Griffin High's Alexis Rivera (26) kicks off during a game Sept. 28 at Memorial Stadium against Stockbridge. Also in the photo are Malik Miller (10), Richard Wilder (1) and Keyston Fuller (23). (Photo courtesy of Kyle Chambers)
“It’s going to be closer than everyone thinks,” said 12th-year Bears head coach Steve DeVoursney. “They have a bunch of athletes who can run, and what we do caters to what they are geared to stop.”
Griffin’s high-flying spread attack, averaging a region-best 35 ppg, will clash with a North Clayton 3-3 stack defense allowing a subregion-worst 23 ppg. On the other side of the ball, Griffin, yielding a tri-subregion best 17 ppg will try to clamp down on a North Clayton Wing-T offense averaging a subregion second-worst 13 ppg.
Furthermore, both teams head into the game coming off wins — Griffin 35-14 at Riverdale two weeks ago and North Clayton 19-14 at Upson-Lee last week. While it was Griffin’s first game since a 17-14 loss on a 27-yard field goal with no time left three weeks ago at Memorial Stadium against Stockbridge, it was the first win of the season for North Clayton.
“They’re coming off their first win, so they’re going to be fired up — they now have a chance to play for the playoffs,” said DeVoursney, whose team, idle last week, conversely lost a chance to immediately build on the momentum it regained in its win against Riverdale.
Make no mistake, the Eagles know about making the playoffs. Head coach Max Wiltz guided North Clayton to the state playoffs last year during his first season leading the Eagles (7-4).
DeVoursney is quick to point out the Eagles’ record this season is deceptive.
“They’ve played everyone close,” he noted of the Eagles, who have lost to Riverdale 21-0, Grady 33-29, Northgate 29-8, Stockbridge 15-14, Locust Grove 19-12 and Jonesboro 26-8 this season. “Stockbridge beat them 15-14 because they lined up wrong (on a two-point conversion) or it would have gone into overtime.”
Historically, Griffin leads the all-time series between the two schools 23-2. Griffin won the last meeting in the series, topping the Eagles 26-14 at Southern Crescent Stadium in 2009. The year before North Clayton won 23-20 at Memorial Stadium. Prior to that, however, Griffin had won 19 in a row and 22 of 23 meeting dating back to 1964.
REGION 4-AAAA STANDINGS
Division A
School Overall Region PF PA
Stockbridge 5-1-0 1-0 18 11
Woodland-Stock. 2-4-0 1-0 20 27
Locust Grove 5-2-0 1-1 25 19
Dutchtown 5-2-0 1-1 33 20
E. Landing 0-7-0 0-2 25 41
Division B
School Overall Region PF PA
Griffin 5-1-0 2-0 35 17
Riverdale 5-2-0 2-1 22 19
Jonesboro 5-1-0 1-1 34 17
Upson-Lee 3-3-0 1-1 26 22
N. Clayton 1-6-0 1-2 13 23
Spalding 1-4-1 0-2 9 17
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
North Clayton at Griffin
Spalding at Jonesboro
Upson-Lee at Riverdale
Dutchtown at Stockbridge
Woodland at E. Landing
Bye: Locust Grove
LAST WEEK'S GAMES
Riverdale 21, Spalding 0
North Clayton 19, Upson-Lee 14
Woodland 23, Locust Grove 14
Dutchtown 52, E. Landing 22
Bye: Griffin, Jonesboro and Stockbridge
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