The scoreboard operator will have to be on the lookout when the Northeast Raiders and Toombs County Bulldogs meet in the Georgia Class A Division I state football championship today at 1 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Neither team has experience in state championships. Both are aiming for their first state championship.

The Raiders (12-2) average 36 points per game on offense. An impressive number dwarfed by the Bulldogs’ 46. Save the math. That’s a total of 82 points.

However, something has to give. Both teams are equally solid defensively. Northeast allows 14.6 points per game while Toombs County gives up 13.1.

Northeast is led by senior quarterback TJ Stanley (6-foot-1, 220 pounds), a Georgia product who has completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 2,315 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.

His main target is wide receiver Lagonza Hayward (6’1, 200), who has 50 catches for 739 yards (14.8 average) and 13 touchdowns. Hayward, a two-way star, signed to play safety in Florida.

Senior running back Dabvyn Wadley (5’8, 160) is another player the Bulldogs will have to contend with. The speedy back is a constant home run threat, averaging 8.3 yards per carry while amassing 1,084 yards and 13 touchdowns in just 11 games this season.

Northeast counters with its own star back in senior Nick Woodford (5’10, 203).

After rushing for over 2,000 yards in his sophomore year, Woodford recovered from a knee injury that cost him most of his junior season to accumulate 2,494 yards on 231 carries (10.8 average) and 37 touchdowns. Woodford is still non-committal and is said to be considering multiple Division I offers.

Northeast junior quarterback Reginald Glover (5’9, 160) is a dual threat who can hurt you with his arms and legs. Entering today’s game, he has passed for 1,153 yards and 16 touchdowns while running for 1,245 yards and 13 scores.

Raiders linebackers Santana Balkcom (5’11, 210 senior) and Tailen Sampson (5’11, 188 junior) lead the team with 122 and 112 tackles, respectively.

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We’re ready to go. Toombs County gets the opening kickoff.

FIRST QUARTER

Toombs County begins the opening drive on its own 35.

The Bulldogs make a three-and-out and beat the Raiders. Northeast takes over on its own 31 with 11:02 left.

A big run on a keeper by junior quarterback Reginal Glover puts the ball in Toombs County territory.

LANDING! After Raiders quarterback Reginald Glover narrowly missed a deep shot on the previous play, running back Nick Woodford got it 35 yards. The attempt failed and Northeast led Toombs County 6-0 with 8:54 left in the first period.

With Toombs County recognizing the need to respond, the offensive quickly shifted to the northeast area. They got to the Raiders’ 40 and were moving fast.

LANDING! TJ Stanley rolls left on an RPO, finds receiver Lagonza Hayward to his left and Hayward takes him 29 yards. Alex Otero’s extra point is good. and Toombs County leads 7-6 with 5:37 left in the first.

A little highlight at the last touchdown. Hayward, a football signee from Florida, celebrated his goal with the “Gator Chomp” at Mercedez-Benz Stadium.

Toombs County forces a stop and gets an advantageous bounce on the punt. The Bulldogs took over at their own 48 with 3:44 minutes left in the first period.

SALES VOLUME! After a video review, Toombs County receiver Gavin Fletcher runs the ball to the Northeast 40 and the Raiders recover. Northeast takes the lead on its own with 2:17 minutes left.

Another nugget. The head official for today’s game is Matthew Dillon, which is the perfect name for the head official of a championship game.

Toombs County forces another punt. This one is much better for Northeast as it travels 48 yards and is knocked down at the Bulldogs’ 7. They begin their drive with 20 seconds left in the first.

SECOND QUARTER

LANDING! Wide receiver Mike Polke takes quarterback TJ Stanley’s vertical route, makes a cut and goes 47 yards. The extra point gave Toombs County a 14-6 lead with 8:28 left in the first half.

Polke (5’11, 188 senior) competes in style in his final game in a Bulldogs uniform. He already has four catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Not mentioned was a juggling catch he made near midfield late in the first quarter that saved a potential interception and helped move the chains.

Wow. A major turn of events when Nick Woodford fumbled on a short run and the ball bounced off the bodies and rolled 19 yards where Northeast recovered at the Bulldogs’ 5. That was a wild moment.

LANDING! On fourth-and-goal, Reginald Glover passes to Isaiah Stubbs for 3 yards. The extra point is not good. Toombs County 14, Northeast 12 with 6:48 left in the half.

LANDING! Mike Polke is having a day. He responded to Northeast’s touchdown by returning the ensuing kick 92 yards. Alex Otero gets the extra point. Toombs County leads 21-12 with 6:39 left in the first half.

Toombs County is stopped and Northeast defends the ball. The punt is knocked down at the Bulldogs’ 3.

