Sweet Water rolls through Samson
SWEET WATER – Sweet Water High School’s first playoff game in Class 2A produced a result similar to many of its 1A playoff games of years past – a convincing Bulldog victory.
Sweet Water scored on every possession to steamroll the visiting Samson Tigers 62-14 in first-round playoff action at Nolan Atkins Field Friday night.
“I thought we played well. We scored on every possession except the last one, and we took a knee on that one,” said Sweet Water head coach Stacy Luker. “Defensively we gave up a couple of big plays and penalties killed us a couple of times, but those are things we can clean up.”
The Bulldog defense set the tone early, when Tanner Luker picked off a Samson pass on the third play of the game and returned it to the Tiger 33. Soon thereafter, Sweet Water’s Deion Watters scored from four yards out to give the ‘Dawgs a 7-0 lead after Taylor Wilson’s PAT.
Samson responded with a solid march to the Bulldog 10, but a stiff defensive stand denied the Tigers a score. The drive ended when Deshon Kilpatrick and Demarcus Gamble stuffed a Samson screen pass at the 17 on fourth-and-goal . On the next play, Bulldog Jakoby Aldridge raced outside and down the sideline 83 yards for Sweet Water’s second score of the night. Wilson booted the extra point to put SWHS up 14-0, and the Bulldogs added to the lead on a Gamble one-yard plunge with 35 seconds remaining in the first.
The ‘Dawg onslaught continued in the second quarter. After stopping Samson on a fake punt at midfield, Sweet Water quarterback Brett Davis marched his team downfield and then scored on a 12-yard keeper.
Samson responded with a seven-yard Christopher Mock-to-Hector Ramirez touchdown pass midway through the second – a score set up by a 48-yard pass from Mock to Zachary Magwood.
Sweet Water countered with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Jamal White with 1:39 left in the period, leaving the halftime score 34-7.
The ‘Dawgs, who improved to 9-2 on the season, capped a 54-yard drive with a 23-yard Watters run to open the third stanza, and a D.J. Hayes interception set up a one-yard Gamble run to stretch the margin to 48-7 after three quarters of play.
In the fourth, Sweet water added a Wilson quarterback sneak and a Ladonta Dunson 20-yard score. Samson’s final points of the evening came on a 20-yard Joseph Dean run in the fourth.
Samson ended the season at 6-5
Aldridge led the way for Sweet Water, gaining 112 yards, followed by Watters’ 103. Davis was 3-for-3 through the air for 83 yards and a TD. Sweet Water dominated the team stats, outgaining Samson 456 yards to 149 and in first downs, 16 to 9.
Sweet Water’s win sets up a Round 2 battle at Aliceville, which was a 42-25 winner over Elba Friday night. Luker said his team realizes the competition gets tougher with each round in the playoffs. “We just try to get better every week,” he said. “Our kids know the intensity picks up the deeper you go into November.”