Griffin Keeps Region Title Hopes Alive With Thursday Night Win

GRIFFIN, Ga.,None — The Griffin Bears kept their AAAA Region 3A title hopes alive by erupting for three second-half touchdowns in a 28-18 win over Dutchtown in the Sports Zone Thursday Night Game of the Week.

The Bears got on the board first, as sophomore running back Devontae Freeman electrified the home crowd with a 35-yard first-quarter touchdown run to give Griffin a 7-0 lead.

However, in the second quarter, William Smith's one-yard plunge allowed the Bulldogs to climb within a point at 7-6 (the two-point conversion try was no good).

The score remained that way at halftime, but less than two minutes into the third quarter, the Bulldogs blocked a Griffin punt in the end zone.  The football bounced right into the hands of Jamal Watkins, and Dutchtown took a 12-7 lead witih 10:53 remaining in the quarter.

Just 20 seconds later, however, the Bears reclaimed the lead when Jaquez Parks hit a wide-open Lathaddeus Sands on a 35-yard touchdown pass.  Griffin took a 14-12 lead, then added a 20-yard touchdown pass from Parks to tight end Marcus Stringer in the fourth quarter and Parks' own 20-yard scoring run.

The Bears improve to 6-2 on the season, while Dutchtown falls to 4-4.

Next week's Thursday Night Game of the Week features South Forsyth hosting Chattahoochee.

You can see the game on ME-TV, which is Comcast Channel 248 and Charter Channel 126.

WSBTV