‘Gotta get the ring:’ Perry football wins first state title, 38-27 over Stockbridge

Star wide receiver Dakarai Anderson stood on the sidelines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium beaming Tuesday night.

His Perry High School Panthers, thanks in part to his impressive performance, had just won the GHSA AAAA state title for the first time in their school’s long history.

With his cap cocked to one side amid the celebration, Anderson’s flashy performance was soon paired with an equally eye-catching accessory.

Glinting in the light almost as much as Anderson’s grin was his chain, a lengthy necklace that featured a diamond-studded circular charm emblazoned with a crown and the word “Jr.”

“Gotta grab the bling,” Anderson said simply when asked about the necklace.

The Cincinnati commit said little else to explain the chain, which he donned in celebratory fashion shortly after the buzzer sounded on Perry’s 38-27 victory over the Stockbridge Tigers.

“I just went online to the jewelry store… It ain’t nothing behind it,” Anderson said. “It’s really just hard.”

It wasn’t the only piece of jewelry Anderson was ready to put on.

“Gotta get the ring, too,” he said with a laugh after briefly explaining the chain.

The Panthers earned the championship Tuesday night thanks to a well-rounded offensive performance, one highlighted by Anderson’s 148 receiving yards and running back Ahmad Gordon’s three touchdowns.

It’s the same formula that Perry head coach Kevin Smith stuck to all year, and he rode it to a championship — a personal goal he said ahead of the title game.

“I’m still trying to make sure I’m not dreaming,” Smith said after the win. “I’m just so proud, I’m lost for words right now.”

Smith’s seventh year as head coach of the Panthers ended in splendor thanks to a strong defense, too. The squad kept Stockbridge in check when it counted most, including on a key fourth-down stop in the final quarter that gave Perry control to run the clock out.

“I’ve been saying all year that this team is special, that this senior group right here was not gonna be denied,” Smith said. “This group just busted the dadgum door down.”

Even the Panthers’ special teams caught lightning in a bottle on the way to the title win. When one player fumbled on a Perry kick return, linebacker Gesha’nn Heard scooped the ball up and took it the rest of the way for an unlikely Panther score.

“I ain’t never seen that in 30 years of coaching high school football,” Smith said. “It’s definitely a momentum breaker, and I just thank the good Lord who showed favor on us.”

The raucous Perry faithful did their part as well, making their presence known for the entire game and cheering for even the most meager Panther plays. The Perry student section lambasted the Tigers with trash talk all game and, though it was tough to see from a distance, brandished small, black cardboard signs — tombstones denoting the Panthers’ past victories.

Smith, still calm and collected even after the win, just hopes it can be the first of many.

“We gotta play the next play and work the next day,” Smith said.

How the Panthers won it

Stockbridge drove right down the field to start the game, relying on solid running by star back Duke Scott before a touchdown pass to Jayden Howard capped the drive. The Panthers answered with an explosive 69-yard pass from quarterback Colter Ginn to Anderson that set up a short touchdown run to tie the score.

Both teams then went quiet on offense during a stretch that included a controversial overturned completion and near-interceptions for Perry’s offense. After a Panther field goal, the Tigers struck again near the end of the first half with another touchdown toss to Howard to go up 14-10.

With less than two minutes to play before the break, the ensuing kickoff proved to be the most exciting play thus far.

After a decent return, Perry fumbled for what looked like a disastrous turnover until Heard scooped the loose ball up and took it the remaining 54 yards for a Panther score. The touchdown gave Perry a 17-14 lead at the half.

The Panthers carried that momentum straight into the third quarter. Their first drive featured two great catches from Kory Pettigrew to get them inside the 10, where Gordon scored his second touchdown of the day to give Perry a 24-14 lead.

While the Panthers forced a Stockbridge punt on the next drive, Ginn’s inaccurate throws came home to roost on the next Perry drive. An interception gave possession right back to the Tigers, who drove down the field with their rushing attack and punched it in with Scott to cut into the Panthers’ lead.

Perry struck back on their next drive thanks to their own star rusher, Gordon, who strung together some chunk plays before Anderson punched it in to again give the Panthers a 10-point lead.

That was as close as the Tigers would get. On the ensuing drive the Panthers held Stockbridge on fourth down, then ran the clock down before icing the victory with a score.

A late score by Stockbridge gave Perry the 38-27 win — and the school’s first state football championship.