Aaron Walker and Shyheim Roberts weren’t about to let Johnson’s playoff hopes slip away Friday night against Tattnall County at Memorial Stadium.
Walker had four sacks and a game-clinching interception, and Roberts ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Atomsmashers defeated the Warriors 34-14 to sew up the No. 3 seed in Region 1-AAA.
With the win, Johnson (4-6, 4-3) will travel to Atlanta next week to face Region 4-AAA projected No. 2 seed Chapel Hill.
After losing its first three games by a combined score of 126-0 and starting the season 1-6, Johnson ended by winning its last three games and outscoring opponents 100-23. The third-place finish is the best that fourth-year coach Jamie Baldwin can remember in a long time for the Atomsmashers.
“We made some history (against Tattnall County),” said Baldwin, who was doused with ice water by jubilant players near the end of the fourth quarter. “The guys and my coaching staff deserve it after all the work they put in. Everybody turned their back on us when we gave the 126 straight points, and this is a special moment for me and the seniors who have been with me since I got here in 2009.”
Walker is one of those seniors, and he made the play that tipped the scales against the Warriors. After leading 26-7 halftime, Johnson had allowed Tattnall County to close the gap to 26-14 and the Warriors were threatening to score again in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.
But Walker leaped to intercept Tattnall County quarterback Brandon Purcell’s pass on the Atomsmashers’ 10-yard line, and Roberts flipped the field with a 60-yard run on the next play from scrimmage. Only two plays later, senior running back Corbin Mitchell danced into the end zone and then scored a two-point conversion to make the score 34-14 with only five minutes left in the game.
“It was important to the team, the coaches and our supporters, and I knew there was no more room for mistakes,” Walker said. “We knew it was win or go home, and it was like we had to go do it. This game was the one that really mattered, and I made sure every play we gave 100 percent.”
The Atomsmashers sprinted out to a big lead behind Roberts, who finished with 143 yards passing and 163 yards rushing. Roberts was 8-of-11 passing for 105 yards and a touchdown in the first half and raced through the Tattnall County defense for a 70-yard touchdown in the second quarter as Johnson gained 250 first-half yards.
But Johnson was rattled by a bizarre start to the third quarter, and Purcell took advantage of the distraction. After Roberts connected with Darrell Myers for what seemed like a knockout-punch touchdown at the beginning of the second half, the Atomsmashers were whistled for more than 40 yards in penalties that negated the touchdown.
After Johnson turned the ball over on downs, Purcell marched the Warriors to a touchdown. He picked up a first down with a fake punt and set up Nick Overton’s 5-yard scoring run. After Roberts was picked off on Johnson’s next possession, Purcell guided the Warriors back into scoring position before Walker’s heroics.
“(Walker) is one of my original guys who have been with me since they were freshman, so he’s been with me for four years,” Baldwin said. “Not only is he a great player, but he’s a great student who is going to be a leader in our community one day. That game could have gotten away from us, but we knew (Tattnall County) would make adjustments and we made adjustments, too.
“Chapel Hill has a good football team, but I think I’ve got a pretty good team, too, and I’m very excited to play next week.”
Tattnall 0 7 7 0 — 14
Johnson 12 14 0 8 — 34
J—Raquan Greene 10 run (kick failed)
J—Darrell Myers 23 pass from Shyheim Roberts (run failed)
TC—Deshon Nails 12 pass from Brandon Purcell (Miguel Cortinas kick)
J—Roberts 70 run (run failed)
J—Roberts 16 run (Corbin Mitchell run)
T—Nick Overton 5 run (Cortinas kick)
J—Mitchell 16 run (Mitchell run)