For the second year in a row, the Cass Colonels have shaken up the Class 5A bracket as the four-seed with a stunning first-round upset, this time eliminating Region 6 champion Kell with the 28-14 result to once again set up a second-round showdown with Mays.
The victory was Cass’ first-ever over Kell, and it came just one week after the Colonels defeated Calhoun for the first time since 1984 to secure a playoff berth for the third-straight year — another first in program history.
Fourth-year head coach Steve Gates’ squad punished the host Longhorns for their mistakes, seizing control midway through the second frame with a pair of back-to-back rushing scores on mirror-image plays by sophomore quarterback Brodie McWhorter, followed by a safety to lead 21-7 at the break.
“The boys were relentless,” lauded Coach Gates. “I love it. I’m proud for them. Man, I’m proud for them.”
Two-way star Devin Henderson gradually made his return from injury over the past few games, and he made his presence known, finding the end zone early in the first after Sacovie White hauled in a long pass in double coverage inside the Kell 10-yard line. Kell freshman Quinterrius Gipson then answered with his 11th rushing score of the season to give the Longhorns their only lead of the night — and their only points until Gipson’s second touchdown with 1:18 remaining.
McWhorter added a third touchdown run to close the third quarter, scoring on a drive extended by DPI on Kell for the second time, and the Cass defense followed up a first-half performance that featured a Jeremiah Deroche fumble recovery and a Josh Love interception with a trio of second-half picks from Henderson, Chase Tatum and Ja’Kai Baldwin.
“Our skill guys are our skill guys,” Coach Gates asserted after first singing the praises of his linemen. “I’ll take my guys over anyone. Sacovie, Devon, Baldwin, all those guys. Josh Love’s a sophomore, guys, and he’s out here getting interceptions in the state playoffs.”
Kell finishes the season 9-2, with its only other loss coming against Class 7A’s Parkview in Week 1. Cass improves to 6-5 with the win, though Coach Gates emphasized that the focus has always been on results at the end of the year over individual game results.
“I tell them this is what we’re built for,” he explained. “We play, in my opinion, the toughest region in the state, and then I still try to schedule Rockmart, Rome, the toughest teams I can outside the region to get them ready for this. The same thing happened with Jefferson last year, and then we almost beat Mays in the second round. I try to build them up to be in games like this and be successful.”
Coach Gates and the Colonels will have another shot at Mays next week and will look to advance past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1983.
The AJC has writers at Collins Hill at North Cobb, Lambert at Peachtree Ridge and Creekview at Blessed Trinity. Follow the link to see Todd Holcomb’s Friday Night Wrap or see the full brackets here.
This file will be updated throughout the evening so check back for more recaps.
Class 7A
Carrollton 54, Harrison 14
Top-seeded Carrollton is back in the second round of the playoffs for the ninth-straight year, and the 17th time in 18 seasons after handling visiting Harrison in the opening round. Sophomore quarterback Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis finished the night 15-of-19 for 435 yards and seven touchdowns, including a pair of scores to Alabama-commit Caleb Odom on just two passes. The No. 5-ranked Trojans will host Valdosta next week.
Grayson 34, Richmond Hill 24
No. 8-ranked Grayson will look to clean up some of its first-round mistakes when it hosts North Paulding next week following a 34-24 result against visiting four-seed Richmond Hill. The Rams offense had success early, but the Wildcats capitalized on Grayson penalties to keep it a one-score game (21-14) heading into the second half. Grayson then extended its lead in the third quarter with a Dylan Elder rushing score on the opening drive and a Jeff Davis pass that John Cineas took to the end zone for an 83-yard touchdown and a 34-17 fourth-quarter edge.
Mill Creek 42, Osborne 17
Top-ranked Mill Creek will host Peachtree Ridge in the second round after an emphatic first-round victory over four-seed Osborne. Jaiden Patterson had a trio of first-quarter touchdowns for the Region 8 champion Hawks, two of which came off passes from Shane Throgmartin with a interception returned for a touchdown in between. Throgmartin connected with Trajen Greco for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Donningtun Walters contributed both a fumble recovery that set up Cameron Robinson’s touchdown run and a recovery of a blocked punt for a touchdown in the frame for a 42-10 edge at the break.
