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Published Thursday, October 09, 2008 in Sports

Defenses doing the job locally

By Tommy Camp

The Times-Herald

Although offense has grabbed the attention of local high school football fans in the first half of the season, the defenses of Newnan, East Coweta and Northgate have enjoyed exceptional stretches of play as well.

The Newnan Cougars have allowed just two touchdowns all season long and just one since halftime of the LaGrange game and none in their last nine successive quarters.

Northgate has given up just one TD in its last eight quarters and EC one in its last six.

And heading into tonight's games (Lovejoy at East Coweta, Fayette County at Northgate and Newnan vs. Riverdale at Twelve Oaks Stadium) the records of each reflect that stinginess.

Newnan is 5-0, East Coweta 4-1 with four straight wins and Northgate 3-2 with back-to-back victories for the first time since winning three straight in 2006.

Since LaGrange scored against Newnan in the second quarter of the opening game of the season, the Cougars have given up one touchdown to Lovejoy in the third quarter of their 55-6 win in game three of the season.

Newnan's back-to-back shutouts over Creekside and Morrow mark the first successive blank jobs since the Cougars held South Gwinnett and Lithonia scoreless on consecutive Fridays last year.

LaGrange and Chapel Hill added field goals against Newnan.

Northgate held Starr's Mill to a field goal in last week's 7-3 win and Hiram to a field goal and a late fourth quarter touchdown the week before in its 28-10 win.

East Coweta shutout Westlake two weeks ago and gave up a fourth period TD to Creekside after blanking the Seminoles in the third quarter of the Indians 28-21 victory.

Newnan has allowed one touchdown through the air and one on the ground this year in addition to the two field goals.

East Coweta has given up five rushing touchdowns, but none through the air. Opponents have kicked three field goals against the Indians and returned a kickoff and a fumble recovery for touchdowns.

Northgate has allowed nine rushing touchdowns and two passing scores plus two field goals.

Since the beginning of the 2007 season, Newnan's defense has allowed just two touchdowns in the first quarter (Carrollton and Redan) in 18 games and has held 10 of those opponents to a touchdown or less.

Newnan and East Coweta are one-two in Region 4-AAAAA in scoring defense this year.

Newnan's 19 points-allowed is tops in the region (and among the tops in the state) with East Coweta's 58 second best.

Chapel Hill with 61 is third followed by Creekside 67, Westlake 73, Riverdale 77, Pebblebrook 105, Lovejoy 143, Mundy's Mill 134 and Morrow 199.

Northgate has allowed 82 points in its first five games, third best in Sub-Region A of 5-AAAA.

Sandy Creek leads the sub-region having given up 61 with McIntosh's 78 second.

Whitewater is fourth with 89, followed by Starr's Mill 113 and Fayette County 126.

Success on defense almost always seems to manifest itself in the standings.

In Region 4-AAAAA Newnan and East Coweta are tied for first place with identical 4-0 region records followed by Riverdale and Chapel Hill at 3-1, Westlake, Creekside and Lovejoy at 2-2 and Pebblebrook, Mundy's Mill and Morrow at 0-4.

In Northgate's sub-region, Sandy Creek, Northgate and Fayette County (the exception) are tied for first with 1-0 sub-region records while Whitewater, McIntosh and Starr's Mill are at 0-1.

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