Bulldogs Leave No Doubt; Rout Peachtree Ridge in 7-AAAAA Title Game

The Bulldogs and Lions had been on parallel paths throughout the 2011 football season.

That was until Friday, when the host Bulldogs scored a 28-0 win over their Suwanee rivals to win their third consecutive Region 7-AAAAA championship. North (9-1) will be the region's top seed and host 8-AAAAA fourth seed Archer in the first round of the playoffs next week. Peachtree Ridge (8-2), No. 2 in 7-AAAAA, will host Brookwood, No 3 in 8-AAAAA.

Before Friday, the teams looked to be mirrors of each other. Both had identical records after nine games. On Aug. 20, both lost their opening game in the Corky Kell Classic in the Georgia Dome. Then on Oct. 7, both scored improbable comeback wins against region competition in games which they trailed by multiple scores in the fourth quarter.

Friday night saw their paths collide in a game to determine the region champion. It was the third time in the last four years the two schools have met to determine the region championship.

The game was dominated by North Gwinnett (9-1, 7-0 7-AAAAA) on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs held Peachtree Ridge (8-2, 6-1 7-AAAAA) to just 43 yards rushing and 86 yards passing while amassing 356 yards rushing and 78 yards passing themselves. Donnie Miles and Joe Jones ended the night with 135 and 136 yards rushing, respectively. Scotty Hosch had two passing and one rushing touchdowns. It was the second shutout of the season for the Bulldogs.

In the opening drive of the game, the Bulldogs used more than three minutes of the clock before stalling on the Lions' 25-yard line. After a muffed field-goal attempt, it looked like Peachtree Ridge might have some momentum. But the Bulldogs forced a fumble on the third play from scrimmage for the Lions and set the tone for the remainder of the night. In the first half, North Gwinnett limited Peachtree Ridge to 41 yards passing and 6 yards rushing and completely took the Lions out of any offensive rhythm while building a 14-0 halftime lead.

Offensively, the Bulldogs put points on the board first when Jones busted through the middle of the Peachtree Ridge defensive line for 54 yards with 7:26 remaining in the second quarter. The Bulldogs defense held the Lions to three-and-out on the ensuing possession and then scored again as Hosch found Russell King for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 2:41 remaining in the half.

North Gwinnett continued its dominance in the second half with more of the same medicine it dispensed in the first half. While Jones and Miles were eclipsing the 100-yard rushing mark, the defense continued to force punts. Hosch found the end zone twice in the third quarter with an 8-yard pass to Jones and then a 19-yard run. The Lions threatened in the third quarter after a 62-yard kickoff return by Ahmaad Harris. But the drive ended with a fumble by Myron Burton at the Bulldogs 3. 

NORTH GWINNETT 28, PEACHTREE RIDGE 0

P'tree Ridge

0

0

0

0

-

0

North

0

14

14

0

-

28

FIRST QUARTER

No scoring

SECOND QUARTER

North Gwinnett: Joe Jones 54 yard rush (Arroyave kick) 7:26

North Gwinnett: Scotty Hosch 4 yard pass to Russell King (Arroyave kick) 2:41

THIRD QUARTER

North Gwinnett: Scotty Hosch 8 yard pass to Joe Jones (Arroyave kick) 7:54

North Gwinnett: Scotty Hosch 19 yard rush (Arroyave kick) 3:31

FOURTH QUARTER

No scoring