Lions and Jaguars Set for Battle of the Borders

By Mark Brock

State pride is on the line in a high school football doubleheader as DeKalb County Schools’ James R. Hallford Stadium plays host to the Chick-fil-A Battle of the Borders Showdown on Saturday, Aug. 31.

The Battle of Borders Showdown features two of DeKalb County’s and Georgia’s most respected football programs in the Martin Luther King Jr. Lions and Stephenson Jaguars against two of Florida’s highly touted programs in Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) and Norland (Miami Gardens).

The state pride matchups begin at 5:15 p.m. as the Lions take on the Blanche Ely Mighty Tigers in the opener.

The Lions went 11-1 a year ago advancing to the second round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs following an undefeated regular season (10-0) and a
Region 6-AAAAA title. The Lions debut first year head coach Cortez Allen, DeKalb County Schools’ alum, who comes from a stint as head coach at Newton County High School.

The Lions are 14-10 overall in the state playoffs with a streak of 10 consecutive appearances and a 9-1 record in first round action. The run also includes a 2004 Class AAA semifinal appearance and three other quarterfinal runs.

King’s defense is led by a pair of seniors committed to South Carolina in cornerback Wesley Green (6-0, 175) and defensive end Arden Key (6-6, 215). Two Wake Forest commits lead the offense in senior quarterback Roland Rivers (6-2, 210) and junior offensive lineman Kwan Stallworth (6-3, 290). Two other senior Lions are committed to play on the next level while two more are entertaining multiple offers entering their senior seasons.

Blanche Ely is in its second year under head coach Charles Hafley and is looking to rebound from a tough 5-5 season in 2012 and return to the state playoffs. The Tigers are a state playoff regular in Florida having reached the tournament 12 of the past 14 seasons, missing just the 2008 and 2012 seasons in a string beginning in 1999. Ely owns a Class 5A state title which they won in 2002 and a 1987 Class 4Arunner-up finish. Ely is 32-20 in 52 playoff games in the program’s history.

The senior duo of Terry McCray (6-3, 220, LB) and Kenneth Rawls (6-2, 185, WR) are committed to the University of Miami and Western Michigan, respectively, and are vying to lead the Tigers back to the state playoffs. Four other seniors and three juniors are being highly recruited as the season begins.

The Jaguars and Norland face off in the nightcap set for an 8:30 p.m. kickoff at Hallford in a matchup of 2012 playoff teams.

Stephenson is led by long-time head coach Ron Gartrell and is coming off a 10-2 record and third round playoff appearance in 2012. Gartrell has led the Jaguars to 13 consecutive playoff appearances (2000-2012) and a 13-12 playoff record. The streak includes five quarterfinal appearances and one semifinal run in the 2005 Class AAAAA playoffs.

The 2013 squad is a talented group with six players already committed to Southeastern Conference schools and one with an ACC scholarship. Dexter Neal (WR, South Carolina), Jordan Harris (OL, Mississippi State), Tyler Jones (OL Mississippi State), Dallas Rivers (RB, Vanderbilt), Jared Tucker (CB, Kentucky), Chauncey Rivers (DE, South Carolina) are the SEC commitments while Cameron Glenn (FS, Wake Forest) has the ACC offer. The senior class includes three players committed to Georgia State and two others considering multiple FBS offers.

Norland finished 8-3 under Coach Daryle Heidelburg in 2012 bowing out of the state playoffs in the second round. Norland and Heidelburg won the Class 5A state title in 2011 with a perfect 15-0 record. Norland was the 3A runner-up in 2010 and won the 6A state title in 2002. The Vikings are 17-9 overall in the state playoffs and are currently enjoying its best run in the state playoffs with five consecutive appearances under Heidelburg which includes a 10-2 record the past three seasons.

The Viking offense is led by the running back duo of La’Keith Stafford (600 yards rushing in 2012), dual threat quarterback Taron James and six-foot, five-inch wide receiver Kendrick Edwards (over 700 yards receiving and 8 TDs). The defense is led by linebacker and captain Dreshawn Dean (6-0, 225, 6 sacks) and defensive back Xavier Francis.

Tickets to the event are $10 per person in advance and $12 at the gate. Advance tickets are available at the schools, your local DeKalb County Chick-fil-A or online.