GHSA A-Private Football Championship Preview

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (ELCA) Chargers will face off against region rival Wesleyan this week for the GHSA Class A-Private title. ELCA won the first meeting handily back in early October. Wesleyan will be looking to win their second state title in school history while ELCA while be playing to win their fifth consecutive title and seventh overall.

 

ELCA is in the finals for the sixth consecutive season. They are winners of their last nine games and avenged their only loss of the season last week as they defeated Holy Innocents. The Chargers got 191 yards and a touchdown from running back Keaton Mitchell, while Gabe Wright threw for 122 yards and 2-TDs and Devon Dorsey caught three passes for 52 yards and 2-TDs to help lead the offense on Friday night. Defensively, Deion Fisher and David Wingfield both recorded 11 total tackles to help slow down the Holy Innocents’ offense. On their road to the finals, ELCA has defeated the No. 11 seed, No. 3 seed, and No. 2 seed. In their three-playoff games, they are averaging 37 points per game while the defense is allowing 24.6 points per game. On the season Wright has passed for 1,995 yards and 25-TDs while Mitchell has rushed for 1,838 yards and 39-TDs. As a team ELCA has rushed for 3,644 yards and 62-TDs. A win this week would earn ELCA their fifth consecutive state title.

 

The Wesleyan Wolves are in the finals for the first time since 2008. The Wolves have won their last eight games coming into this week. Sophomore quarterback J.C. French threw for 272 yards and 3-TDs and rushed for another 3-TDs to help lead the Wolves into the finals. Griffin Caldwell chipped in 124 rushing yards and 2-TDs and Micah Smith caught 5 passes for 162 yards as well in the win. On the season, French has passed for 2,680 yards and 31-TDs while Caldwell has rushed for 1,120 yards and 13-TDs. Micah Smith has caught 62 passes for 1,002 yards and 12-TDs and Cooper Blauser has has caught 64 passes for for 927 yards and 8-TDs to lead the Wesleyan receiving corps. In four playoff games, Wesleyan is averaging 41.7 points per game while the defense is allowing 19.2 points per game. The Wolves have defeated the No. 24 seed, No. 8 seed, No. 16 seed and the No. 4 seed on the road to the title game. A win this week would earn the Wolves their first state title since 2008.

 

We expect this game to be a little closer than the first game, but the weather might be a little more conducive to the ground game. With that said, we like ELCA this week by 11.

 

 

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GHSA A-Public Football Championship Preview

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Class A Public title will feature the Irwin County Indians and the Marion County Eagles. The Indians will be playing to win the schools first state title since 1975 while the Marion County Eagles will be playing to win their first title since 2013.

 

The Irwin County Indians have advanced to the finals for the fifth time in six years. The Indians are 19-0 in regular season games over the past two years and are 9-2 in the playoffs since 2017. Last week, Irwin County was aided by two defensive touchdowns and DJ Lundy’s two rushing touchdowns to lead the Indians back into the finals. Irwin County has defeated The No. 17 seed, the No. 9 seed and the No. 4 seed on their march to the finals. In three playoff games, the Indians are averaging 45.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 11.3 points per game. The Irwin County defense has now recorded seven shutouts on the season. While the defense has been downright nasty, the Indians offense is very good as well. Running backs D.J. Lundy, Kam Ward and Gabriel Benyard provide the foundation for a very strong ground game. A win this week would earn Irwin County their second title in school history and first since 1975.

