The No. 3-ranked Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines squared off with No. 2-ranked Hebron Christian in a Week 12 showdown for the Region 8-2A title — and a first-round bye in the postseason — and came away with a hard-fought 34-31 victory over the host Lions, thanks largely to a pair of heads-up recoveries of their own fumbles and a game-sealing pick by Gaines Scoggins.
The win was the reigning back-to-back State champion Wolverines’ 11th straight against the Lions, which fall to 8-2 and 4-1 with the loss. Prince Avenue Christian, meanwhile, has now won five straight games after a tough start to the season.
“I feel like our first five games really helped,” said Andrew Beard, the Robbie Hunter MVP of the Game. “We started out 2-3, had to battle back, and we won out the region.”
Beard, who entered the game with nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards as a sophomore, was first in the end zone for a 6-0 lead. Hebron Christian answered with a 9-yard touchdown from Devon Caldwell, but Beard ran down to the 5-yard line on 3rd-and-long on the following drive to set up quarterback Jake Bobo’s touchdown on a handoff from backup quarterback Ben Musser.
Hebron cut the lead to 14-10 with a field goal to start the second quarter, then seemed poised to take the lead when Caldwell picked up 1st-and-goal. Jack Lanier and Colin Durning teamed up for a forced fumble and recovery, however, and Prince Avenue capped a 94-yard drive with a Kyler Giddens touchdown.
The Lions very nearly got a lucky break before halftime when Beard fumbled a Hebron punt, but Brice Williamson fell on it to preserve the 21-10 Wolverine edge going into the second half.
Hebron Christian quarterback Thomas Stallworth kicked off the third quarter with a 53-yard rushing score on 4th-and-2, and Bobo responded with a touchdown pass to Thornton Hester. The Lions then got within a field goal (28-25) moments later on a 90-yard bomb from Stallworth to Jarvis Mathurin and Stallworth’s two-point run.
The Wolverines punted on the following drive before sophomore Judd Shoemaker got it back with his fourth pick of the year. The possession ultimately ended in a missed Prince Avenue field goal, but Beard scored off a screen pass on the next drive, which included another Wolverine fumble recovered by a Wolverine, as well as conversions on 3rd-and-9 and 4th-and-3, for a 34-25 advantage.
Stallworth added one last touchdown inside of two minutes, but the ensuing onside kick was unsuccessful, and the Lions’ last hopes were quashed when Scoggins hauled in the interception in the game’s final seconds.
“We battled, we persevered to the end, and we made the plays we needed to,” said head coach Greg Vandagriff after the game.
The region title is the Wolverines’ fifth in a row, and their first in Class 2A.
The AJC has writers at Buford at Mill Creek, Roswell at Milton and Wheeler at North Cobb. Follow the link to see Todd Holcomb’s Friday Night Highlights. There are Thursday recaps at the bottom of the file.
See the Friday recaps below.
Friday games
Class 6A
Lowndes 30, Valdosta 20
Lowndes captured the latest installment in the Winnersville Classic between bitter rivals for a potential Region 1-6A title. It was a back-and-forth affair between the teams throughout the game. Tied at 20 in the fourth quarter, the Vikings took a 23-20 lead after an Aiden Andrews field goal. Valdosta drove down the field and got into field goal range but couldn’t convert the field goal as the ball sailed wide right. On the very next possession, Marvis Parrish scores on an 86-yard touchdown giving the Vikings all the momentum and a double-digit lead with less than six minutes to play. The Vikings ended the game with ten unanswered points to hoist the Winnersville trophy. Parrish finished with two rushing touchdowns on the night. Sophomore phenom Jayce Johnson had a 61-yard touchdown pass to Jaylin Carter. Aalim Brown got the scoring started with a 47-yard touchdown run early in the game. Valdosta missed two critical field goals in the red zone in the fourth quarter that hampered its hopes. Eli Lewis had a kickoff return for a touchdown for the Wildcats and Mr. Georgia nominee Todd Robinson added a touchdown. The classic rivalry lived up to the hype and head coach Adam Carter turned around a program that went 4-6 in 2023 to a 9-1 record in 2024. Lowndes didn’t win a region championship because of a lost earlier in the year to Colquitt County.
Carrollton 49, Douglas County 28
Carrollton junior Kimauri Farmer accounted for four touchdown runs and Messiah Satterwhite ran in two second half touchdowns as the Trojans ran away with a 49-28 win over Douglas County to clinch the Region 2 title. Quarterback Julian Lewis found Zion Cooley for a touchdown pass that gave Carrollton a 20-7 lead after Douglas County got on the board with DJ Bordeaux’s 85-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Gregory. Zamarcus Lindley ran in a Douglas County touchdown in the second half that cut the deficit to 27-21, but Farmer’s third and fourth touchdown runs and Satterwhite’s second score grew the lead to 49-21 early in the final frame before Douglas County had any answers.
