Photo Credit: Benjamin Hall
Decatur, GA – If there was ever a game that lived up to the hype, this one was it. After talking about it all week, I was unable to predict the outcome on the B2C Weekly Show on 11Alive due to me covering the game. However, this matchup gave us everything a playoff game should: drama, heart, big-time plays, and a wild finish that had fans from both sides holding their breath.
The Stephenson Jaguars outlasted the Westside-Augusta Patriots 41–35 in a four-overtime classic to punch their ticket to the third round of the Class 3A playoffs. And the hero? Anthony Booker, who muscled his way into the end zone on a two-point conversion run that sealed the deal and set off a celebration across Halford Stadium.
A Finish for the Ages
By the time the game hit the fourth overtime, both teams were clearly running on pure heart. After each squad came up empty in the third overtime, the rules required the offenses to start from the two-yard line and attempt only two-point conversions. Stephenson struck first. Booker took the snap, found a crease, and powered across the goal line to put the Jaguars up 37–35. All they needed was one defensive stand. And they got it. Westside faced fourth-and-goal from the three. The Patriots tried to punch it up the middle, but the Jaguars’ front seven swarmed, clogged the lane, and shut the door, ending the game on a goal-line stand that felt like a movie ending.
Back and Forth All Night
The game didn’t start nearly as explosively as it ended. The two teams traded punches early, settling into a 7–7 tie at halftime after Stephenson’s Jayden Johnson notched the Jaguars’ lone first-half touchdown. The second half turned into a showcase for quarterback Anthony Booker. He connected with KJ Green to give Stephenson a 14–7 lead, but Westside answered to knot it at 14. Booker responded again, using his legs this time to push the Jaguars ahead 21–14. But Westside wasn’t going anywhere. With just three minutes left in regulation, the Patriots scored to tie it at 21–21 and send the game into overtime.
Stephenson struck first in OT on another Booker touchdown for a 28–21 lead. Westside matched them. Then the Patriots scored again in the second overtime to go up 35–28. Stephenson answered right back with Booker hitting KJ Green again, to make it 35–35 and force a third extra frame. Neither team scored in the third overtime, setting the stage for the pressure-packed, winner-take-all fourth OT. And Stephenson finished the job.
What’s Next
The win earns Stephenson another home playoff game, and this one just got a lot more interesting. LaGrange (10–2) shocked previously undefeated North Hall 52–28, setting up a battle at Halford Stadium. Game time is still to be determined. But one thing is clear: after surviving one of the wildest playoff games in Georgia this year, the Jaguars are rolling into the Elite Eight with momentum and confidence.