 

The Marion County Eagles are in the finals for the first time since 2013. The Eagles are winners of their last eight games coming into the finals. Trice McCannon threw for 231 yards, rushed for 80 yards and accounted for 4-TDs, while Brandon Thomas rushed for 105 yards and 2-TDs on 10 carries as the Eagles bounced back from a third quarter deficit to advance. In their playoff run, the Eagles have defeated the No. 18 seed, No. 7 seed and No. 6 seed. In their three-playoff games, they are averaging 35 points per game while the defense is allowing 24.3 points per game. McCannon has thrown for 2,185 yards and rushed for 974 yards and accounted for 48 total TDs while Thomas has rushed for 991 yards and 8-TDs. Thomas also has caught 40 passes for 603 yards and 10-TDs while Jamil King has caught 45 passes for 705 yards and 8-TDs. Kendrick Hawkins leads the Eagles in total tackles with 149 and Dayterious Chinn has 130 total tackles. A win this week would earn the Eagles their second title in school history and first since 2013.

 

Irwin County has been on the short end of the stick in their four most recent playoff appearances. While we believe McCannon can do enough to keep the Eagles in the game, Irwin County has too many weapons to slow down and a defense that is dominant. We like the Indians by two touchdowns this week.

 

 

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GHSA 2A Football Championship Preview

 

The Skinny

 

The Dublin Fighting Irish and the Brooks County Trojans will meet for the second time this season. The Fighting Irish won the first matchup by two touchdowns. Dublin will be playing for their fifth state title while Brooks County will be playing for their seconds state title.

 

The Dublin Fighting Irish have advanced to the finals for the first time since 2006. After being upset in the final game of the regular season, Dublin has now won four straight games. On their way to the finals, the Fighting Irish have defeated a No. 4 seed, a No. 2 seed, and two No. 1 seeds. Last week, Senior Jaques Evans rushed for 380 yards and scored 5-TDs while Zion Kemp added 142 yards and 2-TDs to help lead the Fighting Irish to victory. In their playoff run, the Irish are averaging 41.7 points per game while the defense is allowing 23 points per game. Evans has now rushed for over 2,200 yards and 38-TDs while Kemp has rushed for 1,424 yards and 19-TDs and Marcus Adams has rushed for 1,426 yards and 13-TDs to help power the Irish. As a team, Dublin has rushed for 5,787 yards on the seasoned has only attempted 27 passes this year. A win this week would earn the Irish their first title since 2006.

 

The Brooks County Trojans have advanced to the finals for the first time since 1994. Brooks has now won seven consecutive games and has bounced back from a 1-3 start to the season. On their road to the finals, the Trojans have defeated a No. 3 seed and three No. 1 seeds. They’ve defeated two teams that we thought had a chance to win the title…and they beat them on the road (Rockmart and Callaway). The Trojans got up early and then had to come from behind to get past Callaway last week. Quarterback Ni’tavion Burrusthrew for 211 yards and 2-TDs and rushed for 113 yards and another TD while running back Omari Arnold rushed for 157 yards and 2-TDs and also threw for a touchdown-helped lead the way for Brooks County on offense. Willie Brown had a big game receiving with 122 yards and a touchdown. Burris has now thrown for 1,970 yards and 21-TDs while Arnold has rushed for 1,697 yards and 21-TDs. Camron Priest leads the team in total tackles with 102. In their four-playoff games, the Trojans are averaging 39.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 14.5 points per game. A win this week will earn the Trojans their second state title in school history and first since 1994.

 

We said it would be tough to pick against the team that has three 1,000-yard rushers and we will stand by that this week. We expect Brooks County to hang around until the end, but we like the Dublin ground machine to churn out another state title this week. Irish by 8.

 

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GHSA 3A Football Championship Preview

 

The Skinny

 

The 3A Championship game will feature the defending state champions, Cedar Grove Saints against the Crisp County Cougars. Cedar Grove will be playing for their third state title in school history while Crisp will be playing for their first state title.

 

The Cedar Grove Saints have advanced to the finals for the third time in four years. Cedar Grove has now won 10 consecutive games. The Saints have defeated a No. 4 seed, a No. 2. Seed, and two No. 1 seeds to advance to the title game. In their four-playoff games, the Saints are averaging 37.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 10.2 points per game. Coming into last weeks game, Chavon Wright had rushed for 1,616 yards and 19-TDs while Austin Smith had passed for 1,321 yards and 17-TDs. Isaiah Ratcliffe continues to lead the team in total tackles and also came up with a big interception last week to help preserve the victory. A win this week would earn the Saints their second consecutive state title and their third  in four years.

