Today, we preview the 3A GHSA Football semifinals. There is no Cinderella in this group, as all No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final-4. We will have a first time finals participant as neither Crisp or Jenkins have made it to the finals, and they’ll square off in Cordele on Friday. Meanwhile on the other side of the bracket, Cedar Grove and Greater Atlanta Christian have made several finals appearances. Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!
The Skinny
Coach Brad Harber has coached the Crisp County Cougars back to the semifinals for the second time in four years. Crisp has won seven games in a row and has not allowed more than 21 points in a game this season. Last week, the Cougars got most of their offensive production on the ground, as they have done most of the season. As a team, they’ve rushed for over 200 yards in seven straight games. Quarterback A.J. Lofton had a hand in all of the Cougars scoring last Friday, rushing for two scores, passing for one and converting a two-point attempt. But it was Marquise Palmer who did a lot of the heavy lifting, rushing for 137 yards on 23 carries. This season, Palmer has rushed for 1,396 yards and 16-TDs while Lofton has added 954 yards and 11-TDs on the ground. In three playoff games the Cougars are averaging 36.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 7.6 points per game. A win this week would put the Cougars into the finals for the first time in school history.
The Jenkins Warriors have advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1966 and only the second time in school history. The Warriors are winners of their last 11 heading into this week. Quarterback Patrick Blake threw for 1-TD and rushed for three while Damozzio Harris rushed for 196 yards and 1-TD to help propel the Warriors last Friday. Blake has now thrown for 1,823 yards and 22-TDs and Harris has rushed for 1,656 yards and 26-TDs this season. The Warriors defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 37.5 times and intercepted 15 passes this season. In their three-playoff games, Jenkins is averaging 41.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 7.6 points per game. A win this week would put the Warriors into the finals for the first time in school history. We believe this one will be a defensive battle, but we like the Cougars at home to win by the slimmest of margins…Crisp County by 1.
The Skinny
The Cedar Grove Saints have advanced to the semifinals for the fifth straight season. The Saints have now won nine in a row. Last week, the Cedar Grove defense stifled Peach County, holding them to just a field goal. The Saints defense scored two touchdowns and added a safety en route to the victory. Before Friday’s game, running back Chavon Wright had rushed for 1,486 yards and 19-TDs while quarterback Austin Smith had thrown for 1.259 yards and 16-TDs. (Smith added another TD pass in the win on Friday.) In three playoff games, Cedar Grove has outscored their opponents 121-23. A win this week would put the Saints back into the finals for the third time in four years.
The Greater Atlanta Christian (GAC) Spartans have advanced to the semifinals for the sixth time in eight years. GAC has now won 12 games in a row. The Spartans got a fourth quarter touchdown pass from Jackson Hardy to clinch the win. Hardy threw for 150 yards and 2-TDs and also added 54 rushing yards in last week’s game. He has now thrown for 2,519 yards and 27-TDs on the season, while Tyler Bride is still the team’s leading rusher with 1,150 yards and 15-TDs. Choe Bryant Strother continues to lead the defense with 93 total tackles while Spencer Helms leads the team with 11 sacks. In three playoff games the Spartans have outscored their opponents 90-30. A win this week would put GAC back into the finals for the first time since 2016, (a game which they lost to Cedar Grove). The Cedar Grove defense should be the difference this week, but expect GAC to keep it close. We like the Saints to pull away late. Cedar Grove by 9.