Region 5-6A top-seed North Cobb hosted four-seed Camden County in the opening round of the playoffs Friday, defeating the Wildcats by a margin of 28-7 with the same physical offense and stifling defense the seventh-ranked Warriors have shown all season.
It took until midway through the second for the undefeated Warriors to get on the board, but Camden County struggled to contain them the rest of the way. North Cobb, which averaged 256 yards per game on the ground in the regular season, got a pair of touchdown runs from freshman running back Zach Belyeu and another from Arquevious Echols that was set up by his own drive-saving fumble recovery late in the third.
“I just like our resolve,” said Coach Shane Queen after the win. “We didn’t start strong, but we stuck to the game plan.”
The Warriors’ defense was just as punishing, holding Camden County to a season-low in points and allowing zero receptions from 5-star UGA commit Elyiss Williams. Senior Dy’lon Womack hauled in his eighth pick of the year shortly after Belyeu’s first score, setting up a touchdown drive ending in a pass from Nick Grimstead to Micah Billingsley, and Bryce Wilson and Cooper Negron teamed up to shut down the Wildcats’ final possession of the half for a 14-0 edge at the break.
Belyeu scored again in the third after North Cobb recovered a Camden County fumble on the second-half kickoff. The Wildcats’ next drive didn’t fare any better, ending in a missed field goal after they marched down to the North Cobb 11-yard line, then got pushed back to 4th-and-23 on a costly penalty.
Sophomore receiver Sean Green found the end zone for the Wildcats in the fourth to avoid the shutout.
“Our defense did a great job,” praised Coach Queen. “Williams finished with no catches. That’s just a great job from our defensive coaching staff, a great job from our offensive coaching staff, and our special teams were phenomenal keeping it away from their players. We just tried to keep the ball out of their best players’ hands, and we were able to do that tonight.”
North Cobb (11-0) returns to the second round of the playoffs after a disappointing first-round exit last year and will host Douglas County next week for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.
The AJC has writers at Westlake vs. Collins Hill, Warner Robins at Marist and South Gwinnett at Hillgrove. See the first round recaps below. Most Class A Division II games will be played Saturday.
Class 6A
Newton 30, McEachern 29
Newton trailed 29-16 with seven minutes left in the third quarter but came from behind and avoided a 37-yard, game-winning field goal try from McEachern with 1:51 left in the contest to advance to the second round of the playoffs. Trailing 29-23 with 7:50 left in the game, junior quarterback Deron Benson passed to senior Zach Harden Jr. for what would be the 55-yard game-winning touchdown. Newton led 16-0 after touchdown runs of 51 and 49 yards by Zion Johnson, who had 152 yards on 12 carries in the first half. McEachern scored on 9-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Calvin Pittman with 4:18 left in the first half. McEachern forced a safety following an error on a punt snap by Newton and with :23 left in the first half, the Indians added a 45-yard field goal Jonathan Rodriguez to trail 16-12 at the half. The McEachern special teams blocked a Newton punt attempt and recovered the ball in the end zone to take a 19-16 lead with 11 minutes left in the third quarter and expanded the lead to 26-16 on a five-yard run from Pittman 50 seconds later, following a fumble by Newton. Rodriguez kicked a 31-yard field goal to expand the lead with 7:25 left in the third quarter, leaving Newton trailing 29-16. Despite McEachern cornerback Austin Brown making two second-half interceptions, Newton’s defense stymied the Indians on each possession. Newton scored on a 35-yard pass from Benson to Andrew Leslie with 2:58 left in the third quarter to narrow the margin to 29-23.
Colquitt County 48, Wheeler 20
Region 1 top-seed Colquitt County took the lead on the first play of the game when Ramsey Dennis Jr. returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and the Packers didn’t slow down from there, leading visiting Wheeler by as a much as 48-6 en route to a 48-20 first-round victory. The eighth-ranked Packers, who will host Collins Hill next week, got a trio of first-half touchdown runs from Day’Shawn Brown and one apiece from Jae Lamar and Trey Edmonds. Freshman quarterback Cohen Lawson also connected with Ethan Ruffin for a 49-yard score in the second.
Norcross 37, Lambert 27
Visiting Norcross took a 28-7 lead over host Lambert in the first quarter, then gave up three straight Longhorn touchdowns before adding 10 second-half points to advance to the next round of the playoffs. The Blue Devils got touchdown runs of 64 and 68 yards from quarterback Dillon Mohammed in the opening frame, along with an 88-yard completion from Mohammed to Jahsaun Clarke and Jamari Harold’s 47-yard score off a screen pass. Lambert got within a point (28-27) early in the third, but Clarke took a direct snap for a second touchdown later in the quarter, and Jack Rouille’s 48-yarder midway through the fourth put Norcross back up by two scores.
Douglas County 27, Mill Creek 18
Fourth-ranked Douglas County got a comfortable first-round win over 10th-ranked Mill Creek on Friday night. The host Tigers never trailed, getting a rushing score from Rah’Keith Kelly and touchdown passes from quarterback DJ Bordeaux to Devin Carter and James Johnson before taking a 27-12 lead on Mike Thomas’ pick-six late in the fourth.
West Forsyth 24, Brookwood 10
Visiting West Forsyth upset two-seed Brookwood on the road Friday night, taking a 24-10 lead late in the fourth, then forcing a turnover on downs on defense inside of three minutes to seal the win. The Wolverines got a pair of touchdowns from Foster Orris and another from Andrew Davis and will host Archer next week after the Tigers’ upset against Harrison.
