By Mark Brock
High School football fans witnessed one for the ages as No. 1 ranked Tucker scored with 13 seconds to play to defeat No. 2 Stephenson 31-28 in front of a packed house.
Joseph Farrar’s hail Mary pass for 35 yards to Nekyle Lundie was the fifth lead change in the fourth quarter giving the undefeated Tigers (6-0, 5-0) the Region 6-AAAAA victory over the Jaguars (5-1, 4-1).
The Jaguars had scored apparent winning touchdown just eight seconds earlier as quarterback Giovanni Weekly hooked up with tight end Ari Werts for the second time in the game on a 45-yard scoring pass. Werts had to stretch for the end zone to complete the score for a 28-24 Jaguar lead.
An excessive celebration penalty and a return of a squib kick set the Tigers up at the Jaguar 35 for Farrar’s and Lundie’s heroics.
The game was a defensive struggle in the first half as the two teams went into the final two minutes of the half tied at 0-0. Tucker then struck as Yaquis Shelley returned a punt 54 yards for a 7-0 lead. Stephenson answered with a 10-yard pass from Weekly to Werts to knot the game at 7 heading into the break.
Tucker opened the second half taking the lead on a 34-yard pass from that pair of Farrar to Lundie to put the Tigers up 14-7. Stephenson answered again on a 45-yard run by Dallas Rivers to send the game into the high scoring fourth quarter all tied at 14 apiece.
Eric Webber, who also had four extra points in the game, put the Tigers up again at 17-14 with a 31-yard field goal. The Jaguars grabbed their first lead of the game as Rivers went over from two yards out for a 21-17 advantage after Wisdom Nzidee hit the third of his four extra points in the game.
The Tigers regained the lead on a 12-yard fumble return by Maurice Williams to go up 24-21.
Tucker’s win coupled with Arabia Mountain’s upset of Mays leaves the Tigers alone atop the Region 6-AAAAA standings at 5-0. Stephenson which fell two spots in the polls to No. 4 is in a three-way tie for second with Mays and Martin Luther King Jr. with identical region records of 4-1.
King (5-1, 4-1) moved into the three-way tie with a 43-21 win over the Dunwoody Wildcats (1-5, 1-4) at Adams Stadium. The Wildcats had forged a 13-13 early in the first half before several big passing plays by the Lions put King up 31-13 at the half.
Arabia Mountain (3-3, 2-3) which had battled King in a tight battle a couple of weeks earlier knocked off Mays (4-2, 4-1) 32-29. Mays gave King its only loss of the season early in the Region 6-AAAAA schedule.
Week 8 Results
Friday, Oct. 11
Marist (4-2) 35, Lithonia (2-4) 6
Cedar Grove (6-1) 48, McNair (1-5) 21
Columbia (3-3) 14, Chamblee (4-2) 10
Johnson-Gainesville (2-5) 31, Clarkston (1-5-1) 21
Lakeview Academy (1-5) 42, Cross Keys (1-6) 0
Newton Co. (3-3) 25, Druid Hills (2-4) 7
M.L. King (5-1) 43, Dunwoody (1-5) 21
Woodward (4-2) 43, Towers (4-3) 7
Tucker (6-0) 31, Stephenson (5-1) 28
Saturday, Oct. 12
Arabia Mountain (3-3) 32, Mays (4-2) 29
Miller Grove (3-3) 33, Lakeside (1-5) 20
Stone Mountain (3-3) 37, Redan (0-6) 14
SW DeKalb (2-4) 37, North Atlanta (0-6) 13
See also:
Photo Gallery: Tucker Tigers vs. Stephenson Jaguars
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
