Stephenson’s Marte Barton (12) keeps for the first of his three touchdown runs on the night in the Jaguars’ 38-14 Region 5-3A win over the Mt. Zion Bulldogs. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Stephenson Jaguars ran for 313 yards and five touchdowns in a runaway Region 5-3A victory over the North Clayton Eagles at Hallford Stadium on Tuesday night.
The game was originally scheduled for last Friday but when schools shut down due to Hurricane Helene it was moved to Monday when the Biolab explosion caused bad air quality, and it got pushed to Tuesday.
North Clayton (3-3, 1-1) jumped ahead 7-0 as the Jaguars (3-3, 1-1) fumbled driving at the Eagles 10-yard line where defensive back Eric Washington scooped up the loose ball and raced 90 yards to the score. Aboubacar Diallo tacked on the extra point with 10:11 to play in the first quarter.
Stephenson answered on its next possession driving 54 yards in six plays keyed by a 21-yard pass play from Marte Barton to Anthony Booker. Barton finished off the drive by keeping up the middle for a six-yard touchdown run with 7:30 to play in the period. Booker’s run for two on the swinging gate play gave the Jaguars the lead for good at 8-7.
A short punt by the Eagles gave the Jaguars the football at North Clayton’s 40-yard line and with the help of a facemask call on the Eagles needed just four plays to extend the lead 16-7. Barton again did the honors running the ball in from five yards out. Booker notched the two-point conversion again with 5:00 left on the first period clock.
North Clayton quarterback Justin Murphy exploded for a 50-yard run on the Eagles’ next possession and finished off the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Cayden Burnette. Diallo closed the gap to 14-16 at the 2:15 mark of the first quarter.
Barton was three-of-three passing as the Jaguars would answer with a 55-yard drive to push the lead back out. Barton hit three passes for 42 yards in the drive including a 21-yard connection with Will Chaney. Jayden Johnson closed out the drive with a one-yard dive into the end zone with 19 seconds left in the first quarter and Booker got the two-point conversion for a 24-14 advantage heading into the second quarter.
Stephenson middle linebacker Romando Craddock (0) and teammate Altariq Smith (11) corner North Clayton quarterback Justin Murphy (2) for a big loss on third and goal. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The two teams exchanged punts and with 2:09 left in the half a bad nap on an Eagles’ punt turned into a 16-yard loss to their on 35 to set the Jaguars up with a short field. Four plays later, Barton faked to Johnson, pulled the ball as the defenders closed in and raced around the left end and dove to the pylon for an eight-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed, and the Jaguars would take a 30-14 lead into halftime.
The third quarter went scoreless on just three possessions as the Eagles opened the second half with a six-minute and 14 second drive to the Stephenson 22. The Jaguars held on fourth and six. North Clayton took a drive into the fourth quarter only to have the Jaguars force a stop on fourth and goal at the 11 as defensive back Destin Davies made a leaping deflection of a pass in the end zone to stop the drive.
Stephenson put together an 89-yard drive after the stop as Anthony Booker took the handoff from Barton, broke two tackles, spun away and raced down the right sideline 68 yards into the end zone. Chaney threw to Jaylon Sauder for the two-point conversion for the final of 38-14.
Johnson rushed for 160 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown for Stephenson while Barton was 8-9 passing for 89 yards and ran for three touchdowns.
Stephenson now turns around to play another big region game against defending state champion Cedar Grove (1-3, 1-1) at the Saints’ homecoming on Saturday at 2:00 pm at Godfrey Stadium.
Cedar Grove 27, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 20
The Cedar Grove Saints scored with less than three minutes to play and held on against the Mt. Zion-Jonesboro Bulldogs (3-3, 2-1) for a big 27-20 Region 5-3A win at Tara Stadium in Jonesboro on Monday night.
Cedar Grove (1-3, 1-1) built a 20-7 lead on a 15-yard pass from Josiah Moore to Cleve Sutherland, a Zsewaun Smith touchdown run, and a 62-yard touchdown pass play from Moore to King Parrom.
