The Grayson Rams used a no-huddle offense to exploit an edge in size and speed over the Alpharetta Raiders, then laid punishing hits on defense to all-but shut them out on the way to a 42-6 victory on Friday at Milton.
The Rams, who won Class 7A last year with a 14-0 record, have now won their last two games by a combined 63-13 after losing their opener 19-14 to Creekside at home. They beat McEachern 21-7 last week.
“We try to come out of the gates fast and that’s something we put a lot of emphasis on in practice,” Rams coach Adam Carter said. “And playing physical is something we have to do every Friday to win games, so I’m happy about that part.”
The Raiders of 6A drop to 1-2, and have now been outscored 77-13 their last two games after beating Chattahoochee 35-0 in their opener. They lost 35-7 at Hoover (Ala.) last week.
On offense, the Rams were led by Dylan Elder’s three rushing touchdowns. He carried the ball 17 times for 101 yards and teammate Joseph Taylor had 102 yards on 14 carries. All game, the two were able to run through would-be tacklers for significant yards after contact.
The Rams offense gave the Raiders little time to adjust between plays, often taking less than three seconds to hike the ball once the refs placed it. That caused a number of offsides penalties for the Raiders, who also committed costly penalties to jumpstart Grayson’s offense.
The Rams went three-and-out their first possession, but the Raiders were called for a personal foul on the punt. The Rams would go on to complete a 20-play drive that chewed six minutes and ended on a 1-yard run from Derrell Farrar to put them up for good at 7-0 with 2:32 left in the first.
The Rams pulled away toward the end of the half with two touchdowns in 19 seconds.
The first score came on a 12-yard run from JoJo Stone with 3:31 remaining. The first play of the Raiders’ next drive resulted in Jaylen Bell’s interception and 35-yard return for a touchdown, putting Grayson ahead 21-0 with 3:12 left.
Bell is a freshman cornerback for the Rams who already holds offers from Florida State and Ole Miss.
The Rams opened the second half with an eight-play drive that covered 69 yards and chewed just 2:32 of clock. Elder and Taylor combined for 40 yards on four carries, with Elder scoring on a 16-yard run to make it 28-0.
Elder would tack on two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter on runs of 32 and 2 yards.
The Raiders struggled to get into a rhythm offensively as the Rams laid out one heavy hit after another. They finished with 190 yards passing and 62 yards rushing, and their touchdown came as time expired, with officials calling the game before the Raiders could attempt a point-after.
The game marked the first of a doubleheader, all part of the Freedom Bowl, which runs Sept. 2-4. All of the event’s games are hosted at Milton.
The nightcap featured Collins Hill vs. Greenville Christ (Miss.).
Grayson 7 14 7 14 — 42
Alpharetta 0 0 0 0 — 6
G — Derrell Farrar 1 run (Jimmy Gonzalez kick)
G — JoJo Stone 12 run (Gonzalez kick)
G — Jaylen Bell 35 INT return (Gonzalez kick)
G — Dylan Elder 16 run (Gonzalez kick)
G — Elder 32 run (Gonzalez kick)
G — Elder 2 run (Gonzalez kick)
A — Garrett Young 4 pass from Landon Walker
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