Decatur, GA – It was one of those perfect Georgia fall nights, clear skies, cool breeze, and the kind of electric playoff buzz that makes high school football feel larger than life. Fans packed into North DeKalb Stadium on Friday, and with both bands delivering halftime heat, the atmosphere was as good as it gets.
The Southwest DeKalb Panthers (9-2) took full advantage of the moment, powering past the Jonesboro Cardinals 35-7 to punch their ticket to the Class 4A Sweet 16. The victory marks the program’s 19th trip in 36 all-time playoff appearances, a testament to SWD’s longstanding postseason pedigree.
The Panthers wasted little time setting the tone. An early interception by Amir Lamar ignited the momentum, placing Southwest DeKalb deep in Cardinals territory. Quarterback Braylon Carter finished the drive with a tough, goal-line quarterback sneak to make it 7-0.
Moments later, William Bryant ripped off a 25-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 14-0 as the Panthers controlled the line of scrimmage and the tempo. Carter added to the first-half surge with a nine-yard touchdown strike to Taron Essex, pushing the lead to 21-0 and energizing the packed home stands.
Jonesboro finally broke through just before the half. Quarterback Ethan Sharpe dropped a dime to Aaden Smith from 18 yards out, cutting the deficit to 21-7 and giving the Cardinals a spark heading into the locker room.
But Southwest DeKalb slammed the door shut in the second half behind the explosive running of Joshua Jones. The Panther’s back broke free for a 41-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to make it 28–7, then added an 18-yard score with 4:48 remaining to seal the 35-7 win.
With the dominant performance, Southwest DeKalb now turns its attention to a tough road matchup. The Panthers travel to face No. 5-ranked Kell (9-2), who handled Hampton 35-14 in their own opening-round contest.
Photo Credit: Valerie Odom RealWBNMedia
