Grayson 24, Walton 0
It took Grayson 12 seasons of varsity football to get to its first championship game. It took less than a half to win it.
Grayson (15-0) took a 24-point lead in the second quarter, held Walton to minus-19 yards in the first half and won 24-0 in the Class AAAAA final Saturday at the Georgia Dome.
It was the first shutout in a championship of Georgia’s highest classification since Lowndes beat Brunswick 17-0 in 1999. The shutout was preserved when Grayson stopped a fourth-and-2 at the Grayson 6 with 2:16 left.
Grayson took command early after a couple of long passes by Nick Schuessler, a punt return by Ryan Carter and a defense that held the state’s leading rusher, Tyren Jones, to 78 yards on 16 carries. Jones had a 52-yard run in the final minutes when the outcome was not in doubt.
On Walton’s first possession, defensive back David Kamara forced a fumble after a short pass, and linebacker Jay Strickland recovered at the Walton 42. Grayson scored on 10 running plays – eight by 270-pound Robert Nkemdiche – and led 7-0.
“When we got that turnover, we got Robert going downhill, and that gave our kids a little confidence,’’ Grayson coach Mickey Conn said. “We were a little nervous coming into this thing for obvious reasons. The turnover kind of got everyone to feel at ease.’’
Better known as a patient running team, Grayson broke the game open on the arm of Schuessler, who threw two touchdown passes to Callen Hightower.
Facing a third-and-18 late in the first quarter, Schuessler (3-of-3 passing, 108 yards) hit Corey Schaeffer on a 42-yard post pattern to set up a field goal. Then with 9:28 left in the half, Schuessler hit Hightower on another post for a 45-yard touchdown that made it 17-0.
“We knew we could beat them with the run, but as soon as their safeties started creeping in, the coach made a good call and we beat them over the top,’’ Schuessler said.
At that point, Gayson led in total yards 163 to 1.
Then Grayson showed off its special teams when Carter went 67 yards on a punt return to the Walton 11. On the next play, Schuessler hit Hightower for a touchdown pass for a 24-0 lead.
Schuessler entered the game with efficient statistics – 93-of-154 passing for 1,506 yards and 17 touchdowns with three interceptions – but in a run-dominated offense that doesn’t allow the quarterback to shine that often.
‘’Nick is so underrated that these people don’t have a clue,’’ Conn said. “A quarterback is a leader. He’s someone who wins. He took us to the semifinals last year and the final this year. It’s unbelievable what he means to us.’’
The game featured Walton’s strong offense line and the running of Jones against Grayson’s top-rated defense. Jones had 2,299 yards entering the game, but Grayson held Walton to negative rushing yardage until Jones’ 52-yarder in the final minutes put Walton deep in Grayson territory for the only time in the game.
Jones had changed from jersey No. 1 to No. 20 on that possession because his original had been torn. His yardage initially was credited to Jacob Murphy, a sophomore defensive back.
Nkemdiche, the top-rated junior defensive tackle in the country according to most recruiting services, outgained Walton and Jones with his 85 yards on 19 carries. Walton finished with 58 yards on the ground.
Nkemdiche thought Grayson had held Jones to less than 50.
‘’We were waiting for him to play a defense like ours,’’ Nkemdiche said. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t get over 50 yards rushing. We average like 36 [allowed] a game. Our defense played great.’’
Grayson, which opened in 2000, became the eighth team from Gwinnett County to win the highest classification since 1996. Cobb County was denied its first state champion since 1967.
Grayson 10-14-0-0 – 24
Walton 0-0-0-0 – 0
G – Robert Nkemdiche 3 run (KallenRhodes kick)
G – Rhodes 34 FG
G – Callen Hightower 45 pass from Nick Schuessler (Rhodes kick)
G – Hightower 11 pass from Schuessler (Rhodes kick)
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132 comments Add your comment
Football FAn
December 11th, 2011
1:32 pm
@ Trojan Dad….Very good post…100% agree….I struggle with the fact that people want to disparage these young men who are out working hard to better themselves as student athletes, represent their schools and their families with their athletic talents. And I know that Ike and Tyren are very close friends (as well as their families) and Tyren couldn’t be more happy for the success Ike had this season and vice versa. Same with Eddie and others.