North Gwinnett 31, West Forsyth 6
The third-seeded Bulldogs again dominated in all three phases of the game, this time eliminating West Forsyth in the opening round with a comfortable 31-6 win to set up a second-round showdown between North Gwinnett and No, 2-ranked Walton. Freshman Jake Godfree followed up last week’s stellar performance against Norcross with another impactful showing, setting up an early touchdown completion from Ryan Hall to Erik Ronning with an interception. Constantine Dallis added a 43-yard field goal early in the second, and Cole Funderburk fell on a Wolverine punt blocked by Braxton Kyle in the end zone for a 17-0 edge at the break. Funderburk recovered another fumble on the first play of the second half, after which Hall again connected with Ronning for a scoring strike before providing the final points of the game on a sneak in the fourth quarter.
North Paulding 22, East Coweta 19 (OT)
The Wolfpack are moving on to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2013 after an opening-round battle against visiting three-seed East Coweta. With the score knotted at 16-16 and North Paulding driving deep into Indians territory, East Coweta recovered a Wolfpack fumble at its own 23-yard line to send the game into overtime. The Indians got the ball first, ultimately settling for a field goal and a 19-16 lead, but North Paulding QB Tyler Niehr threw the game-winning touchdown pass to secure a trip to Grayson next week.
Colquitt County 51, Parkview 25
No. 3-ranked Colquitt County and No. 7-ranked Parkview were tied 10-10 in the second quarter before the Packers took control with a 41-8 run. Ny Carr and Brett Fitzgerald gave the home team a 10-0 lead with a 72-yard touchdown run and 33-yard field goal respectively before Richard Barker’s 22-yarder and a 23-yard touchdown completion from Cooper Frank to Bryce Coulson knotted the game. From there, however, the Packers seized momentum, leading by as much as 51-18 before the Panthers added a late score. The Region 1 champs will make their 14th second-round appearance in 15 seasons next week, where they will host No. 9-ranked Westlake.
In other Class 7A games – Two-seed Valdosta is advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2020 following an emphatic 41-3 victory over visiting Archer. The Wildcats closed with 41 unanswered points after Archer got on the board first with a field goal and will travel to No. 5-ranked Carrollton next week. … No. 2-ranked Walton is averaging 50 points per game after defeating visiting Mountain View by a margin of 66-7. The top-seeded Raiders will host a North Gwinnett team coming off a series of big wins. … One-seed McEachern has now won seven games in a row after an 0-4 start, this time building a 42-0 edge over Campbell in the second quarter en route to a victory by the same margin. … Buford quarterback Dylan Raiola had five total first-half touchdowns against visiting Wheeler to lead the No. 4-ranked Wolves to a 50-0 victory. Raiola was 12-of-15 for 218 yards and four passing touchdowns and also contributed 32 rushing yards and a score on the ground. … No. 6-ranked Norcross is advancing to the second round for the sixth straight year following a 34-10 win over Denmark. The Region 7 champion Blue Devils will host Buford next week. … Region 6 one-seed Milton got its sixth-straight win — and its fourth shutout during that span — with a 53-0 victory over visiting Duluth. The Eagles will host Collins Hillin Week 2. … No. 9-ranked Westlake trailed visiting Marietta 9-7 in the third quarter before seizing control with a 21-0 run. The two-seeded Lions advance to the second round for the fourth year in a row with the 34-15 win and will travel to No. 3-ranked Colquitt County next week.
