Defending champion Milton faced little issues during its semifinals romp of Lee County and the 56-28 victory allows the nationally ranked Eagles a chance to secure the program’s third state championship.
The Eagles led 14-7 after the first quarter and 42-21 at the half before it expanded the margin to 56-21 entering the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Luke Nickel opened scoring on a 25-yard pass to Ethan Barbour early in the first quarter. Nickel, who is headed to Miami to continue his football career, scored on a 28-yard run with three minutes left in the third quarter to expand the lead. Lee County scored on a 70-yard run by Weston Bryan on the ensuing possession to trail 14-7.
TJ Lester put Milton ahead 21-7 on a nine-yard run early in the second quarter. Bryan answered on a short touchdown run to cut into the deficit for Lee County. He tied the game at 21-21 with eight minutes left in the first half on a short run. TJ Lester put Milton ahead 28-21 on a 19-yard run minutes later.
Georgia-bound receiver CJ Wiley caught a 23-yard pass from Nickel on a one-handed, over the shoulder grab in the end zone to expand the lead to 35-21 late in the first half. It was a play he described to Kaylee Mansell after the game.
“I just trusted my quarterback and did my route and just made a play,” said Wiley, who was named the Robbie Hunter MVP of the game.
When discussing what Georgia can expect from him next season, Wiley did not mince words.
“They are getting a hard worker, a team player and a guy who can work every day,” he said.
Following an interception by Ma’Khi Jones-Purnell, Nickel found Wiley on a 65-yard pass to put the Eagles ahead 42-21. Nickel passed to Wiley again, this time a 61-yarder, to give Milton a commanding 49-21 advantage. Nickel capped the Eagles’ scoring on a 24-yard run with three minutes left in the third quarter. Lee County scored on a run early in the fourth quarter to narrow the margin but the game was out of reach.
See the other semifinals recaps below.
Class 6A
Grayson 35, Douglas County 28
Travis Burgess threw a game-winning touchdown pass to lift Grayson past Douglas County to reach its first state championship since 2020 when the Rams won a state title under head coach Adam Carter. Grayson stormed back from a 21-6 halftime deficit in a game controlled early on by Douglas County. Four-star WR Aaron Gregory had a 15 yard touchdown catch, and USC signee James Johnson had two first-half touchdowns. He had a one-yard rushing score and threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Zamarcus Lindley. Johnson filled in at quarterback for DJ Bordeaux who had his season end after suffering a broken collarbone in a win over West Forsyth. He finished with three touchdowns on the night. Grayson sophomore phenom Joel Bradford made his presence felt. He had a 20-yard rushing touchdown in the first half. Bradford added another rushing touchdown in the second half. After a three-touchdown performance in a win over Collins Hill, Alexander Sanchez caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 1:09 left in the game. The Grayson defense also deserves a game ball for its performance. The Rams’ defense came up with two big stops in the fourth quarter. One was on a 4th and 1 run play designed for Johnson. The other came on a 3rd and 10, Grayson forced early pressure making Johnson get rid of the ball and the Rams’ defense swarmed to the football to get the ball back to their offense. At the end of the game, Grayson forced an incompletion in a pass intended for Aaron Gregory and held the explosive Tigers offense to just seven points in the second half. Grayson will face Carrollton in the state championship game as both teams meet each other for the first time ever.
Carrollton 30, Buford 17
Carrollton scored 16 unanswered points to advance past Buford to clinch its second state title appearance in three seasons. It was an impressive performance on the night for Kadan Spratling, who had the game-altering strip fumble on junior quarterback Dayton Raiola. Buford was in the red zone and driving to extend their lead to double digits when Spratling punched the ball out before Raiola made it to the sideline. Junior running back Kimauri Farmer added two rushing touchdowns to give the Trojans a double-digit lead, and Buford didn’t have an answer. Kameron McClure ended the game with a forced fumble on Raiola. Carrollton pitched a second-half shutout after trailing Buford 17-14 at the half. The Carrollton defense finished with seven tackles for loss, three sacks, and three 3-and-outs on the evening. They held the Wolves to their second-lowest point total of the season. The other was a 13-10 loss in the season opener against defending state champion Milton. Mr. Georgia finalist Julian Lewis was 15-18 for 193 yards and two touchdowns. For Buford, Tyriq Green had a 13-yard rushing touchdown and Raiola added a rushing score. Carrollton is looking to clean its first undefeated season since 1956 and first state title since 1998. The Trojans will face the Grayson Rams in the state championship.
