Metro round-up: Norcross survives scare

D.J. Adams scored on a 6-yard run with 1:13 left in the third quarter, and Charles King capped a Norcross comeback with a touchdown on a 3-yard keeper with 56 seconds left in the game to lift the Blue Devils to a 24-17 win over South Gwinnett.

South Gwinnett had taken a 17-10 lead when Aaron Wimberly scored on an 80-yard run with 5:50 left in the third quarter, but Norcross scored on its final two possessions. The Blue Devils moved 80 yards in 13 plays after Wimberly’s score to tie the game at 17-17 on Adams’ run.

South opened the scoring on a Griffin Thomas 30-yard field goal in the first quarter. Norcross’ Conner Hawk answered with a 36-yard kick midway through the second period. South Gwinnett went up 10-3 when Michael Polascik hit James McCray with a 64-yard touchdown pass with 4:36 left in the half, but Adams made it 10-10 at the break when he scored from a yard out with 16 seconds left.

Adams had 112 yards on 24 carries, while Wimberly totaled 101 yards on 10 carries for the Comets. Polascik was 22-for-32 with two interceptions for 276 yards and a touchdown for South.

— Steve Shelnutt

• Centennial 35, Northview 9: The Knights spoiled the debut of Northview coach Jim Showfety. Leading 14-9 late in the second quarter thanks to a pair of big special-teams plays, Centennial put together three straight touchdown drives of 55 yards or longer to put the game away.

After Northview drove 78 yards on the game’s first possession, scoring on a 20-yard pass from Sid Harrelson to Brock Sanders, the Knights took a 7-6 lead when Gabe Howard took the ensuing kickoff 96 yards. The Knights made it 14-6 later in the opening quarter on an 18-yard keeper by quarterback James Floyd, two plays after Euclid Cummings blocked a Northview punt.

The Titans closed within 14-9 with 1:23 left in the half, but a 44-yard pass from Floyd to Jordin Brisker led to Antonio Morgan’s 10-yard scoring run with 17 seconds remaining. The Knights drove 55 yards on the first series of the second half, and followed with a 74-yard march to wrap it up. Tyler Forrester and Marcus Nabors scored on 1-yard runs.

Samoir Patrick rushed for 115 yards to lead Northview’s revamped offense. The Titans failed to score from first-and-goal at the 3 in the second quarter, and had a pass intercepted deep in Centennial territory in the third quarter.

— Mike Blum

• Wesleyan 35, Clarkston 0: After a scoreless first quarter, the Wesleyan Wolves used six penalties and five punts by Clarkston to run up a 21-0 halftime lead. With the Angoras struggling with their punting game, the Wolves blocked three in the first half and recovered one in the end zone for a touchdown.

Wesleyan continued to capitalize on multiple Clarkston turnovers and penalties which provided the frequent good field position. Using a mixture of screen passes and runs, the Wolves kept scoring after Clarkston turnovers. Wesleyan scored its final touchdown at the end of the third quarter when Clarkston hiked the ball over the quarterback’s head, and the Wolves recovered on the 1-yard line and put it away on the next play.

Wesleyan also had difficulties with its punting, with two being snapped over the punter’s head. Clarkston tackled the punter on the 10-yard line in the third quarter yet failed to score after fumbling the snap three times. Wesleyan’s Kyle Karempelis carried the bulk of Wolves’ rushing game, including a 35-yard run, and scored two touchdowns on a punt recovery and a 21-yard touchdown run. Melvin Whitlock was the primary ball carrier for Clarkston and had a 29-yard run and a 35-yard punt return.

— Eric Bruce

• Mill Creek 23, Dacula 15: Mill Creek held a comfortable lead midway through the fourth quarter before surviving a furious rally by rival Dacula to escape with a victory.

Ramael Wilson gave Mill Creek a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard run late in the first quarter, but two plays later Dacula quarterback Hunter Watts connected with Marshall Steed on a 53-yard touchdown pass to quickly pull the Falcons even.

Late in the second quarter Mill Creek’s Chris Boggs picked up a blocked punt and returned it 7 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 Hawks lead at halftime. Mill Creek stretched the lead to 23-7 on a Brian Heinze field goal and Casey Windom touchdown reception.

With less than 3 minutes remaining, Dacula’s Aashad Holloway scored on a 2-yard run to cut the lead to 23-15. Dacula’s defense then recovered a fumble to give the Falcons offense a final opportunity. A desperation pass by Watts was intercepted in the end zone as time expired to deny Dacula.

— David Brock

• Blessed Trinity 37, Oconee County 13: Sam Burkhalter rushed for 166 yards, including touchdown runs of 14 and 37 yards for Blessed Trinity. The Titans led 21-13 at the half and got a 38-yard punt return from Jake Skole in the third period and a 1-yard run by Kohl Hegetschweiler, who added 127 yards passing, completing 14 of 19 attempts.

• Berkmar 17, Upson-Lee 7: Anthony Thompson rushed for 112 yards and caught a 45-yard touchdown pass for Berkmar.

• Cedar Grove 19, Stone Mountain 7: Stanley McBride scored on a 2-yard run and connected with Kalen Smith on a 65-yard TD pass in Cedar Grove’s win.

• Hart County 17, Greater Atlanta Christian 14: Hart County’s Zane Rowland kicked a 38-yard field goal with six seconds left to beat GAC. Jermont Hickman and John Vollrath scored touchdowns for Hart, while Colton Chapple threw two touchdown passes for GAC.

• Kennesaw Mountain 38, Pope 21: Clayton Whitlock ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns, and Kennesaw Mountain outscored Pope 24-7 in the second half. The Mustangs amassed 341 rushing yards.

• Lithonia 33, Avondale 14: Julian Bellinger passed for 163 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores as Lithonia pulled away in the second half. Bellinger ran 5 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, then connected with Korenski Jones on a 32-yard touchdown pass in the second, but the Bulldogs trailed 14-13 at halftime.

Jones caught a 48-yard pass from D’Angelo Smith in the third period to put Lithonia up for good. Zacchius Sumbry’s 5-yard run later in the third, and Bellinger’s 48-yarder in the fourth sealed the win.

• Luella 40, Meadowcreek 14: Kyle Dickey threw for three touchdowns to three different receivers — all of them 40 yards or longer — and Luella extended Meadowcreek’s losing streak to 43 games. Richard Barnes had a 20-yard run and a 75-yard kickoff return for two other scores for the Lions. Dickey hit Detrick Bonner with a 50-yard TD pass, had a 40-yarder to D’Mario Gunn and a 70-yarder to Roderick Sweeting.

• Shiloh 21, Duluth 6: Eugene Glenn ran for one TD and caught a pass from Mark Wright for another for Shiloh in its victory over Gwinnett-rival Duluth. Sam Muse scored the other touchdown for the Generals, while Quinton Cobb scored on a 7-yard run for Duluth.

• South Cobb 24, Campbell 19: Chris Awuah passed for 79 yards and ran for 72 for South Cobb, while Josh Bolden ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns for Campbell.

• Temple 32, Hebron Christian 9: Mathan Burton ran for 274 yards and four touchdowns for Temple, which compiled more than 500 rushing yards, and Dee Clayton added a 32-yard TD run.

• Tucker 26, Brunswick 12: Jonathan Davis carried 17 times for 139 yards and Drayton Calhoun scored a pair of touchdowns for Tucker, which won on the road.

— Compiled by Jay Stone