Class 6A
Langston Hughes 41, North Forsyth 7
Region 5 No. 2 Langston Hughes ran away from visiting North Forsyth, the No. 3 team from Region 8, in the fourth quarter. Hughes led just 14-7 entering the final quarter before Justus Savage scored both of his touchdowns, the first on a 1-yard rush and the second on a 60-yard rush, to put the Panthers ahead 28-7. Hughes added more points on a 45-yard Carsyn Baker touchdown run and a long interception return for a touchdown by Jordan Thompson. Hughes quarterback Prentiss Noland threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Tiller in the first quarter and a 43-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Gleaton in the second quarter to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead at halftime before a scoreless third quarter. Hughes improved to 9-2 and North Forsyth finished the season 5-6. Hughes travels to Rome for the second round.
Thomas County Central 49, St. Pius X 0
Region 1 No. 1 Thomas County Central shut out Region 4 No. 4 St. Pius X at home to advance to the second round. Yellow Jackets quarterback Jaylen Johnson rushed for a 3-yard score and threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Tre’von Pringle. Trey Brenton rushed for two touchdowns, and Kobe Carnage and Ahmad Ponder each rushed for a score. Kendarius Reddick returned a punt for a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets, who will host Jonesboro in the second round. Thomas County Central improved to 11-0 and St. Pius ended its season 3-8.
Gainesville 46, South Paulding 27
Host Gainesville trailed 14-13 late in the second quarter and led just 19-14 at half, but the Region 8 No. 1 seed pulled away in the second half over South Paulding, the No. 4 seed from Region 5. The Red Elephants got four touchdown runs from Gavin Hall, and quarterback Baxter Wright threw three touchdowns, two of them to tight end Sky Niblett. Gainesville improved to 11-0 and South Paulding ended its season 3-8. Gainesville will host Region 7 No. 2 Blessed Trinity in the second round.
Woodward Academy 31, Evans 14
Region 3 No. 1 Woodward Academy (9-2) defeated Region 2 No. 4 Evans (4-7) at home. The War Eagles got two touchdown passes from Griffin Marshall, both in the first quarter. Marshall’s first touchdown went to Ben Grice for 77 yards and his second went to Josiah Abdullah for 21 yards. In the second quarter, Hudson Hanges made a 32-yard field goal, Lucas Farrington had a 4-yard touchdown run and Landon Walker threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Grice to put the War Eagles ahead 31-0 at halftime, a lead they took into the fourth quarter.
Rome 56, Sprayberry 0
Rome quarterback Reece Fountain accounted for four touchdowns as the Wolves handled Sprayberry at home. Fountain threw touchdowns to Chance Arthur and Nic Hester and rushed for two scores for Rome, the No. 1 seed from Region 6. The Wolves also got two touchdown runs from Javarius McDearmont and one rushing score from Joseph Butts. Linebacker Parko Smith also had an interception return for a touchdown. Rome improved to 10-1 and Sprayberry, the No. 4 team from Region 7, finished at 6-5.
Sequoyah 33, Alpharetta 9
Sequoyah led just 12-3 at halftime but scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 26-3 lead into the fourth. The Chiefs took a 6-0 lead when Bretton Darling picked up a blocked punt on Alpharetta’s first drive and ran it in for a touchdown. Sequoyah quarterback Kolby Martin threw a 37-yard touchdown in the second quarter to Ean Marria, and Marria also rushed for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to Darling in the third quarter. Martin completed a touchdown pass to Will Rajecki late for the final points. Sequoyah improved to 8-3 and Alpharetta ended its season 5-6. The Chiefs will travel to undefeated Douglas County in the second round.
