Taleb Jr. runs wild against North Atlanta, Houston Co. Bears advance to Elite Eight

ATLANTA — I’m a believer. In consecutive playoff games, Houston County has come from behind and pulled out the victory on the road in the fourth quarter, first against Brunswick and then again Friday night against North Atlanta.

Their high-powered offense, led by sophomore quarterback A.J. Hill, has put up tremendous numbers this season. Currently ranked fifth in the state of Georgia, Hill has over 3,200 passing yards and 36 touchdowns, with a 132 QBR. And he is only a sophomore. Make no mistake about it: this kid is a gunslinger.

In addition to the stellar quarterback play, Houston County has had a lot of production at the running back position, especially from Ryan Taleb Jr., who has rushed for nearly 1,600 yards this season. Taleb ran all over North Atlanta, racking up 286 yards and three touchdowns on the night. And he put the game away late in the fourth quarter with an 18-yard rushing touchdown.

Houston County started off a little shaky, as Hill threw an interception early in the first quarter, but Houston County’s defense tightened up and prevented the score. Then Taleb broke one, and he took the ball 78 yards to the end zone, putting Houston County on the board. After the extra point by Benji Malcom, Houston County took a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing drive, Ricky Jordan, who also plays running back, stepped in front of a pass and took it 34 yards to the house for the pick-six. In the last several games, the defensive backs have really stepped up as well, and Arthur Brown added two more interceptions later in the game. However, North Atlanta was able to get the offense going, and they were able to get the matchups they wanted against Houston County’s line backing corps.

Down 14-0, North Atlanta came roaring back, scoring 24 unanswered points. They were able to put together successful drives, and they scored via a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown to tie the game 14-14. On their second scoring drive, Houston County’s defense held them to a fourth down, but North Atlanta dialed up a fake punt, extending the drive. Then North Atlanta was able to strike on a 34-yard pass later in the second quarter to go ahead in the second quarter 21-14.

Houston County’s offense was able to move the ball, but they couldn’t sustain a drive and put more points on the board. They were looking for some pass interference calls, and they were not going to get them in Atlanta, which is about like playing in Thomas County. Home cooking served up all night long.

After forcing another punt, North Atlanta managed to kick a field goal before halftime, adding to the lead 24-14. If Houston County wanted to keep their season alive they would have to answer in the second half — and that’s exactly what they did.

In the third quarter, Houston County’s offense started clicking, as Hill started connecting with receivers. It quickly turned into the Ryan Taleb Show in the second half, nevertheless. He broke another run — this time for a 59-yard touchdown — and it pulled Houston County within 3 points, as they were trailing 24-21. North Atlanta was able to answer again, however, and they put together a long drive, which culminated in a 3-yard rushing touchdown. This put them back up by 10 points, 31-21.

Houston County needed to respond, and they marched right down the field, scoring on a short pass play from Hill to Arthur Brown, making it a one-score game, 31-28, in the fourth quarter. It was turning into a shootout.

Houston County’s defense stepped up in the second half, sacking North Atlanta’s quarterback several times. E.J. Nobles, who led the team with nine tackles, had a sack, and Ryan Mackey, Brandon Walden and Jayden Jackson also each had one sack, so it was a family affair. Deep in their own territory, North Atlanta snapped the ball over the quarterback’s head, and Nick Jordan pounced on it in the end zone, giving Houston County the lead 34-31. They missed the extra point, which would have forced North Atlanta to score a touchdown, but their defense kept North Atlanta in check on the next drive, forcing them to punt, and Taleb put the game out of reach with an 18-yard rushing touchdown, making it 41-31 Houston County.

Then Arthur Brown made his second interception, and Houston County finished with a little ground-and-pound from Taleb to run out the clock. What an incredible season for Coach Jeremy Edwards, and the Houston County Bears. In his first year, Edwards has completely turned this Houston County team — which is basically has the same roster from last season — around and made them a serious contender.

Under his tutelage, Hill has flourished, and the prolific offensive production from Houston County is a testament to Coach Edwards’ and Coach Chastain’s ability to get the maximum amount of effort from their players, as well as their ability to put together an effective game plan and execute. No stranger to the playoffs, Edwards has been in this position many times, as he and Chastain helped lead Warner Robins to several state championships before they jumped ship and moved to Houston County. That invaluable experience should come in handy throughout the playoffs.

Up next, Houston County will travel to Gainesville, where, perhaps, their toughest test of the season awaits. Like Houston County, Gainesville is an offensive juggernaut, and their quarterback, Baxter Wright, is also a gunslinger, so it might turn into the O.K. Corral.

Coach Edwards has said numerous times that he believes in his team. For example, when they were down in the previous playoff game, against Brunswick, he decided to go for two and win the game, which was reminiscent of the overtime call he made against Perry in the first game of the season.

In both cases, they succeeded and won the game, demonstrating that, indeed, he does have faith in his squad when the game is on the line. It’s going to be a tall order, but Houston County’s quick-strike offense can keep them in the game with just about any opponent. Their ability to put up a lot of points quickly makes them dangerous in the postseason, and we will have to see if their defense can slow down Wright and Gainesville’s offense. It should be a great matchup.

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