Allatoona needed just one drive at the start of the third quarter to overcome a forgettable first half against a tough Glynn Academy defense.
That 10-play drive, which used more than five minutes of the clock and ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Brandon Rainey, was enough to spark the Buccaneers to a 10-6 victory in the Class AAAAA football championship game Friday at the Georgia Dome.
Allatoona (14-1) became the first team from the Cobb County School District, the state’s second-largest, to win a state title.
The Buccaneers’ only touchdown drive covered 80 yards, almost three times as much offense as they had in the first half. Brandon Archibald had a key 21-yard carry that moved the ball into Glynn Academy territory, and Rainey threw a 24-yard pass to Derrand Garrett that moved the ball to the 1.
It was the one offensive bright spot of the night for Allatoona, which came into the game averaging 397 yards but was limited to 189 total yards by the Red Terrors. Archibald had a team-high 43 of his team’s 116 yards rushing, and Rainey was 5-for-9 passing for 73 yards.
But the yardage was even harder to come by for Glynn Academy (12-3), which scored its only points on a 9-yard run by quarterback Deejay Dallas on the final play of the game. The Red Terrors, who had two 1,000-yard rushers this season, finished with 81 yards on 39 carries and 146 yards overall.
The Red Terrors also missed three field goals and came away empty on two drives inside the Allatoona 25 in the fourth quarter.
Glynn Academy had the only scoring opportunities of the scoreless first half, but the Red Terrors missed long field goals on their final two possessions. August Bowers’ 51-yard attempt with 1:37 to play in the half was partially blocked by Michael Robinson, and the Buccaneers recovered at their 6-yard line.
Allatoona was forced to punt after three plays netted 1 yard, and Glynn Academy made a fair catch at the Buccaneers’ 39. The Red Terrors elected to attempt a free kick from there, but Bowers’ 49-yard kick hit the right upright.
Glynn Academy finished the half with 71 yards of total offense, almost half of which came on a 31-yard pass from Deejay Dallas to Morris Demery. Allatoona which had just 42 total yards at halftime. The Buccaneers ran 17 times for 13 net yards, thanks in large part to three sacks of Rainey that resulted in 16 yards of losses.
Glynn Academy – 0-0-0-6 – 6
Allatoona – 0-0-7-3 – 10
A – Brandon Rainey 1 run (Skyler Davis kick)
A – Davis 29 field goal
G – Deejay Dallas 9 run
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