Rockdale runs all over Lakeside in lopsided win

The night belonged to T.J. Warren and the Rockdale rushing attack.

Warren rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns and Rockdale collected 314 yards on the ground as a team in a 37-14 victory over Lakeside-DeKalb at Reid Stadium.

It was the first Region 2-AAAAAA victory in three tries for Rockdale, which snapped a four-game losing streak and evened its record at 4-4 overall in the first-ever meeting between the schools.

Warren, a senior back, was the only player to touch the ball on a pair of two-play drives in the third. Warren carried twice for 59 yards on each possession, scoring from 38 yards and then again from 31, which put the Bulldogs up 29-7 with just under three minutes to play in the third.

Warren also scored from 26 yards out midway through the opening quarter to give Rockdale the first and last lead of the game.

Lakeside (3-5, 1-2) got as close as 8-7 on the ensuing possession when Kellyen Walker scored from 29 yards. Walker, who came into the night just outside the top-15 statewide in rushing, finished the game with 168 yards. He scored from 13 yards with 10 seconds to go in the third that made it 29-14.

After both offense struggled through the opening quarter, and neither team could capitalize on a turnover - Walker fumbled for Lakeside on the game’s opening possession and on the third play of the second quarter Rockdale quarterback Zuri Minnifield was intercepted by Javarus Wesley.

The rest of the second was full of big plays.

Lakeside went three-and-out after Wesley’s interception and it took Rockdale five plays to take the first lead of the night. After Minnifield hooked up with Ronzell Teague for a seven-yard completion on third-and-five, Warren exploded for his initial scoring run. The Bulldogs set up to kick the extra point attempt, but faked the try and instead, holder Teague found Warren for the two-point conversion and it was 8-0.

The visiting Vikings answered immediately with their own five-play drive. Will Jernigan found Damon Davis and the freshman tight end scooted up the left sideline and after a 24-yard gain Lakeside was at the Rockdale 36. Two plays later, Walker wasn’t touched and found the end zone to make it a one-point contest.

Warren did it again on the ensuing drive, this time through the air, pulling Rockdale out of its own territory with a 42-yard catch after a short toss from Minnifield. The run-after-catch included two changes of direction and a broken tackle to the Lakeside 27.

It was the Minnifield and Warren combination again five plays later when on a fourth-and-13, Warren’s 14-yard pick up put the ball at the 16. Devin Williams’ 12-yard scoring catch put Rockdale up 15-7 and that’s the lead the hosts took into the halftime locker room.

One big play by Lakeside was called back when after Davis caught a 59-yard touchdown, the Vikings were called for holding. That drive came to a close just as the half did, when Alex Bamford missed wide right on a 42-yard field goal attempt.