Rockdale defense keeps dream run alive

MACON, Ga. -- In preparing for the first quarterfinal playoff game in the program's history, Rockdale coach Mike Etheridge talked about how it usually took his defense the first two series of a game to make the necessary adjustments.

Friday against Westside-Macon, it took three.

The Bulldogs stopped Westside on four consecutive goal-to-go running plays early in the second quarter, preserving a 7-7 tie, and one of the top defensive units in Class AAAA continued its dominance in a 23-7 victory.

Rockdale, which won its ninth consecutive game and improved to 10-3, will visit fellow Region 8-AAAA foe Clarke Central, next weekend with the winner headed to the state championship game.

"We're pretty good on defense, (and) that was pretty big," Etheridge said of the goal line stand. "We expect to be here (but) our main goal is to get to the final two."

After the goal-line stand, Westside (11-2) had its own goal-line stop in the third quarter, though the visiting Bulldogs still took the lead for good. After a two-yard run and two incompletions, Brandon Story's 24-yard field goal put Rockdale up 10-7.

"That field goal, it changed the complexion of the game," Etheridge said.

Rockdale's defense, which has allowed 32 points in three playoff victories, came through again during the decisive fourth quarter. With six minutes left, Westside quarterback Cameron Jones dropped back to pass and was blind-sided, fumbling the ball at the Seminoles' 5-yard line. Isaiah Gresham's 2-yard touchdown sneak made it a 16-7 game, and on the ensuing possession, Gresham intercepted a Jones pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown and a 23-7 cushion.

"We've got some kids going both ways (and) our kids play hard," Etheridge said. "We had a lot of big plays from all our kids."

Rockdale took the first lead of the game midway through the opening quarter. Tavaris Williams, who finished with a game-high 93 rushing yards, had an 18-yard run to get the Bulldogs deep into Westside territory and three plays later scored untouched from 21 yards for a 7-0 advantage.

Westside answered immediately on the ensuing drive to tie the score. Getting excellent field position after a 33-yard kickoff return, Daniel Duhart found a wide open Ronald Carswell for a 23-yard completion that set up first-and-goal. On the next play, Robert Brown scored from four yards to make it 7-7.

But Rockdale's defense shut down the Seminoles' high-powered offense -- 35 points per game heading into Friday -- after that, bottling up Brown, an 1,800-yard rusher, holding him to 69 yards, while picking up three sacks a week after collecting seven in a win over Hiram.

Etheridge's crew joins the 2004 Salem squad as the only Rockdale County teams to reach the penultimate weekend of the season.

"We held (Brown) to not many yards in the second half," Etheridge said. "This is my fourth or fifth time (in the semifinals, but) first as head coach. It's going to be tough. We damn sure want to keep playing."

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