Starting on Friday and continuing through Saturday, the Georgia Dome will be the place for high school football fans as the GHSA Football Championships take place. There will be two games on Friday starting with the Class 2A game at 4:30 p.m. and the Class 4A game will follow right after. On Saturday, three games will take place starting with the Class A final at 1 p.m. and Class 3A will come right after, followed by the Class 5A game. Here’s a closer look at all five games:
Class 1A – Savannah Christian vs. Wilcox County
This should be a really tough and competitive game as both teams come into this game with a lot of momentum. Savannah Christian is 14-0 and they have done it with great defense and the strong running of Chris Barnwell who has rushed for over 1,500 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. Wilcox has won eight consecutive games including defeating Greenville in the second round and defending state champion Wesleyan in the quarterfinals. The Patriots are led by quarterback Nick Marshall who threw for three touchdowns in the semifinal game against Clinch County. Both teams are seeking their first state title.
Class 2A – Calhoun vs. Buford
It’s a rematch of last year’s 2A finals as Buford was able to blow past Calhoun and win their second consecutive state title. This year things will be different as Calhoun comes in with a lot of momentum thanks to the combination of quarterback Nash Nance and receiver Da’Rick Rogers. However, Buford will come into the game as the favorite as they have only lost one game in the last three seasons. They will try to get Jessel Curry going as he scored three touchdowns against Fitzgerald last week.
Class 3A – Gainesville vs. Peach County
This could go down in the record books as one of the highest scoring championship games as both teams can score at will. Gainesville is led by Blake Simms who threw the game-winning touchdown pass to defeat Flowery Branch in the semifinals. Peach also has a stellar quarterback in Patrick Taylor who led the Trojans from a come-from-behind win against Eastside. Peach is looking for their third state title while Gainesville will try to get their first ever state title.
Class 4A – Clarke Central vs. Sandy Creek
This could be the most compelling of matchups because both teams came up with huge upsets to earn a spot at the Dome. Clarke Central was able to beat SW DeKalb and North Clayton and they have done it with a balanced offense and an opportunistic defense. Keep an eye on receiver Dimirti Holmes who has 65 catches this year. Sandy Creek came up with a huge win over top-ranked Griffin last week. Keep an eye on running back Rajion Neal who rushed for 97 yards in the win last week. Clarke Central will seek their fourth title while Sandy Creek are going for the first title.
Class 5A- Camden County vs. Northside, Warner Robins
There couldn’t be a better game to end the weekend as both teams know how to win the big games. Northside is coming off a big win against undefeated Newnan in the semifinals and quarterback Briar Van Brunt rushed for 141 yards on 32 carries. Camden has a dominant running game led by Aundre Johnson and Ean Days as both players have rushed for 100 yards. Both will be trying to earn their third state title.
Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com.
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