Calhoun’s underrated defense slowed down the state’s highest scoring team and paved the way for the Yellow Jackets to beat Washington County 27-20 for the Class AAA championship.
The win gave No. 2 Calhoun (15-0) its third state championship and first since 2011. Washington County, the No. 1-ranked team all season, lost in the final for the second straight year and finished 14-1.
Calhoun took the lead for good with 9:42 left in the game on a trick play. Sophomore Baylon Spector took a handoff on a double reverse and threw a 40-yard touchdown to Carson Brown, who waited for the pass to come down and managed to get through a tackle and dive over the pylon for the touchdown.
Spector, a backup quarterback, was actually supposed to throw the ball to starting quarterback Kaelan Riley. But Riley was covered and was pointing to Brown.
“We’ve never even thrown that ball to Carson in practice,” Calhoun coach Hal Lamb said.
Spector said he wasn’t nervous about making the throw. “I saw the corner break on Kaelan and they were pointing to Carson. I just had to get him the ball.”
Washington County’s chances ended on a fourth-and-4 play at the 46. Quarterback A.J. Gray rolled left on a keeper and appeared to have room to run for the first down. But Calhoun’s Bryson Bushong ran him down short of the first down. That allowed Calhoun to run out the final two minutes.
“That was my job to spy on him,” Bushong said. “I’ve never been part of anything like this before. This is life changing.”
Gray, the state’s No. 1 prospect and Georgia Tech commitment, finished with 29 rushes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 12 of 24 passes for 142 yards. He played the whole game at safety and had four tackles and batted down a pass to prevent a touchdown.
Gray had led the Golden Hawks to score a state record 717 points through 14 games. He finished the season with 2,378 yards rushing and 1,819 yards passing.
The Calhoun defense was equal to the challenge. Led by Austin Bennett with 12 tackles and Landon Rice with 10, the Yellow Jackets limited Washington County to only three second-half points.
“Our defense was the difference in the second half,” Riley said. “That’s the backbone of this football team. The second half is what it’s all about. That’s what we’re built for.”
Lamb said, “I think once we got used to the speed of the game we played much better.”
The Calhoun offense was led by Riley, who completed 11 of 22 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown and rushed 16 times for 61 yards and one touchdown. Cole Jackson led the Yellow Jackets with 97 yards rushing on 12 carries.
The first half was well-played, with Washington County taking a 17-14 lead at intermission thanks to a 24-yard field goal from Wesley Ruberia with 25 seconds remaining.
Washington County showed it meant business on its first possession. Backed up to their own 10, the Golden Hawks drove the length of the field in 11 plays, with Gray scoring on an 8-yard run. But Calhoun answered with a touchdown drive that culminated with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Riley to Cole Jackson.
Washington County countered with another 11-play drive that covered 76 yards, this one ending on a 1-yard run by Gray on fourth down.
Calhoun’s Alex Flores missed a 33-yard field goal, but the Yellow Jackets forced Washington County to punt and turned that opportunity into points. Olico Dennis ran for a 19-yard touchdown with 5:51 left in the half that tied the game at 14.
Calhoun took a 20-17 lead on an 18-yard run by Riley, with the extra point no good. Washington County tied the game on a 29-yard Ruberia field goal with 3:13 left in the third period.
Washington County – 7-17-3-0-- 20
Calhoun – 7-7-6-7--27
WC – A.J. Gray 8 run (Wesley Ruberia kick)
C – Cole Jackson 7 pass from Kaelan Riley (Alex Flores kick)
WC – Gray 1 run (Ruberia kick)
C – Olico Dennis 19 run (Flores kick)
WC – FG Ruberia 24
C – Riley 18 run (kick failed)
WC – FG Ruberia 29
C – Carson Brown 40 pass from Baylon Spector (Juan Palmerin kick)
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