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Newton looking for second win
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The Newton County football team did something Monday it hasn't done all season long - practiced after coming off a win.

The victory, 14-7 over Alcovy, didn't change much for the Rams which continued through another week of practice with business as usual. The Rams now set their sights on Druid Hills, with a chance to remain unbeaten in Region 2-AAAAAA play today.

"Our kids have really done a good job all year of coming back on Monday and getting back to work," Newton coach Cortez Allen said. "There were no changes in our practice habits; the guys have worked just as hard as they have all year. They're taking care of business."

The Rams (1-4) also went to work trying to build on, not only their first win, but also their highest scoring output of 14 points. A key that victory was Kemani Pittman, who had his best game of the year with seven completions on 15 attempts for 202 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore quarterback also ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

"It's definitely something we want to build on," Allen said. "Kemani has done an outstanding job for us this year. He stepped up big last week and was able to move the ball and the offense. We look for him to continue that and look for him to build on last week."

Pittman and the Rams will be going against a Druid Hills team, which is coming off back-to-back losses against high-scoring opponents.

The Red Devils (2-3, 0-1) were defeated by Lovejoy 58-3 on Sept. 28 before a 49-7 loss to Luella on Oct. 5, and are giving up 28.6 points per game.

The Rams are scoring just 4.2 points per game, with their only other touchdown on a James Hardeman run against Valdosta, and Allen feels Newton can add to that against Druid Hills.

"We look at our backs and receivers and we think we should be able to get some things done against that secondary," Allen said. "They look a little undersized up front and we feel like we've got to take advantage of our size on offensive line."

Offensively, the Red Devils have a lot of speed at their skill positions and a senior returning quarterback in Noah Thomas.

"They seem to be a young team who has a few standout athletes with some great speed," Allen said. "We've got to be mindful of making sure we're able to contain them from a speed perspective, and make sure we don't take them for granted."

If Newton can come away with a victory it will be Druid Hills' first time losing three-straight since the end of the 2011 season. It will also mark the Rams second region win, keeping hopes alive for a playoff appearance.

"I think at this point in the season, we're right where we want to be," Allen said. "We're 1-0 in the region, and all we can do is look ahead to what we hope to accomplish over the next couple of weeks."