Class 5A
Langston Hughes 49, Coffee 26
Hughes rode an explosive offense to knock off defending state champion Coffee to clinch its second state championship appearance in the past three seasons. The Panthers held a 28-10 lead at halftime after senior QB Christian Langford led the team with three first-half touchdown passes. Langford finished with five total touchdowns. He found Jabari Jones twice, Maurice Gleaton on a 70-yard touchdown pass, and Jovanni McGee on a 40-yard touchdown pass. He also had a one-yard rushing score. WR Jabari Jones had three touchdowns on the evening, including a three-yard rushing score. Hughes added three more touchdowns in the second half to clinch the victory. The Panthers have scored 40 or more points in 11 games this season, and have scored 685 points this year. Coffee was held to 10 points at the half and faced an uphill climb throughout the game. The Trojans finished with three rushing touchdowns but gave up a season-high 49 points in the loss. Hughes will face Milton in the 5A state championship, and it will be their second-ever meeting. The programs faced off back in 2014, and Milton won 17-14.
Class 4A
Marist 27, Creekside 21
Marist snapped Creekside’s 10-game win-streak and defeated the Seminoles for the seventh time in seven all-time meetings to improve to 14-0 and advance to the state finals for the first time since 2020. The host War Eagles took a 3-0 lead late in the opening quarter on a 31-yard field goal by senior Drew Linnihan. Creekside quarterback Cayden Benson put the Seminoles up 7-3 with a 45-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and connected with Dylan Vickerson on a 65-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 14-3. Marist started its next drive at its own 35-yard line and ran out the rest of the half with a 41-yard field goal at the buzzer to make it a 14-6 deficit. Marist quarterback Jack Euart ran in a touchdown early in the third quarter, but the potential game-tying two-point conversion failed, leaving the War Eagles trailing 14-12. Marist forced Creekside to a turnover on downs and the lengthy scoring drive ended with a Euart 1-yard touchdown run in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Jack Callaghan ran in the ensuing two-point conversion to give Marist a 20-14 lead. Creekside converted a fourth down with a completion to Vickerson to keep the drive alive and then Benson connected with Vickerson once again on an 11-yard touchdown pass to put Creekside up 21-20 with 6:32 left in the game. Marist ate nearly five minutes of clock and got its game-winning touchdown with 1:36 left on a 15-yard carry by Brayden Lewis to go up 27-21. Creekside got to its own 40-yard line with 1:32 left, but a tackle by Max Mraz on first down, a sack by Alejandro Espelosin on second down, a short completion on third and a pass breakup by James Lasco on a double-pass fourth down thrown by Vickerson sealed the 27-21 victory.
North Oconee 27, Blessed Trinity 7
Blessed Trinity’s Marcellus Townsend intercepted Harrison Faulkner on North Oconee’s first play from scrimmage and the visiting Titans scored on a Brooks Goodman quarterback keeper to take an early 7-0 lead just 40 seconds into the action. North Oconee responded with 27 unanswered points and kept its perfect season alive, while advancing to the state finals for the first time in school history. Blessed Trinity attempted a 50-yard field goal, but the snap was mishandled, and North Oconee took over near midfield. This set up an 8-yard touchdown pass from Faulkner to Khamari Brooks and sparked the 27-0 scoring run by North Oconee to close out the victory. UGA-signee Landon Roldan gave North Oconee its first lead of the game at 14-7 with a 42-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes left in the half. North Oconee’s Luke Burnett intercepted Goodman on Blessed Trinity’s opening drive of the second half. Braxton Goolsby hauled in a 29-yard reception that set up JT Doster for a 1-yard plunge to put North Oconee up 20-7 with 7:19 left in the third. Late in the third quarter, North Oconee fumbled deep in its own territory. Blessed Trinity looked to shrink the deficit with another field goal attempt, but it was blocked and Patrick Elliott returned it 70 yards for the touchdown to give North Oconee a 27-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Blessed Trinity looked to have forced North Oconee into a punting situation late in the fourth quarter, but a defender was flagged for targeting a defenseless Roldan and gave the Titans a fresh set of downs with 6:25 left in the game. Blessed Trinity got back the ball, but surrendered a significant loss of yards on a third down sack and punted away before North Oconee kneeled its way to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take on Marist in a battle of unbeatens.