 

The Crisp County Cougars have reached the finals for the first time in school history. Crisp has won eight consecutive games and has won 11 games for the second time since 2016. The Cougars loaded their non-region schedule with very challenging competition from all classifications and it looks like that schedule has helped prepare them for this playoff run. In this run, the Cougars have defeated a No. 4 seed, a No. 2 seed and two No. 1 seeds. In their four-playoff games, the Cougars are averaging 30.7 points per game while the defense is allowing 7.2 points per game. In last week’s win, quarterback A.J. Lofton threw for 100 yards and rushed for 89 yards and 2-TDs while Marquise Palmer added 116 rushing yards to lead the Cougars offense. The defense recorded four sacks and Sirad Bryant picked off a pass to help preserve the victory. On the season, both Lofton and Palmer have rushed for over 1,000 yards as Palmer has 1,512 yards and 16-TDs while Lofton has rushed for 1,043 yards and 13-TDs. A win this week would earn the Cougars their first state title in school history.

 

Both teams have played a challenging schedule and both defenses are playing well late in the season. We like to the Cougars to keep the game close, but our pick is Cedar Grove by 5.

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GHSA 4A Football Championship Preview

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Oconee County Warriors and Blessed Trinity Titans will square off in the Class 4A State Title Game. The two teams met two years ago in the playoffs. Both teams are region champions. The Warriors will be playing for their second state title, while the Titans are playing for their third title.

 

Oconee County has advanced to the finals for the first time since 1999. The Warriors have now won 12 games in a row and have won at least 13 games for the first time in 20 years. In four playoff games, the Warriors are averaging 33 points per game while the defense is allowing 14 points per game. Max Johnson had two passing TDs and two rushing TDs to help lead the way to victory. On their road to the finals, the Warriors have defeated a No. 4 seed and three No. 2 seeds. A win this week would earn the Warriors their first title since 1999.

 

The Blessed Trinity Titans are in the finals for the third consecutive year and the 4th time in 5 years. The Titans have won 11 straight games and avenged their only loss of the season as the beat Woodward Academy last week. The Titans got big games from running backs Elijah Green (191 yards, 3-TDs) and Justice Haynes (148 yards, 1-TD) to help lead the way to victory. Green has now rushed for 1,442 yards and 19-TDs while Haynes has 1,704 yards and 18-TDs. Ryan Dupont leads the team in tackles while Grayson Gilder leads the team in sacks with 9.5. In their road to the title game, the Titans have defeated a No. 4 seed, a No. 3 seed and two No. 1 seeds. In the playoffs, the Titans are averaging 38 points per game while the defense is allowing 9.5 points per game. A win this week will be their third consecutive state title.

 

This is the second week in a row that the Titans will face a D-1 quarterback commit. Max Johnson should be able to get some offense going, but we aren’t willing to pick against Coach McFarlin in this game. We didn’t think the Titans had enough players to make it back to the finals before the season started, but as usual, they’ve proved us wrong. We like Blessed Trinity by 9.

 

 

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GHSA 5A Football Championship Preview

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Warner Robins Demons and Buford Wolves will face off for the GHSA 5A Title. The Wolves are playing for their 12th State Title while the Demons will be playing for their 5th State Title.

 

The Warner Robins Demons are back in the finals for the third consecutive year. The Demons are winners of their last 10 games. Warner Robins had one of their best defensive performances last week as they held Starr’s Mill to just 3 points. The Demons have defeated a No. 4 seed, a No. 2 seed and two No. 1 seeds to advance to this Friday’s title game. In their four-playoff games, they are averaging 39.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 10.2 points per game. Last week, Jalen Addie threw for 155 yards and two-TDs and rushed for another two. The defense got into the action scoring on two fumble returns for touchdowns. Addie has thrown for 2,297 yards and 23-TDs on the year while Jalen Rutherford and James Smith have combined to rush for over 2,200 yards this season. Marcayl Jones leads the team in receiving with 41 catches for 773 yards. A win this week would earn the Demons their first title since 2004.