The Bulldogs stormed back behind passes of 63 and 15 yards late to pull into a 20-20 tie with three minutes to play.
Cedar Grove answered on the first play following the kickoff as Moore threw a quick hitter to Sutherland who raced 56 yards for the touchdown. The Saints held on defense to preserve the victory.
Smith finished the night with 23 carries for 173 yards and a touchdown and Moore finished 10 of 15 passing for 190 yards and three touchdowns including connecting with Sutherland four times for 109 yards and two of the touchdowns.
Defensively, Phillip Wilson had 12 tackles, Prada James added an interception and Amon Martin recovered a fumble to stop a Bulldog drive deep in Saints territory.
Lithonia 27, Druid Hills 0
Devis Dean grabbed a pair of pick-sixes to lead the Lithonia Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1) to a 27-0 Region 5-4A win over the Druid Hills Red Devils (2-4, 0-3) on Saturday at North DeKalb Stadium.
Dean had the Bulldogs up 6-0 at the half as he stepped in front of a pass at the Red Devils 24-yard line and raced down the right sideline for the opening score with 11:52 to play in the half.
The score remained 6-0 until the 2:28 mark of the third period when Dean picked off a tipped pass on the left sideline and took off for 36-yard pick six to put Lithonia up 13-0.
Lithonia picked up two fourth quarter scores with Albert Gooding (22 carries, 133 yards) scoring a rushing touchdown and Armani Myco taking the direct snap, faking a handoff and running around the left side for a 32-yard scoring play. Zach McCall hit the third of his extra points on the night.
Josias Dore led the defense with 10 tackles (4 tackles for loss) along with Tico Crittenden with 4 tackles (3 for loss) while Dean finished the night with two pick-sixes, three tackles and one pass break up.
DCSD FOOTBALL WEEK 7 RESULTS
Wednesday, Sept. 25
ADAMS STADIUM
Lakeside (4-2, 3-0)* 14, Tri-Cities (4-1, 2-1) 6
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Tucker (4-1, 3-0)* 47, Northview (0-6, 0-4) 6
Saturday, Sept. 28
ADAMS STADIUM
Lamar County (4-1, 1-0) 19, McNair (2-4, 0-2)* 16
Douglass Co. (5-1) 47, Columbia (0-6) 14
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Lithonia (4-1, 2-1)* 27, Druid Hills (2-4, 0-3) 0
Decatur (6-0, 3-0) 28, Dunwoody (1-5, 0-3)* 14
COBB STADIUM
Flint River (6-0) vs. Cross Keys (0-4) (CANCELED)
AWAY GAMES
Woodward (3-3, 3-0)* 44, Arabia Mountain (1-5, 0-3) 0
Greene Co. (5-1) 32, Miller Grove (3-3) 0
Marist (5-0, 3-0)* 47, SW DeKalb (3-3, 2-2) 13
DCSD FOOTBALL WEEK 7 SCHEDULE
Monday, Sept. 30
COBB STADIUM
Southwest Whitfield (0-6) vs. Towers (2-2), 5:30 pm (CANCELED)
AWAY GAMES
Creekside (3-2, 3-0)* 36, M.L. King (1-5, 0-3) 0
Chamblee (0-5, 0-2) at Shiloh (0-5, 0-2)*, (moved to 10/9)
TARA STADIUM
Cedar Grove (1-3, 1-1) 27, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro (3-3, 2-1)* 20
Tuesday, Oct. 1
COBB STADIUM
Salem (1-4) vs. Stone Mountain (0-6), (Moved to Tuesday, Oct. 22)
HALLFORD STADIUM
Stephenson (3-3, 1-1)* 38, North Clayton (3-3, 1-1) 14
OPEN: Clarkston (0-5), Redan (0-6)
*–Region game
(HC) – Homecoming