Griffin High quarterback Jaquez Parks (11) runs for yardage in the first half Friday night at Memorial Stadium. against Spalding High. Also pictured are Spalding High's Ontario Yancey (53) and Griffin's Lander McCall (63). (Photo courtesy of Kyle Chambers)
Spalding lost its seventh straight game to fall to 1-7-1 overall and 0-5 in Division B while No. 8 state-ranked Griffin improves to 8-1, 5-0. Spalding suffered its second straight shutout loss and hasn’t scored a touchdown since a fumble recovery TD against Jonesboro Oct. 19 on the road.
And with Dutchtown’s 21-14 win over Woodland-Stockbridge Friday, Div. B champion Griffin will host Division A fourth-seed Eagle’s Landing next Friday in the Region 4-AAAA play-in game at 7:30 p.m. Spalding will play the Forest Park Panthers (0-9) next Thursday at 7 p.m. at Tara Stadium in the season finale for both teams.
Griffin dented the scoreboard first as quarterbacks Jaquez Parks and Anforne’ Stroud led the Bears on a 7-play, 79-yard drive. Parks threw a 12-yard TD pass to Jordan Colbert at the 7:17 mark and the Alexis Rivera point-after gave Griffin the quick 7-0 lead. Parks was intercepted by Spalding’s Anthony Bush on Griffin’s next possession, but Spalding couldn’t make any headway on offense at all.
Parks, along with hard running from Devontae Freeman, led the Bears to two scoring drives in the second quarter. Parks called his own number on both drives, scoring on runs of 6 and 3 yards to basically put the game away. Griffin made one 2-point conversion and missed another to lead 21-0 at the half.
There was a confrontation before halftime as some confusion on a late offensive play by Griffin led to pushing and shoving by both teams and even had the coaches barking at each other. Fortunately for all, cooler heads prevailed and no one was ejected for fighting.
Rivera missed a 42-yard field goal for Griffin early in the third and after Spalding’s Trae Moran threw an interception to Richard Wilder, Justin Goddard scored on a 4-yard TD run with 2:59 left in the quarter for the 28-0 Bears lead.
Griffin got two late touchdown passes from Stroud -- a 50-yard strike to Quay Mangham and a 21-yard pass to Christian Owens for the final 42-0 margin.
Freeman rushed for 123 yards on 12 carries for Griffin. Mangham had 4 receptions for 109 yards and the TD and Colbert had 5 catches for 79 yards and the TD.
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