Great season of football for all these teams and young men.
GHS#22
December 11th, 2011
1:34 pm
There are alot of new name on here today………..the valdosta fans, Camden fans, lowndes fans all missing.
Nike 11
December 11th, 2011
1:51 pm
PLEASE stop the Tyren/Lassiter stuff. The family did what was best for him, period. What “could have” been doesn’t matter. Both teams showed they are both moving in the right direction this year.
And NO ONE ANYWHERE should complain about transfers and move0ins if they are done within GHSA rules. I imagine Walton is looking/hoping for the next big things at RB and the o-line and Lassiter is probably doing the same for a QB and WR. As long as those kids and their families move in to those districts, all is fine. Just like teams in Gwinnett will have people move in that are great defenders or RBs, that is the reality of HS sports. If a given school has a sport or other activity that your child excels at, they are going to want to be at that school.
You can look at Lassiter for lacrosse/swimming/baseball/etc and Walton for volleyball/cross country/tennis/etc.You can do the same thing for many, many schools in the state. Unless it is blatant recruiting with huge gifts to necessitate a transfer, there won’t be anything done, nor can anything be done.
What I took away most from last night is that Walton was too 1 dimensional this season and were never tested/faced much adversity until last week against Lassiter. That really hurt them imo, since once they got down by 10 the kids seemed shell shocked. I also think a spread team like a Lassiter or Colquitt (which they showed) would have given Grayson much bigger problems. Not necessarily beat them, but force Grayson out of their comfort zone on D.
Grayson was the best team this year, now it is time to look towards next year. Should be some very, very good teams across the state which will make for an exciting year.
GwinnettDad
December 11th, 2011
2:37 pm
@GHS#22 – Camden74 & MADDBALL were around on the blog that took place during the game. They congratulation Grayson begrudginly, but did it.
GwinnettDad
December 11th, 2011
2:37 pm
duh – “congratulation” should be “congratulated”
cchswildcat86
December 11th, 2011
2:59 pm
GHS#22 …It’s your day…..
cchswildcat86
December 10th, 2011
10:37 pm
Fred,grayram and all Grayson fans CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP….
posted on several blogs on here
86Vike
December 11th, 2011
3:07 pm
Congrats to Grayson “2011 State Champs”.
Fred
December 11th, 2011
3:07 pm
Congratulations to Walton on making it to the Dome! Last night was a bummer for you but consider this – there are 450+ teams playing high school football in GA. For over 400 of them, their season ended and they cleaned out their lockers well over a month ago. There were 10 teams playing this weekend and you were one of them! Hold your head high!
Folks, give it a rest about Jones! He made the transfer and played hard for his new team. You can’t lay the “featured player all about me” at his feet as the coaches and rest of the team had to buy into that as well. Walton did well this year with that system.
As for the Rams, it is still a hard to wrap my head around all of this! Major props for sticking to the plan. I don’t know that I have ever seen a team so focused and determined. The coaches got you prepared and you executed all year long. You ignored hype and controversy and just got it done. Enjoy it!
Fred
December 11th, 2011
4:08 pm
As I read through these blogs, I think of the admonition to “Win with class and loose with dignity.” I have enjoyed, for the most part
, the back and forth with everyone and very much appreciate the kudos from the blogs participants as we sparred during the year. For those that can’t let it go, look at what you are doing to your team, its players and coaches. You cheapen your team’s accomplishments and give your community a bad name. It is a game for goodness sake! Enjoy the game and the community spirit and pride that comes with it but when the game is over move on.
