McEachern’s Brandon Smith runs in for a touchdown as Parkview’s Malik Washington trails on the play. (Daniel Varnado/Special)
McEachern’s offense appears to have hit its stride at just the right time.
Quay Holmes rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries as the Indians piled up 568 yards of total offense in a 47-29 victory over Parkview in the second round of the Class AAAAAAA playoffs Friday in Powder Springs.
It was the sixth consecutive game of 34 points or more for fourth-ranked McEachern, which scored at least 34 points only twice in its first six games. The victory puts the Indians (11-1) in the quarterfinals at home next weekend against No. 3 Mill Creek, which advanced with a 56-21 victory over Cherokee.
“We did some really good things,” McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. “Parkview’s a really good football team, with great tradition. They’re well coached and work really hard. Our kids fought hard and played well. They did some nice things on offense, got some trick plays on us, but our kids fought well and I’m very proud.”
Holmes wasn’t the only player with big offensive numbers. Paris Brown rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns, Bailey Hockman was 13-for-24 passing for 222 yards and scored on a 1-yard run, and Brandon Smith had four catches for 126 yards. The Indians had 346 yards rushing.
Tenth-ranked Parkview (8-4) finished with 465 yards of its own. Quarterback Caleb Mitchell was 22-of-30 passing for 287 yards and had two touchdowns rushing as well as a touchdown pass and a TD reception. Miles Marshall had 10 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown.
McEachern scored on eight of its 10 possessions and punted twice. The Panthers never punted in the game, but they turned the ball over on downs four times, including once at the McEachern 3-yard line early in the second quarter, and threw one interception.
McEachern got touchdown runs by Holmes, Brown and Hockman on its first three drives to lead 21-6 one play into the second quarter, and the Indians increased the lead to 30-9 after their first drive of the second half.
But Parkview wouldn’t go away. The Panthers got back to within 10 points when Mitchell scored on a 3-yard pass from Malik Washington to cut the lead to 33-23 with 11:55 to play. McEachern responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Holmes’ third touchdown, a 7-yard run, that gave the Indians a 40-23 lead.
Parkview answered again with a 10-yard touchdown run by Mitchell that made it 40-29 with 5:17 left, but McEachern recovered the ensuing onside kick and put the game away on Brown’s 48-yard touchdown run with 2:58 to play.
“It was solid all the way around,” Kyle Hockman said. “Our special teams played well on several things, too. It was a well-played game, and I’m proud of our guys.”
Parkview – 6-3-8-12 – 29
McEachern – 14-10-9-14 – 47
M – Quay Holmes 45 run (Giovanni Dominguez kick)
P – Caleb Mitchell 1 run (run failed)
M – Paris Brown 9 run (Dominguez kick)
M – Bailey Hockman 1 run (Dominguez kick)
P – J.T. Amaya 28 field goal
M – Dominguez 37 field goal
M – Holmes 7 run (kick failed)
P – Miles Marshall 39 pass from Mitchell (Deion Slade pass from Mitchell)
M – Dominguez 24 field goal
P – Mitchell 3 pass from Malik Washington (pass failed)
M – Holmes 7 run (Dominguez kick)
P – Mitchell 10 run (kick failed)
M – Brown 48 run (Dominguez kick)