Lowndes 35, North Paulding 17
The ninth-ranked Vikings got a trio of first-half touchdown runs from Marvis Parrish for a 21-10 edge at the break, then added a Drew Thomas rushing score and a touchdown completion from Jayce Johnson to Jaylin Carter in the fourth to seal the 35-17 first-round victory. Lowndes will travel to top-seeded Buford next weekend.
In other Class 6A games — Region 4 top seed Grayson led visiting Pebblebrook by as much as 44-0 on the way to a 56-12 first-round victory. … Down 35-26 in the fourth, Archer got back-to-back scores thanks to an onside kick recovery, then answered Harrison’s touchdown with 1:22 remaining with one last score for a 46-42 upset of the one-seeded Hoyas. … Four-seed Peachtree Ridge took a 29-6 second-quarter lead on a long touchdown from Adrian Rodriguez, and the Lions maintained control through the rest of their matchup with top-seeded North Atlanta for a 43-27 first-round upset. … Valdosta took a two-touchdown lead over host Walton midway through the fourth, then held on for a 35-27 victory to earn a trip to top-ranked Carrollton in the second round. … Quarterback Juju Lewis threw four touchdown passes in Carrollton’s 46-7 rout of four-seed Dacula. … North Gwinnett took a 29-0 first-quarter lead on quarterback Ryan Hall’s touchdown run before the third-ranked Bulldogs coasted to a 45-7 victory over visiting Denmark. … No. 2-ranked Buford trailed four-seed East Coweta 9-7 midway through the second, then outscored the Indians 50-0 the rest of the way for a 57-9 round-one win.
Class 5A
Hughes 58, Dunwoody 35
Hughes crossed the 50-point mark for the fifth time this season in its 23-point victory over Dunwoody. The Panthers had six different players score a touchdown on Friday. Offensively, QB Christian Langford has two touchdown passes and a five-yard rushing score. He hit Jovanni McGee on a 46-yard touchdown pass and Jabari Jones on a 32-yard touchdown pass. Junior running back Qwantavius Wiggins had two rushing touchdowns including an electric 71-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. The Panthers’ defense also got involved in the scoring. Despite the 35 points scored by Dunwoody, Hughes got a 23-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Kijohn Braxton and a 65-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Keyshawn Spencer. Hughes is now 10-1 on the season and their head coach Daniel “Boone” Williams hit another milestone. Friday’s victory also clinched the fourth ten-win season under coach Williams and won its first-ever state championship in 2022. Hughes will face Roswell in the second round next Friday.
Brunswick 43, Villa Rica 13
Brunswick had little issues advancing to the second round of the playoffs after five different players scored a touchdown in the first-round victory. Four-star tight end Heze Kent had two rushing touchdowns each coming from the goal line. Waseem Murray had a 69-yard touchdown catch on a deep ball, Grant Moore threw a five-yard touchdown pass to William Heck, Nigel Gardener had a 53-yard touchdown run, and Josiah Gibbons hauled in a 48-yard hail mary touchdown right before the first half was over. Senior LB/SS Jeremiah Robbins forced a safety after coming up with a sack in the endzone late in the third quarter. It was a collective effort on Friday and the Pirates scored in various ways. There is a great stat that illustrates how good of a season Brunswick is having and how hard they have been to stop. The Pirates have scored 40 points in 10 of the 11 games played this season. Brunswick will face a great test next week as they host the defending state champion Coffee Trojans at home.
Coffee 31, Jackson County 7
Tyrese Woodgett’s big night leads Coffee past Jackson County in a dominant 24-point victory on the road. Woodgett finished with three rushing touchdowns. His best one came on a 56-yard scamper where he broke multiple tackles on his way to the endzone. The senior running back now has five multi-touchdown games this season. Jackson County’s lone touchdown came on a five-yard pass from RJ Knapp to Maddox Griswold also added a five-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Friday was the sixth time this season Coffee held its opponent under 10 points and had two shutouts this season. The Trojans will face Brunswick in the second round next Friday.
Woodward Academy 21, Lovejoy 20
Landon Walker’s late-game heroics and game-winning four-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Abdullah lifts Woodward Academy past Lovejoy in a potential upset. The War Eagles trailed 20-7 late in the third quarter when Walker got it going, helping Woodward Academy end the game with 14 unanswered points. Walker had a six-yard touchdown pass to Notre Dame Commit Jerome Bettis Jr. He drove his team down the court late in the fourth quarter connecting with Abdullah with 17 seconds left in the game and giving the War Eagles its first lead since the second .20 second mark in the second quarter. Walker finished 27-37 with 245 passing yards and three touchdowns. He threw two to Bettis Jr. Lovejoy scored 20 unanswered points and shut out Woodward Academy in the second quarter thanks to three rushing touchdowns. It was a valiant effort on the road by the Wildcats but they couldn’t close the deal late. Woodward Academy will face Sequoyah in the second round.
Thomas County Central 70, Winder Barrow 6
The defending state champions put together another impressive offensive performance against Winder-Barrow on Friday. The Yellow Jackets hit a season-high 70 points with some memorable plays Thomas County Central had two 90-yard touchdowns in the win. WR Jabari Watkins had a 94-yard receiving touchdown on a slant pass. RB Christian Lawrence has two rushing touchdowns including the longest play of his career early in the second quarter. Lawrence scored on a 95-yard touchdown run that gave Thomas County Central a 42-0 lead in the second. Kobe Carnage added two touchdowns including an 18-yard touchdown he caught on a swing pass. Sophomore running back Evan Martin scored his third rushing touchdown of the season from four yards out. The Yellow Jackets will face the Rome Wolves in the second round of the playoffs next week.
