COVINGTON, Ga. — In week 1 of the 2025 postseason, it was the bread and butter in the Newton Rams’ run game that secured a 33-14 victory over the Peachtree Ridge Lions.
The first half proved to be evenly matched, with scores by both squads.
But Darius “Hercules” White and Kevin Hartsfield took over the game, with both rushing for multiple touchdowns and over 100 yards each.
“We’re hard to beat,” said head coach Josh Skelton “Guys really played well and down the stretch we had composure. We had the belief that we were never out of it.”
Game Action
Going into this contest, both teams were expected to play even, but contested football. That’s exactly what happened as both teams went scoreless to end the first quarter.
It did not take long, however, for Newton to strike first thanks to none other than Hartsfield. The extra point attempt was no good, leaving the Rams with a 6-0 lead.
Newton seemed to be gaining traction after a three-and-out stop. But a muffed punt by Derrick Miller stopped the Rams in its tracks.
The muff eventually led to a quarterback keeper touchdown by Rayshaun Parks. With the successful extra point attempt, the Lions took over the lead with a score of 6-7.
Newton tried to get back on track, with a promising look at another score with a solid Hartsfield fourth-down conversion. But the drive stalled out, forcing the Rams to punt the ball back to the Lions.
A defensive stop led by Landes “Nightmare” English forced another Lions punt, ending the half.
Peachtree Ridge seemed rejuvenated early in the second half. After a key completion by Parks to Rhari Thomas, Sedric Addison took a 35-yard rush down the field, only for Noeshon Wilson to recover his fumble and change the tide of the game.
Hartsfield immediately put on the jets again, showing why he’s considered a top running back in the class of 2028. The drive was capped off by White’s first touchdown of the night to give the Rams a 13-7 lead.
The defense got in on the action next, with a sack by Tyrell Mcknight and Cameron Horne forcing the Lions to punt from its own endzone.
A bad punt gave the Rams the ball back on the Lions’ 15-yard line. That immediately set things up for Hercules once more, scoring his second touchdown and giving the Rams a 19-7 lead following a missed two-point conversion.
After another forced punt by the Rams defense, the offense took a step in the wrong direction, with quarterback Deron Benson taking a sack on the one-inch line.
Thomas and Parks once again gained some traction, allowing the Lions to get the red zone. This time, it paid off, as Addison ran it in for a Lions touchdown.
In a one-possession game with 9:44 remaining, the Rams looked to respond. And respond, they did.
A thunderous kickoff return by Braylon Miller set up a flashy catch by Jaqwan Carr. This set up Hartsfield’s second touchdown of the night as he entered untouched to put the Rams up 26-14.
The Lions were far from out of it, as Thomas and Parks again tore through the Rams secondary. But the Lions could not get it done in the redzone, as Christian Bailey broke up the fourth and goal pass to put the game out of reach.
Just when the game seemed to be over, Hercules went back to work, tearing through the defense for a 65-yard touchdown to ice the game and give the Rams a 33-14 win.
“That felt great,” White said. “You know I saw nothing but green grass and I was out of there.”
Next up
While the Rams have been known for their string of first-round playoff exits, Skelton and company are shedding the label quickly after their second consecutive first-round victory.
But the Rams will be facing the daunting task of traveling to undefeated Buford for its second-round matchup. There, the Rams will look to lean on Hartsfield and White, who has emerged into a legitimate MVP contender.
“Being consistent,” White said of his recent performances. “It starts in practice and if you’re consistent in practice it’s gonna show up on gameday.
The Wolves, ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 9 in the country, are prime state championship contenders and sit at 11-0. That’s not stopping Skelton and his team from taking on the challenge.
“We’re going to continue to focus on ourselves,” Skelton said. “But we’re also gonna play to our standard. I think we did it tonight and we’re gonna carry that motivation into next week.”
The Rams and Wolves will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. at Philip Beard Stadium.
