Trojans move to brink of region title after racing past Lumpkin [VIDEO]

The North Hall Trojans scored 21 straight points in the second quarter to pull away from Lumpkin County for a pivotal win in region 6-AAA. #4-ranked North Hall (8-0; 5-0 in region) earned a 35–12 victory over the Indians at The Brickyard, moving within one victory of claiming back-to-back region titles.

Quarterback Alex Schlieman threw for four touchdowns, as the Trojans busted the game open with a huge second quarter following a scoreless first.

In Lumpkin’s first drive, Nolan Matthews reeled off a pair of big gainers, and Mason Hester connected with MacLane Powell on a 4th-and-9 to get the Indians just outside the goal line.

Hester’s subsequent jump ball to the corner of the end zone was picked off by Connor Harwood, turning away Lumpkin. The Trojans ate up a lot of clock, marching down with big passes from Schlieman to Ty Kemp and Cole Cable. 

Parker Carlton punched in the first score from a few yards out with 10:10 to go in the second. That seemed to unleash the offense, as Hunter Robertson recovered a fumble for North Hall moments later, and Schlieman proceeded to find Kemp on a bubble screen. He took it 28 yards to the end zone for a 14-0 lead at the 7:29 mark. 

Just two minutes later, Schlieman hit Wyatt Tumlin on a 14-yd slant for the 21-0 advantage, putting the Trojans in the driver’s seat. Needing a response desperately, the Indians got on the board with a 40-yd TD by Matthews. The extra point missed, leaving Lumpkin trailing 21-6. 

North Hall wasted no time getting that score back, as Schlieman threw a 25-yd TD pass to Carlton, pushing it to 28-6. Harwood added a second interception, but it came to nothing as the game hit the midway point. 

The Trojans picked up exactly where they left off. Schlieman threw a 31-yd touchdown to Jack MacLoskie, who shed a pair of tacklers on the way for the 31-6 lead. Lumpkin retaliated with an 11-yd TD from Hester to Martin Hulsey at the end of the third, bridging the gap to 35-12.