Huge performance from Judson Petty helps North Murray secure playoff spot and winning season in road win over Model.

North Murray Football, Team FYN Sports

ROME—A huge game by Judson Petty paved the way for a North Murray Road win over host Model 35-28. The win secured the seventh straight winning season and playoff appearance for the Mountaineers.

Early in the game the Model defense forced a North Murray fumble and returned it down to the Mountaineers 6-yard line. The fumble recovery set up a Jake Sanders to Brant Pace touchdown for Model. The first of three Sanders touchdown passes put the Blue Devils out front 7-0. The Model lead was short-lived as the huge night for North Murray’s Judson Petty was just beginning.

With just under 4-minutes to play in the first quarter, Judson Petty hit a wide-open Jadyn Rice on a halfback pass to tie the game at 7. Petty struck again early in the second quarter, this time on the ground. A 47-yard scamper gave North Murray their first lead of the night. The 14-7 Mountaineer lead only lasted 14-seconds. Model’s Brandon Welsh returned the ensuing kickoff 85-yards to even the game at 14.

Petty reclaimed the lead for the Mountaineers minutes later. North Murray senior quarterback Seth Griffin hit Petty on a deep pass down the sideline for a 47-yard Mountaineer touchdown. The Mountaineers carried the 21-14 advantage into the locker room at the half.

North Murray extended their lead in the third quarter. Griffin connected with Jadyn Rice late in the quarter to push their lead to 27-14. Model answered early in the fourth quarter. Jake Sanders connected with Jeremiah Gamble on a touchdown pass to bring the Blue Devils within a touchdown at 27-21.

Petty answered for the Mountaineer’s minutes later. Petty took a hand-off into the heart of the Model defense and broke out of the pack to score from 16-yards out. The touchdown, and Griffin to Liam Rogers 2-point conversion put North Murray up 35-21 with just 5-minutes left to play.

After a quick Model drive, Jake Sanders connected with Jayden Hames bringing the Blue Devils to within one score at 35-28. North Murray was able to hold onto the ball and run out the clock to close out the game.

North Murray moves to 6-3 (4-1) and will be idle next week. Model falls to 5-4(3-2) and will finish their regular season at Gordon Central next Friday.

Explosive offense leads North Murray to big win over Murray County

North Murray Football, Team FYN Sports

North Murray continued their winning streak over rival Murray County. The Offense exploded for 42 first-half points to put the game away early.

Big performances by Senior Quarterback Seth Griffin and Junior Receiver Judson Petty provided all the offense the Mountaineers would need.

It only took a little over a minute for North Murray to find the endzone. Seth Griffin hit Judson Petty on a short pass and he streaked down the sideline putting the Mountaineers up 7-0. On their next possession, a long Griffin to Skyler Williams pass set up a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Petty. Griffin and Williams would hook up again for a 7-yard touchdown before the first quarter came to an end.

The Mountaineers added to their 21-0 lead in the second quarter. Seth Griffin added a 28-yard rushing touchdown putting North Murray up 28-0. A few minutes later Griffin found Petty again. The 62-yard Petty receiving touchdown put the Mountaineers out front comfortably 35-0 with 3:07 left before halftime.

The Mountaineer defense did not want to be left out on the scoring parade. Carson Gibson, John Craig, and Liam Rogers combined to block a Murray County punt. Liam Rogers recovered the punt and dashed to the endzone putting North Murray up 42-0 at the half.

The second half of the game saw many future stars from both teams. Skyler Williams led the Mountaineers at quarterback in the third quarter and added one more touchdown to close out the scoring on the night.

The 49-0 victory moves North Murray to 4-2 (2-0) on the season. North Murray will welcome Gordon Central next Friday. Murray County falls to 0-6 and have a bye next week.

North Murray Head Coach Preston Poag talks to his team after the win on Friday.

North Murray runs past Haralson County 40-29

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Photo by: Scott Kuhn

 

North Murray opened up Region play with a 40-29 win over Haralson County. This was the first meeting between the schools since the 2019 season.

North Murray jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first half. The Mountaineers scored on their first possession to open the game. A quick drive brought the Mountaineers down to the Haralson 12-yard line where quarterback Seth Griffin muscled his way into the endzone. The Griffin touchdown would be the only score of the first quarter.

The 6-0 score to open the second quarter wouldn’t last long as both offenses got into high gear.
Just seven seconds into the second quarter, North Murray sophomore running back Tyler Henry added his first career touchdown. A 7-yard jaunt that put North Murray up 13-0. The Rebels would answer right away. Just under a minute later, Caden Hughes burst through the Mountaineer defense straight down the center of the field for a 51-yard score to bring the score to 13-7. The next Mountaineer possession, Seth Griffin added his second rushing touchdown of the night from 4-yards out.

Haralson’s Haldyn Williams answered with a rushing touchdown of his own the next Rebel drive. Two missed extra-points by North Murray, left Haralson County just 5-points back at 19-14 with 4:00 left to play before halftime.

With time running out before halftime, the North Murray offense extended their lead. With under a minute left, Griffin connected with Jadyn Rice on a 10-yard touchdown pass putting North Murray up 27-14 heading into halftime.

The Mountaineers opened the second half with another long scoring drive resulting in a Griffin to Judson Petty touchdown pass. The 20-yard strike to Petty pushed the Mountaineer lead to 33-14. North Murray widened their lead later in the quarter. With 2:37 left in the third, Tyler Henry struck again. Henry with his second rushing touchdown of the night brought the score to 40-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

Haralson County continued to fight but couldn’t close the gap. The Rebels Holden Davis and Hughes added late scores for the Rebels, but it was not enough. North Murray held on for the 40-29 win.

North Murray moves to 3-2 and will face Murray County next Friday. Haralson County falls to 1-4 and will host Gordon Central next.