In other 6A games – Region 5 No. 1 Douglas County cruised past Region 8 No. 4 Habersham Central at home, 63-9. The Tigers remained undefeated at 11-0, and Habersham Central ended its season 5-6. … Lee County, the . … Region 1 No. 3 Houston County (9-2) outlasted Region 4 No. 2 North Atlanta (9-2) on the road at Grady Stadium, 42-32. The Bears will travel to Woodward Academy in the second round. … Region 1 No. 2 Lee County (9-2) defeated visiting Dunwoody, the No. 3 seed from Region 4, 44-7. In the second round Lee County will host Region 3 No. 4 Lovejoy (7-4), a 47-14 road winner over Region 2 No. 1 Effingham County (7-4). … Region 8 No. 2 Lanier (9-2) got a challenge at home from Region 5 No. 3 East Paulding (6-5), hanging on for a 21-14 win with a late touchdown. In the second round the Longhorns will travel to Region 7 No. 1 Roswell (10-1), which got a 51-24 home win over Region 6 No. 4 River Ridge (5-6). … Region 2 No. 3 Brunswick (7-3) scored a late go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion at home to defeat Region 3 No. 2 Mundy’s Mill (8-3) by a score of 28-22. For the second round, Brunswick will travel to Region 4 No. 1 Marist (10-1), which defeated Region 1 No. 4 Northside-Warner Robins (4-7) 38-21. … Region 3 No. 3 Jonesboro (8-3) won a tight road game at Region 2 No. 2 Glynn Academy (8-3) by a score of 32-31.
Class 5A
Coffee 56, Chamblee 0
Coffee raced to a 28-0 advantage by the end of the first quarter and never looked back on the way to a big win over visiting Chamblee. Fred Brown and Tyrese Hansley scored two touchdowns apiece on the ground, while Maurice Hansley threw a TD pass to Pat McCall and Trey Ross tossed a scoring strike to Timothy Burch Jr. Ross also ran for a touchdown. In addition to pitching a shutout, the Trojans’ defense delivered a touchdown of its own in the form of an Isaiah Johnson fumble return.
Eastside 38, Chapel Hill 14
Eastside jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter and then held off a comeback attempt by visiting Chapel Hill. The margin was cut to 17-14 before the Eagles regained control thanks to a Jayden Barr touchdown run with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter. Eastside tacked on touchdowns by Marion Eubanks and Barr–on a pass from Payton Shaw–in the fourth. The Eagles also got a pair of scoring strikes from Shaw to Michael Kenon and a 23-yard field goal by Johnathan Gomez.
Mays 65, Loganville 7
Quintavius Johnson Jr. rushed for four touchdowns as Mays trounced visiting Loganville. The Raiders led 14-0 after one quarter before blowing the game open with 37 points in the second quarter. They built a 51-7 advantage by halftime and led 58-7 going into the fourth. Mays also got touchdown runs of at least 40 yards by Tyvarez Johnson and Semaj Martinez. In addition to holding Loganville to seven points, Mays’ stellar defensive performance included two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Ware County 49, Decatur 0
Luke Hooks, Quintin Orange, RJ Boyd and Dae’Jeaun Dennis all accounted for two touchdowns to lead Ware County past visiting Decatur. Hooks threw a pair of touchdowns to Orange, while Boyd and Dennis rushed for two TDs apiece. The Gators’ dominant defensive effort included an interception return for a touchdown by Ben Godwin. Ware County led 14-0 after one quarter, 42-0 at halftime and by the final 49-0 margin prior to the end of the third quarter.
Statesboro 49, Tucker 28
Kamron Mikell accounted for four total touchdowns, leading Statesboro to a road win over Tucker. It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing for the Blue Devils, however, as Tucker led 13-7 after one quarter and by a 20-14 midway through the second after Jamar Graham threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Rashard Mekell Martin. That’s when Statesboro reeled off 28 points in a row to seize control. Dallas Kelly returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown to pull the Tigers within 14 points early in the fourth quarter, but they could not get any closer. Statesboro also got a touchdown run by Kyan McCollum in the second quarter.
Hiram 31, Cambridge 24
Hiram led 24-7 at halftime but had to fend off a late rally by visiting Cambridge. The Bears pulled to within seven points when James Joel caught a touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter and they also got the ball back and marched into Hiram territory in the final minutes. However, the Hornets came up with a huge defensive stop to clinch victory. Hiram built its first-half advantage thanks to a 15-yard scoring scamper from Kaden Hamilton and a 22-yard field goal by Oliver Castaneda. Ryan Strickland threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Walter Matthews that gave the Hornets a 31-17 lead in the fourth.
