Northside’s powerful running game had been bottled up most of the night, so quarterback Tobias Oliver took over.
The sophomore rushed for 122 second-half yards and a touchdown and threw a 70-yard touchdown pass as the Eagles rallied from an 18-7 halftime deficit to beat Mays 25-18 in the Class AAAAA championship game Friday at the Georgia Dome.
The victory gave Northside of Warner Robins its first state title since 2007 and third overall. Mays (12-3), which was playing in its first state final, was trying to become the first Atlanta Public Schools team to win a title since Southwest in 1973.
Willie Jordan, who had set a Northside single-season record with 2,173 yards this season, was limited to 71 yards on 24 carries and had just 23 yards in the first half as Mays built its lead.
That left it up to Oliver to get the Eagles (14-1) moving. His 70-yard pass to Nate Greene on the first play of Northside’s second possession of the third quarter cut the lead to 18-14. He had runs of 18, 25 and 13 yards on the next drive, setting up a 32-yard field goal by Justin Alonso that got the Eagles within 18-17 with 10:22 to play in the game. And he saved his biggest play for last, scoring on a 47-yard run and completing a two-point conversion pass with 8:31 to play to put the Eagles ahead for good.
Oliver finished with 154 yards rushing and 94 passing.
Mays got into Northside territory twice in the final four minutes but missed a 23-yard field goal and turned the ball over on downs at the 39-yard line.
Mays came in averaging 166.3 yards per game passing but had far more than that by halftime. Asahnia Aderhold completed 10 of 19 passes in the first two quarters for 207 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to Randrecous Davis. His 76-yard reception put the Raiders ahead for the first time at 12-7 with 4:48 to play in the half, and he caught a 29-yarder on the final play of the half.
Mays failed to convert the extra points after all three of its touchdowns. Trenton Jamison’s kick, after a 19-yard scoring pass from Aderhold to Tyshawn Brown, was blocked, and two-point pass attempts were incomplete.
Northside scored first with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter when Jayllen Kendrick returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown.
Aderhold finished 14-for-34 passing for 290 yards.
Mays – 6-12-0-0 – 18
Northside – 7-0-7-11 – 25
N – Jayllen Kendrick 16 interception return (Justin Alonso kick)
M – Tyshawn Brown 19 pass from Asahnia Aderhold (kick blocked)
M – Randrecous Davis 76 pass from Aderhold (pass failed)
M – Davis 29 pass from Aderhold (pass failed)
N – Nate Greene 70 pass from Tobias Oliver (Alonso kick)
N – Alonso 32 field goal
N – Oliver 47 run (Tae Daley pass from Oliver)
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