Brain Bowl: Nationals 31, Americans 21
The Nationals jumped out to a 24-7 halftime lead and held off the Americans to win the Georgia Elite Classic’s first-ever Brain Bowl. Junior Alexander Wilson (Allatoona) ran in a 16-yard touchdown to give the Nationals a 7-0 lead and sophomore Tre Henry (Greater Atlanta Christian) capped off a 6-play drive with a 16-yard touchdown run later in the quarter. Jack Breedlove added a 31-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the second quarter to increase the Nationals’ lead to 17-0.
The Americans answered with a 54-yard touchdown run by senior Isaiah Jackson (Frederica Academy), but Wilson rushed in his second score of the half to give the Nationals their 24-7 halftime edge.
The teams went scoreless in the third quarter until its explosive final seconds. American quarterback Robert Matthew Peters (Cairo) tossed a 28-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Register (Riverwood) with four seconds left. The Nationals took over at their own 30-yard line following the kickoff, and Henry took a screen pass from Matthew McCravy (Hillgrove) down the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown to close the quarter. Henry
[pictured above]
finished with 109 yards from scrimmage to go with his two touchdowns and was named the MVP following the game.
In the fourth quarter, Peters completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Konata Mumpfield (Dacula) for the game’s final points. The American team outgained the Nationals 348-to-297 in total yardage, but lost three of four fumbles and the turnover margin 6-2. Westminster sophomore Connor Weselman won the halftime kicking competition with a 47-yarder. Blessed Trinity defensive lineman Grayson Gilder led all tacklers with seven and included three tackles for loss.
Senior: Nationals 26, Americans 0
The National Team racked up 202 of its 241 yards of offense on the ground and limited the Americans to just 86 total yards in a thorough 26-0 victory. Quarterback CJ Ogbonna (Wheeler) started the scoring in the opening minute of the second quarter with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Dallas (Bremen).
The American team answered with a solid drive that took them into National territory, but defensive end Justin Talley (Kell) sacked Garrison Hand (Villa Rica) on fourth down to stall the drive. Talley finished the game with 3.5 sacks and four solo tackles.
The third quarter saw the American running game take off as the trio of Marcuis Fulks (Hiram), Tavion Jackson (Campbell) and Daimar Ivey (Temple) accounted for 100 yards off a combined 12 carries in the frame. Fulks found the end zone on a 38-yard touchdown run with 1:38 left in the quarter to grow the lead to 13-0.
In the fourth quarter, Jackson added 17-yard touchdown run and Ivey capped the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown with 1:04 left. Fulks finished with 82 yards off 8 carries and was named Co-MVP with Jackson, who took his 13 carries for 78 yards.
Junior: Nationals 31, Americans 17
The Nationals built a 24-7 halftime lead and held off the Americans to take the sixth annual Junior Elite game. North Atlanta quarterback Wiley Hartley was named MVP and got the Nationals on the board with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Ricky White (Wheeler) on the second play from scrimmage.
The Americans answered with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Donovan Anthony (Washington-Wilkes) to tight end Beau DeBerry (Grayson) to even it 7-7, and cap off an 11-play, 70-yard drive. The Nationals regained the lead with 1:11 to go in the first quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run by Nnamdi Orjioke (Lassiter).
Denmark quarterback Ben Whitlock stepped in and tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jamontae Jean (Therrell) that grew the Nationals’ lead to 21-7,and Evan Fuller (Bremen) tacked on a 23-yard field goal before the half. Fuller also won the halftime’s kicking competition with a 45-yarder.
American kicker Ezra King (Eastside) booted a 25-yard field goal to cap a 9-play, 62-yard scoring drive early in the third quarter, but Hartley struck again with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Devin Ellison (Cherokee) to put the Nationals ahead 31-10 heading into the final frame.
Stockbridge quarterback Jevon McDonald scrambled in the game’s final points from 20 yards out to make it 31-17. The Americans outgained the Nationals 342-to-317 in total yards. McDonald finished 11-of-25 passing for 123 yards and an interception, and took four carries for 41 yards to go with his rushing score.
Hartley finished 7-of-12 passing for 161 yards and his two touchdowns. There were a combined 19 different players that registered at least one reception in the game. Brookwood offensive lineman Sean Hill also picked up 15 receiving yards for the Nationals after taking a hook and ladder following a reception by North Cobb’s Kendall Drake on a designed call.
Defensively, Michaiah Bell (Harrison) posted 3.0 tackles for loss and four solo tackles. Roland Jackson (Norcross), Patrick Dahlen (Cherokee) and KD Johnson (Thomasville) each had interceptions. Brookwood linebacker Tony Ward had a game-high six solo tackles to lead the Nationals and Peach County safety Talique Allen led the Americans with five.
Sophomore: Americans 37, Nationals 10
McEachern quarterback Carlos Del Rio threw touchdown passes in each of the first three quarters and rushed for a 38-yard touchdown in the fourth to lead the Americans. Kell kicker Colby Kerns provided the game’s first points with a made 36-yard field goal and Del Rio found Indians teammate Jahmanuel Arnold later in the opening frame for a 38-yard score to make it a 10-0 game.
The Nationals capped a 9-play scoring drive with a 32-yard Braden Ralston field goal, and quarterback Trevor Lovett (North Cobb) later found Jaquez Smith (Hapeville Charter) for a 7-yard touchdown pass to even the game 10-10 with 1:53 left in the half.
