McNair extends win streak over Towers
McNair High School’s football team rushed for 482 yards as the McNair Mustangs knocked off Towers Titans 37-10 to extend their streak against the Titans to five consecutive games at Godfrey Stadium on Sept. 3.
Maliq Washington broke the 100-yard mark in both halves and got the Mustangs (1-2) into the lead with a seven-yard touchdown run to finish off a nine-play, 80-yard drive to open the game.
Demontez Clifton got McNair rolling in the drive as he scrambled around the left end for a 42-yard gain to help set up the opening touchdown. Kwabena Agyemang tacked on the point after to make it 7-0 with 5:38 remaining in the first quarter.
Washington (27 carries, 236 yards, three touchdowns) struck again with 11:09 to play in the second quarter when he ran it in from two yards out on a fourth down and one play. Washingtons’ 20-yard run to the Towers 11-yard line set up the score. Agyemang hit his second of five extra points in the game to make it 14-0.
After the Mustang defense forced a three and out by Towers, Rashad Blalock got loose through the left side and raced 63 yards into the end zone for McNair’s third touchdown of the first half.
Towers responded on the ensuing kickoff as Lorenzo Venson caught the kick at his own 30-yard line and weaved his way through the middle of McNair defenders on the way to a 70-yard kickoff return. Gael Reutin hit the extra point to close the gap to 21-7 with 6:55 left in the half.
After a long touchdown run was nullified by a holding penalty, the Mustangs had to punt and Agyemang hit a 32-yard punt to pin the Titans at their own five-yard line with 35 seconds remaining in the first half. Towers was called for holding in the end zone on the first play and McNair was awarded a safety to up the lead to 23-7 at the half.
Towers had the ball in McNair territory for much of the third quarter but could not capitalize. The Titans trotted out Reutin for a second consecutive drive to attempt a field goal of over 50 yards. Reutin knocked the 55-yard kick through the uprights with room to spare to pull Towers within 23-10 with 3:41 left in the third quarter.
The 55-yarder is the third longest recorded kick by a DeKalb County kicker. Two former kickers, Chris Gardocki (Redan, 1987) and Kanon Parkman (Stone Mountain, 1990) are tied for the longest at 59 yards, and Austin Cooper (Dunwoody, 1996) hit a 56-yard kick. Reutin hit a 51-yard field goal last season, which is tied for sixth all-time.
Blalock responded on the next drive when ran left into a pack of Titans, spun around, and pulled free to get around the right side to outrace the Titans 47 yards to the end zone.
The final score of the game came with 8:40 remaining when Washington cut to the left side of the field and raced past the Towers defense on the way to a 60-yard touchdown run. Agyemang hit his fifth extra point of the game to make the final of 37-10.
Blalock joined Washington with more than 100 yards rushing with five carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
M.L. King 59, Drew 20
Seven touchdowns via the pass pushed the Martin Luther King Jr. Lions to a 59-20 Region 4-5A opening win over Drew on the road at Southern Crescent Stadium on Sept. 3.
Sophomore quarterback Brandon Davis spread the seven touchdown passes between five different teammates with three going to Aaron Graham.
Shavaski Cannady, Jeremiah Forde, Ja’Myis Chapple, and Chase Thornton had one touchdown catch apiece for the Lions (2-1, 1-0).
Jonte Garner picked up the lone touchdown run for the Lions. William Howard aided a defense that held Drew (2-1, 1-0) to just 14 points through three quarters with an interception.
In other games in DeKalb on Sept. 3, Cross Keys (0-2) lost to Loganville Academy (1-2) by a score of 38-0 and Arabia Mountain (1-2) dropped a 45-18 decision to Eastside (2-1).