North Murray offense keeps rolling in 56-19 win over Ridgeland

North Murray Football, Team FYN Sports

ROSSVILLE—The North Murray Mountaineers squared off with the Ridgeland Panthers Friday in a first-ever meeting between the two schools. North Murray cruised to a 56-19 victory that featured 4 different Mountaineers with a rushing touchdown.

The game started off slow for Both offenses. North Murray’s first possession ended with a Ridgeland interception. Ridgeland’s first two possessions ended with turnovers. Late in the first, the Mountaineer offense began to Click. A North Murray drive led them down to the Ridgeland 2-yard line. Skyler Williams finished off the drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown running behind fellow Sophomore Nate Rivera.

Nate Rivera #52 with a QB sack in the 1st quarter.

 

Ridgeland’s quarterback Ethan Waters put the Panthers on the board early in the second quarter with an 18-yard rushing TD. North Murray would retake the lead later that same quarter. A 30-yard Williams rush set up a 2-yard Seth Griffin touchdown rush.

The ensuing kickoff hit a Ridgeland player and bounced right back to kicker Jafet Cuenca. The Neers would take advantage of the extra possession. Big pass plays to Williams and Jadyn Rice set up a 9-yard Judson Petty touchdown rush to put North Murray up 21-7.

 

Seth Griffin#10 looking downfield to Jadyn Rice #7 and Skyler Williams#3

As time expired in the first half, Ridgeland quarterback Ethan Waters heaved a deep pass into the endzone that was hauled in by Ridgeland wide receiver William Tredy. The score cut the Mountaineers lead at the half to 21-13.

The second half opened with another Cuenca kick that was recovered by North Murray. Just as they did previously, the Mountaineers increased their lead with the extra chance. A few plays after the kick recovery, Judson Petty broke free for his second touchdown of the night. A 31-yard burst through the heart of the Ridgeland defense.

The Petty touchdown pushed the Mountaineer lead to 28-13. Jadyn Rice added a 39-yard touchdown rush of his own later in the third quarter. A Ridgeland fumble on the ensuing possession would set up a 39-yard Griffin to Williams touchdown pass to push the North Murray advantage to 42-13. On the Next North Murray drive, a long Jadyn Rice rush down to the Ridgeland 2-yard line set up Judson Petty’s third rushing touchdown of the night.

Ridgeland added an Ethan Waters touchdown pass to Darrian Burks before the end of the third quarter.
Seth Griffin would cap the scoring on the night with a 1-yard touchdown plunge that brought the game to its eventual final score of 56-19.

North Murray moves to 2-1 and will welcome Northwest Whitfield next Friday. Ridgeland falls to 0-2 and will travel to Heritage next Friday.

NM 7-14-28-7 –56

R   0-13-6-0  — 19

1st                                                                N-R

N- Skyler Williams 2yd rush                  7-0

2nd

R- Ethan Waters 18yd rush                     7-7

N- Seth Griffin 2yd rush                         14-7

N- Judson Petty 9yd rush                       21-7

R- William Tredy 36 yd pass/Waters  21-13

3rd

N- Petty 31 yd rush                                 28-13

N- Jadyn Rice 37 yd rush                      35-13

N- Williams 39yd pass/Griffin            42-13

N- Petty 2 yd rush                                   49-13

R-Darrian Burks 13yd pass/Waters    49-19

4th

N- Griffin 1 yd rush                                 56-19

 

Griffin’s Big Night leads North Murray to win in home opener against Pickens.

North Murray Football, North Murray High School, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

CHATSWORTH – North Murray welcomed Pickens Friday night for their Home Opener and the first-ever matchup between the two Schools. The first meeting surpassed all expectations as the two teams combined for 104 points on the night.

To say Seth Griffin had a good game would be an understatement. The North Murray Senior Quarterback finished with 401-yards passing, 201-yards rushing, and accounted for 7 total touchdowns. Before Griffin, the last North Murray QB to have a 7-TD performance was Ladd McConkey in October of 2019 against Coahulla Creek.

Seth Griffin evading Pickens defenders.

Judson Petty got the scoreboard working first with a 5-yard rushing TD just 4-minutes into the game. The Dragons answered a few plays later. Pickens QB Sam Streicher hit Marcus Pike for a 56-yard TD. The next three Mountaineer scores belonged to Griffin. Griffin scored on rushes of 4, 13, and 29-yards in the first-half. For every North Murray big play, Pickens returned the favor. The Dragons got rushing TDs from Canaan Denson and Mason Powell. Powell would find the endzone again on the next series on a 39-yard pass from Streicher. The frenzy of scoring led to a 29-26 Pickens advantage late in the first half.

North Murray Offensive Line clearing the way early in the 1st quarter.

With under a minute left in the half, Griffin hit Skyler Williams on a long pass down to the Pickens 8-yard line. Griffin connected with Liam Rogers on the TD pass with just 7 seconds left before halftime. The Rogers Touchdown gave the Mountaineers a 33-29 advantage at the half.

The same cast of characters that made the first-half so exciting repeated their performance in the second-half.
On the opening possession of the half, Griffin hit Petty on a screen pass and he dodged Dragon defenders as he made his way 37-yards for the score.

Judson Petty scores on a pass from Seth Griffin in the 3rd quarter.

The Dragon offense, not to be outdone, put together a scoring drive of their own. A long Dragon drive ended with another Powell rushing TD, this one from 1-yard out. After a North Murray turnover, Pickens cashed in and took the lead. Streicher hit Isaiah Williams on a 21-yard screen pass for a TD. The Williams TD gave the Dragons a 43-40 lead with 4:45 left in the third. The Dragons pushed their lead to 50-40 before the end of the Quarter. A long Dragon pass play set up Kadyn Hampton on a short TD rush.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Mountaineers. Griffin added his fourth rushing TD of the night, this one from 15 yards out bringing the score to 50-47 in favor of the Dragons. Both teams traded possessions throughout the final stanza. The Mountaineers then found themselves with the ball with under 2-minutes remaining. Griffin and company went to work. A quick drive ended with a Griffin strike to Jadyn Rice from 26-yards out. Rice broke several tackles before diving into the end zone with just 55-seconds remaining. A Jafet Cuenca extra- point put the Mountaineers up For good at 54-50 and secured their first win of the season.

