Cedar Shoals falls short in Classic City Championship
On Aug. 19, 2023, people from across Clarke County descended on Waters-Wilkins Stadium for the 57th meeting between the Cedar Shoals Jaguars and the Clarke Central Gladiators. Known as the Classic City Championship, the rivalry is one of the most iconic in Georgia, but recently, it has been dominated by Clarke Central. The Jaguars kept it close, but ultimately the Glads came out on top 28-7.
Turnover Blues
Quarterback A.J. Hubbard threw two interceptions deep in Gladiator territory during the second half. One was caught in the end zone and the other was returned by Central cornerback Tekit Gill for a big gain.
Central also turned the ball over several times, including a muffed punt by Jaylen Jackson in the third quarter that gave Cedar the ball back at midfield. Unfortunately, Cedar didn’t capitalize on any of the turnovers, with the offense stalling multiple times.
“It (turnovers) affected the offense in a bad way,” wide receiver William Moye said. “It seemed like we lost confidence on every drive.”
Offense Stuck in First Gear
The Jaguar offense relied heavily on explosive plays from their receivers last season, and this year was no different. Cedar had 185 passing yards, with Devin Hester picking up 170 receiving yards.
The lone scoring drive for the Jaguars only took two plays, capped off with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Devin Hester. Other than that, the offense had several three and outs, as the runs up the middle and screen passes were immediately sniffed out and stopped by the Gladiator defense.
“People were getting down on themselves,” offensive lineman Jose Balver-Mendoza said. “The big focus was to just keep going, play the next play, and don’t let it affect us.”
A 24 Minute Defensive Masterclass
Neither Cedar nor Central were able to put any points on the board in the first or third quarters. The Gladiators prevented the Jaguars from getting a first down in the first quarter, and Cedar used clutch pass breakups, sacks and turnovers to keep Central out of the end zone.
The Jags defense was able to slow down the Gladiator’s passing attack, as Central picked up 50 passing yards while completing 7 of 15 passes.
“The defense played hard. They were physical and lights out for a lot of the game,” defensive linemen Jaylen Rose said.
Closer Than The Scoreline Indicates
While Central won by three touchdowns, the game was either tied or within one possession for most of the game. The teams stayed neck and neck until a 70 yard rushing touchdown by Central’s junior running back Corey Watkins Jr. made it 21-7, and a five yard pass from the Gladiator’s senior quarterback Chase Berrong to senior tight end Jamarion Davis put the icing on the cake.
This was the closest Classic City Championship since 2020 when the Gladiators used a fourth quarter comeback to beat Cedar by the score of 10-3.
“We played hard but a lack of focus in practice began to show up on gameday,” Balver-Mendoza said. “The offense couldn’t move the ball and the defense got tired and just kind of gave up slowly.”
Into the Eye of the Storm: Monroe Area Preview
Monroe Area started the 2023 football season by getting revenge on Loganville by a score of 10-0. The Purple Hurricanes ran the ball effectively in their win against the Devils, picking up 196 yards on 40 carries. Monroe Area is coming off a season where they made a run to the second round of the playoffs, picking up a rare win as a four seed against a one seed.
Last season, the Jaguars and Purple Hurricanes faced off in Athens, and Monroe Area dominated the game from start to finish, beating the Jags 58-13. Monroe Area’s rushing attack really clicked as they put together 308 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns against the Jaguars.
The game will take place at Monroe Area’s Purple Pit in Monroe, GA on Aug. 25. Kickoff will be at 7:30pm, and tickets will be available on GoFan for $8.
