GAINESVILLE, Ga. – For the second straight season, LaGrange came to the Brickyard and eliminated North Hall from the state playoffs.
The Grangers broke open a tight game with three touchdowns in the final two minutes and beat the Trojans 52-28 in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.
“We just fell short,” North Hall Coach Sean Pender said. “We made some mistakes in some critical times, and the game got away from us when we were trying to take shots.”
The Grangers beat North Hall 49-17 in the state quarterfinals a year ago before losing to Jefferson in the semifinals. This time, the game was close until LaGrange (10-2) used three North Hall turnovers to score 21 points in the final 2:03.
North Hall (11-1) had the ball with 4:41 to play, trailing 31-28. The Grangers’ cornerback Zy Huzzie picked off a pass and returned it 30 yards to the North Hall 10, which set up quarterback Dylan Barber’s 1-yard scoring run.
On the kickoff, LaGrange recovered a North Hall fumble. Kaydin Thomas, who rushed for 138 yards, scored on a 12-yard run. The Grangers’ third score came on Huzzies’ 53-yard interception return.
In last year’s playoff matchup, the Grangers raced out to a 35-3 halftime lead, and the Trojans could not come back. This year, North Hall battled back each time it looked like LaGrange might take control.
“That’s the fight our kids have,” Pender said. “Our kids are resilient. They pushed, and we were in it. We had our opportunities.”
The Trojans trailed 21-13 early in the third quarter when they drove to tie the game. Justin Allen capped a 70-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Alex Schlieman hit Smith McGarvey with the 2-point conversion to tie the game.
A touchdown and a field goal gave the Grangers a 10-point lead, but like they had all night, the Trojans answered. On a double-reverse pass, McGarvey threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Schlieman to bring the Trojans within 31-28 midway through the fourth quarter.
Schlieman completed 19-of-34 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown. Cole Cable caught seven passes for 129 and one score. Parker Carlson rushed for 75 yards and had seven tackles on defense. Buddy Clark had 10 tackles and recovered a fumble.
The Trojans achieved a great deal in 2025. The Trojans won their second straight Region 7-3A championship with their third undefeated regular season in school history. A playoff team for the third straight season, the Trojans had back-to-back 10-win seasons for the second time.
“This night does not define us by any means,” Pender said. “We were a very good football team, and our kids worked hard all season, and played hard all season.”
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