Creekside 63, Flowery Branch 6
Creekside returned interceptions for touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter, blowing the game open against visiting Flowery Branch. Jordan Cardentey and Kevon Gray produced the defensive heroics to lead the Seminoles, who built advantages of 21-0 at the end of one quarter and 56-0 by halftime. They scored the first 63 points of the game before Flowery Branch finally got a touchdown run by Malik Dryden in the fourth quarter. Travis Terrell Jr. and Roderick McCrary both scored twice on the ground for Creekside.
Warner Robins 48, McIntosh 15
Jhayden Jones threw four touchdown passes as Warner Robins overwhelmed visiting McIntosh. Jones set the tone right away with a pair of first-quarter scoring strikes to Isiah Canion before Cam Flowers caught the next two, one in the second quarter and the other to cap off the scoring in the fourth. Jah Avilez rushed for two touchdowns and Chase Reese added one. For McIntosh, Elliott Sturbaum and Brandon Ridley had touchdown runs. Warner Robins led 20-7 after one quarter, 34-15 at halftime and 41-15 through three quarters.
Jefferson 48, Jackson-Atlanta 14
Sammy Brown, Zay Minish and Gavin Markey were dominant on the offensive side of the ball as Jefferson pulled away from visiting Jackson-Atlanta. The Dragons faced deficits of 7-0 and 14-7 before reeling off the final 41 points of the game. Both Brown and Markey accounted for four touchdowns apiece. Brown scored his first three on the ground before hauling in a scoring strike from Markey early in the fourth quarter. Markey also tossed a trio of touchdown passes to Minish. Following a 0-0 deadlock through one quarter, Jefferson led 21-14 at halftime and 34-14 going into the fourth.
Dalton 39, Greater Atlanta Christian 17
Ethan Long threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns as Dalton went on the road to defeat Greater Atlanta Christian. Wide receiver Bubba Tanner hauled in a 41-yard scoring strike from Long and threw a touchdown pass of his own to Kendrix London on a trick play. Running back Adriel Hernandez carried 28 times for 172 yards and a touchdown, while the Catamounts also got a TD from Andy Atangana and a 42-yard field goal by Adrian Gongora. Although Dalton got on track quickly, the game began with Greater Atlanta Christian recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff and punching in an immediate touchdown.
Dutchtown 42, Northgate 31
Dutchtown did not lead until eight minutes remained in the third quarter, when Jayden Hollis answered a Northgate field goal by returning a kickoff 97 yard for a touchdown. That gave the Bulldogs a 21-17 advantage on their way to a come-from-behind road victory. Northgate briefly took another lead going into the fourth quarter, but Dutchtown outscored the home team 14-0 over the final 12 minutes. Michael Johnson’s 10-yard run with 10 minutes left gave the Bulldogs the upper hand for good. For the Vikings, Dylan Barber threw two TD passes and ran for another score.
In other 5A games —
Class 3A
Monroe Area 24, Sandy Creek 21 OT
Upending the defending state champions was the goal for the Purple Hurricanes entering the first-round meeting with No. 8 Sandy Creek. And after a 39-yard overtime field goal from Ricky Valdovinos with no time remaining, goal accomplished. “Our boys played lights out,” said Monroe Area coach Kevin Reach via text after the game. “They were resilient.” The Purple Hurricanes led 7-0 on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Hamby to Russell Hunley and pushed the lead to 14-0 on a 15-yard pass from Hamby to Parker Sims with three minutes left in the first quarter. Sandy Creek scored on a 5-yard pass to Kyshon Kenney with nine minutes before halftime and tied the game at 14 on a run with nine minutes left in the third quarter. Kenney scored on a 91-yard run with seven minutes left in the third quarter to put Sandy Creek up 21-14 but with five minutes left in the game, Monroe Area tied it on a run from Darion Manuel.
