It has been two years since the Tigers made it past the first round of the State Playoffs, but last Friday night Commerce secured its spot in the second round after a 29-19 victory.
Commerce knocked Landmark Christian out of the postseason last week to advance the Tigers to face Darlington High School in Rome this Friday at 7:30. The 6-A Darlington Tigers are 7-4 overall after edging out Warren County 16-14. Commerce is also 7-4.
On paper, Commerce looks better than Darlington. The local Tigers score an average of six points more than Darlington and have allowed 56 fewer points. Regardless of how either set of Tigers looks on paper, coach Steve Savage has taken his own look at the competition.
“They are a fine team,” Savage said. “They are a wing-T football team and play real aggressive on defense with good size and good speed. … We have played three other wing-T teams this year, so it is not something we haven’t seen. [Darlington] gives a lot of misdirection.”
Savage says the key to winning Friday’s game is in blocking the Darlington defense.
“They have a really good defensive line,” said Savage. “If we can block them, we will have a chance. Offensively we are going to do the same thing we have been doing, just optioning a little bit and probably throwing a little bit more.”
The winner of Friday’s game advances to face the winner of the Twiggs County and Chattahoochee County game in the third round of the state playoffs.
Landmark Christian
Friday night was a perfect night for football and the Commerce Tigers took advantage of the conditions and came away with a 29-19 victory.
“We played pretty good,” Savage said. “It was a strange game where they had more plays than us, but we capitalized on ours.”
Landmark Christian had the ball for 29:29, the majority of the game — but never led. Landmark was unable to get on the board until late in the first quarter with a field goal. By then, it was too late as Commerce was already ahead.
Jon Cash returned the first Landmark punt to the Commerce 45 and two plays later Deon Brock sprinted 40 yards downfield to put the Tigers up 6-0 following a failed PAT kick.
Landmark responded by getting close enough for a field goal, and at the end of the first quarter, Commerce led 6-3.
“Our defense bent a little but didn’t break,” Savage said. “We held up to their big offensive line and big backs pretty good.”
In the second quarter, Commerce started on Landmark’s 40. Seconds into the period another Brock carry for 39 yards found the promised land. The Tigers moved ahead 12-3 as another PAT attempt failed.
Landmark responded by pushing into Commerce territory before being halted at the Tiger’s 40-yard line. Landmark opted to take the field goal to cut the Tiger’s lead to six points.
Commerce started scored again on a 75-yard run followed by a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Cody Streetman to Cash in corner of the end zone. Commerce was safely ahead at the half, 20-6.
In the third period, Tyler Adams intercepted a pass at the Tigers’ 15. Commerce marched downfield and on fourth-and-goal Brock ran it in for his fourth and final TD of the night.
The Tigers entered the final quarter leading 26-6.
Landmark scored a touchdown seconds into the period, but Josh Streetman extended the lead to 29-13 with a 30-yard field goal with four minutes left in the game.
Landmark added a late touchdown, but missed the two-point PAT attempt as Jessie Savage sacked the quarterback.