Rome 49, Glynn Academy 17
Rome Sophomore quarterback Aidan McPherson had six touchdowns in a first-round victory over Glynn Academy. He had four touchdown passes with two going to Javarius McDearmont. The other touchdown passes were a 46-yard touchdown pass to JJ Winston and a 29-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Collins. McPherson also had a 47-yard touchdown run to give the Wolves its first score of the game. McPherson has continued to improve as the season has gone on and delivered a masterful performance for the Wolves. Rome will host Thomas County Central in the second round of the playoffs, a quarter-final rematch from 2023.
Lee County 47, Habersham Central 7
It was all Lee County as the Trojans moved to the second round. The scoring began with a 46-yard touchdown reception by junior Canton Williams. Quarterback Weston Bryan set up the next score with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Damarion Scott to put the Trojans up 14-0. Bryan found the endzone on his own on the next possession with a nine-yard rushing score to take a 20-0 lead in the first quarter. The second quarter continued more of the same as Bryan threw another touchdown, this time to senior Jordan Houston to put the Trojans up 27-0 in the second. Bryan continued to be effective on the ground scoring once again, this time from 41-yards out with a little over two minutes left in the first half, giving the Trojans a 33-0 lead. Ousmane Kromah scored the final touchdown before the half, thanks to a Trojans interception as Lee County took a 40-0 lead into the half. The Bryan-to-Houston connection proved to be true in the second half as the two combined for a two-yard touchdown score to take a 47-0 lead. Habersham Central quarterback, Paris Wilbanks put the Raiders on the board late in the fourth with an eight-yard rushing score, as the Trojans defeated Habersham Central, 47-7 to move to the second round.
Milton 42, Woodstock 7
Milton continued its perfect season with a 42-7 victory over Woodstock, advancing the Eagles to the second round of the playoffs. The Eagles scored all 42 points in the first half. The scoring began with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Miami-commit quarterback Luke Nickel to give the Eagles an early 7-0 lead. The defense made its mark early in the game as Milton’s Ayden Williams took a Woodstock fumble, 40 yards the other way for the score, giving the Eagles a 14-0 lead in the first. The rushing attack got going in the first quarter as well for Milton with a 15-yard rushing touchdown from TJ Lester to give the Eagles a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. A five-yard rushing score for Georgia-commit wide receiver CJ Wiley gave Milton an early 28-0 lead in the second quarter. Lester was able to get in the endzone for a second time on the night, this time through the air with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Nickel to extend their lead to 35-0 in the first half. The final score of the night for Milton came through the air once again as Nickel was able to find Jackson Pounds from 39-yards out to give the Eagles a 42-0 lead by halftime. With a running clock installed for the second half, Woodstock was able to find the end zone with two minutes to go in the fourth, giving Milton a 42-7 victory in the first round as they advance in one of the toughest brackets in the state.
Houston County 69, Clarke Central 48
A total of 117 points were scored tonight as Houston County was able to advance to the second round with a 69-48 victory over Clarke Central. After opening the second quarter with a 14-12 advantage, Clarke Central responded with a field goal to take a 15-14 lead at half. Houston County’s Jordan Smith ran back the opening kickoff of the second half 99-yards for the score to take a 21-15 lead in the third quarter. A touchdown pass from Dalen Johnson to Austin Stinson gave the Bears a 27-15 lead in the third quarter. Isaiah Mitchell took a 12-yard reception to the endzone, continuing the Bears’ scoring and extending the lead to 34-15. Xayvian Berry made a 14-yard touchdown reception from Hezekiah Millender to cut the Bears lead to 34-21. A 29-yard pass from Antwann Hill to Mitchell gave Houston County a 20-point lead once again, 41-21. Millender’s 14-yard scramble for a score gave cut the Gladiators deficit to 13 points. Houston County’s Mitchell once again found the endzone, this time with a four-yard rushing score to regain a 20-point lead, 48-28. Millender found Corey Watkins for a 14-yard score to cut the Bears lead to 48-35. Mitchell caught a nine-yard pass from Hill to extend the lead to 55-35. Millender found the end zone on a 22-yard run to cut the lead back to two scores, 55-42. Houston County’s Austin Stinson answered the score with a 46-yard rushing touchdown to take a 62-42 lead. Weston Ard found the end zone for the final times for Houston County with a one-yard rushing score followed by a 53-yard touchdown pass from Millender to La’Gracion Little for the final score of the game.
Sprayberry 27, Lanier 14
Sprayberry advanced to the second round for the first time since 2020 as the Yellow Jackets defeated Lanier 27-14 in the first round of the Class 5A bracket. Before you could blink, the Yellow Jackets were on the board with a Rasean Simpkins touchdown on the very first play of the game. The Yellow Jackets followed it up with a field goal by Liam Dingle. Sprayberry quarterback, Jaden Duckett recorded two rushing touchdowns in the first half for the Yellow Jackets. Sprayberry held a 24-14 lead by the half. Another field goal by Dingle wrapped up the scoring as Sprayberry moved onto the second round for the first time in four years.
In other Class 5A games – The home teams went 13-3 in the first night of the 2024 GHSA Class 5A state playoffs. Region 2 was the only region able to have every team advance as they were able to steal the only two road victories of the night with Coffee’s 31-7 victory over Jackson County and Houston County’s 69-48 victory over Clarke Central. … Newnan advanced to the second round for the first time since 2015 after a 42-0 victory over Tri-Cities. This was the first time the Cougars had a shutout playoff victory since 2012 when they defeated Alcovy 38-0. … East Paulding continued their memorable season where they accomplished a 9-1 regular season and defeated Effingham County 52-14 to advance. … The Dutchtown Bulldogs pulled off one of the few upsets in the bracket as they knocked out No.1-seed Decatur, defeating the Bulldogs, 48-14, thanks to a 38-point first half from Dutchtown. This is the second year in a row that Decatur has been eliminated in the first round, and also the second consecutive year that Dutchtown will advance past the first round. … In their first playoff appearance in three seasons, Lakeside-Evans advanced to the second round for the first time since 2009 with a 40-7 victory over New Manchester. After heading into halftime ahead 10-7, the Panthers scored 30 points in the second half and shut out New Manchester in the last two quarters to advance. … No. 7 Roswell defeated River Ridge for the second consecutive year in the postseason after a 41-31 victory. Unranked Sequoyah upsets No. 9 Gainesville 38-28 scoring 14 unanswered points to pull off the upset against a state title hopeful.