G-town-ramfan
December 11th, 2011
4:33 pm
The Grayson community is so proud. Both my kids graduated from Grayson (’04 &’08). Those were tough years for Ram fans but now they’ve finally earned the ultimate prize and I do mean earned. Congratulations to all the players and coaches, job well done!
Walton deserves a lot of credit for making it to the big game regardless of the final score. If you go 14-0 you deserve to be there.
grayram
December 11th, 2011
4:57 pm
cchswildcat86
Thanks..I see you guys are coming back to the Corky Kell!
GHS#22
December 11th, 2011
5:08 pm
Thanks cchwildcat…….
I see you guys are coming back to the dome. All is right in the world of GHSA now. I love all this stuff!!
just finshed watching the game again on GPB.org and still can’t believe the show the those boys put on.
cchswildcat86
December 11th, 2011
6:04 pm
I said after the Colquitt game Grayson earned everything they got, I think last nite proved it!!! Walton was a good team, but they hadn’t seen a physical team like Grayson…and all but 2on D come back next yr..right
Yes, I’m glad Camden’s back in the dome…See ya’ll there
TJ
December 11th, 2011
6:07 pm
I knew when Grayson finally found a field goal kicker they would win all phases of the game. What a game it was and was about time a class coach like Coach Conn got what he deserved. Congrats Grayson and congrats to Walton for making it to the game. It is all about matchups……..Grayson’s team defense against one back was not the answer. Teams that always challenge Grayson are balanced run and pass like Colquit and Brookwood.
Go Raiders
December 11th, 2011
6:50 pm
Trojan Fan, you proved your ignorance about Tyren when you said his father was a distraction and ‘good riddance’ to his brother, too. Tyren’s father is a dream to be around and is the furthest thing from a distraction. He works with kids from schools all over the community and that includes Lassiter, Walton and Wheeler athletes. And guess what? Tyren has 2 younger sisters so you must have him confused with another Tyren Jones.
Here’s a newsflash for the Lassiter fans who think Walton recruited Tyren. He came to the school in January and ran track with his Walton teammates. Not sure what stat you saw where he got the ball 30 times at Lassiter as it was always 10 times or less. And guess who was at Walton in June trying to shop around his son? Big Eddie Printz. He then left Walton and headed to Woodstock to talk to their staff about his son. This isn’t make believe. It happened. I feel so sorry for young Eddie Printz as he seems like a great kid but has a very strange dad. I’ve got a feeling he’ll change his mind about SMU. Jep Irwin was aware Big Eddie was trying to make a move. That must’ve been awkward for all involved.
BamaBornDukie, I’ve encouraged others to read your posts this season as I thought you were a smart, level headed person who gave a fair and accurate assessment of the situation at Walton. You blew that out the water with your posts on the game last night and I learned that you really don’t get it afterall. Walton was passing on 2nd and 3rd down but had no open receivers. That resulted in 5 sacks for big losses. The QB had a hard time getting in a rhythm with little or no protection and no open targets. The tight end delay was a gift with a potential for a big gain and the tight end dropped it. #26 ‘tackled’ Tyren as he was breaking loose by grabbing his shoelace. Mistakes were made by the offense, defense and then the special teams. You can’t make errors against a great team like Grayson and expect to win. If you’ve seen as many games as you say you do you know what they’re capable of and how they looked out of sync the entire night. You can’t blame the coaches or the 15, 16 and 17 years olds. It just wasn’t their night. From now on I’ll probably blow past your posts, which is too bad.
Congratulations to Grayson on your state championship. We’ll try again next year. We’re very proud of our 14-1 season and 2nd place in the state!!