North Murray moves to 1-1 and will travel to Ridgeland next Friday. Pickens falls to 0-2 and will travel to Fannin next Friday.

Top 10 Returning Players In The New Region 7AA

Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

The team here at TeamFYNSports is starting a new series for this offseason where we will be posting our top 10 returning players for the “newly classified” Regions in our coverage area, starting with Region 7AA.

Haralson County, North Murray, Murray County, and Rockmart are the newcomers to Region 7AA this year and they bring a lot of talent along with them as they join 7AA veterans Fannin County, Model, and Gordon Central.

#10. Aaron Flood (Murray County)

The 5’10”, 185lb class of 2023 linebacker led his team in tackles with 74 in his Junior campaign last year. Perhaps the more impressive statistic however is the fact that 53 of those were solo tackles and he was able to get into the backfield multiple times, recording 6 tackles for loss. He was also used on the offensive side a bit, recording  139 rush yards and 73 receiving yards.

Maybe a little undersized for a middle linebacker, Flood uses his small stature as one of his strengths. He flashes into the backfield through the smallest of holes and also is a great chase down tackler if the offense is able to get to the second level.

 

#9. Daniel Jolly (Model)

LAST YEARS HIGHLIGHTS- http://www.hudl.com/v/2GVwsH

Pure speed. The 6’0″, 187lb class of 2023 running back/defensive end is lightning quick. Jolly’s HUDL account says he runs a 4.54-40 yard sprint, but I would bet money he can run it even faster at this point in his career. He was crowned region champ in the 100M dash this year, posting a time of 10.82. To go along with his blistering speed, Jolly also has pretty solid hands coming out of the backfield. A two-way threat, he shows his toughness on defense and does not shy away from contact. The ball carrier is on the ground immediately when Jolly makes first contact.

#8. Skyler Hill (Gordon Central)

Skyler Hill has been a kid who has been talked about since his freshman year. Everyone has been waiting to see what he could do once he matured and got some weight behind him. Now a 6’1″, 170lb rising senior, the safety is poised to have a breakout season with the Warriors. Hill led his team in tackles last year with 48, but wasn’t able to add to his interception total. I would look for that to change this year.

#7. Ethan Bell (Haralson County)

The first of the class of 2024 to crack the list is a 6’1″, 200lb defensive menace in Ethan Bell. Bell recorded 11 tackles for loss last year as a sophomore, and was third on his team with 83 total tackles. Even though Bell will only be a Junior this coming year, he will definitely be the anchor of the Rebels defense and he will help fill the leadership void that is left with the departure of Clay Hyatt. Barring injury, Bell is easily a 100+ tackle guy this Fall.

#6 . Cade Sands (Fannin County)

The first of 2 Fannin County defensive players to make this list, Cade Sands is returning to help lead a very SCARY Fannin County defense this Fall. Sands recorded 103 total tackles last year with 11 tackles for loss. Sands is also good in pass coverage, as he had an interception and 2 passes deflected last year. Sands also had 2 receiving touchdowns to his credit last season and could become a threat offensively if given the opportunity.

#5. JD Davis (Rockmart)

As a Sophomore, the 5’9″, 175lb JD Davis accounted for 1,465 yards of offense for the Rockmart Yellowjackets. He threw for 958 yards and 12 touchdowns, and did not throw an interception all of last year. With another year of experience under his belt, Davis’ Junior campaign should be one to watch. His favorite target Dennis Sims returns at wideout along with JoJo Haynes at running back. With these weapons Davis should absolutely light up these 7AA defenses.

#4. Jadyn Rice (North Murray)

The 6’0″, 180lb receiver runs a 4.6 40 yard dash and also has some of the softest hands you’ll ever see. Jadyn Rice had 1,123 receiving yards last year as a Junior, and will look to surpass that number in his Senior season. Rice has the speed, but he doesn’t simply try to outrun the coverage. He is a very efficient route runner and was able to shred some of the best defenses in 6AAA. His biggest tests this year will be against Fannin County and Rockmart, but with Seth Griffin throwing him the ball I would still bet he’s gonna get his in those matchups.

#3. Andrew Waldrep (Fannin County)

190 tackles through 2 years of Varsity football for Fannin County’s Andrew Waldrep is nothing to sneeze at. Last season, Waldrep recorded 118 total tackles, including 82 solo tackles and 19 tackles for loss. The hardnosed hitter also hauled in an interception last year and forced three fumbles. With Cason Owensby gone, Waldrep will be the leader of a Fannin County defense that could be the best in Region 7AA, if not all of AA football. Waldrep is poised for a Defensive Player of the Year type of Senior season.

#2. JoJo Haynes (Rockmart)

It’s hard to put into words what JoJo Haynes brings when he steps onto the football field. The 5’9″, 150lb athlete has a handful of offers already, and he should pick up a couple more if he and JD Davis and the Rockmart offense are able to stay on the same page this year. Haynes led the Jackets with 76.8 rushing yards per game last year, and also snagged 2 touchdown passes out of the backfield. Defensively, Haynes doesn’t fill up the stat book-but that’s not his fault. Quarterbacks know not to throw his way when Haynes is in man coverage. Even still, with limited opportunity he hauled in 2 interceptions last year. Haynes finds himself at number 2 on this list as of now, but he could give our #1 Seth Griffin a run for his money for FYNSports North Georgia Player Of The Year by the time its all said and done.

#1. Seth Griffin (North Murray)

The odds on favorite for Player Of The Year entering into the 2022-2023 football season, North Murray’s Seth Griffin is an elite quarterback. Griffin threw for nearly 3,000 yards in his junior season, amassing 32 touchdowns and 252 rushing yards along the way. With his favorite target in Jadyn Rice returning and with the two having another offseason to build chemistry, Griffin could hit the 3,500 yard-35 touchdown mark in his Senior campaign. It is also worth noting that this year Griffin will be competing against 7AA defenses that maybe aren’t as used to defending the pass as his former 6AAA opponents.