Class 4A
Blessed Trinity 41, Cass 7
Ahmontae Pitts rushed for 110 yards and three touchdowns to lead Blessed Trinity to a victory over Cass. The host Titans also scored via a Brooks Goodman 17-yard touchdown pass to Kam Betts. Blessed Trinity led 21-0 at halftime and quickly took a 28-0 lead early in the third quarter when Pitts scored on a 50-yard run. Cass was held to three total yards of offense in the first half and its only TD came late in the fourth quarter when Elijah Slocum scored on a 4-yard run. Blessed Trinty will host Jonesboro in the second round of the playoffs next week.
Cartersville 37, Westminster 22
Cartersville jumped to a 30-0 lead at halftime to defeat Westminster in the first round of the playoffs. Nate Russell threw a touchdown pass and ran for one in the first quarter and threw for another in the second quarter. Cartersville also scored on a fake field goal when Andrew Purdy threw a touchdown pass to Grayson Villar before the end of the first half. Westminster battled back in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points including a 68-yard touchdown pass and a successful two-point conversion. Cartersville will host Starr’s Mill in the second round of the playoffs next week.
Benedictine 35, Southwest DeKalb 13
Bubba Frazier recorded three rushing touchdowns to lead Benedictine over Southwest DeKalb. After a scoreless first quarter, the Cadets got on the board when Frazier scored on a 25-yard run. Benedictine added to its lead later in the second quarter when Omari Burse threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Jack Ganem. The halftime score was 14-0, and Frazier scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter and again in the fourth. Benedictine’s defense played big against Southwest DeKalb, recording six interceptions in the win. Next Friday the Cadets will face Ola in the second round of the playoffs.
Cambridge 51, Cedartown 44
Cambridge rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat Cedartown in the first round of the playoffs. When the game was tied 44-44 with less than two minutes remaining, Weston Taylor threw a touchdown pass to Joshua Oblen to give the visiting Bears the lead. When Cedartown got the ball on the ensuing drive, Cameron Parodi intercepted a pass to seal the victory for Cambridge. Cedartown led Cambridge 21-17 at halftime but were outscored 34-23 in the second half. Cambridge advances to the second round of the playoff and will face Central-Carroll next week.
In other Class 4A games – Jayden Barr scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half to help Eastside defeat Hampton 42-0. Eastside led 28-0 at halftime… Kell scored 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat Hiram 48-31. The Longhorns’ final score came on an interception returned for a touchdown. …Cayden Benson threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter, and Zack Carter returned an interception for a 70-yard touchdown to give Creekside the 39-3 win over Harris County. …Jones County recorded 503 yards of total offense, including 343 in the air, in a 51-21 victory over East Forsyth. …Zaylend Person tallied two rushing touchdowns in the second half to lead Central-Carroll over M.L. King 62-19. The host Lions led 31-19 at halftime. …Caden Way registered three rushing touchdowns to help Ola earn a 37-0 win over Flowery Branch. Luke Hooks threw touchdown passes of 53 and 26 yards to lead Ware County over Tucker 38-0. …Landon Roldan caught two touchdown passes in the first half to lead North Oconee over Eagle’s Landing 49-0.
Class 3A
Peach County 42, Chestatee 33
Top-ranked Peach County outgained Chestatee 503-394 behind a 324-yard performance from quarterback DJ Hudson. Hudson passed to Zion Hudson (62 yards, 5 yards) and Chris Scott (83 yards, 39 yards) for touchdowns in the victory. Ashton Barton added 107 rushing yards and a touchdown while E’Darrius Davis scored on a 14-yard run. Hudson was 12-of-15 passing for 324 yards and four touchdowns. Hudson had five catches for 125 yards and a touchdown and Scott had three receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Baldwin 26, West Laurens 24
A short run from Sadur Salahuddin early in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner for Baldwin after trailing 24-20 with 11 minutes remaining. Baldwin trailed early but outscored West Laurens 20-7 in the second half to secure the narrow victory. Ty Cummings scored on an 84-yard run to put West Laurens ahead, but Baldwin had answers. Lamar Pounds passed to Jaylen King to cut into the deficit 7-6 after a missed point-after try. Cummings extended the lead to 14-6 on a 63-yard run late in the first quarter. West Laurens expanded the lead to 17-6 at the half. Baldwin got back into the game on a short run from Sadur Salahuddin late in the third quarter. Salahuddin scored on a 15-yard run with two minutes left in the third quarter to put Baldwin ahead 20-17 after a 2-point conversion. Cummings added a 23-yard touchdown run to put West Laurens back ahead 24-20.
Douglass-Atlanta 14, Cairo 13
No. 9-ranked Douglass advanced to the second round for the first time since the 2019 season, when it lost in the quarterfinals under head coach Rodney Cofield. The victory marked Stanley Pritchett’s first playoff victory leading the Astros after first-round losses in each of the past two seasons. Douglass scored on a 30-yard pass from quarterback John Wilson to Demarion Parrott and a 65-yard touchdown run from Antoine Watkins. Douglass will face Calhoun in the second round.