Camden County 38, Tift County 28
Camden County scored more than 30 points for the eighth time this season and Tift County had no answers to slow them down. It was another big night for Georgia-commit Elyiss Williams, who had three catches for 88 yards and a touchdown before the half. Williams was a mismatch all night for Tift County as he constantly made big plays. After trailing 14-10 in the second quarter, Camden County scored 14 unanswered points, one was a fade ball to Williams that gave the Wildcats a 24-14 lead at halftime. Camden County QB Parks Riendeau found David Coleman Jr for a touchdown late in the third quarter to extend the lead Camden County wouldn’t trail the rest of the game and scored each time Tift County cut into the lead. Jordan Hardy also added a three-yard rushing touchdown. With the win, and Colquitt County defeating Richmond Hill the Wildcats have now made the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.
Colquitt Co. 31, Richmond Hill 13
In a critical battle in Region 1-6A, Colquitt County dominated for a wire-to-wire victory. The Packers scored 14 unanswered points to open the game and held a 14-point lead at the break. Senior RB Day’shawn Brown couldn’t be contained in this game. He had a 74-yard touchdown run to give Colquitt County its first lead of the game. He punched in another from one yard out to give the Packers a two-score lead. His best run of the night came from 85 yards out where he made a defender miss in the hole and showcased his speed outrunning the defense for the score. Brown finished with three rushing touchdowns and surpassed 1,000 yards rushing on the season in the win. RB Ramsey Dennis Jr also added a rushing touchdown for the Packers. Richmond Hill senior running back Joshua Ulrich-Thorpe had two rushing touchdowns for the Wildcats. It is a significant town for Colquitt County as they clinched the region championship and No. 1 seed in Region 1-6A. The loss for Richmond Hill knocks the Wildcats out of the playoffs after losing three of its last four games and Colquitt County clinches its third consecutive region championship.
West Forsyth 49, Alpharetta 21
West Forsyth improved to 7-3 on the season with a 49-21 victory against Alpharetta, knocking the Raiders to 1-9, finishing their season. After an early Alpharetta touchdown to take a 7-0 lead, the Wolverines answered with a 80-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a five-yard touchdown reception from Cole Cato. Following another Alpharetta touchdown, the Wolverines answered right back with a Micah Babb seven-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 14-14. West Forsyth was able to take the lead with seven minutes left in the second quarter with a 12-yard touchdown run by Andrew Davis to make it 21-14. Hunter Green extended the West Forsyth margin with less than a minute left in the first half, taking a screen pass 13 yards to the end zone to make it a two-score lead. Babb began the second half for the Wolverines with his second touchdown of the night from 11-yards out to take a 35-14 lead over the Raiders. Babb’s impressive night continued as he was able to get on the scoreboard once again, this time through the air with a touchdown reception from quarterback Max Walraven. Alpharetta scored with just over a minute left in the game to make it 42-21 before the Raiders’ onside kick attempt went terribly wrong with David Muccioli running back the onside kick from 45-yards out for the game’s final score, giving the Wolverines the 49-21 victory.
Collins Hill 65, Discovery 0
Fifth-ranked Collins Hill closed out its regular season with a 65-0 rout of Discovery to improve to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in Region 8. The Eagles led 37-0 after the opening frame thanks to a special teams touchdown from CJ Hector, a safety, rushing scores from Stephen Barjolo and Jacari Thomas, and a touchdown pass from PJ Wolfe to Gavin Schumann, then extended the lead to 51-0 by the break.
Hillgrove 53, South Cobb 0
Hillgrove improved to 9-1 (6-1 in Region 3-6A) and set up a first-round playoff home game against South Gwinnett with a 53-0 home win over South Cobb. CJ Ford opened the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown and finished with a pair of scores off a light night of four carries and 26 yards. Caleb Walters found the endzone on a 12-yard run that pushed the lead to 14-0 and also finished with a pair of touchdowns—accounting for 59 yards off seven carries. After Walter’s second score on a 15-yard run, Niko Marierose added an interception returned for a touchdown. Ford’s 10-yard run pushed the lead to 37-0 at the half. Jackie Young provided the Hawks with a 25-yard touchdown run in the second half. Also, Ryder Bass found Grant Stang for a 21-yard touchdown pass for the final points.
