The Cedar Grove Saints held off Stephenson 14-10 to win the Trail to the Title Championship on Saturday. It is the Saints third title and first since 2015. (Photo by Vincent Myers – Shawtcut_Shoots_Photography)
The Cedar Grove Saints held off a late furious rally by the Stephenson Jaguars to win the 2023 Trail to the Title Middle School Football Championship on Saturday at Avondale Stadium.
Cedar Grove (7-2) came into the game as the underdog to the undefeated Jaguars (8-0) who were the defending champs and riding a 17-game win streak. One of the wins was a 24-8 win over the Saints in the opening week of the season.
The two teams played to a 0-0 tie in the opening period before a 65-yard pass play from Cedar Grove quarterback Brandon Davis to Zack Bell put the Saints on the Jaguars’ one-yard line early in the second period. Davis would run it in the final yard and Cedar Grove took an 8-0 lead.
Davis would later connect with Dale Perry on a touchdown pass to make it 14-0 in favor of the Saints.
Perry intercepted a Stephenson pass just before the half to keep the Jaguars off the board in the first half.
As the clock ticked down to three minutes to play with Cedar Grove still holding a 14-0 lead the Saints took a safety to avoid a possible blocked punt in the end zone. Cedar Grove kicked off with a 14-2.
Perry came up big again as he intercepted another Jaguar pass and the Saints looked to run out the clock with the 12-point lead.
The Jaguars got a break as an errant snap went off Davis’s outstretched hands and Stephenson’s Carlos Wilson picked it up and ran it in for a scoop and score with 2:17 to play. Wayne “TJ” Jenkins ran in the two-point conversion to close the gap to 14-10.
(Top Photo) Stephenson’s Aaryn Chastine (Blue 2) defense as Cedar Grove’s Dale Perry (White 2) makes a diving reception. (Bottom Photo) Stephenson’s Carlos Wilson (99) avoids a Cedar Grove tackler on the way to a scoop and score. (Photos by Vincent Myers – Shawtcut_Shoots_Photography)
Stephenson held the Saints and got the football back with eight seconds to play. A hail Mary pass as the clock went to zero was intercepted as Perry made it a hat trick on the day with his third pick to seal the win for the Saints.
Brandon Davis threw for 150 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score for the Saints to be named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Brenden Flounory rushed for 75 yards on the day picking up key first downs and running time off the clock to earn Offensive Player of the Game honors. Zack Bell caught two passes for 100 yards for Cedar Grove. Dale Perry finished with a receiving touchdown and the three big interceptions to earn Defensive Player of the Game honors.
Cedar Grove became the third team to win three Trail to the Title championships joining Stephenson (6) and Miller Grove (3). The Saints won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015 and has won three times in five appearances in the title game. It was Stephenson’s ninth appearance and the Jaguars are 6-3.
Cedar Grove’s win prevented a fourth consecutive undefeated champion as Stephenson was 9-0 a year ago, Salem was 9-0 in 2021 and Champion went 9-0 in 2019 (there was no game in 2020).
Cedar Grove gets one more game as they will represent DeKalb in the APS (Atlanta Public Schools) vs. DCSD Football Challenge. The Saints take on John Lewis Middle, the APS champion, at 9:00 am on Saturday at Avondale Stadium.
Cedar Grove football coach Adam Smith (front) with his award winning players (back, l-r) Brenden Flournory (Offensive Player of the Game), Brandon Davis (Most Valuable Player) and Dale Perry (Defensive Player of the Game). (Photo by Vincent Myers – Shawtcut_Shoots_Photography)
See links below for Trail to the Title History and Final 2023 Standings: