With their preseason goal of a region championship sitting before them, the Arabia Mountain Rams were not about to miss their big chance. As it turned out, the final game of the regular season would require overtime. These Rams would not fold against one of DeKalb County’s flagship programs, outlasting Tucker 24-23. It fulfilled a goal of both the team and head coach Julian Washington.

“That has been the goal ever since we got here, to win the region,” says Washington. “There wasn’t a doubt in our mind that we were going to win it. One of my kids posted a tweet in February saying that we were region champs, and just speaking it into existence. We had put the work in, the effort in, the time in and sacrificed to do so. It was just a matter of time.”

Arabia Mountain

Laron Jones returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown to turn the momentum against Tucker.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

Time seems to have moved quickly for Washington who saw his team go 3-7 in his first season at Arabia Mountain, then 5-6 with a first-round playoff appearance last season. The 2022 regular season ended with a one-point win over Tucker. It was Arabia Mountain’s first win over the Tigers and the coach saw it as something to build on for 2023. He planned to bring back a confident and more-experienced team.

“We returned 17 out of 22 starters on the whole team,” says Washington. “We had a senior heavy group coming back. We have 15 seniors and 13 of them are starters and all of them started last year. We have zero transfers or move ins. We don’t get those. Every kid has been here since I got here. We either got them from the hallways or they were already on the team. They played as freshmen and sophomores. Now they are juniors and seniors and leading us to the region championship and the playoffs. It’s beautiful to see.”

The offseason went very well, positive scrimmages against North Atlanta and Alcovy. Those seniors were ready to go out and claim the region title they had spoken about. Then the season started with a 16-15 loss to Maynard Jackson.

Arabia Mountain

Daniel Turpin has been an outstanding two-way player for the Rams.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

“We lost the first game to Maynard Jackson,” recalls Washington. “I kind of think we needed that loss, because it turned this team into a different beast. The seniors refused to lose after that. It became the goal. We don’t want to feel like that again.”

After a win over Heritage, the Rams beat Stephenson. It was their first win over another DeKalb County powerhouse and it seemed to propel Arabia Mountain into becoming a confident team that was capable of reaching the goal of a region title. The flame that was lit by the late-season win over Tucker a year ago would bring them to a meeting with that same opponent. This time with the region championship on the line. The Rams would be tested by adversity.

“We went into halftime down 14-8,” recalls Washington. “It was the first time that we had been down at halftime all season. The kids were kind of bickering at each other. I talked with them and told them that is not what we do. We opened the second half with senior Laron Jones running the kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown, from there the confidence came back ..

We go to overtime and we get the ball first. Our quarterback, Julián Shanks scrambles to the goal line and our senior Daniel Turpin runs it in for the touchdown. We kicked the extra point.”

But the game wasn’t over.

“Then Tucker scores on their fourth play and they decide to go for two. All game long they tried to run on us. This time we had two seniors make a play. Seth Keene and Brandon Scott beat the offensive line and the defense held. It was just amazing. My headset died in overtime, and I just kept coaching. It felt just like a movie. It was just the coaches and the kids, and we figured it out. There was no panic in the guys.”

For the second year in a row Arabia Mountain had beaten Tucker by one point. This victory was sweeter because it brought the region championship and improved their season record to 9-1. But there was more. All season the team was honoring two individuals and used three numbers as a reminder.

Arabia Mountain

Arabia Mountain has won nine straight games and defeated Tucker in overtime to win the Region 4-5A championship.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

“We say 3-1-5,” says Washington. “No. 3 represents Jaiden Figaro, who was diagnosed with leukemia this summer. He graduated this past May and was diagnosed a week before he was to report to Bluefield State to start football workouts. No. 15 is for Dennis Amey, who in the second padded practice made a hit on a kid and is paralyzed from the waist down right now. So 3-1-5 has been our motto and we play for those guys. Both were at the game Friday, which was awesome to see. They got to witness the region championship.”

There was a celebration, but it didn’t last very long. When I spoke with Washington, he was in a meeting with his coaching staff. Arabia Mountain will host Jenkins from Savannah on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Godfrey Stadium in the first round the Georgia High School Association state playoffs. It’s the coaches first time receiving the two footballs with the GHSA logo on them. They are reminders of a season like no other.

“It’s amazing,” says Washington. “This is the best season that I’ve had since little league. A nine-game win streak and it has become an expectation. I expect us to win now, they expect to win now. Winning is something we have become accustomed to, which wasn’t the case when I got here. The biggest thing is understanding that, yes we won the region, yes we beat Stephenson, and yes we beat Tucker, but now it’s time to move on to the next game. We’ll celebrate after the season.”