Brookwood 25, Norcross 13
Brookwood sophomore running back Brayden Tyson led the Broncos with 296 rushing yards and three touchdowns to secure the No. 2 seed out of Region 7. Tyson has now rushed for 2,120 yards and 26 touchdowns this season.
Lambert 54, South Forsyth 7
Lambert clinched the No. 2 seed in Region 6-6A and celebrated its fourth-straight victory in a landslide home win over South Forsyth. Cam Bland ran in the Longhorns’ first two touchdowns and a 39-yard field goal by Baker Kimbrel gave Lambert a 17-0 lead. Jesse Brooks added a 12-yard rushing score and Marshall Coleman found EJ Hartwell for a 40-yard score to push the lead to 30-0 at the end of the first quarter. Coleman connected with Hartwell for a 39-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and the Longhorns led 38-0 at the half.
Sprayberry 38, Woodstock 17
Rayshawn Simpkins led Sprayberry with 114 yards and three touchdowns off 21 carries to give the Jackets their first region championship since 2008. Back in the postseason for the first time since 2017, Woodstock will travel to No. 1 ranked Milton.
Class 5A
Hughes 42, Lovejoy 6
Hughes quarterback Christian Langford rushed for a 1-yard touchdown and completed touchdown passes to Jovanni McGee (16 yards), Maurice Gleaton (25) and Jabari Jones (19) to lead the Panthers. Carsyn Baker ran in a 1-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter that gave the Panthers a 14-0 lead. Lovejoy answered to cut the deficit to 14-6 and then Baker returned to the endzone on a 27-yard run. A failed PAT left the score at 20-6, but Hughes got a safety just three seconds later to put the lead at 22-6.
Lee County 63, Houston County 48
No. 2 Lee County (10-0, 5-0 Region 2-5A) finished undefeated in the regular season for the second time in program history by defeating Houston County (6-4, 2-3 Region 2-5A) at home. The Trojans took the region title with the win, and Houston County took the No. 4 seed for the playoffs. Lee County quarterback Weston Bryan rushed for three touchdowns, including a 14-yard score in the fourth quarter to give the Trojans a 49-34 lead. Bryan’s first two rushing touchdowns were from 2 yards and 1 yard, and he also threw two touchdown passes of 48 and 14 yards, both to Jaden Upshaw. The Trojans led just 36-34 heading into the fourth quarter. Ousmane Kromah rushed for touchdowns of 21 and 16 yards for the Trojans, both in the fourth quarter, and teammate Canton Williams had rushing scores of 23 and 5 yards.
Chattahoochee 51, Johns Creek 27
Chattahoochee gained an early 27-7 lead over Johns Creek and won its fifth game of the year in the victory. Luke Priester threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter to give the Cougars the 41-7 lead. Johns Creek scored late in the third quarter, but Chattahoochee added 10 more points in the fourth with a Priester 40-yard TD pass and Dylan Patterson 20-yard field goal. Chattahoochee ends the season with a 5-5 record, while Johns Creek finishes the year at 0-10.
Clarke Central 49, Winder-Barrow 8
Clarke Central quarterback Hezekiah Millender rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a score to lead the Gladiators to the Region 8-5A title—giving Dave Perno his eighth region title—three as a player and five as the Gladiators’ head coach. Clarke Central scored on a fumble recovery touchdown and Cory Watkins Jr. increased the lead to 28-0 with a touchdown run.
Rome 50, Kennesaw Mountain 3
Rome led 21-3 at the half and clinched the Region 5-5A title with a dominant defensive performance—holding Kennesaw Mountain to just 85 total yards of offense and just 5 yards through the air—while also adding a safety. Rome’s Chance Arthur and Javarius McDarmont each ran in 42-yard touchdowns to open the second half and Aidan McPherson connected with JJ Winston for a 78-yard touchdown pass to make it 41-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Rome finished with 445 total yards of offense and scored seven touchdowns on 35 plays.
River Ridge 56, Lassiter 12
River Ridge had 503 yards of offense and clinched the No. 3 seed out of Region 6-5A. Senior quarterback Ethan Spector finished 9-of-13 passing for 267 yards and four touchdowns. Spector opened the scoring with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Grant Hollier, but Lassiter responded with a 12-yard Mitch Seaman touchdown run to cut the deficit to 7-6. River Ridge responded with a Spector’s second touchdown pass to Hollier. On the next possession, Christian Pansera returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown. River Ridge blocked a Lassiter field goal attempt and Michael Olifier tacked on a 2-yard touchdown run to grow the lead to 28-6. Pansera hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Spector and then Spector grew the halftime lead to 42-6 at the half with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Colton Florence.
