Grayson stuffs defending champion Camden County

by Stephen Black

In what might have been a preview of a playoff game, the No. 2 Grayson Rams won a slugfest with the No. 4-ranked defending state champion Camden County Wildcats 14-10 on Saturday at the Georgia Dome after cashing in on a fourth quarter turnover.

“It was a statement game,” declared Grayson head coach Mickey Conn. “Any time you can beat a heavyweight like Camden County, they’re the defending state champs. They’ve got a great program and a great football team.”

Ean Pemberton starred for the Rams, as the diminutive senior tailback rushed for both Grayson touchdowns on the night. Pemberton accounted for all 42 yards of the decisive scoring drive including the final three yards when he scored on a three-yard touchdown with 6:16 left in the game.

“It was a big win," stated Pemberton. “We wanted to show how our offense had (improved) from last year. Our linemen did a good job of blocking and our backs did a good job running and we were successful running the ball. And that’s what we do.”

The game-winning drive came after the Grayson defense recovered a Wildcat fumble on the 42-yard line. “You’re always looking for those breaks," explained Conn. “They got them in the third quarter and they took advantage of them. I’m proud of our guys that they took advantage of the mishaps. It showed a lot of poise from our kids.”

The Rams struck first when the diminutive Pemberton plunged in from the 1-yard line to end the first drive of the second quarter. Camden County would even things up when Michael Hamilton blocked an Andy Edwards punt teammate DJ Williams-Reed returned it for a touchdown. On their next drive, the Wildcats would take the lead on a 35-yard field goal. But Pemberton would not let his team stay behind for long.

Both teams will have next week off. Grayson will then host Warner Robins on Sept. 4 while Camden County will host First Coast (FL) in the Georgia/Florida Border War.

Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com.