With their AHSAA Class 5A North championship trophy in hand, Mortimer Jordan football players sing the school's alma mater after their 42-36 overtime win at Alexandria on Friday. The Blue Devils now move on to the state championship game Thursday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

ALEXANDRIA — Mortimer Jordan’s football team has a date with destiny in Tuscaloosa.

For the first time in school history — for that matter, the first time for any of the seven public schools in The North Jefferson New coverage area — the Blue Devils have advanced to the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Class 5A championship game, thanks to a 42-36 come-from-behind overtime victory over Alexandria, the only team to defeat them this season.

Spencer Brown scored two Jordan touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 36-36. Then the Blue Devil defense stopped the Valley Cubs as they drove to the Jordan 1-yard line, where they were stopped as the clock ran out in regulation time.

In the overtime period, the Devils went for it all on the first play, and Hunter Bartlett dashed to the goal line on the Cubs’ sideline, barely reaching out to touch the pylon. The first attempt at a 2-point conversion was good, but was called back because of a holding penalty; the second try from the 17-yard line came up short.

But in Alexandria’s half of the overtime, the Cubs tried to run straight through the Devils’ defensive line, as they had done so well in regulation time. Jordan stopped the Cubs on all four downs, though, to get the win.

Now the Devils will travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium, where they will play St. Paul’s Episcopal on Thursday night at 7 p.m.

[We’ll have more details on this story on Saturday.]