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Sports

Dublin Dismantles Dougherty Valley

The Gaels retain "Shalalie" in convincing shutout win over cross-town rivals

Dublin 40, Dougherty Valley 0

The Star: The Gaels’ Jabari Davis was all over the field, as he snatched three interceptions and hauled in a touchdown on offense.

The Turning Point:  Early in the second quarter, Davis’ second interception set Dublin up in Dougherty Valley territory.  Three plays later, the Gaels found the end zone, jumping out to a 20-0 lead, which they would carry into halftime.

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The Quote: "I told our guys to keep going and keep getting after it, and they never let up.  They played great up front." — Dublin coach John Wade.

What's Next? Dublin High awaits news of its playoff seeding, to be released this Sunday.

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Bottom Line: The Gaels defense never allowed the Wildcats to get anything going, while the offense wore their opponents down with the running game.

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On a night when everything appeared to come easily to the home Gaels, it was only fitting that it took but a short stroll for the ecstatic bunch to retrieve the coveted Shalalie from their own sideline, a reward for blanking Dougherty Valley Thursday night.

A year after this rivalry matchup came down to the wire, the result of this year’s contest never appeared to be in question, as Dublin High rolled the Wildcats 40-0.  An enthusiastic home crowd braved the evening chill to witness its side’s fourth straight victory over the school’s cross-town foes.

“I honestly did not expect to win 40-0,” said Dublin High coach John Wade.  “In a rivalry game, you don’t pay much attention to how the other team is doing coming into that game, and you expect to get their best.”

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they were unable to raise their level of play to the occasion.

After the Gaels set the tone early when their quarterback dashed into the end zone on a quarterback keeper midway through the first quarter, Dougherty Valley was unable to respond. They were particularly plagued by a series of offensive miscues that repeatedly dashed the visitors’ momentum and set the Gaels up in advantageous field position.

Among the game’s standout performers was senior defensive back and wide receiver Jabari Davis, who led the charge with three interceptions and added a touchdown reception to boot.  It seemed that every time Dougherty Valley appeared to be putting a drive together, Davis was there to break it apart.

“I think the interceptions were probably more impressive to me,” explained Davis.  “I wasn’t expecting to pick them off, since the balls were all over the place, but I stayed focused on the ball and made the plays.”

The Gaels also dealt Dougherty Valley a heavy dose of quarterback Edward Achziger and running back Major Stelly, both of whom posted a pair of scores on the ground.

The Wildcats’ lone offensive bright spot throughout the game was the hard running of Xavier Vaesau, who managed more than 120 yards on the night.

Now 6-4, Dublin looks forward to Sunday, when it will receive its seeding in the playoffs.  Coach Wade hopes the seed will be high enough for his unit to play host in the first round.

Regardless of whether they host or not, Davis likes the Gaels’ chances.

“After shutting down our rivals, I like our momentum going into the playoffs,” he exclaimed.  “Hopefully we can go get another win.”

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Dublin 40, Dougherty Valley 0

Dougherty Valley  0  0  0  0  —  0
Dublin                   6 14 13 7  — 40


Scoring summary
6:22, 1st: D — Achziger 9 run  (PAT no good)

11:55, 2nd: D — Stelly 8 run (PAT no good)

9:23, 2nd: D — Stelly 3 run  (Stelly 3 run )

6:07, 3rd: D — Achziger 23 pass Davis  (PAT no good)

0:59, 3rd: D — Jones 45 run (Tucker kick)

10:03, 4th: D — Achziger 8 run (Tucker kick)

Records: Dougherty Valley 3-7, 0-6 DVAL.  Dublin 6-4, 3-3 DVAL.

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