Top-ranked Grayson has gone through a change at quarterback after Jake Garcia transferred in and a change at running back when Clemson signee Phil Mafah suffered what is likely a season-ending injury.
Through it all, the Rams have been able to rely on their defense, which on Friday night turned in perhaps its best performance in an already outstanding season. Grayson held third-ranked Norcross to 97 total yards (25 rushing on 27 carries) and forced three turnovers in a 28-0 victory in the Class 7A semifinals at Norcross.
Grayson (13-0) will play for its third state championship in 10 years, and first since 2016, when it faces Collins Hill in an all-Gwinnett County 7A final at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. Collins Hill advanced with a 31-14 victory over Lowndes in the other semifinal Friday night.
The championship game will be a rematch of the teams’ Sept. 18 meeting, which Grayson won 28-7.
“They’re good, man, they are good,” Grayson coach Adam Carter said of Collins Hill. “Everybody knows the quarterback [Sam Horn], everybody knows the receiver [Travis Hunter], but I’m telling you they’re one of the best defenses we’ve seen all year. … A Gwinnett final, that’ll be awesome.”
The Rams, who have not allowed more than 21 points in any game this season, recorded their fourth shutout in five games. They have outscored their opponents 134-6 in four playoff games.
“We’ve played well the last couple of weeks,” Carter said of his defense. “We’re making plays. I think that’s the difference. We’ve been fortunate enough to limit the run a little bit and get some turnovers. I think we’re at plus-22 on the year right now, and that’s a big difference in a football game, and a season.”
Grayson got touchdowns on two of its first three possessions for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, and the Rams never gave Norcross (13-1) a chance to get back in the game. The Blue Devils ran just 17 second-half plays, six of which came after the Rams took a 28-0 lead on a 10-yard run by Sean Downer with 2:27 to play
“Even before the season started I thought we would be heavily defensive-led,” Carter said. “I thought we played well last year, we didn’t play great, but we had all those guys coming back. I think we lost three starters, and I played a bunch of kids last year. Those kids have been in the system, they know the system, and they make calls out there sometimes before I do. When you’ve got kids like that - they’re smart, they’re good players and they play hard - you’ve got a chance to be OK.”
Garcia passed for 190 yards and threw touchdown passes of 29 yards to Jamal Haynes and 25 yards to Jaden Smith. Joseph Taylor ran for 66 yards and a touchdown, and Downer ran for 60 yards and a score. Smith finished with 100 yards receiving.
Grayson outgained Norcross 161-28 in the first half while taking a 14-0 lead. The Rams scored on their first possession on Garcia’s touchdown pass to Haynes on a fourth-and-4 play to complete a nine-play, 75-yard drive after Grayson forced a punt on Norcross’ first possession.
Grayson took advantage of a Norcross mistake to expand its lead. On the second play of the second quarter, the Norcross punter’s knee touched the ground while he was fielding the snap, giving Grayson the ball at the Norcross 4-yard line. Taylor scored two plays later to make it 14-0 with 10:32 to play in the half.
Norcross got the ball near midfield on its next two possessions, following a long kickoff return and an interception, and moved inside the Grayson 35 both times but came away with no points. The Rams forced a punt from the Grayson 33 on the first drive and got an interception in the end zone by AJ Lopez on the second. That was as close to the end zone as the Blue Devils would get all night.
Grayson - 7-7-7-7 - 28
Norcross - 0-0-0-0 - 0
First quarter
G - Jamal Haynes 29 pass from Jake Garcia (Jimmy Gonzalez kick), 6:52
Second quarter
G - Joseph Taylor 3 run (Gonzalez kick), 10:52
Third quarter
G - Jaden Smith 25 pass from Garcia (Gonzalez kick), 3:03
Fourth quarter
G - Sean Downer 10 run (Gonzalez kick), 2:27
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