East Coweta reclaims water jug and earns region's number two seed with win over Newnan

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SHARPSBURG-The Friday night Region 2-AAAAAAA battle between the East Coweta Indians and the Newnan Cougars featured a little of everything at Garland Shoemake Stadium.

The Devonte Brown and Carlos Ford show had its final regular season appearance with 235 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Indians to a 28-0 victory that improved their overall record to 8-2 and a number two seed in the region with a 4-1 mark.

They would also reclaim a water jug from the Cougars that goes to the winner of the game

Newnan, which finished the regular season with a 3-7 record, would lose quarterback KD Satterwhite due to an injury in the second quarter and be replaced by Desmond Blacksher.

Finally, in the contest known as “leave the parking lot”, a car would hit the side of a Coweta County School System bus that was serving as a shuttle between EC and Poplar Road Elementary School.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the bus accident which occurred after the game ended.

On to the game where both teams would begin with initial drives that stalled but that changed for the Indians when the began their second drive at their own 14 with 5:29 remaining in the first quarter.

Behind a pair of runs by Ford and a pair of completions by quarterback Christian Reid, the Indians moved the ball to the Cougars’ 35 when Brown took a handoff and raced all the way to the end zone for the first touchdown with under five seconds remaining.

Wyatt Palmer converted the extra point and the lead was 7-0 going into the second stanza.

In the beginning of the second quarter, the Cougars would have a three-and-out which forced a punt that was downed at the Indians’ 38.

On second-and-10, Brown took a handoff from Reid and raced 37 yards to the Newnan 25 with eight minutes remaining in the half and two plays later Ford completed the five play drive with an 11-yard run.

The extra point attempt by Palmer was successful and the Indians enjoyed a 14-0 lead with 6:39 remaining until halftime.

On the ensuing series, the Cougars appeared to be on a promising drive as Satterwhite ran for 17 yards on a keeper and AJ Robinson followed with an eight yard run to put Newnan in good field position at their own 40.

However, a four-yard loss by Mautavier Parks and a two-yard sack of Satterwhite by Marc Wilson stalled the drive and the Cougars had to punt with 5:46 remaining.

The series also meant the end of the evening for Satterwhite who was injured on the sack and never returned as Blacksher.

Satterwhite finished the game completing one pass for 12 yards and rushed seven times for 27 yards.

The Indians began the ensuing drive at their own 37 and was able to get to the Cougars’ 42 before the drive stalled and Brown had to show his versatility with a punt.

The Cougars started at their own seven yard line with 1:32 remaining in the half and after a 14-yard run by Robinson got them out of trouble, an 18-yard run followed but the ball came free and Brown returned it the other way to the Newnan 45 with 46 seconds remaining.

A penalty would start the series that was brief as the Indians ran the clock out for halftime after a short pass from Reid to Reggie Jones.

The Indians would get a chance to pad the lead in the third quarter after the Cougars fumbled the ball and Jovan Rembert recovered it at the Cougars 21.

After a two-yard run by Ford, Reid found Indians defensive whiz Jeremiah Gemmel in the middle of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 6:40 remaining in the third and the lead was 21-0 after the extra point.

The Cougars had a chance to get on the scoreboard as Tyrell Harris recovered a fumble by Reid at midfield as the end of the third quarter drew near.

The series began with a nine-yard sack of Blacksher but Newnan recovered with a 10-yard run and a 41 yard catch and run by Woody Waters that resulted in a first and goal at the EC eight with 11:45 remaining.

However, a seven-yard loss was followed by three in completions including one on fourth down that gave the ball to the Indians with 10:40 remaining.

The Cougars threatened again on the next series with Tyriq Hussie rushing four times for 27 yards and reaching the Indians’ 37.

However, a one-yard loss and a pair of incompletions gave the Indians the ball at their 37 with a chance to give the home team one more thrill.

DeVante Ford ran for two yards then Carlos Ford took the handoff and raced past the Newnan defense for 61 yards and the final touchdown of the night that was aided by a push by an enemy defender with 3:44 left.