Lanier 20, Seckinger 19
Lanier (5-5, 3-3 Region 7-5A) grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot in the region with its 20-19 road win over Seckinger (6-4, 2-4 Region 7-5A). The Longhorns trailed 19-14 heading into the fourth quarter and 12-7 at halftime. Seckinger finished fifth in the region with the loss.
Woodward Academy 50, Lakeside-Atlanta 0
After starting out the season with three straight losses to ranked opponents, Woodward Academy won seven in a row against Region 4-5A foes to secure the region title, including a 50-0 shutout of Lakeside in the regular-season finale. Senior quarterback Landon Walker had three rushing scores and a touchdown pass to give the War Eagles a 28-0 first-half lead over the Vikings.
Creekside 56, Midtown 12
Creekside wrapped up another strong regular season with a dominant 56-12 victory against Midtown. The Seminoles came out firing on all cylinders, scoring the first 21 points of the game. Midtown got on the board late in the first quarter, cutting the lead to 21-6. Creekside quickly responded with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Cayden Benson. Midtown answered with a 60-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the score to 28-12. Benson then threw another touchdown to extend the lead to 35-12. The Seminoles added another score before halftime, taking a 42-12 lead into the break. After halftime, Benson completed yet another touchdown pass, pushing the lead to 49-12. Creekside scored once more, ending the game with a decisive 56-12 victory.
In other Class 5A games – No. 4 Hughes (9-1, 7-0 Region 3-5A) capped off a perfect region season with its 42-6 home victory against Lovejoy (4-5, 3-3 Region 3-5A). Hughes takes the top seed out of the region and Lovejoy wraps up the fourth seed, despite having one more regular-season game to play, at Morrow next Friday. … No. 9 Rome (7-2, 7-0 Region 5-5A) finished its regular season on a seven-game winning streak, earning the region championship with its 50-3 road win over Kennesaw Mountain (2-8, 1-6 Region 5-5A). … Decatur (9-1, 6-1 Region 4-5A) secured the No. 2 seed in the region with its 35-0 win at Tri-Cities (6-3, 4-3 Region 4-5A), which will take the No. 3 seed in the league.
Class 4A
Blessed Trinity 27, Cambridge 24 OT
Blessed Trinity’s Caden Dawson forced Cambridge to settle for a 32-yard field goal in the first overtime after a timely sack and running back Ahmontae Pitts ran in the game-winning touchdown to clinch the Region 6-4A title. The game was tied 7-7 after the first quarter and 14-14 at the half. Blessed Trinity grabbed a 21-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter and a missed 32-yard field goal attempt left room for Cambridge to tie it up 21-21 with 4:32 left.
Warner Robins 27, Perry 24
Warner Robins connected on a 38-yard field goal with just 1 second left to score the road victory over Region champion Perry. Perry took a 24-17 lead with a Korey Pettigrew touchdown reception, but Warner Robins tied it up 24-24 a on a Rasean Dinkins touchdown reception with 5:00 left.
North Oconee 68, Walnut Grove 3
North Oconee fumbled its first possession to set up a Walnut Grove field goal and responded with 68 unanswered points—including 48 in the first half. Quarterback Harrison Faulkner threw a touchdown pass to Dallas Dickerson to give the Titans a 7-3 lead and then a fumble recovery and blocked punt set up North Oconee for two short touchdown drives to push the lead to 21-3. In the second quarter, JT Doster scored on an 11-yard carry, Faulkner found Landon Roldan for a 64-yard touchdown, Ben Blevins took a jet sweep in for an 8-yard touchdown run and Faulkner capped the half with a 29-yard touchdown run to make it 48-3. North Oconee (10-0, 6-0) completed its third-straight perfect regular season—extending its regular season win-streak to 36 games and growing its region win-streak to 30-straight.
Central-Carroll 38, Northside-Columbus 7
Central-Carroll (8-2, 5-1) secured back-to-back region titles for just the second time in the school’s history 64-year history—thanks to Jonesboro’s win over Starr’s Mill Thursday night that ultimately set up the Lions to win the three-way tie breaker in Region 3-4A with Starr’s Mill and Jonesboro. Lions quarterback JR Harris passed for three touchdowns and Central-Carroll established a 28-7 halftime lead.
Flowery Branch 21, Cedar Shoals 7
Flowery Branch secured its spot in the playoffs with a 21-7 win over Cedar Shoals. The scoring began with Flowery Branch blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown in the first quarter, giving them a 7-0 lead. The Jaguars responded early in the second quarter, tying the game at 7-7. Both teams traded interceptions late in the second quarter, keeping the score tied at halftime. After halftime adjustments, the Falcons dominated the second half, scoring all the remaining points. Cedar Shoals had one final chance late in the fourth quarter, but the pass in the end zone as time expired fell harmlessly to the ground.
