Carver 19 LaGrange 10

By Michael Buchanan 10/28/07
The Carver Tigers all but nailed down the Region 2-AAA title Saturday, defeating the Grangers 19-10 at Memorial Stadium. The two teams exchanged punts to start the game, but Carver fumbled the ball away on their second possession. The Grangers took advantage of the turnover when Joe Mansour hit a 46 yard field goal taking a 3-0 lead. Carver would go three and out, LaGrange would punt after getting one first down, and Carver would again punt without moving the chains. But a Granger fumble inside their own territory gave the Tigers the ball at the LaGrange 17. Two plays later a 16 yard pass from DeRon Furr to Jarmon Fortson gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead with the missed extra point. And the AJC's Jeff Haws wants to do away with the PAT? The teams would then exchange punts until the end of the half.

The Grangers opened the second half getting a first down, but then punting the ball away. Carver would march 67 yards on nine plays, ending with a one-yard quarterback sneak by Furr. The two-point conversion failed and it was 12-3 Carver. The teams exchanged punts again, and LaGrange put together a drive of their own. A 63 yard drive in four plays capped off by a one yard run by Brian Dowell and a successful extra point by Pat Simmons pulled the Grangers to within 2, 12-10. But Furr wasn't done as he took command. The running game wasn't working and the passing game was now non-existent, so Furr put together some yards by scrambling and by the quarterback draw. A 10 play 59 yard drive ended with a 15 yard draw by Furr for a touchdown. This time the extra point was good and Carver led 19-10. LaGrange started their last drive on the 33, but ended at the Carver 47 on downs.

Head coach Steve Pardue said the Grangers are just a cut below Carver at this point. But they did something no one has been able to do so far this season, stop Carver from getting the big play. Carver had two touchdown drives of nine plays or more, and the other one went only 17 yards. The Tigers had to work to beat LaGrange. Work they did, and they got the job done.

Carver has not mathematically clinched the region title, but realistically they have. Shaw's only chance is for the Raiders to win against Northside-Columbus (a virtual guarantee) and for Carver to lose to both Jordan and Hardaway. That won't happen. Even if Carver and Shaw both lose out, LaGrange would still be in third. The last time they did that, they ended their season in the semifinals. LaGrange plays their last two regular season games at Callaway Stadium. Thursday the Grangers play Northside at 7:00, 6:30 airtime on WTRP.

I told the PA announcer after the game I was tired of calling Furr's name and he said he was tired of calling Qua Huzzie's name. I thank the folks at the A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. They were very friendly and very professional. They had a place set aside for us with a WTRP sign where we needed to be. Unlike Kinnett Stadium, they didn't try to make us move after we were already on the air. I don't know where reclassification puts the Grangers in 2008, but I hope we get to do more games from South Commons. I hope we never have to go back to Kinnett Stadium, though.