The No. 4 ranked Tucker Tigers scored 22 unanswered points after falling behind 7-0 to No. 5 ranked Northside of Warner Robins on the way to a 22-7 victory at Hallford Stadium in Clarkston on Friday to advance to the Class 6A state title game.

Northside (11-3) came into the game looking to set up an all-Region 1-6A final and got off on the right foot stuffing Tucker’s first offensive possession and following up with a 69-yard, 5-play drive to take a 7-0 lead on Tobias Oliver’s one-yard sneak into the end zone with 8:19 to play in the first quarter.

Tucker trimmed the lead to 7-3 with 2:57 left in the first quarter by answering with a 50-yard drive that stalled at the Northside 11-yard line. Adam Lippy, who leads DeKalb County kickers with 76 points, connected on a 28-yard field goal to get the Tigers on the board.

The two defenses took over the game from that point with five consecutive offensive possessions ending in punts until Tucker’s possession that started with 6:40 to play in the first half.

The Tigers would march 76 yards in seven plays to take the lead for good. Xavier Shephard and Josh Vann, who would combine for 125 yards passing and two touchdowns in the game, finished the drive on a 26-yard scoring toss to the goal line that Vann hauled in in front of a Northside defender as he went into the end zone. The point after try was no good and Tucker led 9-7 with 4:11 left in the first half.

Tucker’s Eugene Brown would recover a Northside fumble at the Eagles’ 28, but the Northside defense held first to force a missed 44-yard field goal attempt to keep the game at 9-7 at the half.

Northside opened the second half driving to the Tiger 38, but the Tiger defense which allowed just 16 yards rushing in the second half stiffened on fourth and four as Jalen Jefferson and Darick Stephenson stopped Oliver three-yards short of the first down.

The Eagles stopped the Tigers ensuing drive at the Northside 32 as a fumble went to the Eagles’ defense. Five plays later the swarming Tiger defense forced a bad pitch on Northside’s option play that Tucker defensive end Aaron Sterling scooped up at the 44-yard line and raced into the end zone putting the Tigers up 15-7 with 3:09 to play in the third quarter.

Tucker forced the Eagles to punt on their next two possessions and took over on their own 37 with 6:53 to play in the game.

Three plays later and facing a third and five, Shephard dropped back and found Vann streaking down the right sideline for a 58-yard scoring pass. Lippy tacked on the PAT for a 22-7 lead with 5:43 to play.

Vann came up big on defense on Northside’s next possession as he made a leaping interception in front of an Eagle receiver on a fourth and 19 play to give the Tigers the football back with 3:50 to play.

Northside forced a punt and due mainly to three personal fouls on the Tiger defense moved to the Tiger 20 where on first down Jalen Jefferson intercepted at the Tucker 1-yard line with 2:05 to play.

The Tigers ran out the clock to secure the win.

Tucker (13-1) is in its fourth state title game in the past nine seasons and fifth overall for the program. Tucker reached the state finals in 1963, 2008, 2011 and in 2013, winning championships over Marist (15-3) in 2008 and Lovejoy (22-7) in 2011.

The Tigers earned a fourth trip to the Georgia Dome at 8 pm on Friday (Dec. 9) against the No. 1 ranked Valdosta Wildcats (13-1) who upended No. 2 Dalton 27-6.

Cedar Grove (12-2) jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back against the Cougars (13-1) who suffered their first loss of the season.

Quarterback Jelani Woods who had two touchdown passes in the game hit the first of two to Jadon Haselwood for an early 7-0 lead. DeAngelo Malone and Justin Shaffer made a sack in the end zone for a safety moments later for a 9-0 Cedar Grove lead.

Woods finished off the next Cedar Grove possession with a four-yard run for a score and a 16-0 lead as Solee Fofana added his second PAT of the quarter.

Jenard Morris picked up the Saints second safety of the first quarter with his sack in the end zone for an 18-0 lead with about four minutes left in the first quarter. Two minutes later Fofana would add a field goal for the 21-0 lead heading into the second quarter.

Woods and Haselwood hooked up for another touchdown pass with 8:12 to play in the first half to extend the lead 28-0 on Fofana’s PAT (6 of 7 PATs in the game.

Korey Hernandez would add a 20-yard touchdown reception from Tre’ Shaw and Shaw ran for a touchdown following a Cougar fumble on the kickoff to send Cedar Grove into the half up 41-0.

Grant Walker would a touchdown run in the third quarter and Demetrius Tharpe added a fourth quarter score for the final of 55-0.

Cedar Grove moves on to the Class 3A State championship at 1 pm on Friday (Dec. 9) at the Georgia Dome against No. 1 ranked Greater Atlanta Christian (13-1) which knocked off No. 2 Peach County 13-7 in Fort Valley.

Cedar Grove’s only other trip to the state championship round came in 1991, a 28-19 loss to Cartersville.

The Saints’ win puts two DCSD in the finals in the same season for the fifth time. DeKalb accomplished the feat for the first time in 1961 (Tucker, Avondale), 1972 (Lakeside, SW DeKalb), 1981 (Columbia, Peachtree) and 1991 (Cedar Grove, Lakeside).

DCSD FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS
FRIDAY, DEC. 2
CLASS 6A
Tucker (13-1) 22, Northside-Warner Robins (11-3) 7

Class 3A
Cedar Grove (12-2) 55, Crisp County (13-1) 0

DCSD FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, DEC. 9
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS 6A
Tucker (13-1) vs. Valdosta (13-1), 8:00 pm

CLASS 3A
Cedar Grove (12-2) vs. Greater Atlanta Christian (13-1), 1:00 pm