SFMS Red Devils defeat Greenfield, Ballard Co. to improve to 4-0

by Mark Collier

The South Fulton Middle School Red Devils continued their hot start to the season, with victories over Greenfield and Ballard County to improve to 4-0.
The Red Devils will return home Thurs., Sept. 10, when they host Henry County.

SFMS 52
Greenfield 6

The Red Devils rolled past Greenfield 52-6 behind a big first half and several explosive plays Tues., Sept. 1.
South Fulton scored four times in the opening quarter to take a commanding 30-0 lead.
Gavin Goldbeck opened the scoring with a 44-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but the Red Devils quickly added to their advantage when Cason Johnston returned a punt 49 yards for a touchdown. Goldbeck added the two-point conversion to make it 14-0.
Goldbeck then made an impact on defense, returning an interception 42 yards for another South Fulton touchdown. Kade Clanton converted the two-point attempt, pushing the lead to 22-0.
Goldbeck capped the first-quarter scoring with a 23-yard touchdown run, with Clanton adding another two-point conversion to make it 30-0.
The Red Devils continued their offensive assault in the second quarter.
Clanton scored on a 4-yard touchdown run, followed by an Abe Morris two-point conversion, extending the lead to 38-0. Morris then found the end zone on a 26-yard run. The two-point attempt failed, leaving South Fulton ahead 44-0.
Greenfield managed to get on the scoreboard before halftime with a touchdown, but the Red Devils took a 44-6 advantage into the break.
South Fulton added its final score early in the second half when Clanton returned a kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown. Jamariee Eaton scored on the two-point conversion, giving the Red Devils their final 52 points.
Goldbeck led South Fulton with 67 rushing yards on just two carries and also recorded two interceptions. Morris rushed four times for 60 yards, while Clanton carried twice for 24 yards.
Gavin Adams added 23 yards on two carries, while Eaton rushed five times for nine yards. Daveon Pettigrew had two yards on one carry. Isaac Jackson finished with minus-3 yards on two carries, and Dylan Alexander had minus-2 yards on one attempt.
Henry Murphy led the Red Devils with four tackles, while Mason McDonald added three. Goldbeck's two interceptions highlighted another strong defensive performance.

Ballard County 6
SFMS 32

Red Devils used a strong rushing attack and a dominant defensive effort to defeat Ballard County 32-6 Thurs., Aug. 27.
South Fulton wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Gavin Goldbeck scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Holden Crabtree added the two-point conversion to give the Red Devils an 8-0 lead.
Kade Clanton extended the advantage in the second quarter with a 6-yard touchdown run. Crabtree again converted the two-point attempt, putting South Fulton ahead 16-0 at halftime.
The Red Devils continued to pull away in the third quarter.
Clanton scored twice more, finding the end zone on runs of 9 and 10 yards. Crabtree added a two-point conversion after the first touchdown, while his second conversion came on a pass to Noa Garza, pushing the South Fulton lead to 32-0.
Ballard avoided the shutout with a fourth-quarter touchdown, but the Red Devils held on for the 32-6 victory.
South Fulton finished with a balanced rushing attack. Clanton led the way with 92 yards on 12 carries, while Goldbeck added 90 yards on 16 carries. Crabtree rushed six times for 50 yards, Abe Morris had 21 yards on five carries, and Daveon Pettigrew and Jamariee Eaton each added two yards.
Crabtree completed 2 of 7 passes for 30 yards. Morris caught a 28-yard pass, while Clanton had one reception for two yards.
Goldbeck also led the Red Devils defensively with seven tackles and two interceptions. Clanton and Crabtree each recorded three tackles.