Setting the stage for a huge showdown next week, the Sandy Creek Patriots struck early and often against LaGrange, cruising to a 42-7 win over the Grangers on Senior Night in Tyrone.
Ranked first in the state in AAAA, the Patriots (7-0-1, 5-0) travel to Carrollton next Friday to face the second-ranked Trojans, who are coming off a 63-21 dismantling of Alexander.
Sandy Creek amassed 322 yards of offense in the first half on the way to a 35-0 lead at intermission. The entire second half was played using a running clock.
The Patriots took the opening kickoff and wasted no time finding the end zone, as Delvin Weems capped off a nine-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
After a short punt, Sandy Creek took over at the LaGrange 31 late in the first quarter. On first down at the 20, quarterback Cole Garvin rolled right and connected with Jacari Brooks in the corner of the end zone to make it 14-0 before the first period ended.
Weems broke free early in the second quarter, finding the left sideline and outracing everyone for a 64-yard scoring burst. That put him over 100 yards for the night. Three plays later, Al Cooper recovered a LaGrange fumble at the Grangers’ 27, and Eric Swinney exploded up the middle on first down to give the Patriots a four-touchdown lead.
The next drive started 93 yards from the goal line, but on first down Garvin hit Demarre Kitt over the middle for a 70-yard gain. Swinney carried the ball on the next two plays, scoring on a 16-yard run.
The score was 35-0 before LaGrange was able to pick up a first down. The Grangers finally put together a drive just before halftime, taking the ball as far as the Sandy Creek 12 before the Patriots’ defense pushed back and got a sack on fourth down to take the ball back.
LaGrange got a score late in the third quarter on an 8-yard run by Benny Gray, the first play after an 80-yard interception return by Corey Perkins.
Freshman Marvin Hubbard scored the game’s final touchdown on a 7-yard run, and Lorenzo Broadwater kicked his sixth extra point of the night as time expired.