 

Multiple North Murray Stars earn all-region recognition including Seth Griffin being named 6-AAA Player of the Year.

North Murray Football, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

As the 6-AAA All-Region teams are released, North Murray has plenty to Celebrate. For the second time in three seasons, A Mountaineer has taken home the Regions Top Honor.

Seth Griffin has been named the Region 6-AAA Player of the Year. The Junior QB passed for over 2800 yards and accounted for 32 touchdowns on the season. Griffin helped lead the Mountaineers to their 6th straight playoff appearance.

During the season, Griffin threw for 7 touchdowns against Murray County. The 7 TD performance ties him at 3rd on the All-time Georgia High school record list with other notable stars Trevor Lawrence, Jake Fromm, Deshaun Watson, and Stetson Bennett.

Several Mountaineers were recognized on more than one team.

1ST Team Selections
Offense:
WR- Jadyn Rice
OL- Austin Johnson
ATH- Judson Petty
Defense:
DL- Devin Hunte
LB- Liam Rogers
P- Owen Hannah

2nd Team Selections
Offense:
RB- Ethan Dempsey
OL- Carson Manis
OL- Carson Gibson
K- Owen Hannah
Defense:
DL- Carson Gibson
LB- Ethan Dempsey
DB- Judson Petty

Honorable Mention
Offense:
WR- Michael McDade
OL- Ryan Maton
Defense:
DL- Carter Sanford
LB- Logan Gray
LB- Taylor Frazier
DB- Walker James

North Murray’s season comes to an end with a first-round loss to top ranked Monroe Area

North Murray Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

 

MONROE—The North Murray Mountaineers season comes to an end in the first round of the GHSA playoffs. The Mountaineers struggled to contain Monroe Area QB Selation Straughter as the Hurricane Offense racked up 58 points.

The North Murray offense struggled to gain any ground against a stingy Monroe Area defense. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, The Monroe Area offense did not struggle.

Monroe Area scored on their first five possessions.

The first drive for Monroe area ended with a 5-yard Jahlun Flud touchdown rush. Senior QB Selation Straughter added another touchdown on the Monroe Area’s next drive. The 6-yard Straughter touchdown put the Hurricanes up 14-0 late in the first quarter.

After a 3 and out by North Murray, Straughter hit Flud on a 39-yard strike to move the ball to Mountaineer 3-yard line to end the first quarter. Straughter punched it in from the 3-yard line on the first play of the second quarter.

On the next Mountaineer possession, Straughter intercepted a Griffin pass and returned it to the North Murray 13-yard line. The Straughter pick set up a Bradyn Sorrow rushing touchdown. The extra Point was blocked by the Mountaineers defensive front. Monroe Area was now up 27-0.

Monroe Area would add another score before the half. With 4:30 left in the second quarter, Straughter hit Flud from 10-yards out. Flud’s second touchdown of the night put Monroe Area up 34-0 at the half.

Monroe Area added 24 second half points before the reserves took over.

North Murray did not find the endzone until late in the fourth quarter. Seth Griffin hit Jadyn Rice on a 45-yard touchdown with 2:34 remaining. A couple of minutes later, Taylor Frazier returned a Monroe Area fumble for a touchdown. The Frazier touchdown came with just 17-seconds remaining capping the scoring at 58-14.

North Murray finishes the season 7-4, Monroe Area moves to 11-0 and will host Peach County next week in the second round of the GHSA playoffs.

Notes: Seth Griffin finished the regular season leading the State in AAA passing. Jadyn Rice Finished the Season leading the State in AAA receiving. Senior Owen Hannah finishes his career as one of the highest scoring Mountaineers in school history. This is the 3rd straight Senior class for North Murray where the Seniors made the playoffs all four years of their High School career.

M 14-20-17-7–58
N 0-0-0-14–14

SCORING:
1st
M- Jahlun Flud 5yd rush (Ricky Valdivanos kick)
M- Selation Straughter 6yd rush (Valdivanos kick)
2nd
M- Straughter 3yd rush (Valdivanos kick)
M- Bradyn Sorrow 13yd rush (PAT blocked)
M- Flud 10yd pass from Straughter (Valdivanos Kick)
3rd
M- Straughter 40yd rush (Valdivanos Kick)
M- Valdivanos 35yd field goal
M- Jakyri Jones fumble return (Valdivanos kick)
4th
M- Ja’Tavious Byrd fumble recovery (Valdivanos Kick)
N- Jadyn Rice 45yd pass from Seth Griffin (Owen Hannah Kick)
N- Taylor Frazier fumble return (Hannah Kick)

 

North Murray clinches playoff spot with road win at LaFayette

North Murray Football, North Murray High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

 

LAFAYETTE—On a cold night in laFayette, The North Murray Mountaineers wrapped up the regular season with a playoff spot clinching win. The 30-21 Mountaineer victory secured the fourth and final playoff spot for Region 6-AAA.

It was a slow start for both offenses. The teams would trade several punts throughout the first quarter as the defenses silenced the offensive stars for both teams.

The North Murray offense got on the board first. Late in the second quarter, Sr. RB Ethan Dempsey broke an 11-yard touchdown through the middle of the Rambler defense. The Mountaineers would go for two, but would fall short. The failed attempt left the score at 6-0 in favor of North Murray.

The Dempsey touchdown would be the only score of the first half between the two teams. The Mountaineers would take the 6-0 lead to the locker room at halftime.

The second half began with some excitement. Ethan Dempsey returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown, but it was called back for a block in the back penalty. The Mountaineers would start the drive at their own 23-yard line.

