Griffin was unstoppable tonight. Bears quarterback Jaquez Parks twisted and turned, then outraced the entire Carrollton defense for a 73-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to add the final score of the Class AAAA championship game with a resounding 56-35 win at the Georgia Dome.
It was Parks’ fifth touchdown of the game and first on the ground. The other four were through the air, as the senior totaled more yards (554) by himself than the team’s total offense (553).
“We knew if Parks was on it’d be a tough night for them, and he was on tonight,” said Griffin coach Steve DeVoursney. “He was running the ball and throwing the ball really well and made some great reads. We’re pretty hard to stop when he’s on.”
The Bears (15-0) actually trailed 14-0 in the first quarter after an opening-drive score by Carrollton (13-2) was followed up by another Trojans’ touchdown after an interception by Parks. After the slow start, there was no stopping the Bears.
“I thought we were going to get embarrassed,” said DeVoursney of the early deficit. “But we found a way to come back. And we caught fire thanks to this man right here (motioning to Parks).”
On the next drive, Griffin scored on a smooth five-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Parks’ first touchdown pass of the day, this one to senior wide receiver Trey Willis.
Like Parks, Willis had a big night for the Bears. He caught seven passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns while also returning a third-quarter kickoff 98 yards for a score. Willis’ kick return gave Griffin its biggest lead up to that point in the game at 49-35.
“He’s a bigtime player and I think he showed that tonight” said DeVoursney. “He might get a couple more offers after that.”
Surprisingly, Willis’ only offers at this point are from Georgia State, South Alabama and Western Kentucky. Parks holds offers from Kennesaw State, Air Force and Harvard.
There were only two punts in this shootout, both by Carrollton. Griffin’s drives ended with touchdowns eight times, interceptions twice and end of halves twice. At the half, neither team had punted as Griffin led 35-27.
While the Bears rolled up a significant amount of yardage, Carrollton totaled 400. The Trojans’ defense, however, had all kinds of trouble keeping up with Parks, Willis and the rest of the Griffin offense.
“We knew coming in they were going to have a matchup problem with us,” said Parks. “So really, I knew before the game (Griffin would move the ball well), but after that second drive when we scored so easy I thought they were really going to have a problem with us.”
The win culminated a special season for a proud Griffin program that had not been to the state finals since 1980 when it lost to Lowndes. According to GHSFHA.org, it is the Bears’ third state title, although their last championship was split with Valdosta in 1978 after a 7-7 tie. The first came in 1942.
“I could tell a big difference between this year and last year and all the other years I’ve played, in leadership and accountability and buying in to what we have and really trying hard,” said Parks. “I could really tell there was a difference.”
Griffin became the fourth undefeated state champion thus far in the 2013 season, joining Creekside, Buford and Aquinas.
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