2016 TRAIL TO THE TITLE CHAMPIONS — STEPHENSON JAGUARS
The 13th Annual Middle School Football Trail to the Title Championship ended with a bang as the Stephenson Jaguars scored with under two minutes to play to win a 20-16 thriller over the Tucker Tigers on Saturday at Godfrey Stadium.
Trailing 16-14 and facing a first and 20 at their own 25, the Jaguars dialed up their third big strike against the Tigers’ defense as quarterback Joseph Jackson hooked up with receiver Armond Anderson on a 75-yard pass play to take a 20-16 lead as the clock ticked below the two minute mark.
A two-point conversion failed and the Tigers would get one last shot at winning the title that has eluded them in the past two finals against Cedar Grove.
Stephenson’s Kamar Wilcoxson snuffed the Tigers hopes with 1:28 to play as he leaped in front of intended receiver Donavan Williams to intercept the pass and secured the Jaguars’ record fifth championship.
The Tigers, playing in their fourth consecutive title game, had won the 2013 title before losing to Cedar Grove in 2014 and 2015. The experience showed early as Tucker went up 8-0 in the first quarter on an 8-yard run by quarterback Keeman Hayes and a two-point conversion by Randy Britt.
Stephenson’s Kamar Wilcoxson (8) goes up in front of Tucker receiver Donavan Williams for game clinching interception. (Photo courtesy of iShootAtlanta/Travis Hudgons)
The Jaguars struck in the second quarter on an explosive 33-yard touchdown run by Championship MVP Kamar Wilcoxson to pull Stephenson within 8-6 as the two-point conversion failed.
Late in the second quarter Tucker defensive lineman Dawson Rivers had a scoop and score on a Jaguar fumble and with the two-point conversion it was 16-6.
Two plays later Wilcoxson streaked 75 yards for a touchdown and Jackson connected with Bradley Favors for the two-point conversion to make it a 16-14 deficit as the first half was winding down.
Stephenson’s Ahmad Drummer blocked a Tucker punt and had the Jaguars threatening to take the lead before the half. Tucker’s Isaiah Raheem squelched the threat with an interception to send the Tigers into halftime up 16-14.
The two teams struggled offensively for most of the second half until Stephenson’s big play to take the lead with just under two minutes to play.
Stephenson eighth grader Kamar Wilcoxson was named the championship game’s MVP after rushing for 133 yards and two touchdowns on six carries and making the game preserving interception with 1:38 to play. Stephenson’s Armond Anderson was named the Offensive MVP and Omari Terry was selected as the Defensive MVP.
Stephenson extended its DeKalb County leading championship total with its fifth title on Saturday. The Jaguars won the first two titles in 2004 and 2005 along with titles in 2009 and 2011 and played for the title in 2012 in a loss to Lithonia.
The Jaguars also finished undefeated (9-0) for the fourth time which leads the county as only Cedar Grove and Miller Grove have gone undefeated on the way to titles. Stephenson has 6 undefeated regular seasons to lead the county with Cedar Grove and Tucker both holding four undefeated regular seasons.
Trail to the Title MVPS (l-r) Game MVP Kamar Wilcoxson, Offensive MVP Armond Anderson and Defensive MVP Omari Terry.
Tucker finished 8-1 for the third consecutive year and has won 33 of its last 36 games while advancing to the championship game four consecutive years. The Tigers defeated Chapel Hill for the 2013 title, but have dropped the last three championship tilts, two consecutive to Cedar Grove and this season to Stephenson.[/fusion_text]