 

The Buford Wolves are back in the finals for the third time in five years. The Wolves have now won four games in a row. In their road to the finals, the Wolves have beaten a No. 3 seed and three No. 1 seeds. Their defense earned their third shutout of the season last week. Victor Venn was big again for the Wolves as he went over the century mark in the victory. In four playoff games, Buford is averaging 32.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 8.25 points per game. A win this week would earn the Wolves their first title since 2014.

 

Both teams have the ability to score points in bunches, but we believe Warner Robins defense will be the difference this week. We like the Demons by a touchdown.

 

 

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GHSA 7A Football Championship Preview

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lowndes Vikings and Marietta Blue Devils will meet in the GHSA 7A Championship on Saturday. This game should be a classic North vs. South GA battle. This is only the second meeting between the two schools.

 

The Lowndes Vikings are in the Finals for the first time since 2007. The Vikings are undefeated at 14-0 for the first time since 2005. In their playoff march, the Vikings have defeated two No. 1 seeds, a No. 2 seed and a No. 4 seed. In their four-playoff games, Lowndes is averaging 39.7 points per game while the defense is allowing 17.5 points per game. Last week, the Vikings surrendered the most points in a game all season. In the win, Jacurri Brown threw for 168 yards and 3-TDs and also rushed for 200 yards and 2-TDs. On the season Brown has thrown for 1,253 yards and rushed for 1,508 yards and accounted for 29-TDs. Tiberius Drocea leads the team in total tackles with 90, while Thomas Davis leads the team in sacks with 11.5. On the season, the Vikings have tallied 51 sacks as a team. A win this Saturday would earn the Vikings their first title since 2007.

 

The Marietta Blue Devils are in the finals for the first time since 1967. The Blue Devils have now won 7-games in a row and they have won 12 games in a season since 1994. In Marietta’s run to the finals they have defeated two No. 1 seeds, a No. 2 seed and a No. 3 seed. In the playoffs, the Blue Devils are averaging 40.7 points per game while the defense is allowing 19.5 points per game. Last week, Harrison Bailey threw for 423 yards and 5-TDs. Arik Gilbert caught 9 passes for 178 yards while Ricky White caught 10 balls for 139 yards. On the season, Bailey has thrown for 4,000 yards and 44-TDs. He’s also completing 69% of his passes. Kimani Vidal has rushed for 1,511 yards and 22-TDs while Gilbert has caught 90 passes for 1,614 yards and White has caught 92 passes for 1,246 yards. A win this Saturday would earn the Blue Devils their first state title since 1967.

 

Lowndes has been almost unstoppable all season. We believe Marietta has enough weapons on offense to keep pace with Jacurri Brown and the Vikings. We like Marietta by 4 in a high scoring game.

 

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GHSA 6A Football Championship Preview

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Class 6A GHSA Football Championship game features a matchup between region rivals Harrison and Allatoona. This game is a rematch of the October 11th matchup which Harrison won at home by 4.

 

The Harrison Hoyas have advanced to the finals for the first time since 2000. The Hoyas are also 14-0 for the first time in school history. Harrison has defeated two No. 4 seeds, a No. 3 seed and a No. 1 seed on their way to the finals. In the playoffs, Harrison is averaging 40.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 14.5 points per game. Offensive leaders from last week where quarterback Gavin Hall, running backs David Roberts, Mason Baybay and Jay Ziglor. The Harrison offense has been on a tear for most of the season. They’ve scored 35 points or more in 12 of their 14 games. A win this week would earn the Hoyas their first state title in school history.

