Perry takes down Stockbridge for its first state title: Live score updates, Georgia 4A football state championship
ATLANTA – This Georgia Class 4A state championship showdown between Perry vs. Stockbridge is part of the 2023 Georgia high school football championships, which will feature nine games over three days at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Stay with SBLive Georgia for reports from this state championship game and others as we cover all eight title games in the Peach State this week.
Below is our Live Update Feed created and updated as the contest progresses. Read from the bottom up to follow the action chronologically from beginning to end.
Live Updates:
FINAL: PERRY 38, STOCKBRIDGE 27
4Q: PERRY 38, STOCKBRIDGE 27
- Another knee and Perry celebrates its first ever state championship. It's a final.
- Ginn takes a knee and the clock is rolling under a minute.
- Perry covers the onsides kick and can now run out the clock.
- TOUCHDOWN! Thompkins goes to the back right corner for a 23-yard TD pass to Howard. The two-point try is no good with 1:05 remaining.
- Incomplete. It's third down.
- Facing second and 19 at the 23, Stockbridge calls timeout with 1:18 remaining.
- Thompkins runs for a TD, but its wiped out by a holding call. It's first and 20 from the 24.
- Thompkins is still playing hard. He scrambles for 22 and first down at the 14.
- Pinckney strops Thompkins of the ball but Stockbridge recovers. It's third and 21 with 1:21 on the clock.
- It's second 10 after an incompletion.
- Thompkins scoots around left end for another first down with 2:10 remaining.
- Thompkins runs for eight and gets out of bounds with 2:16 left.
- Thompkins hits Howard for a first down at the 36.
- Scott runs for four to the 45. Third and five.
- Thompkins runs for a first down at the Perry 49. 3:13 left in the game.
- Stockbridge is on its own 32 after the kickoff.
- TOUCHDOWN! Gordon explodes for a 13-yard TD run. The kick is good and this one is almost in hand for the Panthers. 4:13 left.
- Gordon runs for 10 and a first down at the 10.
- On third and one, Anderson runs for three and a first down. The Panthers are getting closer.
- Ginn makes his first run, lowers his should and converts the first down. 7:09 left.
- Anderson makes a catch on the right and gains 13, while making sure he stayed in bounds. Third and five.
- On second and 11, they milk it a little too long and get hit with a delay call.
- Perry is starting to milk the play clock as we go under nine minutes.
- On third and long, Anderson grabs a screen, spins out of a tackle and gains 36 down to the Stockbridge 43.
- Ginn throws long, but Anderson cannot catch up with the throw.
- Gordon loses two on first down. The clock, however, goes below 10 minutes.
- TURNOVER ON DOWNS! The previous play was confirmed by replay. The Tigers bring the pressure on fourth down, forcing an incompletion, and the ball goes over on downs to the Panthers.
- Thompkins hits Howard, but he is well short of the first down. Stockbridge is set to go for in on fourth and nine. Replay timeout with 10:35 on the clock.
- Maurice Hayes Jr. breaks up a Thompkins pass to start the final quarter. Jerrel Pickney follows with a tackle for loss. It's third and 12.
END 3Q: PERRY 31, STOCKBRIDGE 21
3Q: PERRY 31, STOCKBRIDGE 21
- On the final play of the third quarter, Thompkins scrambles for eight.
- On first down from the 38, Scott is dropped for no gain.
- Thompkins completes a second and 12 throw to Jordyn Mack who absorbed a big hit. Add on 15 for a personal foul.
- Great coverage on the kick, drops Stockbridge at the 14.
- TOUCHDOWN! Dakarai Anderson turns a short throw into a first goal. They go right back to him on the next play and he scores. The extra-point is good. Perry is back up by 10 with 1:31 left in the quarter.
- Gordon feeling it as he dances for nine more.
- Gordon breaks his biggest run of the night, 30-yards, and the Panthers are at the Tigers' 32.
- This time there is no doubt as Gordon pushes forward for the first down at the 38.
- Replay rules the Tigers short of the line to gain. It will be third and one with 3:25 to go in the quarter.
- On its first series, Perry runs for a first down, but the play is under review.
- TOUCHDOWN! Scott capitalizes on the turnover, running through arm tackles on the outside for a 19-yard TD. The kick is good and its a 3-point game with 4:42 remaining in the third.
- Thompkins with a great read on the RPO and turns it into a 17-yard gain. First down at the 19.
- Perry's defense coming up with a response of their own. It's third and three.
- INTERCEPTION! Ginn goes for a knockout shot, but Stockbridge's Malik Caswell delivers a counter punch with an interception and a return to the Panthers' 43.
- Perry gets sack of Thompkins as Jerrel Pickney knocks him off balance and Trontavious Brown cleans it up. Stockbridge punts and Perry is at its own 41.
- Stockbridge is at the 21 as it attempts to comeback.
- TOUCHDOWN! Gordon gets some rare daylight and runs the stretch play right into the end zone. The kick is good and Perry is up 10 with 7:44 to play in the third.
- On third and 13, Pettigrew sits in a spot and grabs a first down throw at the four.
- Kam Reese sacks Ginn for a four-yard loss.
- Pettigrew makes a great leaping catch at the Stockbridge 14 for a gain of 41. First and 10 in the red zone.
- Ginn throws incomplete. It's third and nine.
- After a false start, Perry converts a third and eight with a throw from Ginn to Pettigrew,
- Gordon is out to the 40 with a reception. It's third and three.
- Gordon gains a couple on first down.
- Perry receives the third quarter kick and will start at its own 33.
