ROSWELL, Ga. — Winter jackets populated Tift County’s sidelines and bleachers Friday night at Ray Manus Stadium, but the Blue Devils were anything but cold during their first round game with Roswell.

Tift (7-4) smothered Roswell 42-7 in the playoff game, dominating a team that entered 9-1, won the Region 4-7A championship, was ranked as high as No. 6 in this week’s poll and whose single loss had come by a single point.

Although region champs, Roswell entered wounded. Starting running back Kamonty Jett had missed the team’s final game. He did not take a snap against Tift and the Hornets were unable to establish a run game.

Tift led 21-0 at halftime, having established itself with three second-quarter touchdowns. Roswell scored in the third to cut to a two-touchdown lead, but were completely shut down the rest of the way.

Neither team established any rhythm, combining for five punts in the initial five possessions. Tift was held on third down on the next drive, with fourth-and-1 to go at its own 40, head coach Ashley Anders decided to go for it. The gamble paid off, with Patrick Felton gaining two yards.

That seemed to energize the Devils, with Mike Jones picking up chunks of yards on runs. Then came another gamble, this in the form of a secret weapon Tift had been working on throughout the week. Into the backfield came Deontae Overstreet and his first two carries resulted in 15 yards to the Roswell 17.

On the last play of the first quarter, Tift was knocking on the door, having run to the 5.

When the second quarter opened, Felton found a gap at left guard and pulled out of an ankle tackle for the 5-yard score. Rosendo Ramirez, who had a busy night with six extra points, kicked his first at 11:55 for a 7-0 lead.

Roswell quarterback Ethan Roberts missed on all three of his first quarter passes, but found some rhythm with completions to John Copenhaver. Roberts later ran it into Tift territory, but were stopped short of first down. The Hornets, too, opted to roll the dice, but it did not go as hoped with Wendell McClain picking off the pass.

Tift couldn’t score off the interception, having a 52-yard field goal blocked, but things were looking up.

A 19-yard punt set up their next drive at Roswell’s 42.

Overstreet ran for a first down and with the ball at the 23, the Devils went to him again. This time, he burst up the left sideline and while the Hornets got their hands on him, he was shoved into the end zone at 2:43.

Roswell seemed content to end the half down 14, but were stopped quickly on runs deep in its own territory. The Devils called two timeouts to stop the clock. Tripp Cooper punted to midfield, but McClain returned the ball 21 yards. A hold put the pigskin on the 46 at 1:44 and there was no stopping the surging Devils.

Felton completed two straight passes, then hit Tyler Ajiero on a short route. Ajiero had his eyes on the sidelines to stop the clock, but no one from Roswell stood in front of him. He streaked 24 yards and Tift went into the half with a 21-0 advantage.

Roswell made its only serious drive off the third quarter kickoff, going 80 yards in 15 plays for its lone touchdown. The Hornets almost didn’t get it.

The Hornets had first-and-goal at the 6, but couldn’t complete a fourth-down pass. However, there was a flag for roughing the passer and Roswell had four fresh downs at the 1. On third down at the 6, Roberts found Jacob Jarrett in the end zone. Caden Long booted the extra point and at 8:02, the lead narrowed to 21-7.

Tift shook off a near-fumble and illegal shift on the next drive to keep the first down sticks moving. Jones and Felton ran the ball seven straight plays, the last being a 4-yard Felton run for a score.

Two minutes later, the fourth quarter began and the final two nails in Roswell’s coffin were hammered.

A 44-yard drive ended in Felton throwing to Jameson Turner in the right corner for a 21-yard touchdown.

Roberts was sacked on the next drive, then forced a third down pass. Ron Jackson poached the pigskin at the 22 and ran untouched for Tift’s final score of the evening.

Substitutes, including quarterbacks Mac Turner, Jacob Beach and Weston Clamp played for the remainder of the game.

Jones ran for 100 yards unofficially on 22 carries. Overstreet picked up 51 yards on five tries, running for a score.

Felton completed 11 of 14 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns and rarely faced Roswell pressure. His main target was Ajiero, who caught 40 yards and a touchdown on four catches. Turner had 31 yards on three receptions. Bricin Savage had a single catch for 45 yards.

Roberts, who rarely had a moment to breathe, only completed 8 of 25 passes for 107 yards. He was sacked twice and threw two interceptions. Copenhaver led with 57 yards on five receptions.

Tift held Roswell to 54 rushing yards. Jeremy Slaughter had half of those at 27.

The Blue Devils will be back on the road next Friday, traveling to East Coweta that, too, won in an upset. The Indians defeated Marietta 28-26.