 

The Allatoona Buccaneers are in the finals for the first time since 2015. The Bucs are winners of their last seven games and needed an overtime frame and a Jude Kelly field goal to advance last week. In the playoffs, Allatoona is averaging 28.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 8.5 points per game. Dante Marshall threw for  102 yards and 2-TDs in the win last week. The Bucs only tallied 70-yards on the ground. On the season, Marshall has thrown for over 1,800 yards and 23-TDs. Alex Wilson leads the Bucs in rushing with over 1,200 yards while Das has over 1,000 yards receiving. Calvin Rucker, Eric Carty and Cam Carty continue to lead the defense, coming into last week, they’d combined for 20 sacks and over 250 total tackles. Brett Bloomquist also has a team high 7 interception on the season. Allatoona has not allowed over 21 points in a game this season. A win this week would earn the Bucs their first state title since 2015.

 

Both teams are playing great defense, but we believe Harrison’s offense is a little more potent. We like the Hoyas by 6.

 

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GHSA A-Private Semifinal Football Previews

Today, we preview the Class A-Private GHSA Football semifinals. Only two of the top-4 seeded teams still remain. Wesleyan, the No. 9 seed is the highest seeded team to advance. Meanwhile, Region 5 has three teams in the semifinals.  Holy Innocents will host ELCA in a rematch of a 1-point nail biter that Holy Innocents won in the regular season. Meanwhile Fellowship Christian will host Wesleyan, (the third Region-5 team) in Roswell on Friday night. 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

 

The Holy Innocents Golden Bears are in the semifinals for the first time in school history. The Bears have also won a school record 12 games and are 12-0 for the first time in school history. Four different Golden Bears scored touchdowns last Friday to help propel them through their quarterfinal matchup. Michael Cox and Matt Davis have been stalwarts for the Golden Bears on offense. But don’t forget about the Holy Innocents’ defense, which pitched their sixth shutout of the season last week. In the playoffs, the Bears defense has been downright dominating, allowing only a field goal in two playoff games, while the offense is averaging 35 points per game in the postseason. A win this week would put the Golden Bears in the finals for the first time in school history.

 

The Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (ELCA) Chargers are in the semifinals for the ninth season in a row. The Chargers have now won 8 consecutive games. Quarterback Gabe Wright threw for 137 yards and  1-TD and also rushed for another and Josh Rogers rushed for 2-TDs while Keaton Mitchell led the way on the ground with 81 yards to help propel the Chargers to victory. ELCA’s defense tallied five sacks last week against Athens Academy.  Wright has now thrown for 1,873 yards and 23-TDs while Mitchell leads the ground game with 1,647 yards and 38-TDs. The Chargers have knocked off two of the top teams in the state, both from Region-8 in the playoffs. In their two-playoff games, ELCA has outscored their opponents 90-67. A win this week would put the Chargers in the finals for the sixth year in a row. Holy Innocents won the first game by 1 and we don’t believe the margin of victory will be much greater than that this week, but we like ELCA in the rematch by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Fellowship Christian Paladins advanced to the semifinals for the second time in in four years. The Paladins are also 12-0 for the first time since 2016. Last week, the Paladins churned out 282 rushing yards and 5-TDs on their way to the quarterfinal victory. Murphy Reeves led the way with 129 yards and 2-TDs while Jayven Hall added two more scores. Reeves is over 1,500 yards on the season with 17 rushing TDs. Backs Jayven Hall, Josh Cole and quarterback Eli Hildebrandt have combined to rush for 38-TDs this season. The 28 points that Hebron Christian scored was the most against the Paladins in a game all season. In two playoff games, the offense is averaging 24.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 14 points per game. A win this week would put the Paladins is the finals for the second time in four years.

