and ran 46 yards for a touchdown. Final score: North Georgia 34 Cumberland Christian 6.
North Georgia Falcons 41 Kings Ridge Christian 0 The North Georgia Falcons started their season with a non-conference game against the Kings Ridge Tigers winning 41-0 at Kings Ridge. Rolling up 370 yards in total offense, the Falcons scored on their first possession. QB Tim Howard led the way rushing for 98 yards and throwing 2 touchdown passes. Brian Ross ran for two touchdowns while Riley Davis scored on a 20 yard pass reception and then returned a punt 55 yards for a score. Senior Gabe Jefferson scored on a 2 yard run and Ryan Rivers had a touchdown reception of 13 yards. Kicker Brett Snyder was good on 5 of 6 extra point kicks.
Dominion Christian Knights