Savannah Christian 48, Peach County 46 4OT
The No. 5-ranked Raiders can breathe a sigh of relief after outlasting an unranked Peach County team in a four-overtime thriller in Savannah. A short run from quarterback Blaise Thomas gave Savannah Christian the 48-46 lead. Peach County scored on a 7-yard pass from Don Hudson Jr but failed to convert the 2-point conversion to force a fifth overtime. Zo Smalls rushed for touchdowns of four, four and one yard to lead Savannah Christian. Thomas passed to Logan Brooking (53 yards) and Kenry Wall (20 yards) for touchdowns and added a short touchdown run. Wall also scored on a 15-yard touchdown run for the Raiders. For Peach County Hudson Jr. passed to Dylan Johnson (23 yards, 12 yards, 20 yards) and Caiden Ivory (15 yards) for touchdowns. Hudson added a 15-yard touchdown run and Dwayne Coleman scored on a 1-yard run for the Trojans.
Mary Persons 35, Long County 19
Louisville-commit Duke Watson rushed for touchdowns of 76 and four yards to lead Mary Persons into the second round. Watson opened scoring with his 76 yarder and his short touchdown run gave Mary Persons a 14-8 lead early in the second quarter. Mac Nelson passed to Seth Davis for a touchdown with less than a minute left in the third quarter to put the Bulldogs up 28-19 and Nelson’s nine-yard run with nine minutes left in the game capped scoring.
Thomasville 36, Harlem 29
Leelend Chapman’s 1-yard run with less than a minute remaining in the game proved the difference for Thomasville to move it past Harlem. Cam Hill passed to Cole Shaw (75 yards) to put Thomasville up 7-0. Ant Anderson rushed for a 15-yard touchdown to extend the lead. Corey Boyd scored on an 11-yard run to get Harlem on the board. Lavonte Cole had an 8-yard touchdown run with nine minutes left in the second quarter to put Thomasville up 21-7. Ethan Evangelista passed to Elijah Evangelista on a 40-yard touchdown to cut into the deficit for Harlem. Ethan passed to Kee Williams to tie the game. Anderson scored on a 75-yard run with 11 minutes left in the game to retake the lead for Thomasville. Evangelista scored on a 4-yard run with eight minutes left to give Harlem the 29-28 lead.
Oconee County 28, Douglass 14
Oconee County led 14-0 at the half in a first-round victory over Douglass. Oconee led 7-0 after a touchdown reception from Caiden Wood and with less than a minute before halftime, Max Ricks passed to Wood for a 4-yard touchdown to extend the lead. Wood scored on a 1-yard run with four minutes left in the third quarter to give Oconee a 28-7 lead.
Calvary Day 48, Jackson 0
Trevor Strowbridge had runs of 28-yards and eight yards for touchdowns. Ca’den Jones had a three-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Jake Merklinger passed to Arnold (80 yards), Strowbridge (20 yards) and Edward Coleman (1 yards) for touchdowns. Calvary Day led 48-0 at the half.
Wesleyan 35, Ringgold 14
Wesleyan led 28-7 at the half to advance past Ringgold and face No. 2-ranked Stephens County. Ben Brown passed to James Tremble (65 yards, 40 yards) and Shep Jones (25 yards, 25 yards) for touchdowns. Brown added a 40-yard rushing touchdown for Wesleyan.
Morgan County 35, Monroe 14
Morgan County trailed 7-0 after the first quarter but led 14-7 at the half. The Bulldogs scored two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away. Davi Strickland passed to Jae Benford to open scoring for the Bulldogs. Morgan went up 14-7 with 33 seconds left before the half. Monroe tied the game at 14 with 9:39 left in the third quarter but Morgan scored on a rushing touchdown in the third quarter and two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter put the game away.
Gilmer 35, Adairsville 28
Five rushing touchdowns from Gilmer proved insurmountable for Region 6 No. 1 Adairsville and a 14-play, 92-yard drive with 2:35 left in the game gave the Bobcats the lead for good. An interception on the ensuing drive protected the upset victory for Gilmer.