North Murray QB Seth Griffin connected on long passes to Skyler Williams and Jadyn Rice, leading the Mountaineers to the Rambler 21-yard line. A couple of plays later Griffin hit Dempsey on a 21-yard touchdown. An Owen Hannah extra point put the Mountaineers out front 13-0 with 9:34 left in the third quarter.

An unsuccessful onside kick from North Murray gave LaFayette the ball at midfield. The Rambler offense went to work on the short field opportunity. Several Ross Martin runs quickly led the Ramblers down to the Mountaineer 25-yard line. LaFayette QB Jaylon Ramsey put the Ramblers on the board the next play. Ramsey made his way down the sideline 25-yards for the touchdown,bringing the score to 13-7 in favor of the Mountaineers.

The ensuing North Murray drive stalled and they were forced to punt. Luckily for the Mountaineers, they had Owen Hannah. The Hannah punt hit a LaFayette player and was then recovered by the Mountaineers at the LaFayette 20-yard line. After a couple of penalties stalled that drive, Owen Hannah came in again and drilled a 32-yard field goal. The Hannah field goal extended the North Murray lead to 16-7 with just 3:31 remaining in the third quarter.

On the next LaFayette drive the Ramblers were led downfield once again by SR. RB Ross Martin. A steady dose of Martin runs brought the Ramblers deep into Mountaineer territory. Austin Tucker capped the LaFayette drive with a 10-yard rushing touchdown. The Tucker touchdown cut the North Murray lead to 16-14 with 10:29 left to play.

The Mountaineers wasted no time in answering the LaFayette touchdown. North Murray used a mix of Griffin passes and Dempsey runs to move down to the LaFayette 1-yard line in just a little over 4-minutes. Griffin stretched out for a touchdown from the one, and North Murray was up 23-14 with 6:01 to play.

A long kickoff return, aided by a facemask penalty on the Mountaineers gave LaFayette the ball at the North Murray 33-yard line. The Ramblers were backed up by a Carson Manis sack on Ramsey, forcing a 3rd and 34. Ramsey and Rambler receiver Sam Hall saved the drive by connecting on a 40 pass down the sideline for a first down. A few plays later, Ross Martin punched it in from 1-yard out. LaFayette drew to within two points at 23-21 with just 2:33 left to play.

The Mountaineers sealed the win on their next possession. Griffin hit Rice on a short pass and he forced his way down to the LaFayette 19-yard line. Ethan Dempsey would take it from there. Dempsey fought his way down to the LaFayette 7-yard line and then he took in on the next play. The Dempsey touchdown was his third of the game putting the Mountaineers up 30-21, and put the game out of reach for the Ramblers.

North Murray finishes the regular season 7-3 (5-3) and will play at Monroe Area next week in the first round of the GHSA playoffs. LaFayette finishes the season 4-6 (3-5) and 6th place in Region 6-AAA.

Notes: Jadyn Rice went over 1000-yards receiving on the season early in the game. Rice joins Landon Burrell (2019) and Connor Rice (2017) as the only 1000-yard receivers in school history. QB Seth Griffin entered Friday’s game with 2,419 passing yards and leading AAA for passing in the State. North Murray makes the playoffs for the 6th straight season. Ethan Dempsey ties a career high for touchdowns in a game with 3 (Southeast)

 

N 0-6-10-14–30
L 0-0-7-14–21

 

SCORING:

1st
No Score

2nd
N- Ethan Dempsey 11yd TD rush (2pt conv. Failed)

3rd
N- Ethan Dempsey 21yd Pass from Seth Griffin (Owen Hannah kick)
L- Jaylon Ramsey 25yd Rush TD (Jacob Brown kick)
N- Owen Hannah 32yd field goal.

4th
L-Austin Tucker 10yd rush TD (Brown kick)
N-Griffin 1yd rush TD (Hannah Kick)
L- Ross Martin 1yd Rush TD (Brown kick)
N-Ethan Dempsey 7yd rush TD (Hannah kick)

 

North Murray falls to Adairsville in final home game of the season

North Murray Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports

 

CHATSWORTH- North Murray struggled to contain a bruising rushing attack as they fall to Adairsville 47-18. The loss is North Murray’s third Region loss and the Mountaineers final home game of the season.

Adairsville opened the scoring early on a Chris Roper 71-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. A missed extra point left the score at 6-0 Tigers. The Mountaineers answered on the ensuing possession with a Seth Griffin to Judson Petty 36-yard TD pass. Griffin would connect with Petty again for a 2-point conversion. The 8-6 lead would be the only time Mountaineers would enjoy a lead.

North Murray recovered an onside kick on the kickoff but an Isaac Linley Interception and return gave the Tigers the ball in North Murray territory. Adairsville quarterback Jonathan Gough finished the drive with a short rushing touchdown a few plays later. The Tigers failed on the 2-point conversion leaving the score at 12-8.

After a North Murray punt, Adairsville put together another scoring drive. A long Chris Roper run set up a 5-yard touchdown rush for Eli Agnew. The Agnew touchdown extended the Adairsville lead to 19-8.

North Murray fumbled the ensuing kickoff, their first of two straight kickoff fumbles. The fumble set up Adairsville inside the Mountaineer 20-yard line. The North Murray defense stopped the threat when Shawn Myers picked off an Adairsville pass at the goal line and returned it to the Adairsville 23-yard line.The Mountaineers offense continued to struggle and they settled for an Owen Hannah field goal. The Hannah field goal moved the score to 19-11 with the Tigers out front.

The Adairsville offense was not struggling. Both Gough and Roper added rushing touchdowns late in the second quarter. The Gough and Roper touchdowns gave Adairsville a commanding 33-11 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, Agnew would add his second and third rushing touchdowns of the night. Adairsville headed to the fourth quarter with a comfortable 47-11 lead.

North Murray added a late touchdown when Liam Rogers took a Griffin pass 68-yards for a touchdown. The Rogers touchdown brought the game to what would be the final score at 47-18.