Class 3A
Jefferson 21, LaGrange 13
Jefferson is back in the state championship game for the first time since 2020 and the first time under head coach Travis Noland after outlasting LaGrange at home. Dallas Russell opened scoring on a four-yard run, capping a drive that included a 57-yard pass from Gavin Markey to Rett Hemphill. Markey expanded the Dragons’ lead to 14-0 on a three-yard run in the third quarter. LaGrange got on the board with less than a minute left in the third quarter on a 49-yard touchdown pass to trail 14-7. Dylan Barber scored on a 17-yard run with five minutes left in the game to narrow the margin for LaGrange, but Jefferson recovered the ensuing onside kick to help secure the victory. The Dragons will be trying for the program’s second state title and first since 2012 in T. McFerrin’s last season coaching Jefferson.
Calhoun 35, Stephenson 13
Calhoun held Stephenson scoreless in the second and third quarters after entering the second quarter tied at 7-7 to secure a trip to the championship game. The victory gives head coach Clay Stephenson – who is in his sixth season — a second chance to win a title after losing to Warner Robins 38-14 in the Class 5A title game in 2021. Stephenson scored first on a 16-yard run with eight minutes left in the first half but Calhoun tied the game at 7-7 on a 33-yard pass from Trace Hawkins to Justin Beasley. Hawkins passed to Emaree Winston on a 21-yard touchdown with four minutes before halftime to put the Yellow Jackets ahead 14-7. Hudson Chadwick scored on a 30-yard run to put Calhoun ahead 21-7 at the half. Hawkins passed to Winston on a 49-yard pass to push the Calhoun lead to 28-7. With two minutes left in the third quarter, Hawkins completed an eight-yard pass to Beasley to push the lead to 35-7. Anthony Booker found the endzone on a 12-yard run with three minutes left in the game to cap scoring for Stephenson.
Class 2A
Burke County 35, Rockmart 22
Burke County advances to its first state championship appearance since winning it all in 2011 as the Bears defeated the Rockmart Yellow Jackets, 35-22 to punch their ticket to Atlanta. Rockmart got the scoring started with a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets didn’t hold the lead for long as Kel’von Scott ran the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown, giving the Bears an early 7-3 lead. A’Merre Williams added to the Burke County lead with a rushing touchdown of his own after a Rockmart 3-and-out, giving the Bears a 14-3 lead with a little over three minutes left in the first quarter. On the following Rockmart possession, the Yellow Jackets field goal was blocked by the Bears as Cadyn Bracey ran it back for a Burke County touchdown, to take a 21-3 lead with 30 seconds left in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets were able to get on the board with a little over six minutes left in the first half as Max Ware rushed in a touchdown to cut the Bears lead to 21-9. With under five minutes left in the first half, Burke County’s Scott found the endzone once again, this time from 12-yards out to take a 28-9 lead in the second quarter. Following another long play from Scott, Burke County’s Sean Vandiver scored once again for the Bears with 45 seconds left in the first half to take a 35-9 lead by halftime. The Yellow Jackets scored a touchdown with under eight minutes to cut the lead to 35-16 and were able to hold Burke County to no points in the third quarter. Rockmart scored with under nine minutes left in the game to cut the lead to 35-22 following the failed two-point conversion. The early scoring run from Burke County was too much to handle for Rockmart as the Bears advanced to their third state championship appearance in program history.