In other 3A games – Crisp County led 26-6 after the first quarter and 32-6 at the half to advance past Hephzibah 45-20. The Cougars will play Mary Persons in the second round. … Lumpkin County advanced to the second round after moving past Gordon Lee 52-6. The Indians will face Oconee County in the second round. …
Class A Division I
Pelham 41, Heard County 22
Nathaniel Walker had 18 carries for 269 yards and three touchdowns to lead Pelham past Heard County. Den Johnson Jr had 10 carries or 43 yards and two touchdowns and Parnell Yates had five carries for 88 yards and a touchdown. Carlos Najera was 5-of-6 on point after tries. Pelham led 13-0 after the first quarter and 13-10 at the half before scoring two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to pull away.
Mount Vernon 35, Pepperell 7
Running back Walker Warshaw rushed 34 times for 226 yards and two touchdowns to lead Mount Vernon. Quaterback Sam Nazarian was 9-of-14 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns – one a 76-yarder to Nate Thomas and a 52-yarder to Bristan DeRocher.
Bleckley County 56, Claxton 7
Bleckley County led 28-0 after the first quarter and 56-7 at the half to move past Claxton. Joshua Stanley scored on a 3-yard run to open scoring. Kam’ryn Everett added a 32-yard touchdown run to expand the margin. Stanley scored on a 1-yard run late in the first quarter and added a 14-yard run with one minute left in the first quarter. With 10 minutes before half, Stanley scored on a 42-yard run to put Bleckley up 35-0. Amarian Burns added a 3-yard touchdown run, Junior Waller scored on a 4-yard run and Deondrez Robertson had a 23-yard touchdown run to put the Royals up 49-7. Markeze Brown’s interception returned 45 yards for a touchdown capped scoring.
Commerce 58, Jasper County 19
Jaiden Daniels scored on runs of 55 and six yards to lead Commerce past Jasper County. John Paul Allen passed to De’Kan Williams on a 33-yard touchdown pass. Tysean Wiggins scored on a 12-yard run, Jacari Huff added a 3-yard run and Jace Lyle scored on a 12-yard touchdown run for Commerce.
Elbert 34, Oglethorpe County 27
Jacari Barnett scored on a 6-yard run with 6:19 left in the game and Jayvyn Hickman passed to Gilbert Fortson on the 2-point conversion to put Elbert County up for good over Oglethorpe. Elbert will face Trion in the second round.
In other A Division I games — Dade County led 27-7 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 42-7 entering the fourth quarter to move past Mount Pisgah 49-7. … Trion led 35-0 after the first quarter in a romp of St. Francis. … Brooks County had little trouble moving past Crawford County 56-0 and will play Dublin in the second round. … Irwin County moved past Temple 41-17 and will travel to Bleckley County in the second round. … Rabun County led 35-7 at the half and 49-7 entering the fourth quarter to move past Social Circle 49-14. The Wildcats will travel to Whitefield Academy in the second round. … Dublin led 21-0 after the first quarter and 42-0 at the half in a 49-0 romp of Screven County. Dublin will play at Brooks County in the second round. … Swainsboro led 6-0 after the first quarter and 14-0 entering the fourth quarter in a 20-0 defeat of Metter. …
Class A Division II
Aquinas 49, Glascock County 28
Quarterback Jim Franklin threw six touchdown passes, including four in the first quarter, to lead Region 8 No. 1 Aquinas to a home win over Region 5 No. 4 Glascock County. Five of Franklin’s touchdowns went to wide receiver Jack Rhodes, with the longest, from 80 yards, coming late in the third quarter to give the Fightin’ Irish a 42-14 lead. Franklin’s second touchdown went to BuddyRow Garrer for 65 yards in the first quarter. Aquinas improved to 9-2 and Glascock County ended its season 4-7.
