Nick Schuessler, Grayson
File photo by Cecil Copeland
connected with Marcus Linquist on an 8-yard game-winning touchdown pass with less than 30 seconds to go as
Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) defeated
Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) 35-31.
The drive was set up by two critical pass interference calls against Colquitt County.
It seemed as if every time Grayson (14-0) tried to pull away in the highly-anticipated AAAAA semifinal, Colquitt County responded.
Grayson struck first, as head coach Mickey Conn relied on the ground game and Jordan Germany capped off a long drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.
Colquitt County (11-3) responded with a methodical drive of its own, going 80 yards for a game-tying touchdown.
On its next drive, Grayson wasted no time regaining the lead 14-7 on an 78-yard touchdown run by running back
Devin Gillespie.
After Grayson turned to the air for its next score to make it 21-7, Colquitt County fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the game looked like it might get out of hand.
Colquitt held, and scored on its next possession thanks to a 15-yard touchdown run by
Willie Woodyard to make it 21-14.
Grayson set up to attempt a field goal with under a minute to play in the half, but after a timeout by Colquitt County, Conn decided to go for it. Super junior
Robert Nkemdiche was stopped at the 6-yard line, short of a first down, as Grayson failed to add to its lead.
In the second half, after he made a big sack on Colquitt's opening drive in the second half, Nkemdiche did damage on offense again. He capped off Grayson's drive by hurling himself into the end zone for a 1-yard score to make it 28-14.
Following Colquitt's third score of the night to make it 28-21, Grayson drove the length of the field but missed a short field goal.
That allowed Willie Woodyard to tie the game with a 4-yard touchdown run at the start of the fourth quarter, making it 28-28.
A failed fake punt attempt by Grayson gave Colquitt good field position with less than 10 minutes remaining. Two minutes later, Oscar Luna nailed a go-ahead field, giving Colquitt its first lead at 31-28.
Grayson drove all the way to Colquitt County's 26. Facing 4th-and-3, Grayson turned to the air and quarterback Schuesseler threw an incomplete pass on a wheel route to Germany at the goal line. However, a pass interference call gave Grayson another first down.
A second pass interference call on 3rd-and-8 gave Grayson a fresh set of downs with 30 seconds to play. On first down, Schuessler found Lindquist for the game-winning score.
With the win, Grayson advances to its first state title game and will take on Walton, a 30-24 win over Lassiter.