Luella 25, Westover 24
Luella earned a meeting with No. 5 Cherokee Bluff after beating its first ranked team of the season, No. 6 Westover, in the opening round of the playoffs. Luella lost in the second round last season and a second-round victory would be the deepest the Lions have ever been in the playoffs since the school’s inception in 2003.
Calhoun 31, Spalding 6
Calhoun trailed 6-3 after the first quarter and led 10-6 at the half before it held the Jaguars scoreless in the second half to secure the victory. After a touchdown run from Spalding, Calhoun got on the board after a 36-yard field goal from Carlos Lopez. A 41-yard pass from Trace Hawkins to Emaree Winston gave Calhoun a 10-6 lead it would not relinquish. Isiah Nails expanded the lead to 17-6 on a 2-yard run. Hawkins passed to Justin Beasley late in the third quarter on a 65-yarder to put Calhoun ahead 24-6. Nails added a 2-yard touchdown with seven minutes left in the game to cap scoring.
Stephenson 44, Whitewater 37
Stephenson beat Whitewater 44-37 to advance to the second round and a pair of large plays in the fourth quarter are to thank. With the game tied at 37-37, Donterious McKenzie forced a fumble and Tyler Little’s recovery gave Stephenson a chance. Anthony Booker’s long run set up a 25-yard touchdown run from Romando Craddock to put the Jaguars ahead for good. Last year’s Class 4A quarterfinals appearance was the deepest playoff run for Stephenson since a semifinals loss in 2005.
Southeast Bulloch 35, Heritage-Catoosa 9
The Yellow Jackets held Heritage-Catoosa scoreless in the second half to secure the victory and advance to the second round for the first time since 2020. Southeast Bulloch led 7-6 after the first quarter and 14-9 at the half.
North Hall 21, Gilmer 14
North Hall lost the first two games of the season and since, it has won nine-straight including a 21-14 victory against Gilmer in overtime to advance to the second round. The Trojans need a few more victories to match the program’s deepest playoff run – a semifinals exit in 2007. Sean Pender took over the program in 2022 and led North Hall to a 3-7 record in his first season and a 7-4 record last year before a first-round exit in the playoffs.
In other 3A games – LaGrange had little trouble with Lumpkin County in its 48-6 victory after leading 21-0 entering the second quarter and 35-0 at the half. The Grangers have not advanced past the second round since a semifinals loss in 2008. … Cherokee Bluff outlasted Region 8 rival 28-7 and after a 14-7 lead at the half, the Bears held Monroe Area scoreless in the second half to secure the victory. … Sandy Creek held Adairsville scoreless in the second half to secure a 48-23 victory and advance to the second round for the first time under head coach Darius Smiley. The Patriots lost in the opening round last season when Sandy Creek was trying to defend the 3A title after Brett Garvin’s retirement. … Cedar Grove will not be in the second round of the GHSA playoffs for the first time since 2012 after Harlem defeated the Saints 27-13. It marked the first-ever meeting between the teams. Harlem will be trying to advance past the second round for the first time since a quarterfinals loss in 1974. … Jenkins upended Northwest Whitfield 28-14 to advance to the second round after a drop down from Class 5A, where it advanced to the quarterfinals last season. The Warriors have only been past the second round five times since 1966, four of those late-round appearances have happened since 2017. …
Class 2A
Ringgold 19, Hart County 0
No. 15 seed Ringgold won a playoff game for just the second time in the program’s 90-year history and improved to 8-3 with a 19-0 win over visiting and No. 18 seeded Hart County. The teams were scoreless until Ringgold connected on a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter. Zac Strawbridge came up with a sack and forced fumble and teammate Logan Moore returned it 48 yards for a touchdown to put the Tigers up 9-0 (PAT was blocked) at the half. Ringgold nearly added to the lead, but the ball was fumbled out of the endzone midway through the third quarter. Junior Haddon Fries, however, came through with a forced fumble and set up the Tigers for another field goal to push the lead to 12-0 heading into the fourth quarter. Fries iced the game early in the fourth quarter with a 21-yard touchdown run. He finished the game with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown from eight carries and defensively came up with a sack, a forced fumble and an interception.
Morgan County 52, East Jackson 49
No. 8 seed Morgan County led 28-7 early in the second quarter after Davis Strickland’s second touchdown pass to Jaylen Elder and held a 28-13 lead at the half. East Jackson (No. 25 seed) tied the game up 35-35 late in the third and 42-42 before Morgan County reclaimed a 49-42 lead. East Jackson tied it back up 49-49 late in the fourth quarter before Evan Johnson sent through a game-winning 32-yard field goal as time expired.
Columbia 46, Butler 12
Nishan Hillman rushed for three first-half touchdowns and quarterback Cameron Groves ran in a 2-yard score set up by a 79-yard Rashad Silver punt return to give host Columbia a 27-12 halftime lead. Nick Hill grew the lead to 33-12 with a 23-yard touchdown run and Groves added touchdown passes to Jerimiah Combs (48) and Damarion Davis (11) to give the Eagles a 46-12 lead.
Callaway 38, Miller Grove 0
Tyren Buggs ran in three first half touchdowns, Jeffrey Ellis intercepted two passes and quarterback Blake Harrington ran in a 70-yard touchdown to build Callaway’s 24-0 halftime lead. Buggs’ fourth touchdown run put the Cavs up 30-0 with 8:21 left in the third quarter and Breshun Hall found the endzone for Callaway’s final touchdown to push the lead to 38-0 JD Strong closed out the third quarter on the buzzer with an over-the-shoulder interception before Callaway took over with a running clock in the fourth.
