AAAAAA scouting report: Lovejoy’s gambling defense vs. Norcross’ explosive playmakers
Class AAAAAA Title Game (8:30 p.m)
Lovejoy (13-1) vs. Norcross (14-0)
Overview: Neither school nor head coach has won a state title. Lovejoy, which opened in 1990, made the state final in AAAA last year and lost to Tucker. Norcross, which started football in 1957, will be playing in its first state championship game. Lovejoy coach Al Hughes (109-80) and Norcross coach Keith Maloof (129-59) are in their 17th seasons as head coaches.
Lovejoy: The Wildcats returned most major figures from its AAAA runner-up team but were ranked only No. 7 in preseason because of the move to a higher classification. They lost their second game at Colquitt County 14-7 before dominating weak 2-AAAAAA, winning their six region games by an average score of 53-2. They’ve beaten Tri-Cities (51-13), Marietta (36-15), No. 4 North Gwinnett (21-6) and North Cobb (63-42) in the playoffs.
Norcross season: The Blue Devils were unranked in preseason largely because of their first-round exit in 2011 but were expected to contend. They beat three-time region champion North Gwinnett 31-21 in the third game and kept rolling. Norcross can become the first team in the highest class since 1986 Valdosta to defeat all 15 opponents by eight points or more. Norcross has beaten Chattahoochee (34-7), South Gwinnett (27-7), No. 5 Camden County (34-20) and No. 10 Colquitt County (41-27) in the playoffs.
Lovejoy strength: Lovejoy has a 2,000-yard rusher in Travis Custis and a 2,000-yard passer in Alejandro Bennifield. The defense thrives on tackles for losses and turnovers.
Norcross strength: Norcoss has a 2,000-yard rusher in Alvin Kamara and a 2,000-yard passer in Joseph Wilbur. Myles Autry is a tremendous weapon as rusher, receiver and returner.
Loveoy top players: Custis and receiver Jumichael Ramos have committed to Georgia Tech. Other top recruits include NT Norwood (Jacksonville State), TE Arshad Jackson (Auburn), DE Veion Robinson (Middle Tennessee), DE Zane Fields (uncommitted) and Bennifield (uncommitted).
Norcross’ top players: Kamara, who is uncommitted, is rated among the top five running backs nationally by three recruiting services. CB Shon Akins has committed to California. DE Lorenzo Carter and DB/WR Autry have several SEC and ACC offers as juniors.
On Lovejoy: ‘’Their defense is what’s unique. Their ability to play tight man-to-man coverage with no high safeties and put seven in the box, you don’t see a lot of that in high school. It’s difficult to pick up the tough yards in the run game. Most teams would be really rolling the dice to give up a big play, but they don’t because they put tremendous pressure on the quarterback.’’
– North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire, whose team lost to Lovejoy 21-6 on Nov. 30.
On Norcross: ‘’They may be the one team in Georgia to actually break down Lovejoy’s defense because they are extremely explosive on offense with Kamara and Autry. Kamara’s ability to stretch the field horizontally before he cuts vertically makes it tough to load the box. But if Autry isn’t healthy [he tweaked a knee in semifinals], that plays into Lovejoy’s hands.’’
– North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire, whose team lost to Norcross 31-21 on Sept. 14.
AJC pick: Norcross 27, Lovejoy 20
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274 comments Add your comment
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:44 pm
Hey, Hey, Hey, let’s go Lovejoy, I need O.T.
COLQUITT SUPPORTER
December 15th, 2012
11:44 pm
shoulda ran the clock out.
5150 UOAD
December 15th, 2012
11:44 pm
Bad pass there. lucky not an INT
Grayram
December 15th, 2012
11:45 pm
You have to pick that
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:45 pm
True, they could of just took a knee
Fred
December 15th, 2012
11:46 pm
@GwinnettDad – Aint it great with all the good football? We went to several games when Grayson wasn’t playing and really enjoyed them.
5150 UOAD
December 15th, 2012
11:46 pm
GIL…….”it was almost picked off by our buddy”……….who is your buddy? Give the players NAME.
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:46 pm
Ball game
Grayram
December 15th, 2012
11:46 pm
Best game since Colquitt- mceachern
GwinnettDad
December 15th, 2012
11:47 pm
The party is OVER! Gwinnett keeps the trophy for the third year in a row! Great game Lovejoy. Well played, right up to the last minute.
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:47 pm
Gil is an idiot, LOL
5150 UOAD
December 15th, 2012
11:47 pm
That was a TERRIBLE pass. It was Flat on a Line to the DB. A little air under it and that is a catch.
Great game.
FridayNightLightsFan
December 15th, 2012
11:47 pm
NORCROSS!!! so glab Lovejoy didn’t win.
COLQUITT SUPPORTER
December 15th, 2012
11:47 pm
Congratulations Norcross State Champs.
Grayram
December 15th, 2012
11:48 pm
Congrats Norcross and Lovejoy that was fun
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:48 pm
Congratulations Norcross, great team, great win
FridayNightLightsFan
December 15th, 2012
11:49 pm
Fumble giving LJ short field or this wasn’t as close.
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:49 pm
Cool he’s losing it
5150 UOAD
December 15th, 2012
11:50 pm
I would be so mad if I were the Lovejoy Safety that played the ball.
If he plays the player that is not a TD for Kamara and maybe a different game.
FridayNightLightsFan
December 15th, 2012
11:51 pm
Happy for the coach.. Good to see.
