A catch made out of bounds in the end zone on the game’s final play was both a sigh of relief for Jefferson and disbelief for LaGrange. The #1-ranked Dragons (11-3) held on for a 21-13 win at Memorial Stadium, securing a date at the Benz for the 2024 State Championship.

Jefferson never trailed, but the Grangers (10-4) rallied and marched down the field in the final two minutes until the final horn sounded.

It was a tightly-contested first half, as both teams combined for just 3 possessions in the opening quarter. The Dragons’ lone drive got them to the 27 before they turned it over on downs. After stopping LaGrange, Gavin Markey connected on a 57-yd pass play to Rett Hemphill, and Markey then ran the next play inside the 5-yard line. From there, Dallas Russell found pay dirt from 4 yards out for the 7-0 lead with 8:56 left in the second.

Jefferson had another solid drive that gave Taylor McCall a shot at a 42-yd field goal. The kick was on target but hit on the crossbar, leaving the home team up just 7-0 at the break. Markey was sidelined in the first series of the second half due to a foot/toe injury, but returned to action.

With just 1:12 left in the third, the Dragons added on with a 3-yd TD run by Markey. Things changed quickly though when LaGrange got a 49-yd TD from Dylan Barber to Torian Reeves, bridging the gap to 14-7 with 16 seconds to go in the third.

Markey led a 5-minute drive that ended with his second rushing score, this one from a yard out to regain the 14-point lead at 21-7 with 6:13 to go. It was far from over, as LaGrange scored less than a minute later on a 17-yd TD run by Barber.

Jefferson’s ensuing drive was stalled due to penalties, and LaGrange got the ball with 2:22 to play. They extended the drive with several small plays, penalties, and good clock management. The final play as the horn sounded was a pass to the end zone in which the ball was caught and ruled out of bounds by an eyelash, ending the game. Jefferson’s defense was special, limiting Malachi Render-Fannin, one of the state’s top rushers, to only a couple of big plays.

The Dragons will face Calhoun on Wednesday, December 18 in the GHSA State Championship.