Woodland-Cartersville 20, Dalton 17
The Wildcats closed out their season with a thrilling win over host Dalton. Woodland scored its lone touchdown of the opening half on a 4th-down hook-and-ladder play after picking up 23 yards on 3rd-and-27, took the lead on back-to-back touchdowns, then sealed the 20-7 victory by blocking Dalton’s game-tying field goal attempt.
Stockbridge 56, Woodland-Stockbridge 10
A week after clinching a third-straight region title, this time in Region 2-4A, the Stockbridge Tigers closed out their regular season with a 56-10 win over visiting Woodland-Stockbridge. Leading by only 11 points following the opening frame, the Tigers got a pair of touchdown receptions by Jaylen Jackson in the second for a 35-10 edge at the break.
In other Class 4A games – North Oconee capped off an undefeated regular season with a 68-3 victory over Walnut Grove. … East Forsyth defeated Madison County 42-14 to improve to 8-2 on the season in its final regular season game of the season.
Class 3A
Upson-Lee 18, LaGrange 15
Unranked and possibly underappreciated, Upson-Lee (7-3, 6-2) pulled the upset of the class in a key Region 2 battle to move tied with No. 6 LaGrange (7-3, 6-2) at the top of the league standings. And its defense was to thank. Leading 18-15, the Upson-Lee defense thwarted any chance for a comeback by LaGrange, forcing the Grangers into a 4th-and-20 situation with 1:50 left in the game and breaking up the ensuing play to secure second place in Region 2-3A. Caleb Beverly’s field goal put Upson-Lee ahead 3-0 at the half. LaGrange scored on a pass with 7:44 left in the third quarter, but Amari Fletcher put Upson ahead 11-7 on a 6-yard run minutes later after Malachi Character’s 2-point conversion run. After a recovered fumble from Marcus Williams, Upson-Lee scored on a sweeping run from Akeondre Chaney to extend the Knights’ lead to 18-7 with 11 minutes left in the game. Senior running back Malachi Render-Fannin cut into the deficit on a 9-yard run but the ensuing 2-point conversion fell short.
Oconee County 32, Jefferson 30 OT
Oconee County’s defense thwarted a two-point conversion attempt by Jefferson quarterback Gavin Markey in overtime to secure the victory and force a three-way 4-1 tie atop the Region 8 standings alongside Cherokee Bluff and Jefferson. Senior quarterback Titus Watkins scored the game-winning touchdown and a pass to sophomore Mason Hall for the 2-point conversion proved the game-winner.
Monroe Area 31, West Hall 21
Monroe Area junior Jitt Carr rushed for three first-half touchdowns to give the Purple Hurricanes a 21-0 lead. West Hall opened the second half with a 9-play, 69-yard drive and Kolton Sargent answered with a field goal to make it 24-7. West Hall scored back-to-back touchdowns and cut the deficit to 24-21 with 7:37 left in the fourth quarter. Monroe Area quarterback Forest Ross iced the game with a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hamilton Shinn.
Heritage-Catoosa 17, Adairsville 7
In a game that totaled seven turnovers, Heritage escaped with a 17-7 win over Adairsville to improve to 6-4 on the season and 4-2 in Region 7-3A. The Generals built an early 14-0 lead in the first half over the Tigers. Heritage broke the 0-0 tie with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Cross Williams to Noah Pierce to take a 7-0 lead. The Generals scored once again with a little over seven minutes left in the first half with a 73-yard pass from Williams to Cody Bryan. The weather in the area began to affect the playing conditions with both teams committing multiple turnovers in the third quarter. After a scoreless third quarter, a Heritage field goal gave the Generals a 17-0 lead in the fourth quarter. Adairsville scored with just over a minute left in the game with a two-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Long to Tre Winters for the games’ last score. Tonight’s victory secured the Generals a spot in the postseason in the Class ADII playoff bracket.
North Hall 35, Dawson County 3
North Hall wrapped up its first region title in over a decade with a commanding 35-3 victory over rival Dawson County. The Trojans got off to a hot start, scoring 14 points in the first quarter. Dawson County tightened up in the second quarter, allowing just one touchdown and entering halftime down 21-0. The Tigers got on the board with a field goal in the third quarter, narrowing the Trojan lead to 21-3. However, the Trojans regained control later in the third, adding two more touchdowns to extend their lead to 35-3. The fourth quarter was quiet, with neither team scoring, leaving the final score at 35-3.
