If you’re playing football in December, you’ve probably had yourself a good season. And a multitude of metro Atlanta programs are still playing. For some, a trip this deep into the playoffs is the norm, for others, it’s a rare occasion. As the state semifinals begin across the state, here are a few teams to keep your eye on.
Franklin Pridgen’s Wesleyan Wolves know a thing or two about the state semifinals. They won it all in 2008, have gone 37-4 past three seasons. Now they’re a dominant 13-0, and they barely broke a sweat in most of their games.
However, they did show toughness and grit in the quarterfinals by coming back from a 28-17 deficit to exact some revenge on Wilcox Co. who beat the Wolves in the quarterfinals last year.
At this point, getting this far for Pridgen’s team is the standard.
“We’ve created that tradition,” he said. “It’s a culture here, and everyone knows what needs to be done to be successful.”
Of course, it also helps to have one of the state’s top backs in Kyle Karempelis, a deceptively quick back with an unstoppable motor. The senior has run for more than 5,000 yards during his career and shattered the record books at the school. He’s rushed for 27 touchdowns this year, with three of them coming in his outstanding 300-yard outburst against Wilcox.
But the Wolves do more than just run. With questions surrounding the quarterback job, Andrew Frerking stepped in and did a bang-up job this year.
“Our offense is so balanced,” Pridgen said, “We have a great offensive line and quarterback. Andrew has thrown for 31 touchdowns and shown he can do the job.”
In Class 4A, a final four just isn’t complete without Tucker in the mix. After all, the 2008 champions have made it this far in three of the past four years. A young team last year, the Tigers have returned to being the cream of the crop. The defense is more than stout with the likes of linebacker James Vaughters, a sideline-to-sideline player with great speed and tackling ability. The Tiger’s stop troops have given up less than one touchdown in a game seven times this season, and twice in the playoffs.
Georgia commitment Chris Sanders anchors the defense at safety. He made an important interception in the quarterfinal win over Ware Co.
Meanwhile, no player in the state may be as hot as N’Quan Maggett. The running back has scored four touchdowns in the team’s last two playoff games, with three of them being 40 yards or longer.
Seeing Buford back in the mix is no surprise either. The program became a perennial powerhouse when Dexter Wood lead them to three straight state titles and undefeated seasons from 2001-2003. Jess Simpson continued that tradition by netting back-to-back 15-0 seasons in 2007-2008, and is shooting for his fourth straight state title game appearance.
Watch for the three-headed monster of Dominique Swope, Eric Barr and Seon Jones in the backfield. With the silky smooth Alex Ross pulling the strings under center.
The Lovett Lions will face region rivals Buford in the semis, and they have been this far before in recent years. But things didn’t look good after a late-season loss to arch rival Westminster, which relegated the Lions to fourth place in the region. But they have responded since, winning at Elbert, Dade County, and Brooks County behind one of the area’s more underrated backs in Zach Boden.
The Lions were defeated by Buford earlier in the season. But they are one of a select few teams with a win over the Wolves in the recent years, a 28-21 shocker last season.
NEW TO THE PARTY …
Chattahoochee has played into the semifinals once in their school’s history, a 1999 visit under Bill Waters. Terry Crowder has been the head man for seven years now, and has netted two state playoff trips and kept a competitive team in the ultra-tough Region 7, Class 5A.
“Although we didn’t make the playoffs, we felt like in a lot of other regions we would have,” Crowder said.
But they’ve taken their game to another level after making the move to Class 4A this season, going 13-0 and having their way with most everyone.
“I had a sneaking suspicion this senior group was gonna be special.” Crowder said. “Most of these kids have started since they were sophomores. We started in January talking about team goals and these guys have been so focused. This season is just what the doctor ordered.”
They were tested mightily for the first time in the second round against Marist. The underdog War Eagles held a 28-14 lead at halftime, but Crowder’s team responded, getting a 52-yard field goal from stud kicker Ammon Lakip with less than a minute left to win. The close shave was easily the Cougars’ closest matchup of the year.
“We talked about how we would be in those situations all year long,” Crowder said, “But I’m not nervous about how we’ll respond now that Marist has come and gone.”
Crowder can also feel secure with Timmy Byerly at quarterback, who threw for 300 yards in the win over Marist and can sling it to the likes of speedy Kane Whitehurst on the other outside.
Most point to the teams’ defense as the Achilles heel for CHS. But Crowder doesn’t think the numbers are telling the whole story.
“We’re better there than most people think,” Crowder said. “In eight of our 10 games, we (forced a) running clock. A lot of the points we were giving up were with ninth graders.”
At Brookwood, five years between semifinals appearances is a surprise. But that has been the case recently as the Broncos hit a snag, and they haven’t made it past the second round since losing to Lowndes in the state championship in 2005.
They’re back where they belong this year. Mark Crews’ bunch has won 10 in a row and features a very strong run game with Nick Tompkins, a junior who has run for 1,425 yards and 16 scores. Jamaal Cole is also a threat from the backfield with 13 touchdowns.
The Collins Hill program showed signs of life over the past two seasons, getting state tournament births in both seasons. But Kevin Reach has taken them to new heights this season, with his team shocking Roswell and Lowndes in the last two rounds.
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