Grayson didn’t win a region title this season for the first time since 2017 and entered the playoffs unranked for the first time since 2013, but the defending Class 7A champions are headed to the semifinals again after beating 10th-ranked Roswell 24-14 on the road Friday at Ray Manus Stadium.
“We battled all year, and I thought with the schedule we played, and the hard times we fell on early that our kids would be able to fight come playoff time,” said Grayson coach Adam Carter, whose team’s 7-3 regular-season record showed more losses than any Grayson team in eight years. “You see some adversity. You see some ups and downs, but our kids are just finding a way right now. I’m proud of them.”
It wouldn’t be a pleasant start to the game Friday for Grayson as Roswell (10-3) drew first blood on a four-play, 80-yard drive that took only 1:22. A 53-yard touchdown strike from Robbie Roper to Shaun Spence got Roswell started, but Grayson would settle down.
“Defensively, we gave up a big play out of the gate, and that could have just been a gut punch,” Carter said. “Our offense came back, battled and got us back in the game. We had some good things happen. We are a totally different team from last year. This has become a close group, and they are playing for each other.”
Grayson scored 21 points unanswered behind Joseph Taylor’s two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown from Rayne Fry to Mason Humphrey, but the game was in question most of the way.
Roper, a star in Roswell’s 46-43 upset of No. 2 North Cobb last week, made things interesting by cutting the deficit to 21-14 in the third quarter on another touchdown strike to Spence, this one for 43 yards.
Roper was 17-of-31 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Spence finished with eight catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
But Grayson sacked Roper eight times. The offensive line couldn’t protect him despite his evasiveness and great ability to throw on the run. Missed opportunities (30 yard missed field goal) also played a factor in Roswell’s chances of going to the semifinals.
Coach Carter talked about what allowed Grayson to be successful defensively.
“We were really simply tonight,” Carter said. “We pressured when we needed to, and tried to keep him off his spot. That quarterback is a really good player. We tried to give him different looks and paint a different picture for him pre-snap. When we got ahead a little bit and got them into all pass, then our kids were able to pin our ears back a little bit.”
Taylor led Grayson in rushing with 79 yards on 19. Fry was 8-of-17 passing for 50 yards.
Grayson advances to play at No. 1-ranked Collins Hill next week.
Grayson 7-7-10-0 - 24
Roswell 7-0-7-0 - 14
R - Shaun Spence 14 pass from Robbie Roper (Brett Gonda kick)
G - Mason Humphrey 13 pass from Rayne Fry (Jimmy Gonzalez kick)
G - Joseph Taylor 2 run (Gonzalez kick)
G - Taylor 8 run (Gonzalez kick)
R - Spence 43 pass from Roper (Gonda kick)
G - Gonzalez 23 FG
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