 

The Wesleyan Wolves have advanced to the finals for the first time since 2010. The Wolves have now won seven consecutive games. Their only losses were two Holy Innocents and ELCA…two of the top teams in A-Private. Quarterback J.C. French threw for 126 yards and 1-TD and rushed for 78 and another TD, but it was Griffin Caldwell who had 188 yards on 27 carries and found the end zone four times in the victory. French has thrown for 2,408 yards and 28-TDs on the season while Caldwell is closing in on the 1,000-yard mark and has rushed for 11-TDs on the year. In three playoff games, the Wolves are averaging 37 points per game while the defense is allowing 19 points per game. A win this week would put Wesleyan in the finals for the first time since 2008. Wesleyan looks to have the hot hand this week, but we will take the Paladins ground game at home. Fellowship Christian by 6.

 

 

 

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GHSA A-Public Semifinal Football Previews

Today, we preview the Class A-Public GHSA Football semifinals. Three of the top seeded teams still remain and Pelham, the #6 seed, is not what we’d call a Cinderella be any stretch.  Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, Clinch County vs Irwin County in the playoffs. The last two seasons, these region rivals fought it out for the state title. This year, the rematch game happens in the semis. Irwin County has won each of the last three regular season meetings, but Clinch beat them in the finals. Will this year be any different. In the other semifinal. Pelham travels to face Marion County . 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

 

The Marion County Eagles have advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive year. The Eagles have now won seven games in a row. Trice McCannon threw two touchdown passes and rushed for 165 yards and 1-TD to help propel Marion County to the quarterfinal victory over Lincoln County. McCannon has now thrown for 1,954 yards and 28-TDs and rushed for 894 yards and 16-TDs. Meanwhile, Brandon Thomas has rushed for 886 yards and 6-TDs and Jamil King leads all Marion County receivers with 39 catches for 586 yards and 8-TDs. In two playoff games, Marion County is averaging 31.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 24 points per game. A win this week would put the Eagles into the finals for the first time since 2013.

 

The Pelham Hornets have advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive year.  The Hornets have won two games in a row and got redemption against county rival Mitchell County last week. (Mitchell County beat Pelham in the last regular season game.) Kendrick Patterson threw for 132 yards and 2-TDs and rushed for 149 yards and 1-TD. The Pelham defense tallied seven sacks and three interceptions in last week’s victory. On the season, Patterson has thrown for 1,814 yards and 24-TDs. He’s also intercepted a team high 5 passes on defense. As a team, the Hornets have intercepted 20 passes this year. Darrell Starling has added 619 yards on the ground and 8-TDs. Starling, Jeremiah Stewart and Doug Curles have led the receiving corps for the Hornets. The trio has combined for 68 receptions for 880 yards and 13-TDs. In two playoff games, the Hornets are averaging 36 points per game while the defense is allowing 28 points per game. A win this week would put the Hornets into the finals for the first time in school history. This has the makings of a high scoring game, with both team’s scoring points in the 30s, but we like Pelham to edge Marion County by 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Irwin County Indians have advanced to the semifinals for the sixth time in seven years. The Indians are also 11-0 for the second consecutive year. Last week, Irwin County raced out to a commanding 41-point halftime lead and cruised to victory. DJ Lundy scored four touchdowns and Garland Benyard scored on a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown to help propel the Indians to victory. In two playoff games, Irwin County is averaging 50.5 points per game in the playoffs while the defense is allowing 17 points per game. A win this week would put the Indians into the finals for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in six years.

 

The Clinch County Panthers are in the semifinals for the fifth year in a row. The Panthers have won eight consecutive games coming into this week. The Panthers jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead before closing out Warren County in the second half. Tyler Morehead and Michael Walker lead the scoring with two touchdowns each. In two playoff games, the Panthers are averaging 41 points per game while the defense is allowing 18.5 points per game. A win this week would put the Clinch in the finals for the third year in a row. These two 1-A powers are region rivals and have met for the state title for the last two years. Each time, Irwin County won the regular season matchup, while Clinch went on to win in the state title game. As in the two previous years, Irwin beat Clinch in the regular season matchup, but this year, we believe the worm has turned, and we like Irwin County by 11 over Clinch this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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