My Comments
December 11th, 2011
8:53 pm
I got to enjoy the game from the sidelines last night and was very impressed with Grayson. There is no doubt that their big DE and RB is the best player in the state and possibly the country. I’ve seen Grayson play before on GPB and this is by far the best game I believe they played all year as their defense dominated. I know Walton is a good team and they showed that in the second half by keeping Grayson scoreless but I do have to question some of their offensive play calling. It didn’t seem like they tried to utilize any screen or short passes in the early downs as they were dominated up front all night long and couldn’t get their run game going. They only thing I have to say I didn’t like seeing from Grayson was their QB taunting one of the Walton players and then waving to the Walton sideline after two of his TD throws. I’ve seen him do interviews after games and he seems like a good kid but that type of behavior at the next level will get his clock cleaned. I’m sure if his coaches saw that they would address it. Congrats to Grayson and Walton on outstanding seasons. If you’re a fan of either of these teams you have a lot to be proud of!
Brick
December 11th, 2011
9:46 pm
Congrats to Grayson as they deserve to be champs,but their coach showed no class in not even mentioning Walton while he accepted the state trophy. It was very obvious he made it a point not to credit that Walton team. No other coach at the Dome was that class less.
Evan W
December 12th, 2011
6:34 am
Todd, you are the junior writer that will never get a lead gig on college and professional sports because your writing really sucks. The game, as with any game, is not won before the half. The game was won throughout by solid defensive play by Grayson, and suggesting it was won before the half discredits the defensive play against a desperate Walton team in the second half.
GraysonFAN
December 12th, 2011
7:33 am
@ Evan W and My Comments — Grayson just ran the ball and played very conservatively on offense wanted to milk the clock the second half. If they would have stayed with the same offensive game plan they had in the 1st half they would have doubled up Walton. So even though Walton’s D did play better in second half it wasn’t the full reason Grayson didn’t score.
BH268
December 12th, 2011
8:38 am
@GraysonFan, I wasn’t aware that Grayson changed their offense in the 2nd half since they only threw the ball 3 times Dumb A**……
Scott
December 12th, 2011
8:40 am
You do NOT have to win a championship to go to the D-1 school of your choice. You do NOT have to move your kids around in order to GIVE them a better opportunity nor will it help get them get to the D-1 school of their choice. You do NOT have to lead the nation in scoring, yardage, # of takles or any other stat in order to get into the D-1 school of your choice.
I’m totally against moving a kid from school to school in the name of GIVING them a better opportunity. That’s a cop-out answer anyway . . .the real reason is to feed the parents ego.
There are boat loads of examples of athletes that go to the D-1 school of their choice that did NOT move from High School to High School. They did not win a championship. They did work hard, they did develop their skills, they learned the game, and they made their teammates better players.
College coaches recognize talent and desire. A good college coach doesn’t need hype to recognize raw talent.
A lot of kids get to college before your kid gets there. In several of the sports, the kids that are there have a LOT of say about who gets recruited and who does NOT. IF the kid is a “pain in the arse” or one of the parents is a pain, then it WILL hurt the kid’s chances of entering that college . . .REGARDLESS of how many TD’s are on his resume. The GOOD and the BAD will get to the college before YOU do.
So, for all your High School players reading this . . .treat your opponents with respect, be good sports and keep working hard. Remember, a lot of them will make it to your college of choice before you do and may one day be your teammate.
For the “over the top parents” reading this . . .you are most likely HURTING your child’s chances of getting into the “D-1 school of your choice”.
east cobber
December 12th, 2011
9:07 am
I am applauded at all the people who could say Walton was a disgrace or does not desire to be #2 in the state. These boy played their heart out all season. They have carried themselves with dignity, humility and respect. They started the season as the under dogs and have proven to be an awesome team. They are all around students both on the field and in the class rooms. Not to mention the Senior Class average SAT score. Even in the face of multiple injuries they took the field with pride. broken collar bones, collar bone fracture, 2 acl injuries, 1 mcl injury, broken finger, #18 dislocated elbow did not stop them. Their record was broken, their bodies injuried but not their spirit. Grayson is an awesome team and they were the better team that day. However, one game does not take away from the season the Walton Raiders had. “14-1″
Grayson job well done! Raiders remember who you are!
