Roswell's Big Comeback Comes Up Short Against Archer

By Mike Blum

ROSWELL, GA -- Roswell beat Archer 47-0 last season on its way to a second straight appearance in the Class 7A state championship game, but lost 26 of the top 28 players from that squad, along with almost its entire
coaching staff.

Archer, on the other hand, returned many of its best players and came into Friday night’s game in Roswell 4-0 after wins over four perennial playoff teams. The Tigers looked like one of the state’s best teams in the first half, building a 31-7 lead with a balanced and effective offense and a stingy defense that had held all its previous opponents in check.

Roswell almost made it all the way from its 24-point deficit, scoring three touchdowns in the second half
to close with 31-26 and moving across midfield with two minutes to play and a possible winning touchdown within reach (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

But an Archer defensive back picked off a Cordell Littlejohn pass and returned it 58 yards for the clinching touchdown, as the state-ranked Tigers held on for a 37-26 victory. Roswell’s defense had no answer for the Tigers in the first half, with Archer scoring on all five of its possessions.

Archer rushed for 139 yards and passed for 138 in the opening half, scoring on a 66-yard run on its
second play from scrimmage and driving 78 and 64 on its next two series to take a 21-7 lead with four
minutes gone in the second quarter.

Roswell’s only highlight of the first half was a 43-yard touchdown pass from Littlejohn to former Roswell
backup quarterback Walt Warren, who got behind the Archer secondary. The Roswell defense finally held inside its 10 with 4 and a half minutes left in the second period, forcing an Archer field goal, but the Tigers got the ball right on an interception that may have hit the ground before deflecting into the hands of a Tigers’ defender.

Archer went ahead 31-7 with 2:18 to play after getting the ball at the Roswell 28, and threatened to again set up shop deep in Hornets’ territory when they forced punter Jesse Bridgman at abandon his attempted kick under a heavy rush. Bridgeman, who had his first punt attempt blocked, shook off several tacklers to gain 13 yards and a first down, the first one for the Hornets since Warren’s scoring catch midway through the opening period.

With a 31-7 halftime lead, the Archer coach inserted some reserves on offense to start the second half,
and the Tigers lost nine yards on their first five plays of the third quarter. The fifth play was a sack by
Roswell’s Tyron Hopper that led to a fumble recovery by the Hornets at the Archer 22. Kamonty Jett carried on the last four plays for 15 yards, including a 3-yarder for the score, as the Hornets closed within 31-13 following a failed two-point attempt.

Archer’s starting quarterback, who was 12 of 15 for 139 yards in the first half, returned to action after the Roswell touchdown, but the Hornets’ defense did not allow a point the rest of the way, twice stopping the Tigers on fourth down inside Roswell’s 40.

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The Hornets scored on the final play of the third quarter to make it 31-19, with Littlejohn and Warren teaming up for a 65-yard touchdown. Littlejohn hit Warren deep down the field, and the Roswell receiver fought off an Archer defender for much of the gain to battle his way into the end zone.

Roswell’s second fourth-down stop led to a 62-yard scoring drive, with Jett again scoring from the 3.
Littlejohn had runs of 11 and 9 yards and completed an 11-yard pass to Caleb Guidry to get the drive
started. That made it 31-26 with 6:30 to play, and the Tigers returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield.

The Hornets held at their 35 to force a punt, and almost blocked it after the Archer punter chased down
the bad snap and barely got the kick off. Roswell started from its 20 with just under four minutes to play, and Littlejohn picked up 12 yards on first down and hit Tynell Hopper for 14. A targeting call against the Tigers got the Hornets across midfield, but on the next play, a Littlejohn pass was intercepted and returned 58 yards for the clinching touchdown with 1:45 minutes to play.

Littlejohn finished the game 15 of 28 for 208 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 44 yards on the ground. Warren caught four passes for 136 yards and two scores with Jett carrying 23 times for 72 yards and two scores against a rugged Archer defense. After being unable to slow down the Tigers in the first two periods, the Roswell defense yielded just 74 yards and four first downs in the second half.

The Hornets (1-3) play their final non-region game at home Friday against neighborhood rival Milton.

Image via Shutterstock