The loss drops North Murray to 6-3(4-3) and will travel to Lafayette next Friday. Adairsville moves to 7-2(5-2) and will host LFO next Friday.

AV   12-21-14-0–47

NM   8- 3- 0- 7–18

 

NOTES: North Murray can secure the 4th playoff spot for the region with a win over Lafayette next week. A loss to Lafayette opens the door for a possible 3-way tie between Sonoraville, Lafayette, and North Murray.

Mountaineers top Indians 55-20 in the Battle for Murray County

North Murray Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports

CHATSWORTH-The North Murray Mountaineers used a potent passing attack to best their in-county rival, the Murray County Indians Friday night. North Murray jumped out to a 35-0 lead, but had to battle to claim victory for Murray County bragging rights. The Mountaineers proved to be too much for the Indians, and came out on top 55-20.

The North Murray offense went to work right away. Just a little over a minute into the game, North Murray QB Seth Griffin hit Jadyn Rice for a 57-yard touchdown.

Murray County’s opening drive ended after Devin Hunte forced a fumble on a big hit in the Murray County backfield. The fumble was recovered by Liam Rogers giving the Mountaineers a short field. A few plays later, Griffin found Judson Petty on a 1-yard touchdown pass putting North Murray up 14-0.

After Murray County turned the ball over on downs, Griffin found Rogers for a 32-yard touchdown bringing the score 21-0 in favor of the Mountaineers.

Logan Gray would cap a 28-point North Murray first quarter by returning a Murray County fumble for a touchdown on the Indians next possession.

 

The North Murray passing attack would continue into the second quarter. Griffin hit Petty for a 14-yard touchdown just 37-seconds into the quarter. The Petty touchdown put the Mountaineers up comfortably 35-0.

The comfort would not last long.

Midway through the quarter, the Indian offense came to life. Murray County QB Justice Knotts and WR Taylor Carrell led the Indians to scores on consecutive possessions. Murray County’s Christopher Hernandez took a Carrell pass out to midfield. A couple plays later Knotts connected with Carrell on a 45-yard touchdown pass.

Murray County recovered an onside kick and kept momentum on their side. This Indian Possession resembled the previous one. Knotts hit Carrell again, this time a 28-yard strike. The Knotts to Carrell connection also resulted in a 2-point conversion for the home team.

The teams headed to halftime with North Murray up 35-14.

Murray County received the second half kickoff and continued to move the ball. Their opening possession of the half resulted in a Knotts 15-yard rushing touchdown. The Knotts TD brought the score to 35-20 in favor of North Murray.

The rest of the scoring belonged to the Mountaineers. Late in the third, Griffin hit Rice on a short screen pass and he would do the rest. Rice followed lead-blocker Austin Johnson downfield, breaking several tackles as he eventually made his way 60-yards to the endzone.

The final quarter, Griffin connected with Petty for a third time. The 22-yard touchdown put the Mountaineers out front 49-20. To cap off the big offensive performance for the Mountaineers, Kaden Myers took a pass from Griffin and made his way 51-yards to the endzone.

The Myers touchdown brought the score to 55-20, and moved the celebration to the North end of the County.

North Murray moves to 6-2 (4-2) and will host Adairsville next Friday. Murray County falls to 1-8 (0-7) and will travel to LFO next Thursday.

NOTES: QB Seth Griffin crossed the 2000-yard passing mark on the season early in the first quarter. Griffin threw 7 touchdowns to 4 different receivers(Petty,Rice,Rogers,&Myers) The North Murray defense forced 3 turnovers and had their 2nd consecutive game with a defensive touchdown. Jafet Cuenca was 7/8 on extra points. North Murray moved to 8-0 against Murray County since the teams first met in 2014.

Offensive Stats:

Seth Griffin-15/28, 352 yds, 7 TD, 1 int

Jadyn Rice-5 rec., 225 yds, 2 TD

Judson Petty-4 rec., 50 yds, 3 TD

Kaden Myers-3 rec., 79 yds, TD

Liam Rogers-2 rec., 48 yds, TD

Ethan Dempsey-1 rec., 4 yds

 

NM 28-7-7-13–55
MC 0-14-6-0–20

1st
NM: Seth Griffin 57yd pass to Jadyn Rice (Jafet Cuenca Kick)
NM: Griffin 1yd pass to Judson Petty (Cuenca Kick)
NM: Griffin 32yd pass to Liam Rogers (Cuenca Kick)
NM: Logan Gray fumble recovery return (Cuenca Kick)
2nd
NM: Griffin 14yd pass to Petty (Cuenca Kick)
MC: Justice Knotts 45yd pass to Taylor Carrell (PAT failed)
MC: Knotts 28yd pass to Carrell (Knotts to Carrell 2-point)
3rd
MC: Knotts 15yd rush (PAT failed)
NM: Griffin 60yd pass to Rice (Cuenca kick)
4th
NM: Griffin 22yd pass to Petty (Cuenca Kick)
NM: Griffin 51yd pass to Kaden Myers (PAT failed)

North Murray rides big second quarter to Region win over LFO.

North Murray Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

FORT OGLETHORPE-The North Murray Mountaineers returned to region play Friday night as they traveled to take on the Warriors from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. The Mountaineer defense recovered 5 LFO fumbles keeping the offense in great field position throughout the first half. The North Murray offense had no problem converting turnovers into points as they cruised to a 56-17 victory over host LFO.

The North Murray opening drive ended in a fumble giving the Warriors the ball at the Mountaineers 26-yard line. The turnover led to LFO QB Alex Slatton connecting with receiver Keenan Walker in the corner of the end zone for the first score of the night.

The Mountaineers only needed a little over three minutes to answer. A long North Murray drive culminated in a Jadyn Rice 10-yard rushing touchdown.

With the score knotted at 7-7 midway through the first quarter, LFO would begin a scoring drive of their own. After a couple of Will Carroll runs, the Warriors found themselves deep in Mountaineer territory. The LFO drive stalled at the Mountaineer 21-yard line,  and the Warriors settled for a 38-yard Alex Hastick field goal. The Field goal put LFO up 10-7 to close out the first quarter.