Sandy Creek 55, Troup 48
Sandy Creek led 28-0 in the second quarter and 35-21 at the half before outlasting a comeback attempt from Troup to secure the Region 2 title with a 7-1 league record. A 60-yard touchdown run from Troup’s Garrison Edwards left Sandy Creek trailing 42-41 with 3:35 left in the game before the Patriots mounted a comeback. Troup, which finished 4-4 in the region, will not advance to the playoffs.
In other 3A games – Cherokee Bluff ended its regular season by defeating county rival East Hall 52-26. The win put Cherokee Bluff in a tie with Jefferson and Oconee County at the top of Region 8-3A. … Region 7 champion Calhoun led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-3 at the half in a 38-24 romp of LaFayette. Calhoun scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter to extend the lead before pulling its starters in the fourth quarter. …
Class 2A
Callaway 33, Morgan County 26
No. 6 Callaway (8-2, 5-0 Region 2-2A) scored the final two touchdowns and won the region championship with a home win over No. 2 Morgan County (9-1, 4-1 Region 2-2A) at Callaway Stadium. The Cavaliers trailed 26-21 after a Morgan County touchdown midway through the third quarter, but running back Tyren Buggs and quarterback Blake Harrington both had short rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take the lead. Harrington’s touchdown rush came with 3:12 remaining, and the Callway defense forced a turnover on downs after that to seal the win. Buggs also had a rushing score in the first quarter, and Harrington threw two touchdown passes to Kaiden James.
Ringgold 42, Coahulla Creek 3
Ringgold led Coahulla Creek 21-0 in the first quarter before jumping to a 28-3 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the host Tigers scored on an interception returned for a TD. Ringgold scored its final points in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass. The Tigers finish the regular season with a 6-4 record, their fourth consecutive winning season.
Columbia 48, Salem 6
After starting the season 0-6, Columbia swept its region schedule, winning those four games by a combined score of 182-33 to earn its first region title since 1981. In the regular-season finale, the Eagles led 19-6 at the break, then pulled away with a 29-0 second half that included a pick-six by freshman Jamarion Davis, who has now had an interception in three straight games.
Appling County 10, Pierce County 6
No. 9 Appling County (7-2, 4-0 Region 3-2A) won its third-straight region championship, defeating No. 1 Pierce County (8-1, 3-1 Region 3-2A) 13-6 at home. The Pirates struck first in the first quarter on a 60-yard pass from Harrison Hickox to a wide-open Jaiden Knight, who made a juggling catch down the field and outran the Pierce County secondary for the touchdown. Appling County led 7-0 at halftime, but Pierce County’s Jaeveon Williams took a direct snap and ran 20 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-6. A low snap on the PAT led to a low kick that was blocked, however, and Appling County held onto its one-point lead. In the fourth quarter, Alan Ramirez scored a 38-yard field goal with 11:55 remaining and a 24-yarder with 2:37 left to put the Pirates back up by seven points. Pierce County drove into Appling County territory on its final possession, but quarterback Caden McGatha was sacked with seven seconds left on a play from the Appling County 26.
Callaway 33, Morgan County 26
Callaway (8-2, 5-0 Region 2-2A) scored the final two touchdowns and won the region championship with a home win over Morgan County (9-1, 4-1 Region 2-2A) at Callaway Stadium. The Cavaliers trailed 26-21 after a Morgan County touchdown midway through the third quarter, but running back Tyren Buggs and quarterback Blake Harrington both had short rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give Callaway the lead. Harrington’s touchdown rush came with 3:12 remaining, and the Callaway defense forced a turnover on downs after that to seal the win. Buggs also had a rushing score in the first quarter, and Harrington threw two touchdown passes to Kaiden James, one in the first quarter and one in the second. Callaway led 21-20 at halftime.
In other Class 2A games – Carver-Columbus defeated Kendrick 60-14 to finish the season undefeated in Region 1-2A play. …Sumter County beat Columbus 61-17 to clinch the No. 2 seed in Region 1-2A. …Westside-Macon defeated Jackson 29-23 after leading 14-7 at halftime. …Crisp County got past Cook 41-17 to win its second game of the year. …Glenn Hills won its first game of the year with a 36-14 victory over Josey. …Lovett held off Washington 31-22 to finish the regular season with an 8-2 record. …Rockmart defeated North Murray 28-7 to win its 59th consecutive region game.
