GAINESVILLE - Following a two-week game hiatus Red Elephant football had to knock some rust off at the start of its first-round-of-state matchup with Dunwoody Friday on Bobby Gruhn Field, but once Big Red found its footing, it was all over but the stomping.

After taking a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter on a Kharim Hughley touchdown pass to Cameron James, Gainesville simultaneously blew of its rust and and the proverbial doors at City Park in the second scoring 34 points as part of 41 unanswered to secure a 48-3 win.

The Red Elephants are known for a high-powered offense that averages 41 points per game, but Friday night’s highlights came from special teams and defense.

Holding onto that aforementioned slim-by-Big-Red-standards lead in the second and after a lackluster offensive possession, defensive lineman Jamarion Matthews (No. 11 pictured) ran a fake punt 60 yards to put Big Red up 21-3. The next two Dunwoody possessions resulted in scores...for GHS linebacker Darryn Williams (No. 6 pictured), who took their ball to his Big Red house scoring on interception returns of 30 and 22 yards.

As part of Big Red’s 485 yards of total offense - Dunwoody had just 114 - Hughley finished the night with 167 yards passing and four touchdowns; two to James (No. 5 pictured), and one each to Legend Wilmont and PJ Lewis.

The Red Elephants hit the road for the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs where they’ll take on Brunswick, the top seed out of Region 1-5A.

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GHS VS. DUNWOODY: Click Here