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:51 pm
I guess he’ll have to go find Lovejoy’s coach to shake his hand, hate it for Lovejoy but I enjoyed the game
Tipp Smooth
December 15th, 2012
11:51 pm
Congrats to Norcross on their state championship from
a die hard CAMDEN fan.
5150 UOAD
December 15th, 2012
11:52 pm
FridayNightLightsFan
December 15th, 2012
11:49 pm
Fumble giving LJ short field or this wasn’t as close.
——————————–
What game did you watch?
Lovejoy threw and INT on the next play and Norcross returned it to the same spot to the 6 or 6 yardline.
You really are Blind
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:52 pm
Well one other bright spot is I don’t have to listen to Gil anymore tonight
Grayram
December 15th, 2012
11:53 pm
Did Curtiss gain a yard in the 2 nd half? The Norcross D really stepped up
GwinnettDad
December 15th, 2012
11:53 pm
Will be interesting to hear Sportsnuts version of this game.
Fred
December 15th, 2012
11:54 pm
Congrats Norcross! Y’all will be tough next year with so many of the team returning.
Camden74
December 15th, 2012
11:54 pm
The Cross and the rest of the Norcross Fans, CONGRATULATIONS on your first STATE TITLE! You’ve made history by becoming Georgia’s FIRST, CLASS 6A FOOTBALL CHAMPION! Welcome to the club!
Grayram
December 15th, 2012
11:54 pm
5150 I think he means the fumble at the other end that led to a Lovejoy td
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:54 pm
Well The Cross has to be happy, LOL
Fred
December 15th, 2012
11:54 pm
@GwinnettDad – Ha!
jvillebil
December 15th, 2012
11:55 pm
Fred, who were you pulling for?
Grayram
December 15th, 2012
11:56 pm
The cross had the window of his suite open and was standing on the ledge
FridayNightLightsFan
December 15th, 2012
11:56 pm
@5150 UOAD – HMMM lets see the Fumble in the 3rd qtr at the 3:31 mark that gave LJ the ball on the 30 yard line.
FridayNightLightsFan
December 15th, 2012
11:58 pm
Of which LJ scored to go up 14 to 3 at the 1:34 mark. Maybe you didn’t watch the same game I did.
Grayram
December 15th, 2012
11:59 pm
Norcross Buford Jefferson Gainesville
4 champions not too far from each other
GwinnettDad
December 15th, 2012
11:59 pm
Whodda thunk it. LJ up 14-3, then Norcross scores 3 TDs, can’t get a single EP in the process, to score 18 unanswered in 4th quarter. LJ running game stopped dead in 2nd half.
5150 UOAD
December 16th, 2012
12:00 am
OK…..
it was a close game all night and with or without the fumble it was tight.
It was a pretty well played game too. A few penalties but not bad.
It was fun to watch.
Fred
December 16th, 2012
12:00 am
@jvillebil – I was rooting for Norcross all the way! My wife and I went to their game last week and I was real impressed. The 4th quarter Norcross was the team we saw all 4 quarters last week. I wish it was us but glad to see Gwinnett bring it home again.
jvillebil
December 16th, 2012
12:02 am
Well I can tell you one thing, Gainesville is going to be ranked #1 with Watson coming into the 2013 season, he was the most impressive QB I’ve seen in a while
57Cat
December 16th, 2012
12:02 am
Jvillebil
Decemberv15th, 2012
11:40 pm
Lovejoy needs to let them score and then they would only be down 8, if not they’re going to run outta time.
I think that’s exactly what they did, jvillebil. Lovejoy employed the old matador defenses, but those dense GPB announcers didn’t get it. Lovejoy gave it a shot, and they are to be congratulated. Hats off to “sportsnut,” he knows his team. The Cross may have to tone down his rhetoric a bit.
GwinnettDad
December 16th, 2012
12:04 am
@57Cat – I wouldn’t count on it
jvillebil
December 16th, 2012
12:05 am
Well I’m a Ware County Gator that lives in Florida, I came up Friday night and watched Gainesvile and Watson run and pass us to death, I was pulling for Norcross to win in overtime, but if S. Georgia team makes it to the finals I always pull for them, LOL, you know that North/South thing, but I do know one thing, Gwinnett County has some good football
Grayram
December 16th, 2012
12:05 am
South Gwinnett Camden Colquitt and Lovejoy . That’s a pretty good run
57Cat
December 16th, 2012
12:06 am
Props to Gwinnett, Fred. Region 1has some work to do, but we’re capable. Talk to you all next year. It’s been a pleasure. 57Cat, out.
Grayram
December 16th, 2012
12:08 am
Jvillebil…Ware county had such an easy team to play in the semis it didn’t really get them ready for Gainesville .)
SGT CHRIS
December 16th, 2012
12:09 am
another great season in the books….congrats to all seven state champions!!!!
jvillebil
December 16th, 2012
12:10 am
@57 Cat The announcers definitely missed a few things, I know it’s easy being an armchair QB but sometimes people can’t seem to decipher out the situation under stress and time limits. If you look at the defensive back for Lovejoy he made no attempt to make the tackle. I think it was a great plan by Lovejoy and they’re only hope, unfortunatley they threw the pick
57Cat
December 16th, 2012
12:11 am
I had to sneak back in one more time to say that it’s too bad ENR probably will not see Grayram’s last post
jvillebil
December 16th, 2012
12:13 am
Grayram, we kicked butt in the playoffs, but my fears came true with Gainesville along with a bunch of turnovers and a deep hole we couldn’t dig out of, we actually had more yards at half than Gainesville, and they only finish with 45 more than us, but Watson killed us. Great season to all the teams.