Sherwood Christian extends winning streak to 21, beats David Emanuel in playoff opener

By Sonja Stroyls – [email protected]

ALBANY — The rain poured, the mud deepened, and the scoreboard never slowed.

On a soggy Friday night at Legacy Field, Sherwood Christian Academy looked every bit the defending state champion it is — fast, physical, and unfazed by the elements. The Eagles shut out David Emanuel Academy 52-0 in the second round of the GIAA 8-man playoffs, improving to 10-0 and extending their winning streak to 21 games.

After trading punts to open the night, the Eagles quickly found their rhythm. Quarterback Tripp Roberts connected with Qwinton Murray for a 41-yard touchdown with 7:36 left in the first quarter, and Chuck Lagrange added the two-point conversion for an early 8-0 lead.

Sherwood’s defense, already the backbone of its unbeaten season, immediately set the tone. A sack forced a quick punt, and even after a fumbled return gave David Emanuel a short field, the Eagles didn’t bend. Lawson Brooks batted down a key pass to kill the drive, and from there, the rout was on.

Roberts and Murray struck again late in the first quarter, this time from 20 yards out, and another Lagrange conversion pushed the lead to 16-0. The onslaught continued when Dylan Clark stormed in for a sack and forced a fumble recovered by Micah Hall at the 20-yard line. Roberts wasted no time, tossing his third touchdown of the quarter — again to Murray — and Lagrange powered in the conversion to make it 24-0.

By the time the first quarter ended, the game’s outcome was no longer in doubt.

Lagrange added a 20-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, following his own blocks through a soggy David Emanuel defense and tacking on yet another two-point run for a 32-0 lead. Sherwood’s defense, led by Hunter Gregg and Dylan Clark, suffocated the visitors with relentless pressure. Gregg finished with eight tackles and five sacks; Clark added five stops and two sacks.

Even as the rain intensified, Sherwood’s offense never slowed. Roberts found the end zone twice more on the ground before halftime, pushing the score to 46-0. The final touchdown came in the third quarter to complete a night of dominance on both sides of the ball.

Roberts completed 9 of 18 passes for 230 yards and four touchdowns — all to Murray, who finished with seven catches for 166 yards. Roberts also rushed for 49 yards and two scores. Lagrange carried six times for 172 yards and a touchdown, and Grady Mills added an interception to cap off the defensive showcase.

The win sends Sherwood Christian into the GIAA 8-man Final Four, where the Eagles will host Georgia Christian in a rematch of their closest game of the season. Sherwood edged the Generals 34-30 in Valdosta earlier this year. Georgia Christian advanced Friday with a 25-19 win over Westminster Christian.

Elsewhere in the bracket, Westminster of Augusta — last year’s title-game opponent — rolled past Westwood 42-18 to set up a semifinal meeting with Vidalia Heritage, which eliminated Fullington.