Dunwoody High Football Facing Adversity

Yes, the earth would have to tilt somewhat, but the Dunwoody High football team still has a shot at the playoffs – albeit slim.

Losers of the season's first two games, then winners of three and losers of its most recent two, Dunwoody (3-4) no longer solely governs its own playoff destiny. To have any shot at the postseason, the Wildcats must complete the regular season by beating similarly streaky Chamblee and unlikely playoff qualifiers Carver and Douglass, then hope Southwest DeKalb, Miller Grove and Lithonia falter.

"There may be some absolute, incredibly remote possibility, but basically, we're eliminated," Wildcats coach Jim Showfety estimated. "Our battle cry is 'Wildcat Pride,' and these last three weeks we're going to see what kind of pride we have."

Perhaps playing only for pride, Dunwoody looks to rebound Friday against a Carver team it beat 38-9 in the teams' only meeting a year ago. The Wildcats are looking no farther down the road than that, Showfety said.

"The playoffs are the last thing on our mind. We've got to figure out a way to beat Carver," Showfety explained. "We're going to see who's (still) on board and who's not."

Should Dunwoody miraculously make the playoffs, it'll be the first time since 2009, when they reached the second round against Gainesville.

The dagger in Dunwoody's season was perhaps Friday's 38-6 loss to Marist, whom the Wildcats upset last season. This time, the Wildcats trailed the Eagles 17-0 by halftime and let things get away in a four-minute span of the third quarter. Marist's 10-yard touchdown run put it ahead 24-0 with 7:28 left in the third, and its 24-yard interception return less than a minute later put it up 31-0. A 19-yard scoring run gave the Eagles all the lead it would need, 38-0.

Marist doubled up Dunwoody in total yards, 249-116, though Wildcats senior defensive back Nick Willis made a team-high 11 tackles, and he and junior defensive lineman Roman Coats recovered fumbles.

Showfety said his Wildcats had their chances against Marist.

"We maybe had a small window of opportunity to stay in the game, but we just couldn't convert," he said. "We just couldn't move the ball. The wheels fell off in that five- or six-minute segment in the third quarter."

Showfety said this last third of the season might be an opportunity to look at younger players.

"First and foremost, we want to win," he said, "but if along the way we feel we can give some kids some opportunities... we wouldn't hesitate to see what they can do.

"We've got seniors who've worked hard and really want to finish on a good note," the coach added. "Here's where you find the character of a team, and specifically, some individuals."