DOUGLASVILLE — Corbin Mitchell, Johnson’s leading rusher, had been held in check all night as Chapel Hill limited the senior to minus-2 yards on the ground until late in the fourth quarter.
But when his team needed it most, Mitchell delivered in the biggest way possible.
Mitchell took an option pitch from quarterback Shyheim Roberts and found some daylight. A key block from Korey Clarke sprung Mitchell loose down the right sideline for a 43-yard touchdown that iced the game for the Atomsmashers with 2:18 left.
Johnson beat host Chapel Hill 32-23 in a GHSA Class AAA first-round matchup. It was the first playoff win for Atomsmashers since
1992. Johnson will face top-seeded Thomson on the road next week.
“They had been stopping the run all night,” said Mitchell, who has 840 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on the season. “No. 41 (Josiah Coatney) was giving us problems. But Shyheim (Roberts) made a great audible to the option on the line, and Korey made a big block. I saw open field and got happy. But this isn’t about one play, it’s about our team’s victory.”
Johnson (5-6) got contributions from throughout the roster. In the first half it was the Atomsmashers’ quick strike ability against the grind-it-out style of host Chapel Hill.
On Johnson’s first play from scrimmage, Roberts hit Darrell Myers in stride on a streak pattern for a 67-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed and Johnson led 6-0.
Chapel Hill relied on the running of senior Tre Mitchell, and he made it pay off with an outstanding effort.
The Panther game plan was obvious — give the ball to Mitchell early and often. He rushed for 260 yards on 42 carries. He scored the Panthers’ only touchdown of the first half on a 31-yard counter play that fooled the Johnson defense.
But Johnson responded to that score on its next play from scrimmage as Roberts went deep down the left sideline again. This time he hit Rekwan Cooper for a 55-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion pass fell short.
“They did a good job stopping our inside running game,” Johnson coach Jamie Baldwin said. “They had seven in the box for most of the night, and that opened up the passing game. Shyheim took advantage of it and our receivers had great games.”
Myers caught five passes for 152 yards and two scores. His second touchdown came on a 5-yard crossing pattern on a critical fourth down and three with 11:05 remaining. The touchdown and extra point by Dushad Morris gave Johnson a 25-10 lead.
“The ends were getting some pressure on me so I had to get rid of the ball quick all night,” said Roberts, who was 14 of 22 passing for 280 yards and three scores. “They had a lot of one-on-one coverage with Myers. I have confidence that he’ll go up and make the play.”
Roberts made a big play with his legs midway through the third quarter. He dropped back to pass before bursting back up the middle on a quarterback draw. He celebrated his 13-yard touchdown with the “Superman” gesture made popular by Cam Newton.
Johnson also got some big plays on defense. Morris made a pair of first-half interceptions and Aaron Walker had two sacks.
It looked like Johnson was in control after going up by 15 in the fourth quarter. But the Panthers never quit. Quarterback Brett Roberts threw a 7-yard scoring pass to John Chester-Owens with 6:43 left, and just two minutes later connected with Jeremiah Bridges on a slant pattern that resulted in a 62-yard score. That touchdown trimmed Johnson’s lead to 25-23, and the Panthers went for the two-point conversion to tie. But Roberts’ pass fell incomplete.
“This win means everything to us,” said Aaron Walker, a senior. “It’s what we’ve been working for since the first day of practice. Johnson finally made it, we won a playoff game.”
Johnson 6 6 6 14 — 32
Chapel Hill 0 7 3 13 — 23
J-Darrell Myers 67 yd pass from Shyheim Roberts (run failed)
CH-Tre Mitchell 31 yd run (Danny Williams kick)
J-Rekwan Cooper 55 yd pass from Roberts (pass failed)
CH-Williams 27 FG
J-Roberts 13 run (pass failed)
J-Myers 5 yd pass from Roberts (Dushad Morris kick)
CH-John Chester-Owens 7 yd pass from Brett Roberts (Williams kick)
CH-Jeremiah Bridges 62 pass from Roberts (Williams kick)
J-Corbin Mitchell 43 run (Morris kick)
Records-Johnson 5-6; Chapel Hill 6-5.