Class A Division I
Fellowship Christian 44, Whitefield Academy 7
Host Fellowship Christian, ranked No. 5 in Private Class 3A-A, defeated Private Class 3A-A No. 10 Whitefield Academy to win the Region 5-A Division I championship. The Paladins (8-2, 6-0 Region 5-A Division I) got three rushing touchdowns from running back C.J. Givers after falling behind 7-0 to Whitefield Academy (7-3, 4-1 Region 5-A Division I) after the Wolfpack scored on its first possession. Fellowship Christian quarterback Jonathan Granby also rushed for a score and threw touchdowns to Jackson Thrasher and Mack Town.
Social Circle 35, Towers 6
Social Circle benefitted from Lamar County’s win over Jasper County and used a 35-6 road win over Towers to capture the Region 4-A Div. 1 title—the Redskins’ first region championship since 2005 and just second in school history. Quarterback Luke Cross opened the scoring with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jude Nelson and Jaylen Victor increased the lead to 21-6 at the break with a 62-yard and 2-yard touchdown run. Victor opened the second half with a 6-yard touchdown run—his third of the game and Cross iced the game with his second touchdown pass to Nelson that gave Social Circle a 35-6 lead with just 4:22 left.
Bremen 54, Darlington 14
Darlington opened the scoring with an 83-yard rushing touchdown from Myles Twyman, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead. Bremen quickly responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7. Bremen then blocked a Darlington punt and returned it for a touchdown, taking a 14-7 lead. Early in the second quarter, Bremen scored again, extending their lead to 21-7, and followed with another touchdown pass seven minutes before halftime. Before the half ended, Bremen added 12 more points with a rushing touchdown, a safety, and a field goal, taking a commanding 40-7 lead into halftime. Darlington managed another big rushing touchdown, but the Blue Devils closed out the game with two final touchdowns, sealing the win at 54-14.
Savannah Christian 14, Toombs County 7
In a battle of two top-ranked and undefeated teams, Savannah Christian (No. 1 in Private Class 3A-A) took down Toombs County (No. 1 in Class A Division I) at home at Pooler Stadium to win the Region 3-A Division I title. Savannah Christian (9-0, 4-0 Region 3-A Division I) scored the game-winning touchdown when quarterback Devin Trawick threw a touchdown to Weston Hughes with five minutes left in the game. Savannah Christian got an interception on Toombs County’s final drive to seal the win. Toombs County (7-1, 2-1 Region 3-A Division I) took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter, but Savannah Christian tied the game on a Zo Smalls touchdown run to make it a 7-7 game at halftime. Savannah Christian has concluded its regular season, while Toombs County hosts Swainsboro next Friday with playoff seeding on the line.
Christian Heritage 45, Armuchee 26
Christian Heritage led 28-0 over Armuchee at halftime to win its eighth game of the 2024 season. The visiting Lions scored two rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, and Henry Stanley scored on an interception returned for a 20-yard touchdown. Christian Heritage added two more touchdowns in the second half with a Thailan Christopher 62-yard run in the third and Carter Triplett 25-yard pass in the fourth. With the win, Christian Heritage finishes the season with a 6-1 record in Region 7-A Division I.
Dublin 50, Dodge County 33
Dublin overcame a 25-15 deficit and outscored the Indians 35-15 in the second half. Travion Bostic (17 yards, 5) and Willie Butts (6 yards, 4) each rushed for a pair of touchdowns to lead the Fighting Irish. Butts also had a fumble recovery that helped set up Micah O’Neal for a 1-yard touchdown run that gave Dublin its first lead of the game at 29-25. O’Neal added a 65-yard score and another 1-yard touchdown before Butts’ touchdown gave Dublin a 50-33 lead.
Temple 43, Model 22
Visiting Temple (8-2, 4-1 Region 6-A Division I) took control of its game at Model (3-7, 1-4 Region 6-A Division I) to secure second place in the region. The Tigers ran away from Model in a game that was tied 22-22 at halftime, rushing for a touchdown in the third quarter and rushing for two scores in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Jeff Davis 26, Fitzgerald 20
Jeff Davis upended Fitzgerald 26-20 after taking an early 19-point lead over the Purple Hurricanes. After Jeff Davis took a 19-0 lead, Fitzgerald responded with a rushing touchdown to cut the lead to 13 points. Jeff Davis extended its lead to 26-6 with a rushing touchdown right before the half. The Purple Hurricanes held Jeff Davis to zero points in the second half while Fitzgerald scored two touchdowns to cut the lead to six points with just over seven minutes left in the fourth, but the Yellow Jackets were able to prevail, earning their second win in the region on the season.
