Ramsay fell behind early in the second half but dominated the rest of the way as the second-ranked Rams outlasted Moody 40-27 in a Class 5A quarterfinal matchup at Bill Morris Stadium in Moody.

Ramsay (11-3) amassed 423 yards of offense, holding the Blue Devils to 300 yards, and collected eight tackles for loss, three sacks and a turnover.

Both teams scored on their respective opening drives, but Moody held a 7-6 lead after Ramsay’s extra point was blocked on the opening possession of the game. Ramsay’s Kam Kennan connected with Kristian Stinson for a 15-yard touchdown pass, while Charles Johnston found KD Barnes for a 16-yard touchdown pass.

Following a failed Ramsay possession, cornerback Fletcher Taylor intercepted Johnston on the ensuing Moody drive and returned it 60 yards for a score and a 12-7 lead for the Rams. The Blue Devils responded with a 10-play, 54-yard drive and capped the possession on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Johnston to Barnes.

Ramsay retook the lead on its final drive of the opening half as Tremell Washington hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Keenan for an 18-14 advantage entering the halftime break.

The Rams fell behind 21-18 on the initial possession of the second half but surged ahead for a 40-21 lead early in the final frame. Keenan scored on touchdown runs of 1 and 5 yards and tossed a 22-yard touchdown to Jaquille Malone.

Moody (10-3) scored on its opening and closing drives of the second half but never recovered after allowing Ramsay to score on its first three possessions. A 68-yard kickoff return set the Blue Devils up for a 12-yard touchdown run from Jacob Hadaway on the second play of the third quarter and Aidan Robinson brought down a 20-yard touchdown catch inside the final three minutes of the game.

Star of the game: Keenan. The junior quarterback finished 15-of-23 passing for 235 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, and had nine rushing attempts for 78 yards and a pair of scores.

“I got to give all the glory to God, because I wouldn’t be in this position without him. Our coaches prepared us. We’ve preached this week about having a desire to do things and we had to come out and prove that this week,” he said.

Did you know? Ramsay advances to its fourth semifinal matchup since the 2016 season.

By the numbers: 35, the total number of penalty flags thrown in the game, only a handful were declined. …14, the total number of tackles for loss combined for by both teams. …3, the Rams scored on their first three possessions of the second half, building a 40-21 lead.

Stat sheet: Ramsay – Ashton Ashford had 23 carries for 104 yards and three receptions for 39 yards, and Washington led the receiving effort with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Stinson had three receptions for 69 yards and a score and Malone had a 22-yard touchdown catch. Moody – Johnston finished 16-of-46 for 254 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, and Robinson had seven receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Hadaway had eight carries for 36 yards and Barnes had three catches for 63 yards and two scores.

Coachspeak: “We told our team, once we got here, we have to click on all cylinders because we’re going into a rough environment. It’s good for us. We need to get battle-tested right now and we found a way.” — Ramsay’s Ronnie Jackson

“We played really well in the first half, but you can’t make mistakes against a team like that, who are phenomenal in all three phases. Proud of the kids and their fight. I know what it takes to get the Blue Map and every year we’re going to continue to grow. I don’t think the moment was too big, they just found a way to make more plays than we did.” — Moody’s Jake Ganus

What’s next? Ramsay advances to the semifinal round of the Class 5A playoffs, where they will host Guntersville at Birmingham’s Legion Field.