Defensive effort impresses Westside's Spoon Risper

For all of the touchdowns the Westside offense is capable of scoring, what caught Westside head coach Spoon Risper's eye Friday night at Sonoraville was his team's defense.

Simply put, Westside shut down Sonoraville's run game, an offense that generated more than 450 rushing yards in the first round of the GHSA Class AAA playoffs. The Seminoles rolled to a 43-10 second-round win, holding the Phoenix to less than 150 yards on the ground.

"The defense played lights out," Risper said. "They had rushed for nearly 500 yards last week. That speaks volumes for our defense, to hold down that backfield with a quarterback with 1,500 yards and a running back with 1,200 yards."

It was Sonoraville's third-lowest scoring output of the season.

Westside (9-3) is in the quarterfinals for the first time since Risper's debut season in 2009, when the Seminoles fell to Rockdale County after beating Mount Zion-Jonesboro and Lakeside-Evans in the Class AAAA playoffs.

Westside travels to third-ranked Cedar Grove on Friday, with the game likely slated for Hallford Stadium in Clarkston.

While the defensive play caught Risper's attention, the Westside offense had a big game against Sonoraville, as well. Quarterback Savion Knowlton accounted for five touchdowns, with touchdown passes to Gerimie Mitchell and Steve Dolphus.

Defensively, Mitchell also had an interception.

"Our kids played great assignment football," Risper said. "They were very disciplined (Friday) night. They did exactly what we planned. When kids execute the game plan like that, good things will happen."

-- Ron Seibel

TOO FAMILIAR

The schools have little in common, but there might be a little rivalry of sorts brewing with West Laurens and St. Pius X.

For the second straight year, the teams met in the playoffs. For the second straight year, West Laurens had to travel.

And for the second straight year, St. Pius X won a game closer than the score.

This time, the Lions won 33-14, a hair better than last year's 31-13 win.

West Laurens had success on the ground and trailed 21-14 at halftime, led by Greg Covin's 108 yards. A West Laurens penalty kept alive a St. Pius drive, and the Lions scored to gain a measure of control.

-- Michael A. Lough

FROMM'S NUMBERS POPPING

Almost quietly, with more of a running game getting some attention, Jake Fromm is speeding up the stat charts.

He has 3,740 yards in 12 games, having passed last year's 13-game total of 3,629 yards.

Fromm has passed for 34 touchdowns, three more than a year ago.

The only stat that's gone a little backwards is his completion percentage, from 63.2 percent in 2014 to 60.7 percent this season, and he has one more interception.

One reason for that has been the lack of Darion Anderson as a regular offensive player, because of offseason knee surgery and focusing Anderson more on defense.

And the normally sticky-handed Houston County receivers have had some uncharacteristic struggles with drops this year. Plus, defenses have made adjustments, with occasional success.

Fromm has 8,476 career yards, passing former Henry County standout Drew Little (8,427, 2005-8) for sixth on the all-time state list. Up next is the 8,743 yards of Lassiter's Eddie Printz -- now a backup quarterback at Missouri -- from 2009-12.

And Fromm's 73 touchdown passes are 13th.

-- Michael A. Lough

NEW CHAMPS AWAIT

Upon the end of the regular season, the door was open for a new GHSA Class A public school champion, with Hawkinsville missing the playoffs.

Class AAAAA's door was opened last week when Northside lost 16-7 to Ware County. There will be a new second-place team, too, since Mays fell 42-40 Friday to Houston County.

Class AAA was very close to being rocked with Peach County's memorable performance in losing 20-14 in overtime to Calhoun.

But defending champs Colquitt County (Class AAAAAA), Buford (AAAA), Benedictine (AA) and Mt. Paran Christian (A private) along with Calhoun are still alive.

Benedictine had a huge battle to survive, nipping Lovett 41-40.

Lovett was 6-5 entering the game, and had a chance to win with a 46-yard field goal try with 50 seconds left, but it was short, allowing the Cadets to win their 20th straight game and host Fitzgerald in the quarterfinals.

The other three defending champs won by 41, 42 and 22.

The best next-round matchup has Mount Paran Christian taking on Eagle's Landing Christian. The two finished the regular season ranked fourth and fifth in the Georgia Sports Writers Association poll.

Benedictine will face a quality power attack from No. 5 Fitzgerald, which has won five straight by an average of 25.2 points. And the Purple Hurricane will be reminded of the 51-7 loss to Benedictine in the 2013 second round.

Buford, which has given up 75 points this season and 18 since Sept. 18, faces No. 7 Thomson.

-- Michael A. Lough

GOOD START, GOOD FINISH

Covenant Academy never trailed in Friday's GICAA Division I-AA championship game against Creekside Christian, courtesy of a pair of scoring possessions, each only two plays, in the game's first six minutes.

After being stopped following the opening kickoff, the Rams defense came up with two three-and-outs against the Cougars and converted each into a 13-0 lead on the way to a 42-22 victory.

Leon Simmons got the first possession started with a 53-yard dash on a sweep of right end. Khristian Tate rambled in from 11 yards on the next play. After another defensive stop that included a 15-yard punt, Tate covered the remaining 22 yards in two runs.

When the Cougars closed within 34-22 early in the fourth quarter, the Rams answered with another two-play scoring possession. This time, Simmons, a junior who had 125 yards rushing and a pair of interceptions on defense, had runs of 1 and 49 yards to provide the Rams (13-0) with an insurance touchdown.

The Rams 10-man senior class went from 1-9 as freshmen to the state championship.

-- Rick Nolte

NOTE TO FOOTBALL COACHES

Coaches from all area teams should have received All-Middle Georgia nomination forms in email.

Also, all-region teams (with player classifications, if possible) should be sent to the Telegraph at sport@macon.com as soon as they're completed.

Coaches and statisticians, included teams whose seasons are complete, are reminded to send updated stats by noon Wednesday, to sports@macon.com.

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 8:15 PM with the headline "Defensive effort impresses Westside's Spoon Risper ."