Del Rio answered with an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Arnold with just 13 seconds on the clock. This was the start of the Americans’ 27 unanswered points to close out the victory. Early in the third quarter, Del Rio found Camden County receiver Shawn Hardy for a 66-yard touchdown that increased the Nationals lead to 23-10.
Del Rio added a 34-yard rushing score with 9:06 left and Damozzio Harris rushed for a 9-yard touchdown with 1:20 left for the final tally. The Americans outgained the Nationals 379-to-176 and averaged 8.81 yards per play.
Freshmen: Americans 29, Nationals 28
Walton quarterback Zak Rozsman threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Zach Johansen (North Gwinnett) with 4:40 left in the game, and found his Raiders teammate Cade Thompson on the ensuing game-winning 2-point attempt to lift the Americans past the Nationals 29-28.
Rozsman shook off a pair of first half interceptions and finished the game 16-of-23 passing for 214 yards and three touchdowns—earning himself MVP honors. The Nationals opened up a 7-0 lead in the first quarter after a 2-yard run by Jamie Felix (Camden County) and would not trail until Rozsman’s 2-point attempt in the final minutes. LaShawn Lester put the Americans on the board with a 3-yard touchdown run with 7:24 left in the first half, but Parkview’s Champ Baker intercepted Rozsman and returned it 24 yards for a Nationals touchdown minutes later.
Rozsman answered with a 6-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was capped with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Kelley (Hart County) on the final play of the half, but a missed PAT kept the Americans down 14-13 at the break.
Felix took the first play of the second half 70 yards for a touchdown to increase the Nationals’ lead to 21-13, but Rozsman found Johansen with 2:01 left in the third for a 20-yard touchdown pass, and hit Thompson for the first of their two critical post-touchdown conversions to even it up 21-21.
Houston County running back Simeon Askew capped a scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter to put the Nationals up 28-21.
The Nationals outgained the Americans 384-327 in total yardage and accounted for 261 rushing yards to the Americans’ 113. Askew led all rushers with 132 yards off his six carries, and Felix turned in an efficient 97 yards and two touchdowns off his nine carries.
Defensively, McEachern’s Latrell Bullard posted a game-high six solo tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks. Vito Perry (Alpharetta) hauled in Rozsman’s other interception, and Nathan Vail (Harrison) recovered a fumble that was returned 52 yards to set up Lester’s first half touchdown run.
Eighth Grade: Americans 20, Nationals 6
American team running back Joshua Baker capped off an 11-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to grow a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The score held until a pivotal play in the second quarter that was eventually overturned by the first successful coach’s challenge in event history. National team quarterback Abe Stowe was sacked by Nick Persiano and was originally ruled down. American head coach Rusty Reed threw the challenge flag, however, and video review offered conclusively that the ball had come out. William Reed came up with the recovered fumble and the American team took over at the National 8-yard line. Ben Guthrie punched in a 1-yard touchdown run three plays later and the lead grew to 12-0 with 3:25 left in the half.
Future Walton quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski found Raiders teammate Hunter Teal for a 26-yard National touchdown less than two minutes later, but the failed PAT kept the deficit at 12-6. The American team took over at their own 30-yard line and closed the half with a 6-play, 70-yard drive capped off with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Guthrie to Kaleb Cost as time expired.
Defense dominated the second half as neither team threatened to score. The American team picked up just 2 yards off three total plays in the entire third quarter, but their own defensive prowess kept the National team from gaining momentum. The Nationals finished the game with just 77 total yards of offense to the American team’s 140.
Seventh Grade: Americans 40, Nationals 20
Da’Twon Rouse used an incredible performance to lift the American team past the Nationals 40-20 in the Georgia Elite Classic’s first-ever Seventh Grade game. Rouse—a running back and safety middle schooler in the Pebblebrook district—opened the scoring with a 43-yard touchdown run. Rouse returned to the end zone with a 1-yard touchdown run and converted the 2-point try to put the American team up 14-0 with 4:34 still left in the first quarter.
The National Team answered with Prentiss Noland touchdown passes to Debron Gatling (67 yards) and Carlos Penn (13) to tie it at 14-14 with 7:07 left in the half (Luke Hubert kicked the PATs). Rouse put the Americans back in front with a 9-yard touchdown run with 3:33 on the clock. After trading possessions, Rouse intercepted Noland at the National 40-yard line and returned it 35 yards to set up a 5-yard touchdown run with just 22 seconds left before the break. The American team’s 1-of-4 success rate on 2-point conversions kept their lead at 26-14.
A lightning delay interrupted the closing minutes of the third quarter, and Rouse added a 67-yard touchdown when the action resumed to put the Americans up 32-14 entering the fourth quarter.
CJ London added a 15-yard touchdown run and lineman Paul Harrington snuck in the 2-point try to extend the lead to 40-14. National running back Omarion Tucker provided the final points on a 7-yard run as time expired.
The National Team finished with a 26:25 to 17:35 advantage in time of possession and the American team narrowly outgained them 308-297 in total yardage. Rouse’s performance included 225 rushing yards off 12 carries to go with his five touchdown runs. Defensively, he added a game-high 12.5 total tackles (10 solo) to go with his interception. Tucker led the National team with 172 rushing yards off 26 carries.
