West Forsyth’s chances of pulling off a round-two upset of Region 8 No. 2 North Gwinnett dwindled steadily throughout most of the game, but despite being held to 117 total yards of offense, the Region 6 No. 1 Wolverines came away with a 17-16 comeback victory spurred by pivotal plays in must-have moments.
The first quarter went about as well as it could have for the Bulldogs, who built a 10-0 lead with quarterback Ashton Wood’s 69-yard touchdown pass to Seth Anderson and Cody Leach’s 41-yard field goal while the North Gwinnett defense twice intercepted West Forsyth’s sophomore quarterback Keegan Stover. The Wolverines caught a break when Leach’s next field goal attempt went wide left early in the second, and Stover capitalized on senior Drew Southern’s interception by putting the ball back in Southern’s hands for a 9-yard TD completion with 0:08 remaining in the half.
Two-way starter Barrett Carter — a recently anointed five-star prospect following his absurd performance last week in which he tallied 17 carries, 197 yards, 2 TD, 8 solo tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and a fumble reception — found the end zone midway through the third for a 16-7 North Gwinnett lead (the PAT was no good), but West Forsyth got the spark it needed with Dalton Tjong’s 97-yard return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff. The Wolverines took their first lead of the game with 9:02 to play, capping a drive that was extended twice on defensive pass interference calls with Liam Badger’s 19-yard field goal, and the West Forsyth defense kept North Gwinnett out of the end zone the rest of the way to seal the win.
West Forsyth will travel to Grayson next week to face the top-ranked Rams.
Here is the Friday Night Wrap by Todd Holcomb.
Class 7A
Collins Hill 17, Denmark 6
Senior quarterback Aaron McLaughlin threw an interception on Denmark’s first possession of the game, setting up a 29-yard touchdown run by Collins Hill’s Sam Horn. The Eagles picked up 1st-and-goal later in the frame, but settled for a field goal and a 10-0 lead that held until after the break. A four-play, 82-yard Eagles drive in the third ended in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Horn to Senior Clint Gilbert to extend the lead before McLaughlin managed to find Azari Brown for a 43-yard touchdown pass to avoid the shutout. The Eagles will advance to the quarterfinals to face Parkview.
Norcross 40, Roswell 20
Jahni Clarke rushed 27 times for 201 yards and three touchdowns (1, 28, 6 yards) to lead Norcross to a home win over Roswell. Norcross quarterback Mason Kaplan was 6-of-8 passing for 88 yards and a 54-yard touchdown to tight end Lawson Luckie and also rushed for a 67-yard score — with both touchdowns coming in the second quarter to put the Blue Devils ahead 27-6 at the break — and Michael Porter added a 6-yard rushing touchdown for Norcross in the third quarter. Roswell got two field goals from Caden Long in the first half and twice cut the deficit to 14 points in the third quarter, as quarterback Robbie Roper threw a 34-yard touchdown to Michael Fitzgerald and a 3-yard score to Marquis Willis.
Colquitt County 35, Walton 12
Colquitt County returned three interceptions for touchdowns — two by sophomore linebacker Antwan Daniels — to help the Packers overcome a tough offensive night against visiting Walton. Colquitt County intercepted the Raiders on their first two possessions; the first interception was returned 29 yards for a score by Daniels on a pass that was tipped by teammate Zy Brockington to put Colquitt County on the board just 1:38 into the game. Walton’s Conor Cummins made two field goals of 41 yards (one in the second quarter and one midway through the third) to make it a 7-6 score before Colquitt County pulled away. Charlie Pace rushed for an 80-yard touchdown on the very next play, and Daniels then intercepted Walton again and returned it 55 yards for a score to put the Packers up 21-6 with 1:25 left in the third. Colquitt County led 28-0 after Antonio Spradley’s 42-yard interception return TD with 7:10 remaining, and Colquitt quarterback Zane Touchton scored on a late 4-yard rush to make it 35-6. Walton’s A.J. Brown rushed for a 4-yard touchdown on the final play of the game.
Milton 17, Archer 9
Region 5 No. 1 Milton got off to a quiet start on offense with injured starting quarterback Devin Farrell on the sidelines, but the Eagles defense seized control in the second half — just in time for backup QB Adam Freas to find his footing and lead his team to a 17-9 comeback victory over visiting Archer. The first points of the game came midway through the opening frame when a snap went over Freas’ head into the end zone for a safety, and senior Renaldo Spivey Jr’s 4-yard run on the next drive put the Tigers ahead 9-0. Milton converted on fourth down to start the second quarter, then got on the board with senior Jason Aussin’s 40-yard field goal for a 9-3 score that stood until early in the fourth quarter. Lebbeus Thomas Overton (the No. 1 ranked sophomore in the country) had back-to-back tackles for loss in the third to force an Archer punt, and fellow sophomore Bryce Thornton recovered a Tigers fumble later in the quarter. Milton capitalized on the takeaway with a 10-yard TD run from McDonald to take its first lead with 9:45 remaining, then gained an 8-point advantage with Freas’ 5-yard score on the keeper. Overton and senior Dayne Edwards each sacked Archer QB Vashaun Stockmann on the following drive for another Tigers punt, and by the time Stockmann got the ball back in his hands, he was 87 yards from the end zone with 0:31 on the clock and no timeouts to work with. Milton will host Lowndes in the quarterfinals following the Vikings’ 21-13 win over North Cobb.