- Perry finished the first half with -7 rushing yards, but won the passing battle 131-97. Stockbridge dominated time of possession, holding it for 17:26.
- The second half kickoff is just minutes away.
HALF: PERRY 17, STOCKBRIDGE 14
2Q: PERRY 17, STOCKBRIDGE 14
- Under pressure, Thompkins throws incomplete and we will go to halftime.
- A stunned Stockbridge has the ball out at the 43 with six seconds left. Time for one more play in the first half.
- TOUCHDOWN! Rodarious Lewis has the kickoff stripped from his hands after a return out near the 30, Stockbridge had two men nearly recover, before it is knocked forward and scooped up by linebacker Gesha'mm Heard, who took it the final 52-yards to end zone for a Perry TD.
- TOUCHDOWN! Thompkins drops one in the bucket as Howard gathers it in the end zone for his second TD of the game. The kick is good. 1:43 left in the half.
- Thompkins show off his improv abilities, extending the play until he could Jordyn Mack for a first down throw at the 20.
- An incomplete pass brings up fourth down and the Tigers are going for it.
- After a pair of short runs, Stockbridge faces third and seven.
- On third and three, Thompkins runs for a first down at the Perry 38.
- Tyler Tucker collects a short pass from Thompkins.
- Scott gets another crack and rolls for a first down at the 45.
- Seemingly hemmed in, Scott explodes for a 34-yard run, but it's coming back because of holding call.
- With 5:45 remaining in the second quarter, the Tigers will start at the 22.
- Dylan Manuel makes a huge hit on McGinn for a sack. The Panthers have to punt.
- McGinn tries another deep ball to Lewis, but two defenders in the area break it up.
- Replay rules that the ball hit the ground and it is an incompletion. It will be second and 10.
- Lewis hauls in a juggling 31-yard reception from McGinn. The play is under review.
- Another shanked punt goes straight up and lands for a negative two yards. First and 10 for Perry at the Stockbridge 44.
- Thompkins makes a throw into a tight spot and cannot make the connection. The Tigers have to punt.
- Thompkins pass is tipped and nearly intercepted. It's third and 10.
- Thompkins finds Jordyn Mack for a first down throw out to the 44.
- Scott is tripped up after a six-yard gain.
- Stockbridge starts at its own 30, after the kickoff. We have 8:33 left in the half.
- FIELD GOAL! Zach Peacock puts Perry in front for the first time with a 26-yard field goal.
- Ginn's third down pass is tipped and falls incomplete.
- This time Ginn overthrows an open Donovan Funsch in the end zone.
- Ginn's first down pass is nearly intercepted.
- A shanked punt spins down inside the 30 and Tavares Simmons scoops it runs down to the Stockbridge nine for a first and goal. Time out with 8:59 remaining in the half.
- A long throw on third down is well defended and Stockbridge will have to punt.
- After two short runs, it's third and nine from the 26.
- Thompkins fires to Ryan Johson, but he is separated from the ball by Maurice Hayes, Jr., but Hayes was called for a personal foul on a defenseless receiver for 15 yards and a penalty.
- With 10:43 left in the half, Stockbridge takes over at the 10.
- On third and five Pettigrew drops to end the drive. Perry punts.
- Korry Pettigrew makes his first grab of the night for five yards.
- Dixon makes another first down catch and Perry is at the Tigers' 39.
- Ginn opens the second with a completion to Anderson for a first down at the 49.
END 1Q: STOCKBRIDGE 7, PERRY 7
1Q: STOCKBRIDGE 7, PERRY 7
- That's end of the first quarter.
- Ginn shows off his arm talent for a 23-yard gain to Colby Dixon.
- Ginn escapes pressure in the end zone, get across the five and then takes a huge shot.
- Jordon Wilson's kick rolls dead at the four. That's where Perry will start its second possession.
- On third and one, Scott loses one and its fourth down at the 39. Stockbridge will punt.
- Scott explodes for 26-yards on first down. First down at the Perry 47.
- Jayden Howard is spun down after a short return on the kickoff.
- TOUCHDOWN! Out of the wildcat, Anderson hands off to Gordon for the fourth down score. The kick was good and we're tied with 3:19 to play in the opening quarter.
- Ginn connects with Ahmad Gordon who gets back to the one. It's fourth down.
- There is a timeout with 4:03 to go in the first quarter.
- The Stockbridge defense pushes the Panthers back. Third and goal from the five.
- Big play! Colter Ginn fires a strike to Dakarai Anderson on the right sideline, avoids two tacklers and runs 69-yards before being pushed out at the one. First and goal.
- Rodarious Lewis return the kick for Perry from the six to the 30. First down Panthers.
- TOUCHDOWN! Thompkins caps a brilliant drive with a seven-yard TD toss to Jayden Howard. The kick is good and it is 7-0.
- Jayden "Duke" Scott bruises down to the seven, where it third and four with 6 minutes left in the opening quarter.
- Thompkins bails out the Tigers again as he scrambles for 12 and a first down.
- An incomplete pass makes it third and 10.
- Thompkins, after a false start, gets five back.
- On a third and nine, Thompkins avoids a blitzing linebacker and scrambles for a first down at the 26.
- Ryan Johnson makes a first down catch inside the Perry 40.
- We're on the opening drive of the game and Cobey Thompkins runs for a Stockbridge first down near midfield.
PERRY VS. STOCKBRIDGE
- The 2A title game just ended after three overtimes. Kickoff for the 4A game will likely occur between 5:20. - With the earlier game in overtime the start of this 4A contest will likely be delated to at least 5:00 p.m.
- Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
(All photo by Colin Hubbard)
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