Sumter County 37, Union County 0
Sumter County was led by a three-touchdown performance from junior Aaron Kearse. The Panthers grew their lead to 37-0 midway through the third quarter with an Ishmael Jones touchdown run. Union County scored with less than a minute left in a running clock final quarter.
In other 2A games – Home teams were victorious in all 14 games played on Friday and No. 13 seed South Atlanta (vs. Laney) and No. 11 seed Carver-Atlanta (vs. 22) can complete the trend with their Saturday kickoffs. No. 1 seed Rockmart defeated No. 32 Redan 30-6 and will host Westside-Macon in the Sweet 16. Westside-Macon played its first home playoff game since 2018 and defeated Spencer 49-35 to break a streak of five-consecutive first-round exits. No. 9 seed Sumter County will visit No. 8 Morgan County next week after the Bulldogs survived a 52-49 battle with visiting East Jackson. No. 5 seed Hapeville Charter rolled past Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 50-13 and will host No. 12 Thomson after the Bulldogs opened their playoffs with a 55-6 home win over Pike County. The winner of Saturday’s Laney at South Atlanta will travel to Burke County in the next round after the Bears defeated Cook 27-21. Cook was ranked as high as No. 5 this season after a 2-0 start but lost seven of eight to close the regular season and was a dangerous No. 29 seed. Crisp County, which also came out of Region 3-2A was a No. 27 overall seed and fell short to Region 3 rival and No. 6 seed Appling County 17-12 in a rematch of Appling’s 24-7 regular season victory. No. 10 seed Pierce County, whose only loss this season came to Appling County, defeated No. 23 seed Jackson 56-0 and will travel to No. 7 Columbia next round. No. 3 seed Callaway advanced past the first round for the 13th-straight season in its 38-0 win over Miller Grove and will host No. 14 Stephens County in the first-ever meeting between the two powerhouses, after the Indians’ 31-14 win over No. 19 North Murray. Ringgold won a playoff game for just the second time in the school’s 90-year history and will travel to No. 2 seed Carver-Columbus in the next round after the Tigers’ 54-7 win over Therrell for the first-ever meeting between the schools.
Class A Division I
Commerce 35, Bremen 28
Jacari Huff of Commerce (8-3) broke a 21-21 tie in the third quarter with a touchdown rush, and Jaiden Daniels made it a 35-21 Tigers lead later in the quarter. Bremen (6-5) pulled within seven points in the fourth quarter, but Commerce forced a turnover on downs late to seal the home win. Huff also returned the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown, and Daniels and Tysean Wiggins both rushed for scores in the first quarter to give Commerce a 21-14 lead heading into the second quarter. Commerce will travel to Toombs County in the second round.
Thomasville 48, Bacon County 6
Cam Hill threw two touchdown passes and Lavonte Cole rushed for two scores for Thomasville (9-2) as the Bulldogs handled Bacon County (4-7) at home, leading 35-6 at halftime. Cole rushed for touchdowns of 3 and 2 yards, and Hill found A.J. Hill for a 34-yard score and Demario Sawyer for a 22-yard score. Leeland Chapman, Ant Anderson and Recardo Hudson also rushed for touchdowns for the Bulldogs. Thomasville will host Temple in the second round.
Northeast 46, Swainsboro 7
Both Nicholas Woodford and Reginald Gover rushed for three touchdowns in the Raiders’ home win over Swainsboro at Thompson Field. Northeast (9-2) will host Lamar County in the second round. Swainsboro finished the season 4-7.
Elbert County 28, Gordon Lee 13
Visiting Elbert County fell behind 13-0 in the second quarter but recovered to take a 14-13 lead with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter and put the game away from there. Elbert County (6-5) made it a 13-7 game at halftime after Jayvyn Hickman rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 3:38 remaining in the first half. Hickman found Carter Webb on a 37-yard touchdown pass for the go-ahead score in the third quarter, and Hickman added two more touchdown passes for the Blue Devils in the fourth quarter, both to Brady Dickerson, of 34 and 15 yards. Gordon Lee finished the season 7-4. Elbert County will travel to Heard County in the second round.
Bleckley County 41, Social Circle 16
Zyion Love rushed for four touchdowns for Bleckley County in the Royals’ road win. Love scored on runs of 23, 2, 5 and 6 yards, the latter three coming in the second half for the final three Bleckley County touchdowns. Kam’Ryn Everett threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Perkins for Bleckley County (5-6) and also rushed for a 2-yard score. Social Circle finished the season 7-4. Bleckley County will travel to Fitzgerald in the second round.
Toombs County 62, Southwest 8
T.J. Stanley threw four touchdown passes and rushed for a score for host Toombs County (9-1), which led 55-0 at halftime over Southwest (4-7). Stanley threw scoring passes of 9 and 7 yards to Lagonza Hayward, a touchdown of 7 yards to Hayden Roy and a touchdown of 28 yards to Gavin Fletcher in addition to a 1-yard scoring rush. Alex Scott, Donterrius Mincey, Zaylen Davis and Zay Walton also rushed for touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
Fitzgerald 42, Rabun County 21
Host Fitzgerald was tied with Rabun County 14-14 in the second quarter but opened up a 35-14 lead in the third quarter to take control of the game. Both Tyson King and Oreian Bly rushed for two touchdowns for the Purple Hurricane. Dewayne Westbrook also rushed for a score for Fitzgerald (8-3), and Antwan Doctor returned an interception for a touchdown. Lake Evans rushed for two touchdowns for Rabun County, which finished the season 6-5.
