By Lee Wilson
MaxPreps.com
After moving to Region 8-AAAAA in 2004, Grayson struggled to a 15-17 record over the next three seasons playing in one of the state’s most competitive alignments.
But after a breakthrough 10-3 campaign last fall and a 10-7 win over Brookwood (3-3, 3-1) Friday night, the Rams (7-0, 5-0) are finally looking down on the rest of their regional foes.
The Rams are poised to grab the Region 8-AAAAA title for the first time after another first – beating Brookwood.
"I just feel honored to be a part of it, it's a great win for our program," Grayson linebacker Jonathan Langston told the Gwinnett Daily Post. "We dreamed about it. We've never beat them. We had never beat the top dog."
Not many had knocked off the top dogs, meaning Parkview and Brookwood, over the past 15 years as the programs have been a model of dominance. The Rams now seem ready to follow in their footsteps.
Grayson grabbed its lone touchdown on the first possession of the game. Two plays after a Brookwood fumble on a punt attempt, quarterback Tyler Horne reached the end zone from five yards out.
"That was probably the biggest turnover we'll have all year," Horne told the Gwinnett Daily Post. "That was huge."
“Our defense came up big when they had to,” Grayson head coach Mickey Conn said.
Grayson’s final three opponents are Berkmar (3-3), Meadowcreek (1-6) and Central Gwinnett (1-5). Wins in two of those three contests would give the program the 8-AAAAA title.
Walton 24, Milton 20
Walton (6-0, 5-0), ranked No. 11 statewide by MaxPreps last week, needed a 21-point fourth quarter to edge 6-AAAAA rival Milton (4-2, 3-2) Friday night, 24-20.
The offense, which includes star tailback Michael Boydston, was held to just three points through three quarters.
"Offensively, we had to pull out every trick we had to just get it down the field on them,” Walton head coach Ed Dudley told the Marietta Daily Journal.
Boydston was limited to just two yards in the first half but tallied 131 yards in the second half on 23 carries with two touchdowns.
"The second half, I just came out more relaxed," Boydston told the Marietta Daily Journal. "The first half, I was a little nervous. Well, not really nervous, but just so overwhelmed by the situation that I wasn't focusing very well. The second half was better.”
Walton is the only unbeaten left in 6-AAAAA. Lassiter, Kell and Roswell are all locked up in second place, each sporting a 4-1 mark.
Softball: Peachtree Ridge Grabs 7-AAAAA Title
The Peachtree Ridge Lions won the Region 7-AAAAA title Friday after taking the second of two games against Mill Creek, 3-1.
The Lions (23-11) were led on the mound by Krysten Connelly in their clinching victory. Connelly pitched a complete game and gave up only six hits and a run while striking out three.
Gabby Bedard went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs. Adding some offense was Callie Fernandez and Chandler Frisbie who each tallied one hit and one run scored.
The win came after Mill Creek defeated the Lions 2-1 in the first game of the doubleheader.
