MARY PERSONS BULLDOG
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iCONGRATULATIONS TO MARY PERSONS' ATHLETICS
November
14, 2018
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By Rk:hard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons Bulldogs got their state
playoffrun off to a rousing start on Friday,
scoring the most points in program playoff
history in a 59-0 humiliation of visiting Rich-
mond Academy at Dan Pitts Stadium.
The Bulldogs scored points on all eight of
their first-half possessions en route to a 52-0
halftime edge. MP then emptied its bench
in the second half as the GHSA mercy nile
allowed for a running.clock for the final 24
minutes.
MP senior quarterback J.T. Hartage passed
for a school single-game record 305 yards
and five touchdowns on 10 of 12 comple-
tions. MP's top receivers, Antoine Davis and
DeiAdrek Alford, did most of the aerial dam-
age, combining for seven receptions for 206
yards and four touchdowns.
Meanwhile, MP senior running back
Quen Wilson exited for good late in the first
quarter with an apparent left knee injury
after just four carries. It was the first time
this year that Wilson, who went scoreless on
Friday, was held without a touchdown. But
in Wilson's absence, reserve running backs
Rico Harden and T.]. Morgan more than
picked up the slack, combining for 126 yards
and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Hardens
first-quarter dash for glory, which started on
a draw behind right tackle and ended with
a dive across the end zone just inside the left
pylon was one of the greatest individual plays
in Dan Pitts Stadium history and earned
Harden the 13WMAZ Play ofthe Week
honor.
In all, MP outgained the hapless Muske-
teers 589 to 53 in total yards, including a 267
to 18 edge on the ground and a preposterous
465 to 34 edge in the first half alone.
Things started going wrong for Richmond
Academy on the third play from scrim-
mage when MP comerback Rico Harden
picked offa Mason Cobb pass after it was
deflected by MP linebacker Ladamian Sands.
Harden retumed the pick 18 yards to set the
Dogs' offense up at Richmond Academy's
24-yard-line. After penalties set MP back to
the Musketeers' 47, Hartage fired a slant to
Davis in the left slot. The senior receiver did
the rest, spinning away from several tacklers
and sprinting into the end zone for a 47-
yard touchdown. Julian Rivera's extra point
put MP ahead 7-0 with 9:27 left in the first
quarter.
The Musketeers then tried to convert a 4th-
and-1 on their next series, but MP's Daniel
Lavelle exploded into the backfield and
stuffed Richmond Academy rmming back
Ty'Quan Grissett for no gain. Starting again
deep in Musketeers' territory at ;chmond
Academy's 29-yard-line, Hartage went for
the kill, firing a deep bomb down the left
sideline to favorite target Alford for a 29-yard
touchdown just inside the end zone bound-
ary. Rivera's extra point gave MP a 14-0 edge
with 7:17 left in the first quarter, but the rout
was just beginning.
After a Richmond Academy three-and-
out, MP started at its own 22-yard-line and
it took just two plays for the Bulldogs to find
the end zone again when Hartage flipped a
toss to receiver Desmond Williams, streak-
ing right to left behind the line of scrimmage.
Williams raced around left tackle and then
speeded down the left sideline for an 80-yard
touchdown. Rivera's extra point then put MP
in front 21-0 with 4:39 left in the first quarter.
At that point, all three Hartage passes had
gone for touchdowns.
MP head coach Brian Nelson then at-
tempted an onside kick, which was recov-
ered by MP's Antoine Davis at Richmond
Academy's 46-yard-line. The Bulldogs' drive
stalled at the Musketeers' 9-yard-line, and
MP settled for a 26-yard Rivera field goal to
put MP in front 24-0 with 1:42 left in the first
period.
Richmond Academy still couldn't muster a
first down on its next series as MP'S Kendrell
Watts sacked Cobb for an eight-yard loss
on third down. Six plays later, MP added to
its lead when Harden darted right before
cutting back across the grain, breaking five
tackles in the progress, and finding open
field near Richmond Academy's sideline.
Stumbling as he reached the five-yard-line,
he continued his forward momentum,
diving across the goal line for a 40-yard TD
run. Rivera's extra point put MP ahead by a
whopping 31-0 margin with 11:06 left in the
second quarter.
Nelson said of Harden: "He's a pretty good
player, and that was a pretty impressive run.
But we've had a lot of them (good players).
And he got called on to do his job, and he
came in and did it. And that's what we ask of
our guys. When your number gets called and
you get your opportunity, go in there and
make the most of it. And that's what he did."
The Musketeers finally recorded a first
down on their ensuing drive on a pass inter-
MP senior receiver Antoine Davis got behind Richmond Academy defensive backs twice
for long touchdowns, including this 76-yarder in the second quarter of the Dogs' 59'0
win. Davis was 11-0 MP's leading pass-catcher in the game with four receptions for 134
yards and two touchdowns. (Photo/Will Davis)
ference penalty. Richmond Academy would
eventually cross midfield before Sands broke
up a third-down pass to force a punt. Hart-
age then completed all three passes on MP's
next drive, including a 20-yard touchdown
throw to Alford in which the senior quarter-
back escaped the pocket left and threw back
across his body to his 6'4" target, who was
nmning a left to right slant toward the end
zone. Rivera's extra point put MP in front
38-0 with 5:23 left in the second quarter.
After another empty Musketeers' posses-
sion, Mary Persons added to its lead on a
quick-strike 76-yard touchdown from Hart-
age to Davis, who ran free down the right
hash for the easy score. Rivera's extra point
gave MP an almost preposterous 45-0 lead
with 4:06 left in the first half.
But the Bulldogs still weren't done. With 23
seconds left in the first half, Morgan capped
a six-play, 42-yard drive with a six-yard
touchdown. Rivera's extra point put MP
ahead 52-0 at halftime in what may very well
have been the most dominant half of football
in MP playoff history.
Despite playing almost exclusively reserves
in the second half, MP's defense still held
Richmond Academy to a single first down.
While MP's second string offense couldn't
get much going, the Bulldogs did muster one
more score, a 14-yard rushing touchdown by
freshman D.J. Martinez, who led MP with 94
rushing yards. Tripp Shipman's extra point
gave MP a 59-0 edge with 4:30 left in the
game, and that would prove to be the final
See BULLDOGS. Page 4B
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons competition cheerleading squad record-
ed its best-ever state finish on Saturday, placing third at the
AAAA state championship meet in Columbus.
The Cheer Dogs, who were exempt into the event finals
by virtue of their Region 2-AAAA championship one week
earlier, bettered last year's best-ever finish of fifth place by two
spots. MP, which posted a team score of 91.33, finished be-
hind only champion Cartersville, which recorded a winning
total of 95.33 and second-place Denmark, which finished
with a 94.33 in its first-ever appearance at state. Defending
AAAA state champion Chapel Hill placed behind MP in
fourth with a total of 88.33.
Prior to 2017, MP had never finished higher than seventh at
the state competition.
MP head coach Kyle Ward said he was "really pleased"
with the Cheer Dogs' performance on Saturday and said MP
performed nearly as well as it did at region the previous week
when the Cheer Dogs received a core of 101. He said there
were a few small miscues that prevented MP from achieving
its goal of a perfect routine, but he said he thinks MP would
See BULLDOGS Page 6B
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