In other Class A Division I games — Top-seeded Fannin County (11-0) defeated Vidalia (3-8) 41-7 at home, leading 28-0 at halftime and giving up its first points of the game midway through the fourth quarter. Fannin County will host Jeff Davis in the second round. … Host Jeff Davis (8-3) pulled away from Washington County (6-5) late in a game that was tied at 17-17 entering the fourth quarter, winning 33-17. … Lamar County (9-2) scored a touchdown late in the first half to make it a 24-3 halftime game and cruised from there, defeating Dade County (4-7) 51-10 at home. … Dodge County (9-2) held a 32-0 third-quarter lead on its way to a 40-14 home win over Chattooga (6-5). … Temple (9-2) pulled away late for a 40-27 home win over Putnam County (5-6) in what was a close game that the Tigers led by just three points, 20-17, in the third quarter. Temple will travel for the second round to Worth County (8-3), which was a 54-14 home winner over Coosa (4-7). … Host Jasper County (8-3) led 27-17 at halftime over ACE Charter (6-5) and held on for the 41-31 win. Jasper County will travel in the second round to Dublin (11-0), which was a 63-6 home winner over Gordon Central (4-7).
Class A Division II (Saturday games)
Brooks County 49, Washington-Wilkes 7
Sophomore quarterback Junior Burrus was 9-of-11 passing for 298 yards and four touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 161.9, a completion percentage of 81.8 and an average of 33.1 yards per throw to lead Brooks past Washington-Wilkes. Sophomore George Lamons Jr. had six catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns while senior Camauri Brinson caught one 46-yard touchdown pass. Damari Baynard and Chris Cole each scored on a run for Brooks County. Kicker Rafael Mojica was a perfect 7-of-7 on point-after tries for the Trojans.
Telfair County 22, Emanuel County Institute 19
Trailing 19-16 early in the fourth quarter, Bentavius Livingston caught his third touchdown reception of the game to lift the Trojans past Emanuel County Institute. Telfair County opened scoring on a 44-yard touchdown reception from Livingston and the 2-point conversion attempt from Bradyn Cook put the Trojans ahead 8-0. Emanuel County answered with a 16-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter to trail 8-7. Livingston caught a 26-yard touchdown pass to expand the margin to 16-7 after a 2-point conversion run from Cook. Emanuel County cut into the lead with a touchdown reception with three minutes left in the first half, leaving Telfair County ahead 16-13 at the break. Emanuel County took the lead on a touchdown pass with six minutes left in the third quarter, but a failed 2-point conversion attempt made it a three-point game, 19-16.
Clinch County 34, Warren County 22
Clinch County trailed 22-14 after the first quarter before holding Warren County scoreless in the final three quarters of play to secure the second-round berth while giving the program its 500th victory. It marks the first playoff victory since the return of Jim Dickerson, who coached Clinch to state championships in 2004, 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Clinch took a 28-22 lead at the half before expanding the margin with an interception returned for a touchdown with four minutes left in the third quarter.
Bowdon 49, Taylor County 7
Two-time defending champion Bowdon led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-7 at the half in a romp of Taylor County. Quarterback Charles Maxell III opened scoring on a 4-yard run. Tray Wyatt added a one-yard touchdown run to expand the lead. Maxell passed to Mason Daniel for a 35-yard touchdown to put Bowdon ahead 21-0. His 56-yard pass to Jonah Wilson expanded the lead. Wyatt blocked a punt and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown to give Bowdon a 35-7 lead. Maxell’s one-yard touchdown run and Connor Daniel’s five-yard touchdown run put the game away and capped scoring. Taylor County found scoring on a 90-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown from AJ Wilder.
Wilcox County 9, McIntosh County Academy 0
Wilcox County scored on a 15-yard field goal from Johnny Nutt in the first quarter. The Wilcox defense blocked a punt in the end zone in the fourth quarter which it recovered for a touchdown to move past McIntosh County Academy.
Lincoln County 49, Charlton County 20
Lincoln County’s Jonathan Norman scored on a seven-yard run early in the first quarter to put Lincoln County on the board and expanded the lead on a four-yard run minutes later. Kelby Glaze scored on a 74-yard run to put Lincoln ahead 21-0. Mekhi Wade scored on an eight-yard run for Lincoln County with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Glazed added a 16-yard run to put Lincoln ahead 35-0 early in the second quarter. Drew Huff passed 34 yards to Norman to give Lincoln a 42-7 lead. Aidan Deutschle added a short touchdown run at the end of the third quarter to put Lincoln ahead 49-14, putting the game out of reach.
In other Class A Division II games – Top-ranked Manchester advanced to the second round after moving past Marion County 49-6, moving the Blue Devils to 8-1 on the season. Manchester led 42-0 at the half. … Johnson County led 7-0 at the half in a 16-8 victory against Pelham and will play Clinch County in the second round. … No. 7-ranked Trion moved past Schley County 45-40 to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the third season in a row. Sean Patrick, who took over the program in 2021, has a chance to advance past the second round for the first time leading Trion. …No. 3-ranked Irwin County had little trouble with No. 8 Greene County in its 42-7 victory. The Indians are in the hunt for the program’s first state championship since 2020, Casey Soliday’s first year at the helm when he defended the 2019 title won by then-Irwin coach Buddy Nobles during his fight with cancer. … Mitchell County moved to 9-2 and advanced past Hancock Central 47-12 to move to the second round, improving greatly on last year’s 2-8 record. … Early County advanced to the quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons and after moving past Glascock County 52-15, Early is one victory away from a third-consecutive quarterfinals berth. … No. 9 Metter led 17-7 at the half in the Tigers’ 37-7 victory against Hawkinsville, marking Lee Shaw’s first playoff victory at Metter. The Tigers lost in the first round last season after a pair of semifinals exits in 2020 and 2021 and quarterfinals exits in 2019 and 2022.
