A record sixth Trail to the Title Championship middle school football trophy was claimed by the Stephenson Jaguars with a 38-0 victory over the Chapel Hill Panthers at Avondale Stadium on Saturday.

An explosive offense (367 yards, 5 touchdowns) and tenacious defense (30 total yards allowed, 7 negative plays) keyed the runaway win.

Stephenson wasted little time opening the game with a four-play, 61-yard drive on the legs of backs Jayden Johnson and Terrence Woodfin. Johnson started the drive with a big 15-yard run and followed with two explosive running plays of 21 yards each to put the Jaguars (9-0) on the Chapel Hill (7-2) four-yard line. Woodfin took it final four yards for the touchdown. Ja’Mare Tolliver ran in the two-point conversion to make it 8-0 with 5:29 left in the first quarter.

Chapel Hill got a 15-yard pass from Braylon Carter to KeShawn George to move into Stephenson territory on its first drive. Three plays later the Jaguar defense got a big play from defensive lineman Kwame Green as he tackled Chapel Hill running back Tyshawn Kirkwood for an eight-yard loss to force a punt.

Two possessions later, the Jaguars went to Johnson again for a 12-yard gain and followed with a drop back by quarterback Gavin Kinchen who lofted a pass deep down the left sideline for Jordan Christie who hauled it in and raced to the endzone for touchdown. Tolliver again tacked on the two-point conversion to make it 14-0 with 2:58 left in the first half.

Stephenson again stopped the Panthers with two more negative plays supplied by Carlos Wilson and Eli Harris to force punt that gave the Jaguars the ball on the Panthers’ 46-yard line with 1:18 to play.

Kinchen went to the air on three consecutive plays hitting Rontre Welch for eight yards, Christie for 25 yards and finished the drive with a 14-yard toss to Eli Harris with 43 seconds left in the half. Tolliver made it 24-0 with this third two-point conversion.

The second half opened with the Jaguar defense forcing a three and out by Chapel Hill to get the ball. Stephenson responded with a 68-yard drive fueled by a 35-yard run by Johnson down to the Panthers’ 33-yard line. Johnson finished off the drive going the final four yards with 2:49 left in the third quarter. Tolliver again added the two-point conversion to push the lead to 32-0.

Sheldon Evegan recovered a fumble on Chapel Hill’s first play following the kickoff to set up the Jaguars at the Panthers’ 27-yard line. Five plays later Tolliver got his first touchdown to go with his four two-point conversions going the final nine yards to make the final of 38-0.

Chapel Hill got the ball one last time before Stephenson took over with 5:00 minutes left on the clock. The Jaguars ran out the clock to claim their Trail to the Title record fifth undefeated championship run. Chapel Hill fell in its second championship appearance, the last coming in 2013.

Chapel Hill’s Aden Charlton was named the game’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Stephenson’s Jayden Johnson picked up the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game. Jordan Christie (5 receptions, 128 yards, 1 TD) took home the Championship Game’s Most Valuable Player honor.

Stephenson quarterback Gavin Kinchen finished the day going 8 of 10 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns. The Stephenson defense posted shutouts in all three playoff games and five on the season.