Carver-Columbus 49, Appling County 9
Carver-Columbus advances to its third state championship in school history as the Tigers defeated Appling County 49-6 in the Class 2A semifinals. The Tigers struck first with a 37-yard touchdown strike from Matthew Mungin to Braylon Jakes to take an early 7-0 lead over the Pirates. As the offense for Carver-Columbus found its groove, the Tigers defense caused fits for Appling County throughout the entire night. The Tigers forced a Pirates fumble and were able to take it back for the score to take an early 14-0 lead with over eight minutes left in the first. The Pirates followed the back-to-back Carver-Columbus scores with back-to-back field goals to cut the lead back to open possession at 14-6 by the end of the first quarter. Carver-Columbus opened the second quarter with a field goal to take back a two-possession lead at 17-6 with around seven minutes left in the period. On the ensuing drive for the Pirates, a bad snap from Appling County on its own 10-yard line went into the endzone, earning Carver-Columbus two points from the safety as the Tigers took a 19-6 lead with under seven minutes left in the second quarter. The Tigers followed up the safety with a touchdown on a one-yard rushing touchdown from Kelston Tarver to take a 25-6 lead with under five minutes left in the half. The Tigers closed the first half with a 22-yard field goal to take a 28-6 lead into the half. A third quarter touchdown from the Tigers gave Carver-Columbus a 35-6 lead with under five minutes left in the third quarter. After an Appling County fumble, Kobe Caselin scored to increase the Tigers lead to 42-6. The Tigers added another touchdown to their total, defeating Appling County 49-6 on their way to the state championship. The Tigers were able to redeem last season’s semifinal defeat against Savannah Christian with a victory this season, for a shot to win their second state championship, their first since 2007.
Class A Division I
Northeast 46, Fitzgerald 14
Northeast—making its first-ever semifinal appearance—led 18-0 at the half and punched its ticket to the finals with a 46-14 win over visiting Fitzgerald. The Raiders got on the board with a 27-yard field goal with 8:15 left in the opening quarter. Northeast padded the lead with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Reginald Glover to Keandre Jackson to push the lead to 10-0. Northeast recovered two Fitzgerald fumbles in the first half and the second recovery set up Glover to find Nick Woodford for a 26-yard touchdown on the next snap to increase Northeast’s advantage to 18-0 heading into the half. Woodford finished the first half with 182 rushing yards in addition to his 26-yard touchdown reception. After converting a fourth and inches near midfield, Woodford capped another Raiders scoring drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. Fitzgerald got on the board to cut the deficit to 25-7 on the following possession with Victory Copeland’s 80-yard touchdown run. Fitzgerald cut the deficit to 25-14 with 4:21 left on a 1-yard touchdown run. Woodford added a 16-yard touchdown run and then on Fitzgerald’s next possession, senior Decorian Brundage wrestled the ball out of the receiver’s hand for an interception to set up a 4-yard Woodford touchdown run. Woodford scored his fourth touchdown run and fifth total touchdown in the opening seconds of the final quarter on a 38-yard run to increase the lead to 46-14.
Toombs County 42, Dublin 15
Toombs County (12-1) advanced to the finals for the first time in program history and served host Dublin (13-1) its first loss of the season. The Bulldogs capped their opening drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Alex Scott. Quarterback TJ Stanley connected with Lagonza Hayward for a 14-yard score to push the lead to 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Dublin answered with a 2-yard run by Willie Batts touchdown run and two-point conversion midway through the second quarter, but Stanley hooked with Hayward for a 5-yard Toombs County touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 21-8 at the half. Dublin was stopped on its first possession of the second half and Stanley capped a lengthy Toombs County drive with a 1-yard touchdown to grow the lead to 28-8. Toombs County completed a 95-yard scoring drive to start the fourth quarter that was fueled by a 60-yard run by Stanley and capped off with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Mike Polke. Dublin’s Micah O’Neal scored an 8-yard run to shrink the deficit to 35-15, but Toombs County returned to the endzone on a 26-yard Justin Powell touchdown run for the final tally.
