Southwest Dekalb Switches Uniformes In 33-21 Win Over Lithonia, 3-0 In Region
On Saturday night the Southwest Dekalb Panthers and the Lithonia Bulldogs faced off in region play, both looking to remain undefeated in the conference. Both teams had won their previous two games which against region opponents, and a win tonight from either team would keep them at the front of the pack in the region. The Panthers were celebrating their homecoming and got the party started scoring first midway through the first quarter courtesy a 2-yd touchdown run by So. #4 Jamel Starks as the Panthers were up 7-0 after converting on the extra point. Lithonia was looking to answer back, when with less than a minute to go in the 1st quarter, on 2nd and goal, Bulldogs running back Jr. #2 Rayshad Baldwin win fumbled the ball before crossing the goal line and the Panthers recovered the ball in the endzone. On the Panther's ensuing drive, Lithonia's defense did not allow the Southwest Dekalb offense to build momentum off their first score, forcing the Panthers to punt.
After the Bulldogs offense tookover, they put together a drive capped off with touchdown when running back #4 Sr. Kamarie Mullins rushed up the middle for the score as Lithonia tied the game at 7-7 following the completion of the extra point. After the Bulldogs got on the board with their first ponts, SWD wasted no time answering taking the ball down the field and then finding then endzone when quarterback #17 Jr. Justin Tomlin connected with #11 Jonathan Green on a 15-yd touchdown pass as the Panthers went back on top 13-7. Failing to answer the SWD, the Bulldogs found themselves back on defense and with :45 left in the first half, the Panthers scored again after Tomlin hit #9 Sr. DeVaughn Brown as he crossed the middle of the endzone and SWD took a 20-7 lead into the half.
As SWD came out for the 2nd half, the Panthers had a new look, sporting the throwback, original gold uniforms worn in the team's early years in honor of celebrating homecoming. And the Panthers wasted no time adding to their lead as they scored :15 into the half after a 65-yd touchdown pass by Tomlin putting SWD up 27-7 but the Bulldogs would answer with a touchdown of their own when #10 Sr. Rob Hatchett III scored on a 1-yd run up the middle as the Bulldogs cut into the Panthers lead making it a 27-14 game.
SWD would find the endzone once again before the night was over going up 33-14 when #22 Sr. Calvin Scott Jr ran the ball in from the 1-yd line. Lithonia too would score again thanks to 2-yd touchdown pass from Hatchett to #8 Sr. Jordan Davis but with less than 2 minutes in the game, the Bulldogs would eventually go onto lose by a final score of 33-21. Improving to 3-0 in region, SWD will have a tough region match-up next week when they face 7-1 Arabia Mountain, who will come into that contest 2-1 in region play. Lithonia's next contest will be against region opponent Miller Grove.
