SUWANEE — Norcross outscored North Gwinnett 28-10 over the final two-plus quarters to come away with a 31-24 win over its rivals in a battle of Class AAAAAAA top 10 teams.
The sixth-ranked Blue Devils (3-0) scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to erase a 21-17 lead and then held off a late charge by the ninth-ranked Bulldogs (2-2).
North Gwinnett had raced out to a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter on touchdown runs by Ryan Lovelace and Tyler Goodson. Norcross cut the lead to 14-10 by halftime and took a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 45-yard run by Necholas Sermons.
But Lovelace answered right back for the Bulldogs on their next drive with a 40-yard scoring run to reclaim the lead 21-17.
But the Blue Devils answered on their next two drives to pull out to a 31-21 lead. Zaniel Phillips cut the lead to 31-24 late in the game but the Bulldogs could not get the equalizer.