Class A Division II
Bowdon 42, Irwin County 28
Two-time defending champion Bowdon will return to the championship game for the third consecutive season while trying for the program’s fifth state title. Charles Maxell III scored on a 26-yard run to put Bowdon ahead 7-0. Joshawia Davis expanded the lead on a short run early in the second quarter. Irwin cut into the lead on a 75-yard run from Terrio Wilcox on the ensuing possession. Maxell scored on a two-yard run minutes later to put Bowdon ahead 21-7. Following an Irwin County touchdown run with two minutes left in the first half, Maxell scored on a 29-yard run to put Bowdon ahead 28-14 at the half. Irwin narrowed the deficit to 28-21 on an 8-yard run with seven minutes left in the third quarter but Maxell’s 56-yard touchdown run expanded the lead to 35-21. A 30-yard touchdown run from Irwin with two minutes left in the third quarter narrowed the margin, but Maxell connected with Kaiden Prothro on an 11-yard pass to cap scoring.
Brooks County 17, Manchester 14 OT
After finishing regulation tied at 14 each, Brooks County secured its championship berth on a game-winning seven-yard field goal from junior kicker Rafael Mojica. The kick sent Brooks County to the championship game for the fifth time in program history. The Trojans won championships in 1994 and 2021, both under head coach Maurice Freeman. Josh McFather is in his first season coaching Brooks. Against state runner-up and top-ranked Manchester, the Trojans led 7-6 after the first quarter and 14-6 at the half. Manchester put together an eight-point fourth quarter to tie the game. Keelan Whitaker opened scoring on a 68-yard touchdown run but a failed 2-point conversion put the Blue Devils ahead 6-0. Chris Cole scored on a short run to give Brooks County the 7-6 lead. George Lamons Jr. caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to give the Trojans a 14-6 advantage late in the first half. Darrius Favors scored on a three-yard run and completed the ensuing two-point conversion to tie the game at 14 with six minutes left in regulation.
Class 3A-A Private
Prince Avenue Christian 43, North Cobb Christian 0
Prince Avenue Christian advanced to its fifth straight state title game with a dominant 43-0 win over North Cobb Christian. Jake Bobo scored the game’s first touchdown on a 16-yard run. Early in the second quarter, Mac Bradley added a rushing touchdown to give the Wolverines a 14-0 lead. Ben Musser then connected with Thornton Hester to extend the lead to 21-0 at halftime. Less than a minute into the third quarter, Musser found the end zone again, pushing Prince Avenue’s advantage to 29-0. With six minutes left in the third, Musser threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Brice Williamson, sealing the Wolverines’ 43-0 victory. Prince Avenue will now face region rival Hebron Christian in the state title game. The Wolverines won the first matchup between the two teams earlier this season, defeating Hebron 34-31 in Dacula.
Hebron Christian 24, Fellowship Christian 17
Hebron Christian has advanced to its first-ever state championship with a 24-17 win over Fellowship Christian. Thomas Stallworth opened the scoring with a rushing touchdown, giving the Lions a 7-0 lead with 10:19 left in the first quarter. Late in the first, Devon Caldwell extended Hebron’s lead to 14-0 with a 21-yard touchdown run. Synir Fields cut the Lions’ lead to 14-6 with a touchdown run late in the second quarter. Hebron responded with a 33-yard field goal from Cam Ron to take a 17-6 lead into halftime. The Paladins narrowed the gap in the third quarter with a 21-yard field goal from Drew Collins, making it 17-9. Al Thompson later tied the game at 17-17 with a touchdown run. With the game on the line, Hebron’s running back delivered the game-winning score on a spectacular 77-yard touchdown run with 8:51 remaining. The Lions’ defense clamped down in the fourth quarter, holding the Paladins scoreless to secure the 24-17 victory. Hebron will now face Prince Avenue for the second time this season. In their first matchup, Hebron fell 34-31.
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