Neon glow sticks set the scene as the stadium roared and chanted “War Eagles” to celebrate South’s victory in their first football scrimmage of the season against Shiloh High School.
The kicking game played a significant role in South’s victory. Minutes into the game, Head Coach Troy Morris deployed senior kicker Davis Little to attempt a 56-yard field goal. However, as the ball flew through the air, referee whistles halted the game. Shiloh had 12 players on the field, and Morris couldn’t decline the penalty since it was a pre-snap infraction.
Then, it was up to Davis Little to demonstrate that his 56-yard field goal was no fluke. Little successfully kicked the 56-yard field goal along with four others. Overall he made field goals of 31, 46, and 51 yards to propel the War Eagles to victory over Shiloh.
For most of the game, South’s defense stood out, securing a safety in the second quarter. Lineman Cooper Lowe made the first stop behind the line of scrimmage, and Ben Blanton and Madox Pearson combined for a tackle for loss, forcing Shiloh to punt from its own end zone. This sequence set up fourth-and-27 from the Generals’ 8-yard line.
Before halftime, Lowe was a constant presence in Shiloh’s backfield, recording two tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Quarterback Cade Aycock, who completed 7 of 11 passes for 88 yards, provided steady quarterbacking for South’s offense. Aycock’s two longest completions of 26 and 28 yards occurred during third-and-long situations.
On the War Eagles’ first offensive series, Aycock’s 28-yard pass to Aidan Parkman converted a third-and-10, while his 26-yard pass to Rhett Belue converted a third-and-14. Both drives concluded with successful field goals by Little.
South’s defense forced three turnovers, two of which were caused by running back/defensive back Cole Yeager. Yeager forced a fumble on Shiloh’s second drive of the game and made an impressive play on a jump ball shortly before halftime. He knocked the ball away from the Shiloh receiver and wrestled possession away while airborne to secure the interception. Lineman Davis Lancaster also recovered a fumble for South following a mishandled exchange by Shiloh.
Shiloh’s lone points came from a 44-yard touchdown by running back Zukai Hall on his first carry of the second half.
As South emerged victorious against Shiloh, fans in the stadium roared as the game concluded with a final score of South Forsyth 11, Shiloh 7.
Despite all the exciting action, this game was only a scrimmage. Remember to support the War Eagles at South’s inaugural game of the season on Aug. 18 at Lanier High School!
