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Marcus Benjamin @_BenjaminReport
Powder Springs, GA – The Black team took down the White team 23-7 in the 2019 National Freshman Showcase. It was the first of three games at McEachern High School on Martin Luther King Day. The running game of Roshawn Dudley (Osceola, Kissimmee, FL) and Ja’Randy Swint (Liberty, Kissimmee, FL) proved to be too much for the White Team to slow down in the 30-degree weather. Swint scored on an 18-yard touchdown with 6:47 left in the game weaving through defenders. The Black Team took the lead 14-7 and would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. Dudley would also make several plays defensively.
The game was a defensive struggle in the first half in a game that started at 11:00 AM eastern standard time. Ra’kesh Olanda (Westlake, GA), Jacolby Spells (American Heritage, Plantation, FL) and Jaheim Hayes (Flowery Branch, GA) came up with interceptions for their respective teams and several defensive plays to keep the game at no score after the 1st quarter. One of the biggest playmakers of this game was Caleb Perry (St. Anne Pacelli, GA). The receiver from Midland was all over the field, especially on special teams. He seemed to make every tackle on special teams for the White Team, recovered a fumble, had a sack in the game and almost returned a kick for a touchdown right before the half.
The White Team did open up scoring in this game on a screen pass to the flat to Lamar Patterson (Liberty, Kissimmee, FL) who took the pass and skated down the sideline for an unofficial 56-yard touchdown. The Black Team would match the score when Christian Garrett (Coral Glades, FL) found Kye Stokes (Armwood, FL) on an 8-yard inside slant with 23 seconds left in the half.
Defensively, Drake Hatcher (McEachern, GA), Belizaire Bassette (Sommerset Academy, FL) were disruptive for the Black Team. Marcellus Johnson (Hopeful Charter Career Academy, GA) and Marice Brown Marietta, GA)were also wreaking havoc all day for the White Team on the defensive side of the ball.
After a field goal by Will Betteridge (Gulliver Prep, FL), Zion Reese (Westlake, GA) intercepted a ball at the 20-yard line and returned it for the Black Team for their final score with 31 seconds left in the game.
