Stephenson’s Jaylen Marson-Knight (5) looks for his second consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season in a key Region 4-6A game against Tucker on Friday. (File photo by Mark Brock)
James R. Hallford Stadium is set to host a key Region 4-6A high school football game as the Battle of the Big Cats rivalry between the No. 6 ranked Tucker Tigers and Stephenson Jaguars kicks off at 7:30 pm on Friday.
Tucker (8-1, 6-0) and Stephenson (6-3, 5-1) are perennial state playoff teams in DeKalb County but have only met twice in the regular season before this fall due to playing mostly in different classifications. While playing money-making scrimmage games for several years, the only two regular season meetings came in the 2012 and 2013 seasons as members of Region 6-5A.
Stephenson won the first meeting 13-6 in 2012 and Tucker bounced back in 2013 with a 31-28 victory as the Tigers marched to a Class 5A state runners-up finish at the Georgia Dome.
A win in Friday’s game gives Tucker the Region 4-6A title outright, but a Stephenson victory would throw the top spot in the region into a three-way tie with Lovejoy (6-4, 6-1) with a point differential tiebreaker to decide the seeding. Currently Tucker is a plus-3 due to its 29-26 win over Lovejoy (-2) and Stephenson is a minus-1 due to a tough 28-27 loss to Lovejoy.
The two DeKalb rivals are known as running teams (Tucker, 2,277 yards on the ground; Stephenson, 1,760 yards rushing), but both pick their spots in the passing game, usually for big plays.
Tucker’s Chris Broadwater (with ball) is part of a one-two punch with teammate Taurean Taylor as the Tucker Tigers take on Region 4-6A foe Stephenson on Friday night at Hallford Stadium. (File photo by Mark Brock)
Junior Taurean Taylor leads the Tigers’ ground attack with 913 yards on 69 carries with 15 touchdowns on the season while averaging 13.2 yards per carry. Senior Chris Broadwater has 661 yards and 11 touchdowns this season after a 1,304 yards/18 touchdown season last year.
Stephenson senior running back Jaylen Marson-Knight is closing in on a second consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season with 981 yards on 153 carries and 16 touchdowns. Marson-Knight ran for 1,174 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015.
Tucker has 14 touchdowns via the pass this season led by senior quarterback Xavier Shephard (1,165 yards, 59-102 passing, 12 TDs) and a group of four receivers averaging over 20 yards per catch. Junior Josh Vann has 35 receptions for 730 yards and 8 touchdowns with a 20.9 average per reception. Taylor (23.0 yards/catch) and Cameron Richardson (21.0 yards/catch) both have a pair of touchdowns.
Senior D’Vonn Gibbons has thrown for 975 yards (59-109) and 13 touchdowns to lead the Jaguars with his main target being senior Khalil Newton (21 receptions, 471 yards, 6 TDs). Hassan Littles is averaging 32 yards per reception and has three touchdowns and Marquise Whitmire has three more of the touchdowns through the air.
The Tiger defense has 41 tackles for a loss and 17.5 sacks after eight games. Senior defensive lineman Aaron Sterling has 9 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks, junior defensive end Antonio Showers has 7 tackles for a loss and 5 sacks and senior linebacker Brian Strozier has 6 tackles for a loss and one sack.
The Jaguars defense compiled 57 tackles for a loss and 15 sacks through eight games this season. Senior linebackers Michael Makins (105 total tackles, 7 TFL, 2 Sacks) and Gethro George (81 total tackles, 12 TFL, 2 sacks) along with junior defensive end Darius Perry (63 total tackles, 8 TFL, 4 sacks) lead the way for Stephenson.
Region 5-5A
Three big games with playoff implications are being played this weekend in the all-DeKalb Region 5-5A.
Miller Grove (3-6, 1-3) hosts Chamblee (2-7, 1-3) in a 7:30 pm kickoff at Avondale Stadium on Friday with the winner getting the No. 4 seed out of the region. Chamblee is coming off a thrilling pick-6, 13-6 victory over Columbia to get into the playoff hunt. Miller Grove will try to rebound from loss to Lithonia last week in the hopes of gaining the playoff berth.
Southwest DeKalb (5-4, 3-1) looks to seal up a host role in the first round of the state playoffs as they take on rival Columbia (2-7, 0-4) in a 7:30 pm Friday kickoff at Godfrey Stadium.
No. 8 ranked Arabia Mountain (8-1, 4-0) looks to seal the Region 5-5A crown as it takes on Lithonia (4-5, 3-1) which is looking to force a three-way tie atop the standings with the Rams and Southwest DeKalb.
Arabia Mountain defeated Southwest DeKalb 14-7 in a thriller last week to secure the school’s first ever playoff berth. Lithonia is coming off a 77-14 region win over Miller Grove last week. The two teams collide in a 7:30 pm kickoff at Hallford Stadium on Saturday.
Region 5-3A
The Towers Titans (4-5, 3-3) entertain Pace Academy (5-4, 3-3) on Friday at Godfrey Stadium with the final Region 5-3A playoff berth on the line at 5:15 pm.
Whichever team wins goes to the Class 3A state playoffs. The Titans’ last appearance in the playoffs was a first round loss in 2009.
DCSD WEEK 12 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 3
GODFREY STADIUM
Lovett (6-3, 4-2) vs. McNair (3-6, 1-5), 7:00 pm
Friday, Nov. 4
ADAMS STADIUM
Salem (5-4, 2-3) vs. Druid Hills (3-6, 1-4), 7:30 pm
AVONDALE STADIUM
Chamblee (2-7, 1-3) vs. Miller Grove (3-6, 1-3), 7:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Pace (5-4, 3-3) vs. Towers (4-5, 3-3), 5:15 pm
SW DeKalb (5-4, 3-1) vs. Columbia (2-7, 0-4), 8:00 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
Tucker (8-1, 6-0) vs. Stephenson (6-3, 5-1), 7:30 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Westminster (7-2, 6-0) vs. Stone Mountain (1-8, 0-6), 7:30 pm
AWAY GAMES
Clarkston (1-8) vs. Douglass (6-3), Lakewood, 5:30 pm
Lakeside (5-4, 2-3) at Brookwood (6-3, 4-1), 7:30 pm
Dunwoody (2-7, 1-6) at Johns Creek (7-2, 6-1), 7:30 pm
M.L. King Jr. (2-7, 0-6) vs. Mt. Zion-Jonesboro (3-6, 2-4), Tara, 7:30 pm
Saturday, Nov. 5
GODFREY STADIUM
Redan (3-6, 2-4) vs. Cedar Grove (7-2, 5-1), 7:30
HALLFORD STADIUM
Arabia Mountain (8-1, 4-0) vs. Lithonia (4-5, 3-1), 7:30 pm