The 12th annual Georgia Elite Classic has grown to new heights as the three-day event includes seven All-Star Games featuring some of the best high school football and flag football players in the state joining together at McEachern High School to showcase their skills.
For the first time in the event’s history, the Georgia Elite Classic will include two flag football games. Teams will have a full day of practice on the 26th before heading into two full days of games with the flag football games taking place on Friday, December 27, beginning with the upperclassmen at 3:30 p.m. and the seniors at 5:00 p.m.
Following the flag games on Friday, the middle school games will kick off Saturday’s five-game slate with the Seventh Grade All-Star Game beginning at 9:00 a.m. followed by the Eighth Grade All-Star Game at 11:15 a.m. After the middle school games conclude, the Senior All-Star Game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. followed by the juniors at 4:15 p.m. The event concludes with the Sophomore/Freshman game at 7:00 p.m. Each matchup from this year’s event will be televised live on the Peachtree Sports Network (available on cable and YouTube TV), and will also stream live on the Atlanta News First app. From home, download the free ANF+ app anywhere you stream — FireTV, AppleTV, Roku and YouTubeTV — simply by searching for “Atlanta News First” on those platforms. If you are on the go, you can download Atlanta News First for free in the app store on your Apple or Android device. You can also watch live here on the WANF – Special Events channel.
ON THE BIG STAGE
Over the years, the Georgia Elite Classic has featured a countless number of players that have gone on to do extraordinary things at the next level. The event has included various kids that have already committed to a college program or are still looking to find their new home for the next four years of their playing careers. Regardless, the Georgia Elite Classic and the exposure the event receives has helped numerous kids achieve their dreams of playing college football.
This season, the event includes a handful of notable players. Cass offensive lineman Bear McWhorter is a 3-star recruit across major recruiting sites who decommitted from Arkansas in June of 2024. McWhorter has received offers from plenty of major college programs such as Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Miami and more. This is the first year that the junior offensive lineman will be competing in the event.
Plenty of underclassmen competing this season have made a name for themselves from their impressive play this season. These names include Prince Avenue quarterback Ben Musser, North Cobb Christian quarterback Teddy Jerrard, Jefferson linebacker Max Brown, Cartersville defensive end Kylen Pope and Buford defensive end Christian Webb-Scott. These are just a handful of names in our underclassmen games that are looking to compete one more time in the 2024 season.
PLANT THE FLAG
For the first time in the over decade-long history of the Georgia Elite Classic, flag football has been added to the terrific slate of All-Star Games. The first-of-their-kind All-Star Games for flag football will feature some of the best players as well as the best coaches around the state including state champion head coach, McEachern’s Jake Burgdorf to lead the way for the Flag Senior All-Star Game. Burgdorf led the Indians to an undefeated 28-0 record including the program’s first state championship victory with a 26-6 win over Lambert.
Columbus flag football head coach Christian Grier will lead the other flag senior team while Milton coaches Clark Nixon and Crystal Scott coach one of the teams in the flag underclassmen game against St. Pius X head coach Austin Webster and Pace Academy assistant, Felicia Slaton.
The groundbreaking move to include flag football in this year’s Georgia Elite Classic has elevated the event to new levels as flag football players from around the state get a chance to showcase their talents in the end-of-season All-Star Games.
SCHEDULE
DECEMBER 27
3:30 p.m. Underclassmen Flag All-Star Game
5 p.m. Senior Flag All-Star Game
DECEMBER 28
9 a.m.: 7th Grade All-Star Game
11:15 a.m.: 8th Grade All-Star Game
1:30 p.m.: Seniors All-Star Game
4:15 p.m. Juniors All-Star Game
7:00 p.m. Sophomores/Freshman