Fellowship Christian pulls away after half to end Mountaineer season in first round
Nov. 12—ROSWELL — North Murray High School battled with Region 8-2A champion Fellowship Christian for a half in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs Friday night, but 20 straight points from the hosts ended the season for the Mountaineers after the opening round.
The game was tied at 14 late in the second quarter until a touchdown pass from Caleb McMickle to Sam Albee with 27 seconds left in the half gave Fellowship the 21-14 advantage. The Paladins charged forward with three touchdowns in the third quarter to pull away from the Mountaineers.
Fellowship Christian (8-3) will host Eagles Landing Christian Academy next week in the second round, while North Murray ends the year at 6-5.
The game got off to an unexpected slow start for both offenses. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams found their groove in the second. Fellowship Christian got on the board first with a 40-yard touchdown pass from McMickle to Josh Milhollin on the first play of the second quarter, the first of three TD tosses by the quarterback.
The 7-0 Fellowship lead was short lived. Judson Petty fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own 10-yard-line and shot straight through the middle of the Fellowship Christian coverage for a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Fellowship would answer on the next possession with a quick drive ending in a TJ Lester touchdown run.
North Murray put together an answer of their own. Tough runs by North Murray senior quarterback Seth Griffin led the Mountaineers down to the Fellowship 2-yard-line. On first and goal, Petty punched it in from 2 yards out, tying the game at 14.
Fellowship Christian took the lead just before halftime and spent the second half adding to it.
Another McMickle pass, this time to Clay Shepler, opened the second-half scoring before a touchdown rush by Nick Persiano dug the North Murray hole to 34-14.
North Murray continued to fight. A long Petty rush set up an 8-yard rushing touchdown for Griffin late in the third. Jonathan Long answered with a rushing touchdown for Fellowship, and Lester scored his second to make the score 49-21.
Late in the fourth quarter, Griffin connected with senior wide receiver Jadyn Rice one final time from 33 yards out.
The late scoring was not enough for North Murray to mount a comeback. The loss ends the careers of Griffin, the leading passer this year in the state in 2A, and Rice, the leading receiver in the classification.
The 2022 season marks the seventh straight winning season and playoff appearance for North Murray under head coach Preston Poag, the last three of those piloted by Griffin at QB.
