Stockbridge had everything going its way early in the second quarter, holding a 14-8 lead and watching Griffin coach Steve DeVoursney ejected in a flag-riddled sequence late in the first period.
But then Griffin went 90 yards for one score, converted a Stockbridge turnover into another and seized control on the way to a 35-14 victory.
Griffin quarterback Jaquez Parks had 376 yards, passing for 187 and rushing for 189 more as the Bears, ranked No. 5 in Class AAAA, upended No. 3 Stockbridge in a Region 4-AAAA crossover game.
Griffin (5-0) avenged a 2012 loss to the Tigers (4-1), who committed four turnovers. The Bears ran 68 plays to Stockbridge’s 26 and outgained the Tigers 463-95.
“We’ve had this game circled since the summer,” said Parks, who scored three rushing touchdowns and passed for another. “We were ready for this game the whole time. I felt like I had to have a big game because they were talking about they had the best defense in the state.”
The Griffin defense held Stockbridge to five first downs, including two over the last 3½ quarters.
“They controlled the game,” Stockbridge coach Kevin Whitley said. “We got beat up front on both sides of the ball. I don’t recall us getting any serious pressure on Parks, and I don’t recall our quarterback having time to throw the ball.”
After a 47-yard kickoff return by Kendarius Webster, Stockbridge scored first, using nine plays to move 35 yards and scoring on Malik Bryan’s 5-yard run on fourth down.
Griffin responded with an eight-play, 77-yard drive, capped by Parks’ 19-yard pass to Jordan Colbert. Christian Owens caught the 2-point conversion for an 8-7 lead.
Webster returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards for a touchdown, putting the Tigers on top 14-8.
Then came the bizarre sequence that led to DeVoursney’s ouster. Parks attempted a pass to the goal line, and Griffin was penalized for offensive pass interference. The Griffin bench was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct and the veteran head coach was ejected.
The series of events left Griffin with a first down and 55 yards to go. A sack and two incomplete passes left the Bears at fourth-and-65 before punting.
After forcing a punt, Griffin regained the lead with a six-play, 90-yard drive, scoring on Parks’ 4-yard run.
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