Week 8 HS Football Scoreboard: Tattnall tops Stratford 34-7 on the road, plus more scores
A chorus of Stratford cowbells in Macon had no effect on Tattnall on Friday night as the Trojans toppled the rival Eagles to earn a dominant 34-7 win.
Tattnall came into the rivalry game with a 2-4 record and underdog status but controlled the showdown from the start, taking the lead in the first quarter and never relinquishing it.
“Well, we played a tough schedule early on and that put us in that position of being 2-4,” head coach John Abernathy said after the game. “We’re not a 2-4 football team, and I think that was shown tonight.”
The Trojans’ rushing attack of Antone Johnson and Ayden Dunn led the way on offense, with Rhett Dobson also contributing on the ground.
“Well we knew we had to run the ball to be successful tonight,” Abernathy said. “We knew they were gonna line up in that 3-4, but we just made sure that our offensive line was ready to go, and so they did a good job.”
Tattnall’s defense played a big role in its success, shutting the Eagles out in the first half and only allowing Stratford’s lone score once they were up 21-0 just before the fourth quarter.
“They just played their butts off, they got after it. Defensive line played real well, controlled the line of scrimmage all night, and that was the difference in the ballgame tonight,” Abernathy said.
Johnson finished with 208 total yards with three touchdowns and added an interception on defense in the final quarter to seal the game.
The win improves the Trojans to 3-4 while the Eagles fall to 4-3. The game marked the Trojans’ third consecutive victory over Stratford following last year’s homecoming thriller and an overtime win in 2021.
The Trojans run amok
Each team came into the contest following big wins, with Stratford beating Deerfield and Tattnall defeating Frederica Academy last week. The Eagles entered the game 4-2, while the Trojans were 2-4 and looking to bounce back from a tough start.
Both squads ran offenses built on shifty rushing attacks, but Tattnall’s running game was superior early. Johnson made his presence known early with several gashing runs to give the Trojans a quick 14-0 lead.
Tattnall’s defense showed up in the first half as well, stopping Stratford on fourth down twice in a row to start the game. The Trojans came up big again before halftime, blocking an Eagles’ field-goal try to keep the shutout intact heading into the break.
Stratford’s drive to open the second half looked promising, but penalties led to a long fourth down and a punt. Johnson struck for his second score of the night on the ensuing Tattnall drive to make it 21-0.
The Eagles scored a touchdown of their own on the next series, but took four minutes to do it and ran out the clock to end the third quarter. The Trojans capitalized with Stratford on the ropes, scoring again to virtually seal the game. Another late touchdown added to the final margin.
Other scores
- Houston County 42, Northside 14
- FPD 30, Mount de Sales 6
- Mary Persons 49, Jackson 0
- Lee County 55, Veterans 16
- Jones County 48, Ola 17
- Warner Robins 27, Union Grove 14
- Perry 41, Griffin 7
- Upson-Lee 47, Pike County 0
- Westside 27, West Laurens 21
- ACE 48, Central 0
- Bleckley County 42, Dublin 28
- Wilkinson County 47, GMC 0
- Glascock County 47, Twiggs County 6
- Heard County 56, Crawford County 22
- Spalding 42, Howard 34
- Rutland def. Jordan by forfeit, (Thurs.)
- Spencer 50, Southwest 16 (Thurs.)
- Northeast 42, Kendrick 6 (Thurs.)
This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 10:49 PM.