Lions’ scoring blitz ends in tie with SF

By RANDY CAVIN
Press Sports
The 2011 Class 2A state runner-up got off to a slow start, but Dresden turned on the burners and showed why the Lions were so good last season.
Dresden spotted South Fulton an early two-touchdown lead in its scrimmage on Friday but then scored four touchdowns to take a 4-2 lead. SF came back later in the game with two more scores to end the game at four scores each.
“I think we started out really, really slow and then all of a sudden we decided we wanted to turn it on and start playing some football,” Dresden’s first-year head coach Keith Hodge said. “I was a little disappointed with our effort at the beginning, but I think as we realized that we get the feel for the other team we started wanting to play hard.”
“I think we have got to get in a mode where we do not want to wait on the other team. We want to be the team that sets the mode and sets the bar right from the top at the beginning.”
After spotting the Red Devils two touchdowns on their first two 10-play possessions, the Lions picked up the pace and scored on a Davis Moran to Daniel Bowers 21-yard pass play. The Lions kept the Red Devils from scoring on their third possession and even forced a fumble that was recovered by Dylan Kemp.
Moran hit Colter Swafford on a third and goal from 13 yards out on a fade pattern to tie the game at two all.
Hodge was pleased with the way Moran handled the ball, even though he did not have his senior QB throwing the ball much.
“We did not throw it as much as I would have liked to today,” Hodge said. “I really wanted us to be physical in our first scrimmage. I wanted us to get out after South Fulton. Davis got a lot of reps in the passing league, but other than that I think he did fine.”
It was the running game that Hodge wanted to work on and establish. He utilized the two tight end set several times and implemented the wildcat formation to his advantage with Torres Washington, Joey Caldwell, Logan Thomas and Swafford running the ball on most series of downs.
SF got worn down with Dresden’s running attack. On the Lions fourth possession of the scrimmage the running game took over. Devan Raymer picked up 15 yards on a run through the middle of the line followed by a 10-yard run by Swafford. Raymer gained 13 yards on the next two carries and Swafford finished it off with a five-yard run around the right end.
“What I noticed early on is that our line was not staying low coming off the ball,” Hodge said. “So we decided that we can block these guys and we decided that we are going to blow them off the ball a little bit and create some holes. That is what our goal is as a team; to create holes. We have got the running backs that have great vision to see those holes. We have got to pour it on in there and get ourselves in some good situations.”
The Lions scored once more when Caldwell picked up SF fumble and ran it in from 23 yards out.
Keeping the ball tucked in was a problem for both teams in this first scrimmage before the regular season begins.
Dresden lost the ball four times with fumbles. The third turnover from a fumble was returned for the final score of the game.
The Red Devils had two fumbles recovered by the Lions. Dresden’s Alex Warren also intercepted a pass. Published in The WCP 8.7.12

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