Cedar Grove’s Netori Johnson (72), Justin Shaffer (77) and Jelani Woods (17) celebrate the Saints first ever football state championship. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Dennis Bell’s leaping touchdown catch with 2:16 to play sealed a 30-19 Cedar Grove victory over Greater Atlanta Christian for the Saints first ever state football championship.
The No. 4 Saints had jumped out to a 23-3 lead at the end of the first half, but two fumbles and an interception allowed the No. 1 ranked Spartans to close to within 23-19 on a 32-yard field goal by Sean Henderson with 6:03 to play in the game.
The Saints answered by driving 80 yards in 8 plays to get the game sealing touchdown putting the Spartans down 12.
The first big play on the drive came as Grant Walker went left and turned up the hash racing 50 yards to the Spartan 26. He then went 14 yards on third and 9 to the Spartan 9.
The Spartan defense pushed the Saints back to the 17 to force a third and goal at that point. Quarterback Jelani Woods faked to Walker, looked right, and lofted a pass to Bell at the goal line. Bell jumped in front of the Spartan defender to haul in the touchdown. Solee Fofana kicked the PAT for the 30-19 advantage with 2:16 to play.
The Spartans (13-2) got the ball at their own 31, but on fourth and 8 Cedar Grove’s William Smith sacked quarterback Jonathan Rose for a 13-yard loss.
The Saints got the ball on the 20 and knelt four times running out all but 15 seconds and the celebration was on for a program that had not played in the state title game since 1991.
Cedar Grove (13-2) played a near flawless first half on its run to the 23-3 halftime lead. A screen pass from Woods to Tre’ Shaw on fourth and 3 at the Spartan 32 went the distance with 8:38 to play in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. Fofana hit the PAT.
Cedar Grove’s Dennis Bell pulls down the game-clinching touchdown with 2:16 to play. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Leading 7-3 after a Brooks Buce 40-yard field for the Spartans, the Saints used the screen passes Shaw for 18, 7 and 11 yards to move to the GAC 14. The drive stalled and Fofana put through a 31-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead.
The Saints defense came up big on fourth and goal for the Spartans on the Cedar Grove 1 as Gerry Vaughn and DeAngelo Malone nailed Kyler McMichael for a 4-yard loss to take over the ball on downs at their own five.
On Cedar Grove’s first play Darrell Neal took the handoff coming around the right side and raced 55-yards to the GAC 40 to start a 95-yard drive.
After getting to the Spartan 25, the Saints went to 1,000-yard rusher Grant Walker who ran for 14, 8 and 3 yards to get into the end zone with 1:24 to play in the first half. Fofana added the PAT for a 17-3 Saints lead.
Rose came out throwing on the first play for GAC, but Shaw would pick off the pass at the 34 and race into the end zone to put the Saints up 23-3 at the half.
Cedar Grove’s Marvin Spencer (far right) finishes off a tackle for a loss against GAC’s Kyler McMichael. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The first three possessions of the second half ended in punts with GAC taking over on its own 30 with 4:19 to play. The Spartans went to the trick play as Rose took a pitch on an end round and found Harrison Sloan for 44 yards to the Saints’ 16. McMichael would go the final 9 yards around the right end for the touchdown and the Spartans had trimmed the lead to 23-9 as the Saints blocked the PAT.
Spartan punter Henderson pinned the Saints at their own one-yard line with a 48-yard punt. Two plays later Terry Morrison intercepted at the Cedar Grove 19. The Saints defense was trying to hold the Spartans out of the end zone when on fourth and goal at the six, Rose found Max Burke over the middle for the touchdown. Henderson tacked on the PAT to close the gap to 23-16.
Cedar Grove’s Grant Walker explodes for a 50-yard run against GAC to help set up the Saints final touchdown. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Morrison came up big for the Spartans again with 7:45 to play as he recovered a fumble at the Saints’ 26. Cedar Grove held the Spartans out of the end zone and they settled for a 32-yard field goal by Henderson with 6:03 to play.
The Saints then answered with their 80-yard drive for the game-clinching touchdown by Bell.
Cedar Grove’s Grant Walker finished with 21 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown to move into 8th on the DeKalb County single season rushing list with 1,913 yards. Jelani Woods would finish 12 for 18 passing for 144 yards and two touchdowns to move into 9th on the season passing list with 2,445 yards. He also passed Dunwoody’s Billy Ray for 7th on the DeKalb career passing list. Tre Shaw finished the day with five receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown while added the 34-yard interception return for a score.
.