Northeast’s defense gets a crucial defensive stop and forces a punt to give the ball back to the offense at their own 35 with 2:09 left in the half.

A big turnover was just negated by penalties when a tipped pass from Toombs County’s Gavin Fletcher was deflected by teammate Alex Scott at the Bulldogs’ 35, but compensating penalties nullified the game.

Toombs County forces a punt. Lagonza Hayward brings it back to the Northeast 47 with 54 seconds left in the half. An illegal substitution penalty before the first move brings it to 42.

TJ Stanley evades the pressure, steps right and hits receiver Justice Wilds for 29 yards to the 10 with 33 seconds left.

TJ Stanley is sacked at the 12-yard line by junior linebacker Tayvon Shivers and the clock rolls down to two seconds before Toombs County calls a timeout. Fourth down.

FIELD GOAL! Alex Otero shoots the ball from 25 yards on the last play of the half to give Toombs County a 24-12 lead. Here’s a notable play: Otero missed the shot from 30 yards, but referee Matthew Dillon called Northeast for encroachment, moved the ball five yards upfield and gave Toombs County another shot. Otero’s second attempt landed up the middle.

Half time: Toombs County 24, Northeast Macon 12.

Northeast gets the opening kickoff of the second half. The Raiders face a crucial challenge as they trail by two points.

Toombs County dominated the yardage category in the first half, rushing for 267 yards to Northeast’s 129.

THIRD QUARTER

Northeast begins the second half on its own 23.

Nick Woodford sets up the first-and-goal with a 26-yard run to the Toombs County 8.

LANDING! On the 10th play of the drive, quarterback Reginald Glover hit a keeper 6 yards for a score. The extra point is blocked. Toombs County 24, Northeast Macon 18, 8:27 remaining in the third quarter.

The special teams play made a difference in this game. Toombs County had a kick return touchdown and Northeast failed on three extra point attempts in this six-point game.

SALES DOWN! A huge stop by Northeast as senior defensive tackle Jakwon Woodford (6’1, 255) blew up the middle and influenced the quick turnover on fourth-and-2. The ball goes back to the Northeast at their own 48 with 6:42 to go.

Northeast makes a three-pointer and puts the ball back to Toombs County with 5:14 left in the third. The Bulldogs take over on their own 28.

Northeast senior linebacker Elijah Jordan (5’7, 155) gets a huge sack to force a punt.

SALES VOLUME! Kadayvious McCall forces a fumble on a punt return and Alex Scott recovers it for Toombs County at the Northeast 27 with 3:49 left in the third.

SALES VOLUME! Northeast fights back as Santana Balkcom picks off TJ Stanley at the Raiders’ 5 and returns it 19 yards. Northeast takes over at its own starting line with 3:25 minutes left in the third round.

SALES VOLUME! Mike Polke makes another appearance. This time he grabbed Reginald Glover at the Bulldogs’ 30 and returned him seven yards. Toombs County got the ball back at their own 37 with 1:29 left in the third.

FOURTH QUARTER

Toombs County elects to punt facing fourth down and one yard from its own 48-yard line, but a personal foul for a chop block to Northeast gives the Bulldogs a new set of downs at the 39-yard line line from Northeast. Penalties killed Northeast. The Raiders were flagged 7 times for 55 yards.

SALES VOLUME! On the next play after the penalty, linebacker Tailen Sampson forced a fumble and Jordan Wiggins jumped on it at the Raiders’ 44 with 10:59 left in the game.

SALES DOWN! Standing on fourth down at the Toombs County 49, Northeast’s Nick Woodford is surrounded behind the line by Bulldogs’ second-year defensive lineman Zaylen Davis (6’0, 220) to force the turnover.

TJ Stanley converted a gutsy goalie on fourth down to give Toombs County another set of downs at the Northeast 18 with 6:48 left.

LANDING! Junior Justin Powell takes a handoff down the middle 12 yards. Alex Otero shoots the extra point. Toombs County leads 31-18 with 5:21 left. Coach Buddy Martin’s decision to try fourth and second turns out to be the right one.

Northeast opted for a fourth-and-long punt from its own territory with 4:16 left. Toombs County takes the lead and has a chance to put it on ice.

LANDING! Toombs County quarterback and Georgia State signee TJ Stanley runs for 28 yards, putting the exclamation point on the score. Alex Otero hits the extra point and Toombs County leads 38-18 with 1:04 left.

Final: Toombs County 38, Northeast Macon 18. TJ Stanley had 319 total yards in his last game for Toombs County, a Georgia Class A Division I prospect.

For the first time in program history, Toombs County seemingly came out of nowhere this season to claim the Georgia Class A Division I championship. The Bulldogs (13-1) set school records for wins.

Northeast, which was also in its first state title game, stayed close until the end but finished the season 12-3.

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