Westlake had the lead with 1:03 to play. Newton had the ball, the clock and a sophomore quarterback. That turned out to be enough.
No. 63 Newton beat Westlake 40-38 on Friday night, and the winning touchdown came from midfield: Josiah Taylor found Kevin Hartsfield through double coverage in the final minute, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A shootout, then a stall. The first half was all offense. Westlake led 31-27 at the break, per the MaxPreps line score, and then neither team scored in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter swing. Newton got back in front early in the fourth, and Westlake answered with Christian Womack's 5-yard touchdown run with 1:03 left to lead 38-34, the AJC reported. It looked like the winning drive. It was not the last one.
What it means for Newton. The Rams are 6-0, and the AJC notes this is their fourth win over a ranked team this season, a school record: Douglas County, Roswell, Thomson and now Westlake. Westlake falls to 5-1.
Two teams combined for 78 points and a lead change in the final 63 seconds. Newton keeps finding a way, and the Rams' next opponent will have watched this one closely.
