Thomson’s Jontavis Curry is the repeat “Best of the Best” award winner after Friday’s breathtaking playoff performance for the No. 4 ranked Bulldogs in a 56-38 quarterfinal round road win over No. 2 South Atlanta. Thomson has run off three playoff victories to earn a birth in this Friday’s semifinal round. During the stretch, Curry has accounted for an eye popping 820 all purpose yards and nine touchdowns, as Georgia’s most exciting high school football player’s production has ramped up every week before reaching a climax Friday.
Curry Steals the Show at South Atlanta High
Curry accounted for 359 total yards and 5 touchdowns against South Atlanta, which prior to Friday’s game many observers believed featured the state’s best rusher in Keyjuan Brown. Curry likely relieved those present for the game of such a notion by the end of a wild fourth quarter in which he scored three of his five total touchdowns, including kickoff returns of 93 and 94 yards.
“I, I… I just don’t know what I just saw”
The Bulldogs outscored South Atlanta 34-26 in the final quarter. The first of Curry’s two kickoff returns for a touchdown, which gave Thomson a 35-18 lead, invoked a reaction by the NFHS Network’s play-by-play announcer that would be understandable from somebody watching Curry play for the first time:
“This ball is drilled down the middle of the field,” started the play-by-play call. “Gonna be picked up at about the eight… ball is out! Oh he picked it up! Oh my word! Curry, forty, stutter steps at the thirty-five, down to the twenty, fifteen, ten, five, dives into the end zone. Touchdown! A ninety. Three. Yard. Kickoff return that he fumbled, picked up himself, and outraces the South Atlanta kickoff return team to the end zone… I, I… I just don’t know what I just saw.”
More than one Thomson fan has commented since that people familiar with the wonder that is Jontavis Curry should not be particularly surprised even by such an amazing return. But credit the announcer, who seemed to learn fast not to be shocked moments later when Curry repeated the feat with a 94-yard return to put Thomson ahead 42-32.
“There goes Curry again. And there goes Curry again,” the call came, this time in a deadpan delivery. “Like I said, the game has lost its mind.”
I had never heard anybody say Curry’s play will make you lose your mind. But I have often said myself that it will take your breath away.
Thomson’s next task will be to avenge a 21-7 quarterfinal round loss from a year ago to currently No. 3 ranked Appling County this Friday. It seems unrealistic to expect Curry to continue his playoff trend of posting more outrageous numbers each week. First he totaled 180 all purpose yards and 3 touchdowns in a 26-0 round one victory over Tattnall County. And during a 42-10 win over Cook County he accounted for 281 all purpose yards and one touchdown on only 7 touches, a performance that also won him Best of the Best honors one week ago.
But the truth is Thomson is so much more than a one man show. Its high powered offense is littered with playmakers. And the defense, which is probably the best in class 2A, held South Atlanta to roughly half its typical rushing total (170 yards compared to an average 335 per game for the season). So I like the Bulldogs this Friday to make it two road wins in a row against fellow top 5 opponents, and to earn a birth in the state championship game at Center Parc Stadium, the home of the Georgia State Panthers, on December 2.
Also Still Alive
No. 8 Lincoln County (class 1A, Division II) and Thomas Jefferson of the Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA) are also alive in the playoffs.
Lincoln County will travel to No. 1 Bowdon County for the semis Friday, and Thomas Jefferson will try to win its fourth straight class 1A state championship when it takes on Robert Toombs Christian Academy at Mercer University Thursday.
Follow Chad Cook’s coverage of local sports on Facebook and Instagram at @AugustaPressSports, and on Twitter at @AugPressSports.
