ICYMI: Douglass, KAC, Mays Victorious at APSDomecoming 2016 North Atlanta, Grady Win APS Cross Country Titles

Another year, another successful Atlanta Public Schools Domecoming Football Classic.

A total of about 10,000 spectators – and hundreds more who stayed outside to tailgate and socialize with their fellow alums – flocked to the Georgia Dome to see five APS schools in action in the 2016 APS Domecoming Football Classic, sponsored by The Loudermilk Family Foundation. Here’s a recap:

Game 1 – Douglass 20, Therrell 16:  Douglass thrilled its homecoming fans by winning its fourth consecutive game. By doing so, the Astros held on to third place in the Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) Class AA-Region 6. The top four teams in each region advance to the GHSA state playoffs. The Astros now have an overall record of 5-2, 3-1 in their region, and are poised to make it to the state playoffs for the first time since 2007. Therrell fell to 2-5 overall, 1-3 in the region.

Game 2 – KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (KAC) 28, Washington 7:  The Warriors spoiled homecoming for the Bulldogs. KAC improved its record to 6-1 overall, 3-0 in Class AA-Region 6, tied for first with Hapeville Charter (Fulton County). Like Douglass, KAC has won its last four games in a row. Washington fell to 2-6 overall, 1-5 in region play.

Game 3 – Mays 19, Creekside 14:  In the Domecoming finale, the Raiders sent their alumni home happy. Mays trailed 7-0 in the first quarter and 14-6 at halftime, but stormed back with two touchdowns in the second half to stun Creekside (Fulton County). The Raiders, ranked No. 7 in the Atlanta Journal Constitution/Georgia High School Football Daily Class AAAAA Top 10 poll, improved to 6-1 overall and 5-0 in Class AAAAA-Region 5, where they are tied for first place with Alexander (Douglas County).

In other football games involving APS teams over the weekend:

Hapeville Charter (Fulton County) 23, B.E.S.T. Academy 12

Maynard Jackson 48, Lithia Springs (Douglas County) 20

Centennial (Fulton County) 55, North Atlanta 7

Grady 55, North Springs (Fulton County) 6

Carver 37, Riverwood (Fulton County) 26

 

CROSS COUNTRY

Also on Saturday, Ellie Harkin (bottom left) and Jackson Pearce gave North Atlanta two gold-medal winners at the annual APS Cross Country Championships, in Grant Park.

North Atlanta and Grady took home the team titles at the annual APS Cross Country Championships, Saturday in Grant Park. North Atlanta won the boys’ championship, while Grady is the girls’ champion.

Five Grey Knight girls were among the top 10 individual finishers to lead Grady to the championship:  Walden Jones, with a time of 21 minutes, 57 seconds, placed second; Magda Dumitrescu (22:51), third; Emily Schulz (23:03), fourth; Anna Tischer (23:10), sixth and Lindsay Schroeder (23:46), eighth.

North Atlanta sophomore Ellie Hankin won the individual championship in a time of 21:15. The other top 10 individual finishers were Kate Breeden (23:07) of North Atlanta, fifth; Peyton Rodgers (23:45) of Drew Charter Senior Academy, seventh; Sarah Hetzel (23:59) of North Atlanta, ninth and Rebekah Hetzel (23:59) of North Atlanta, 10^th.

On the boys’ side, North Atlanta was led by individual champion Jackson Pearce, a senior, who pulled away from the field with a winning time of 17:07, a full minute faster than the second-place finisher – his teammate, Matthew Aspinwall (18:08). The Warriors’ other top 10 finishers were Mac Bloodworth (18:18.45), fourth, and Matthew Self (19:11), eighth.

Others finishing in the top 10 were Aidan Goldston (18:18.43) of Grady, third; Alan Johnson (18:44) of Mays, fifth; Joshua Williams (18:52) of Douglass, sixth; Isaiha Davis (19:01) of Grady, seventh; Montaive Lightner (19:22.40) of Douglass, ninth and Ethan Heyns (19:22.88) of Maynard Jackson, 10^th.