The LFO lead would be short-lived. Just three minutes later, North Murray QB Seth Griffin connected with Rice on a 42-yard touchdown pass. The Rice touchdown gave the Mountaineers a 14-10 lead.

The Mountaineers extended their lead a few plays later. LFO began their next drive backed up deep in their own territory. A big hit by Carson Gibson jarred the ball loose from Slatton and the ball rolled into the end zone into the hands of Judson Petty. The Petty touchdown put North Murray out front 21-10.

The next three possessions for LFO resulted in a punt and two fumbles. The next three possessions for North Murray all found the end zone.

Over a four-minute stretch in the middle of the second quarter, Griffin completed Touchdown passes to Ethan Dempsey, Jadyn Rice, and Judson Petty. The scoring frenzy put North Murray up 42-10 with 1:30 remaining in the half.

The next play would give the LFO fans reason to cheer. LFO wide receiver Trevon Gott returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The Gott touchdown brought the score to 42-17 with just over a minute left in the half.

The North Murray offense would not waste the final minute. Aided by two defensive pass interference penalties, The Mountaineers offense quickly moved to within striking distance.  Griffin hit Rice for a 33-yard touchdown with just 30 seconds remaining in the half. North Murray headed to the locker room with a commanding 49-17 halftime lead.

The first half fireworks gave way to the second half run game. The Mountaineers owned the only score for the final two quarters. Judson Petty scored on a 1-yard touchdown run after a long time-consuming drive early in the third quarter.

The Mountaineers handed the game over to the reserves for the remainder of the final two quarters.

North Murray moves to 5-2 (3-2) and will travel to Murray County next Friday. LFO falls to 0-7 (0-6) on the season, and will host Heritage (non-Region) next Friday.

NOTES: Seth Griffin finished with 5 first half TD passes. Jadyn Rice had 3 receiving TD’s, and 1 rushing TD. Senior RB Ethan Dempsey had his second straight game with a receiving TD. Judson Petty recorded a receiving TD, a Rushing TD, and a fumble recovery for a TD. Junior Kicker Jafet Cuenca recorded his first points of the season going 6/6 on extra points. Carson Gibson forced 2 fumbles, recovering one while the other was recovered by Petty for a touchdown.

NM 7-42-7-0–56
LFO 10-7-0-0–17

1st
LFO: Keenan Walker 26 yd pass from Alex Slatton (Alex Hastick Kick)
NM: Jadyn Rice 10 yd rush (Owen Hannah kick)
LFO: Alex Hastick 38 yd field goal.
2nd
NM: Rice 42 yd pass from Seth Griffin (Hannah kick)
NM: Judson Petty fumble recovery TD (Jafet Cuenca kick)
NM: Ethan Dempsey 21 yd pass from Griffin (Cuenca kick)
NM: Rice 15 yd pass from Griffin (Cuenca kick)
NM: Petty 20 yd pass from Griffin (Cuenca Kick)
LFO: Trevon Gott 95 yd kickoff return TD (Hastick)
NM: Rice 33 yd pass from Griffin (Cuenca kick)
3rd
NM: Petty 1 yd rush (Cuenca kick)
4th
No Scoring

North Murray Celebrates Homecoming, Blasts Southeast Whitfield 49-14.

North Murray Football, North Murray High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

 

CHATSWORTH- It was an action-packed Homecoming for the North Murray Mountaineers on Friday. The large North Murray crowd enjoyed huge offensive performances put on by Seth Griffin, Jadyn Rice, and Ethan Dempsey. The trio of North Murray stars led the way in a blowout win over the visiting Raiders from Southeast Whitfield.

It only took the Mountaineers 95 seconds into the game to get on the board when running back Ethan Dempsey broke free for his first of three touchdowns on the night. After a Southeast punt, North Murray would strike again as North Murray Quarterback Seth Griffin hit Jadyn Rice for a 60-yard touchdown strike. The Griffin to Rice touchdown put the Mountaineers out front  14-0 late in the first quarter.

Southeast controlled the ball the rest of the first, and into the second quarter. The Raiders put together a long scoring drive that relied heavily on RB Jordan Trevino. The Southeast drive culminated in 4-yard Trevino rushing touchdown with 8:35 remaining in the half. The Trevino touchdown brought the score to 14-7 in favor of the Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers responded later in the second when Jadyn Rice showed off his juggling skills while hauling in a 75-yard touchdown pass from Griffin. The score widened the lead for North Murray which now stood at 21-7.

With just 3:08 left in the half, Southeast put together a drive filled with Trevino runs that led them into Mountaineer territory. The drive was aided by a costly pass interference penalty on North Murray, which help bring the Raiders down to the Mountaineer 3-yard line.  Brady Ensley carried it across the goal line from 3-yards out for the Raiders with only 15 seconds remaining in the half.

The teams would head to the locker room with North Murray out front 21-14.

The Halftime festivities would include Abby Young and John Davis crowned as Homecoming King and Queen for North Murray.

Halftime belonged to the King and Queen. The second half of football would belong to the Mountaineers.

Southeast began the half with the ball, but was forced into the first of four straight possessions that resulted in a punt. North Murray was more than happy to capitalize on the Southeast offensive struggles. The first Mountaineer drive of the half would end with a Seth Griffin 27-yard rushing Touchdown. The Griffin touchdown scamper put the Mountaineers up 28-14 with 8:39 remaining in the third quarter.

The next Southeast possession, the Raiders faced a third and nine in their own territory. North Murray’s Austin Johnson came up with a QB sack that resulted in a loss of 8-yards. The Johnson sack forced the second punt of the half for Southeast. The Mountaineers wasted no time finding the endzone again on the ensuing possession. Griffin hit Dempsey on a short pass and He weaved his way through the Raiders defense for his second touchdown of the game.