Brick
December 12th, 2011
12:44 pm
Even though the Grayson coach was class less in not even mentioning Walton at the trophy ceremonies, Walton did not give up in the 2nd half and fought hard til the end. Walton went 14-1 and accomplished more than most 5A schools
TJ
December 12th, 2011
1:44 pm
@Brick-Think Grayson coach was overwhelmed by the moment. I saw on TV where he tipped his hat to Walton on their great season. Walton accomplished more than most schools in the highest classification…dont cut them short, they made it to where 62 other football teams wish they could make it…to the dome. Good season Walton.
Bloated gut
December 13th, 2011
12:06 am
Lassiter def would have done better
Go Raiders Daddy
December 13th, 2011
12:30 am
MR Jones eighteen year old ninth grade son flunked out of Lassiter. His name is Tyrone. I don’t believe Mr Printz would go to Walton. Maybe Woodstock. Too bad you didn’t get another QB. You wouldn’t have been embarrased by Greyson. Don’t get mad at BamabornDukie for telling it like it is.
Football FAn
December 13th, 2011
9:20 am
@Go Raiders Daddy….ARE YOU SERIOUS? Calling out a kid about his/her grades by name? I don’t even know if what you say is true, but are you serious? You must be a KID because no responsible adult would act in such a way….at least I hope not! If you are an adult, and want to get that personal, why don’t you come from behind the keyboard and go talk to Mr. Jones face to face about his family….you can always find him out at Walton or over at Sports o Rama working with kids from all around the East Cobb community.
Football FAn
December 13th, 2011
9:28 am
Oh by the way, it is no secret at all that Mr. Printz was over at Walton & Woodstock last summer talking to the staffs about a possible transfer for Eddie (which is his prerogative if he felt like a change of venue might be in order for his child). The jury was out on Coach Irwin and his staff after the first season but I think all parties are glad that Eddie stayed put. And Walton did just fine with their own QB this season….one loss (to a Top Ranked team in the Country) does not define their season…if that was the case, how would you define the Lassiter losses to Walton in Game 1 (total domination), Marietta and Etowah.
Raider 4 Life
December 13th, 2011
9:58 am
Mr Football Fan,
You are doing the same thing by calling out the Lassiter young man. Let it go. You have no idea who is instigating your responses. Let’s be proud of the Walton accomplishments by our players and not validate the postings of an idiot with a response.
Go Raiders
December 13th, 2011
6:25 pm
Hey Scott, guess what? The University of Georgia Bulldogs offered Tyren Jones a scholarship today!! So far that’s Vanderbilt and UGA. Not too shabby, huh? He wouldn’t have even been on the radar of either of those schools had he stayed at Lassiter and shared the 10 running plays with the talented Isiah Willis.
Scott
December 13th, 2011
11:08 pm
That’s where you and I disagree . . .Tyren worked hard and has earned whatever offers he gets. He would have gotten them regardless of the High School he attended. When a young athlete develops his or her skills to a higher level, the college coaches will recognize that skill level.
If he makes it to the Pro level, then it will have little to do with the college he attends. The inner drive found in professional athletes is not made in High School nor learned in college.
Hopefully, he will go to a college and actually play. Unlike Mason that broke all kinds of High School records and will most likely sit the bench at UGA.
A lot of what makes a player is the player . . .not the High School. Remember Philip Lutzenkirchen? Most certainly going Pro and you can expect more great things from that Lassiter High grad. Was it the QB that make that young man good? Was it the High School coach? Or did God bless him with that inner drive and a 6′5″, 250# frame? I’m betting on the latter and the college coaches and the professional scouts will see that coming from a distance.
Take care and God Bless.
gaming
December 16th, 2011
6:37 am
In these days of austerity plus relative anxiousness about incurring debt, a lot of people balk resistant to the idea of using a credit card to make acquisition of merchandise as well as pay for any gift giving occasion, preferring, instead just to rely on this tried along with trusted method of making transaction – hard cash. However, if you’ve got the cash on hand to make the purchase 100 %, then, paradoxically, that’s the best time to be able to use the card for several reasons.