Decatur Tops Clarkston, 46-7

Even those who’ve known Decatur juniors Terez and Perez Cowan since childhood have trouble telling them apart.

Most folks have given up and, no matter whom they’re addressing, simply call them Twin. In recent games it’s also become difficult to distinguish them statistically.

 During a constant downpour Friday night the identical twins combined for three touchdowns (the second straight week Perez had two, Terez one) and two fumble recoveries (Perez had both). Clarkston surely thought it was seeing double in a 46-7 loss at Decatur High Stadium.

The Bulldogs, 4-5, will now play Westminster at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the regional play-in game at Westminster, which beat Lovett 21-2 Friday night. If Decatur wins, the team will be in the playoffs.

Westminster, 5-3, and Decatur have four common opponents: Greater Atlanta Christian (to which Westminster lost 49-10 and Decatur lost 69-31), South Atlanta (Westminster won 32-0, Decatur lost 20-6), Therrell (Westminster won 43-6, Decatur won 19-3) and Maynard Jackson (Decatur lost 24-21, Westminster won 37-14).

 “[Westminster’s] gonna be tough,” Decatur head coach Price Jones said. “Offensively, they’re probably not as strong as they’ve been the last two years. But defensively they will be a very strong challenge.”

 It’s therefore timely that Decatur’s offense is gelling. The Bulldogs have scored 125 points the last three games, after getting only 137 (and 57 of those came against hapless North Springs) in the first six.

Without question the Twins have played a pivotal role in the turnaround. On Friday Terez caught at 19-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter, then late in the first half caught a 41-yarder, falling two yards shy of a second score.

Meanwhile, early in the third quarter Perez scored on a 25-yard pass from Vito Antinozzi. After Decatur’s kickoff, and on Clarkston’s first play, he recovered a fumble at the Clarkston 22 and promptly scored on a 22-yard Antinozzi spiral, making it 39-0.

As Terez points out, the physical differences between the two are subtle.

 “I’m a half inch taller,” he said, “and about 15 pounds heavier. We both eat the same food but I eat more of it.”

To this Perez added, “One thing about me, I like playing fast paced.”

Terez looked at his brother and said, “Hey, I like playing fast paced, too.”

They are both fast. And they’re not the only ones increasing the tempo and urgency of their performances. In the past three games sophomore Antinozzi has improved greatly, surpassing the 1,500-yard mark in passing Friday. 

He completed 6 of 9 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns. Beginning with Greater Atlanta Christian he’s completed 35 of his last 53 attempts for a stunning 66 percent, and overall he’s 82 for 149 (55 percent), with 18 touchdowns and 1,542 yards.

Further, Decatur unveiled a brand-new weapon Friday in freshman halfback Tommy Renfroe, who’s been hurt most of this season. He had 38-yard touchdown run and finished with 103 yards on eight carries, not only displaying explosiveness but also resilience with nifty second, third and fourth efforts.

For Price Jones Friday’s one drawback was his team’s defense, which not only lost its shutout to 2-7 Clarkston with 1:48 left in the game, but gave up 276 total yards, all but four of those on the ground. Fullback Antonio Khon and tailback Cepeda Glover had 149 yards (on eight carries) and 100 yards (26 carriers) respectively.

“We still gave up the big play (Khon’s 74-yard touchdown run) and we missed a lot of tackles,” he said. “We’ve got to better, or we’re gonna be a in a world of trouble next week.”