Ethan Dempsey would continue to be a workhorse in the fourth quarter for the Mountaineer offense. Early in the fourth, Dempsey broke free for a long run and was brought down at the Southeast 1-yard line. Dempsey dove across for his third touchdown of the night on the next play. The Dempsey touchdown would extend the North Murray lead to 42-14. Jadyn Rice added a rushing touchdown later on to close out the scoring at 49-14 in favor of the Mountaineers.

North Murray moves to 4-2 (2-2) and will get back to region play next Friday when they visit LFO. Southeast falls to 1-7 on the season and will be off next Friday.

North Murray falls to Rockmart on the road 34-13.

North Murray Football, North Murray High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

ROCKMART, GA.- Big performances by Rockmart’s Keyshaun McCollough and JD Davis powered the defending Region champs past North Murray 34-13 on Friday.

Play began with Rockmart fumbling away their opening possession of the game handing North Murray the ball at midfield.  The North Murray offense failed to reach the end zone and settled for an Owen Hannah field goal bringing the score to 3-0 Mountaineers. The Rockmart offense would capitalize later in the opening quarter when Keyshaun McCollough broke free for a 21 yard touchdown run putting the YellowJackets out front 7-3.

The Yellowjacket offense would find the end zone again early in the second quarter when Rockmart Quarterback JD Davis scrambled for a 9-yard rushing touchdown bringing the score to 14-3 in favor of Rockmart. The 9-yard Davis touchdown run was set up by a 35-yard Davis to Jakari Clark pass down to the North Murray 9-yard line.

Both teams would fail to produce anymore in the half and the two teams headed to the locker room with the Yellowjackets in front 14-3.

North Murray opened the second half with the ball and moved quickly downfield on passes from Seth Griffin to Judson Petty. The Mountaineers would find their way inside the Rockmart 20, but the drive would stall inside the red zone and North Murray would again walk away with an Owen Hannah field goal bringing the score to 14-6 Rockmart.

Rockmart wasted no time moving downfield on their next drive and capped it with a Davis to Dennis Sims 13-yard touchdown. The point after failed leaving the score at 20-6 in favor of Rockmart. Later in the quarter, Keyshaun McCollough would add his second rushing touchdown of the game bringing the score to 27-6 Rockmart.

The two teams would both add rushing touchdowns in the final stanza as McCollough found his way to pay dirt for a third time on the night, and Devin Hunte added a late 15-yard touchdown run for The Mountaineers to close out the scoring at 34-13 in favor of the Yellowjackets.

North Murray falls to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in Region Play. North Murray will host Southeast Whitfield next Friday night in a non-region matchup. Rockmart moves to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in Region play. Rockmart will be on the road next week at LFO.

North Murray grinds out 27-20 win against region rival Sonoraville on Senior Night

North Murray Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

CHATSWORTH- North Murray’s defense set the tone early in their Region 6-AAA match up against Sonoraville. A first play interception by North Murray’s Shawn Myers gave the large Mountaineer crowd a small taste of what to expect this evening. A stingy North Murray defense and an effective passing attack would lead the Mountaineers to their third win of the season.

After the Myers interception on Sonoraville’s first possession, Seth Griffin led the Mountaineer offense down the field quickly and a Judson Petty 2-yard rushing Touchdown gave North Murray the early lead. Sonoraville blocked the extra point so the lead stood at 6-0 Mountaineers. Griffin and the potent Mountaineer offense would continue on their next possession when they had another pass heavy drive that was capped by a short pass to Jadyn Rice who broke several tackles and evaded Phoenix defenders to find the pylon in the front corner of the endzone for the Touchdown. An Owen Hannah extra point would give North Murray a 13-0 lead to end the first quarter.

The next Sonoraville drive would feature long plays by Sonoraville’s Brant Bryant and rushes by Wyatt Springfield, but would end with a Petty interception in the endzone for North Murray. The Phoenix would get on the board later in the quarter when QB Jaxon Pate hit Springfield on a screen pass and he went untouched through the Mountaineer secondary for the score making it 13-7.

The teams traded punts, and with less than 2-minutes in the half the Mountaineer offense would drive the field again culminating in an 8-yard TD pass from Griffin to Michael McDade. Sonoraville would come up with their second blocked PAT of the game leaving the score at 19-7 in favor of North Murray at the half.

The defenses would own the third quarter as both offenses would struggle to gain much traction. Seth Griffin would get in on the defense play-making in the third quarter when he came up with North Murray’s third interception of the game as he picked off a Pate pass close to the endzone.

The North Murray offense began the fourth quarter on a drive that started at their own 12-yard line. The Mountaineer offense would once again drive the length of the field to pay dirt. The pass heavy drive led them down to the Sonoraville 4-yard line where Petty would carry it in for his second rushing TD of the game bringing the score to 25-7 North Murray. Griffin would hit Michael McDade on the 2-point conversion giving North Murray a 27-7 lead with just 7:11 left to play.

The Phoenix went to work quickly and made the remaining time on the clock very interesting. A quick drive downfield led to a Wyatt Springfield 6-yard rushing TD. Sonoraville would miss the extra point leaving the score at 27-13 in favor of North Murray with just 5:30 left to play. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Sonoraville giving them the ball at midfield. After a few plays that included a long Pate run down to the Mountaineer 38-yard line, Pate would hit Tanner Hicks on a TD strike from 33-yards out bringing the score to 27-20 North Murray with just 3:40 to play.

The next onside kick wouldn’t be as successful for the Phoenix. The kick rolled out of bounds giving North Murray the ball at the Sonoraville 49-yard line with just 3:40 to play. Rushes by Petty and Devin Hunte would run the clock out and seal the deal for the Mountaineers.

Both teams will continue Region 6-AAA play next Friday night. North Murray moves to 3-1 (1-1) and will travel to Rockmart (3-1) next week. Sonoraville falls to 2-2 (0-2) and will host LFO (0-4) next week.

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