In other Class A Division I games – No. 4 Thomasville (8-2, 5-1 Region 1-A Division I) handled Berrien (1-8, 1-4 Region 1-A Division I) 42-0 on the road. … No. 6 Northeast (8-2, 8-1 Region 2-A Division I) was a 32-7 winner at East Laurens (2-6, 3-6 Region 2-A Division I), giving the Raiders the second seed in the region. … No. 9 Commerce (7-3, 5-1 Region 8-A Division I) defeated Providence Christian (2-8, 1-5 Region 8-A Division I) 55-23 on the road. Commerce secured the second seed from the region with the win.
Class A Division II
Bowdon 42, Trion 16
Trion led 10-0 early in the first quarter before Bowdon found answers in a 6-yard touchdown run from Connor Daniel. Daniel passed to Kaiden Prothro on a 52-yard touchdown to put the Red Devils ahead 14-10. A 53-yard pass from Daniel to Prothro put Bowdon ahead 21-10 at the half. Daniel threw to Jonah Wilson to expand the margin for the Red Devils. Kade Smith passed to Ethan Willingham to cut into the deficit 28-16 for Trion. A 15-yard rush from quarterback Charles Maxell III put Bowdon up 34-16 with six minutes left in the third quarter. Maxell added a 10-yard touchdown run to expand the lead to 42-16 at the end of the third quarter.
Lincoln Co 43, Greene Co 20
In the Red Devils last matchup of the regular season, Lincoln County defeated Greene County 42-20, securing an undefeated regular season for the sixth time in program history. The Tigers move to 7-2 on the season while the Red Devils improve to 9-0. Greene County won last year’s matchup 28-3 and snapped a Lincoln County four-year winning streak last season. The Red Devils won four matchups in a row against the Tigers from 2019-2022 and now gets back in the win column against Greene County this season. Greene County will face Warren County in the Tigers last game of the regular season next week.
Clinch County 26, Lanier County 0
Clinch County defeated Lanier County to improve its record to 8-1 this year. The visiting Panthers led 7-0 at halftime before jumping to a 20-0 lead in the third quarter. Along with capturing its eighth victory this season, Clinch County has a 3-1 record in Region 2-A Division II play. Clinch County now has a 27-0 record against Lanier County in the series that began in 1998.
Irwin County 17, Brooks County 14
It turned out that a field goal with two minutes left in the second quarter would prove to be the scoring difference to give Irwin County the edge against Brooks County in a key Region 2 game. Brooks County recovered a fumble with 10 minutes left in the game, trailing 17-14, but could not find an answer, turning the ball over on downs with five minutes remaining. Brooks County recorded The victory left Irwin and Brooks tied at 4-1 at the top of the standings ahead of Clinch (3-1) and Charlton (1-2).
In other Class A Division II games – Mitchell County improved to 8-2 in the regular season after defeating Seminole County, 21-14. … Charlton County improved to .500 in region play after beating Turner County 48-39. … Hancock Central won by two touchdowns in its regular season finale, beating Glascock County 46-32. … Macon County are the 2024 region champions in Region 6-ADII as they defeated Taylor County, 20-3.
Thursday games
Class 6A
Newton 58, South Gwinnett 40
Senior Zion Johnson had 33 carries for 374 yards and four touchdowns to lead Newton past South Gwinnett. Junior quarterback Deron Benson was 9-of-14 passing for 156 yards and two touchdowns, both to senior Andrew Leslie. Freshman Kevin Hartsfield had six carries for 89 yards and a touchdown for the Rams.
Grayson 45, Archer 14
Grayson led 21-7 after the first quarter and 28-7 at the half in a romp of Archer in a key Region 4-6A game to keep the Rams 4-0 and tied atop the standings with Newton (4-0).
Class 4A
Jonesboro 29, Starr’s Mill 24
The Cardinals handed Starr’s Mill its first loss of the season in a Region 3-4A game to create a tie (5-1) with the Panthers at the top. Jonesboro entered the half tied at 12 with the Panthers and trailed 19-12 entering the fourth quarter before outscoring Starr’s Mill 15-3 in the final frame to secure the victory.
Class 3A
Westover 29, Cairo 10
Westover led 14-3 after the first quarter and 22-10 at the half in an upset against higher-ranked Cairo in a key Region 1-3A matchup. The victory likely earned the Patriots the No. 2 seed in the league behind top-ranked and No. 1-seeded Peach County.
Class A Division I
McNair 80, Utopian 0
McNair quarterback Jeremy Victor had a hand in five touchdowns to lead the Mustangs in the romp. Victor rushed for four scores and passed for 10 yards to Rashod Blalock for the other touchdown. Anterion Theodore scored three rushing touchdowns and Mauri Johnson added a 65-yard touchdown run and a five-yard touchdown run in the victory. Keyontae Phillips returned a put 65 yards for a score for McNair.
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