The Norcross Blue Devils are back in the state finals.
In what was mostly a defensive battle against the Colquitt County Packers, it was the Blue Devils who made just enough plays on offense, pulling out a 14-9 win in the AAAAAA state semifinals.
The Blue Devils (12-2) will play North Gwinnett for the state title at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Georgia Dome.
Myles Autry brought the game to its final margin with a 19-yard reception of a screen pass from A.J. Bush with 6:15 remaining. The Blue Devils’ defense did the rest, with Jordan Noil intercepting the Packers and returning the ball 45 yards with 17 seconds left.
The game was delayed an hour thanks to lightning, resuming with 10:18 remaining in the fourth and Colquitt County leading 9-7.
The Packers led 9-7 at halftime thanks to three Jose Vega field goals of 45, 32 and 22 yards. One of the field goals was set up by a Norcross muffed punt, which gave Colquitt County the ball on the Blue Devils’ 23-yard line.
The Blue Devils’ first score came on James Keeling’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:19 left in the half, which was set up by quarterback A.J. Bush’s 51-yard scramble that put the ball on the Packers’ 1. That gave Norcross a 7-6 lead.
For the Packers (11-3), it was the fifth consecutive season in the semifinals under coach Rush Propst, who took over the program following a 2007 season that saw Colquitt County go 2-8. The Packers also reached the state finals in 2011.
The Blue Devils defeated Colquitt County last year in the semifinals 41-27 on the way to their first state title in school history.
Their 2013 season started roughly at 1-2, including a 55-0 season-opening loss to Miami’s Booker T. Washington televised by ESPN. But Norcross turned its season around, going on what is now an 11-game win streak with a defense surrendering just 7.6 points per game.