Bowdon 56, Taylor County 0
Host Bowdon, the No. 1 seed from Region 7, defeated Region 6 No. 4 Taylor County after jumping out to a 35-0 lead in the first quarter. Red Devils quarterback Kyler McGrinn rushed for touchdowns of 43 and 10 yards and threw touchdown passes of 45 to Jordan Beasley and 33 to Kaiden Prothro. Beasley also had scoring rushes of 49 and 2 yards, and Devan Powell had a 50-yard touchdown run. Layton Hernandez capped the scoring with a 16-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter for Bowdon (9-2). Taylor County finished its season 6-5. Bowdon will host Greene County in the second round.
Macon County 30, Christian Heritage 7
Region 6 No. 3 Macon County won at Region 7 No. 2 Christian Heritage 30-7 to advance to the second round. The teams were tied 7-7 heading into the second quarter after Tyler Stephens rushed for a touchdown for Macon County and Carter Triplett had a rushing touchdown for Christian Heritage, but Macon County led 20-7 at halftime after Tyler Felder rushed for two touchdowns in the second quarter. Macon County added a field goal midway through the third quarter, and Bulldogs quarterback Brian Harris Jr. capped the scoring with a rushing touchdown in the fourth. Christian Heritage ended the season at 4-6. Macon County (9-2) will travel to Aquinas in the second round.
Portal 35, Turner County 12
Portal, the No. 1 seed from Region 3, followed up its first-ever region title with a home win over Turner County, the No. 4 seed from Region 2. Portal quarterback Elijah Coleman scored his team’s first touchdown on a 14-yard rush in the first quarter and completed a two-point pass to Amir Jackson. In the second quarter, Coleman rushed for touchdowns of 43 and 11 yards to give Portal a 26-0 halftime lead. After Turner County scored twice in the third quarter to cut the Portal lead to 14 points, Coleman found Jackson later in the quarter on a 61-yard touchdown pass to make the score 32-12. Alfredo Hernandez made a 28-yard field goal for Portal in the fourth quarter. Portal moved to 8-3 and Turner County fell to 3-8 to finish its season.
In other A Division II games – Manchester, the second-ranked team and No. 2 seed from Region 6, defeated Mt. Zion-Carroll at home, 49-0. Manchester improved to 8-2 and Mt. Zion ended its season 3-8. For the second round, the Blue Devils will travel to Region 5 No. 1 Johnson County, which was a 36-22 winner over Region 8 No. 4 Washington-Wilkes, 36-22. Johnson County (8-3) led Washington-Wilkes (6-5) just 28-22 entering the fourth quarter. … Region 8 No. 3 Lincoln County (7-4) defeated Region 5 No. 2 Wilkinson County (5-5) at home, 42-0. Next Friday Lincoln County will travel to top-ranked Schley County (10-0), which had a bye in the first round. … Clinch County, the No. 1 seed from Region 2, handled Region 3 No. 4 McIntosh County Academy at home 38-14. Clinch County improved to 10-1. McIntosh County Academy finished its season with a record of 4-7. Clinch County will host Region 1 No. 2 Seminole County (7-4), which was a 14-13 home winner over Region 4 No. 3 Wilcox County (6-5). … Greene County, the No. 2 seed from Region 8, shut out Region 5 No. 3 Hancock Central 42-0. … Region 4 No. 2 Telfair County (8-2) defeated Region 1 No. 3 Randolph-Clay (4-6) 28-8 at home, setting up a road matchup at Portal in the second round. … Region 3 No. 2 Jenkins County (10-1) defeated Region 2 No. 3 Charlton County (2-9) at home, 20-6. Jenkins County will travel to Region 4 No. 1 Dooly County (7-4), a 42-14 home winner over Region 1 No. 4 Miller County (4-6). … Region 3 No. 3 Emanuel County Institute (6-5) defeated Region 2 No. 2 Lanier County (7-3) on the road after one overtime, 41-35. ECI will travel to Region 1 No. 1 Early County (7-4), a 42-20 home winner over Region 4 No. 4 Hawkinsville (6-5).
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