Class A-3A Private
Savannah Country Day 23, Mount Vernon 17
Senior Jeremiah Brown intercepted Mt. Vernon in the endzone on the Mustangs’ final snap to send No. 17 seed Savannah Country Day past No. 16 Mount Vernon and into the second round—where they await Region 3-A Div. 1 rival Savannah Christian. Brown came up big in the first half and hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Isaiah Batten to put the Hornets up 21-7. A few plays later a loose ball was batted around and eventually recovered for a safety to give Savannah Country Day a 23-7 halftime lead. The host Mustangs added a field goal and then cut the deficit to 23-17 on a tipped pass that was caught and taken in for a 50-yard score by Ethan Pajot. Mt. Vernon lined up for a 3rd and goal from the 2-yard line with just 26 seconds left, but 6-foot-3, senior defensive end Brooks Kleinpeter forced an eight-yard loss and an illegal spike on the play pushed the Mustangs back an additional 15 yards with the flag. Brown secured the victory on the following play with the interception. No. 1 seed Savannah Christian previously defeated Savannah Country Day 38-7 when the teams met on Oct. 4 for both of their region openers and observed a first round bye.
Mount Paran 32, GAC 29
Mount Paran outlasted Greater Atlanta Christian 32-29 to advance to the second round of the playoffs. The Eagles scored on their first possession with an 80-yard Andrew Overton touchdown. GAC tied it up late in the first quarter with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. Mount Paran regained the lead on a 14-yard Gavin Steele touchdown run, followed by Overton’s second touchdown of the game on a 2-yard rush. Before halftime, both teams traded touchdown passes, heading into the break with a score of 26-14. Overton added his third touchdown of the game on another 2-yard rush, extending Mount Paran’s lead to 32-14. The Spartans scored two late touchdowns but fell short of the comeback, as Mount Paran held on for the 32-29 victory
King’s Ridge 35, Darlington 0
After having its first-ever winning season, King’s Ridge Christian has won its first-ever playoff game, defeating Darlington 35-0. King’s Ridge got the scoring started late in the first quarter on a 71-yard run from Chase Fister, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead. On the team’s next possession, the Tigers used a long, methodical drive to take more than six minutes off the clock in 12 plays, capped by Fister’s second touchdown of the night. Just before halftime, the Tigers added another score on a 19-yard Taylor Markakis run to give King’s Ridge a 21-0 lead at the break. The Tigers scored their final two touchdowns on drives of 9 and 14 plays. The first was capped off with a seven-yard Mason Dyer run, and the second with a one-yard Austin Dyer run. Next week, King’s Ridge will face the number two overall seed, Fellowship Christian.
Lovett 38, Trinity Christian 35
Lovett advanced to the second round for the fifth straight year with a 38-35 win over Trinity Christian. Trinity Christian got the scoring started on a Reese Earl rushing touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Lovett quickly tied it up on an Ezra Duffield receiving touchdown. Trinity took back the lead on a 8 yard jackson ross touchdown run to take the 14-7 lead. Lovett tied it back up on a 43 yard touchdown run to tie it at 14. At the end of the first Lovett took its first lead of the game, on a 35 yard field goal. Lovett then added to its lead with a 75 yard touchdown run from Kalil Townes to take a 24-14 halftime lead. Trinity Christian cut the lead to three on a 17 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 24-21. Lovett then extended the lead back to 10 with a 80 yard Kalil Townes run. The two teams traded passing touchdowns late in the third to go into the final period with a score of 38-28. Halfway through the fourth Trinity cut the lead to there on a Bakari Hamilton but Lovett ran out the clock on the ensuing drive to win 38-35. Next week the Lions will play Hebron Christian.
Wesleyan 41, Mount Pisgah 21
No. 10 seed Wesleyan outscored No. 23 Mount Pisgah 21-7 in the second half after opening a narrow 20-14 halftime lead—producing a much closer result than Wesleyan’s 52-7 regular season win over the Patriots in subregion play. Grayson McCollum rushed for two touchdowns—including a 35-yard rushing score on the Wolves’ opening possession of the second half. Quarterback Ben Brown completed touchdown passes to Carter Hayes (40 yards) and Connor Roush. Maddox Garland also made an impact with a rushing touchdown and a blocked punt that teammate Conn Hardy returned for a touchdown. Cole Parks also had an interception in the victory.
Providence Christian 27, Landmark Christian 24
No. 21 seed Providence Christian stunned No. 12 Landmark Christian 27-24 to earn the program’s first-ever playoff victory. Led by second-year head coach John Russ, the Storm improved to 3-8 with the victory, while Landmark Christian fell to 7-4. Kicker Jacob Shapland connected on two field goals, including his game-winner. Quarterback Michael Miller rushed for a touchdown and connected with Connor Parker for a touchdown and Tyson Mostatabi scored on an interception he returned for a Storm touchdown. Providence Christian will travel to No. 5 seed Prince Avenue Christian in the Sweet 16.
In other A-3A Private games – Aquinas advanced to the second round for the second straight year with a 30-23 win over Holy Innocents. Next week, the Fighting Irish will face undefeated Athens Academy. Providence Christian won its first-ever playoff game with a 27-24 upset victory over Landmark Christian. Next week, the Storm will continue their historic season with a trip to Bogart to play Prince Avenue Christian. … No. 14 seed Aquinas led No. 19 Holy Innocents’ 10-7 after the first quarter and 24-13 at the half before closing out its 30-23 victory. The Fighting Irish will visit No. 3 seed Athens Academy in the Sweet 16. No. 11 seed Lovett survived a 38-35 victory over No. 22 seed Trinity Christian to set up a trip to No. 6 Hebron Christian.
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