Parkview 41, East Coweta 14
Parkview led 13-0 at halftime and increased the lead to 41-0 in the third quarter in its win at East Coweta. The Panthers got a 5-yard touchdown run from Cody Brown and a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Colin Houck to Jared Brown in the first half, and the dominant third quarter included three more Houck touchdown passes and a fumble return for a touchdown on an East Coweta kickoff return. Houck found Jared Brown for touchdowns of 22 and 7 yards and hit Jaxon Horne for a 14-yard score in the third quarter. Tyler Day caused the fumble on East Coweta’s kickoff return, and Tre’ Mitchell returned it 21 yards for the touchdown. For East Coweta, Willie Rice returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and Jayden Bolton rushed for a 5-yard score.
Class 6A
Carrollton 39, Sprayberry 13
Keshawn Ridley and Christian Lett each rushed for two touchdowns to lead host Carrollton past Sprayberry. Lett’s 6-yard score and Ridley’s 20-yard score helped the Trojans to a 15-6 lead after the first quarter, and Lett’s 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter helped them to a 32-6 halftime lead. Ridley capped the scoring for the Trojans with a 22-yard rushing TD at the 10:42 mark of the fourth quarter. Preston Gentry made a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter and completed a pass to Juan Nieves III for a two-point conversion after Carrollton’s first touchdown. Trojans quarterback James McCauley completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Grant Briscoe with 18 seconds remaining in the first half. Ridley rushed for 174 yards on 15 carries, and Lett rushed for 54 yards on nine carries and had one reception for 49 yards. McCauley was 7-of-9 passing for 83 yards. For Sprayberry, Isaiah Abbey rushed 12 times for 120 yards and an 80-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
River Ridge 42, Rome 10
Host River Ridge had a dominant performance in what marked the biggest game in program history. The Knights outgained Rome 410-to-171 in total yards and became just the second team in Cherokee County history to start a season 11-0. Quarterback Carson Lathem finished the game 14-of-22 for 221 passing yards, and Amehre Robinson had four receptions for 56 yards to go with his team-high 25 carries and 116 rushing yards.
Hughes 35, Glynn Academy 0
Hughes held a 14-0 lead at the break before closing out the huge upset with a 35-0 shutout over No. 1 seed Glynn Academy. The victory improved the Panthers’ overall record to 11-1 — a new school-record for most wins in a single season — and secured the program’s first-ever quarterfinals appearance.
Buford 42, Cambridge 7
Host Buford gained 500 total yards of offense, 433 of which came on the ground, in its win over Cambridge. Gabe Ervin Jr. rushed nine times for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns (68, 31 yards) and Victor Venn rushed 13 times for 152 yards and touchdown runs of 59 yards and 1 yard for the Wolves. Buford quarterback Dylan Wittke (6 carries, 62 yards) also rushed for a 9-yard touchdown for the Wolves’ first points of the game, and Ashton Daniels threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Beuglas. Buford led 28-0 at halftime, and Cambridge scored with 36 seconds remaining on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Zach Harris to Hayden Gardella to avoid the shutout.
Allatoona 31, Dacula 6
Allatoona scored the final 31 points of the game to erase an early deficit and sprint past visiting Dacula. Kaleb Edwards had a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for the Falcons before Jayden Ponder scored three straight touchdowns for a 21-6 halftime advantage. Vinnie Canosa scooped up a blocked punt and scored to make it 28-6 after three quarters, and Gray Kelley provided for the final margin with a 35-yard field goal. Brett Blomquist, Caleb Moore and Levi Brown all had interceptions for the Buccaneers, and Brown also blocked the punt that led to Canosa’s touchdown.
Valdosta 44, Evans 7
No. 6 ranked Valdosta jumped out to a 29-0 halftime lead and held a 37-0 advantage before Evans got on the board with 3:34 left in the third quarter. The Wildcats answered with a 75-yard run to push the lead to 44-7 before a scoreless final frame.
Lee County 48, Brunswick 21
Top-ranked Lee County held a 27-7 lead late in the third quarter before a high-scoring conclusion to its second-round matchup with Region 2 No. 3 Brunswick that ended with the Trojans on top. The 48-21 home win sets up a showdown between Lee County and River Ridge in next week’s quarterfinals.
Class 5A
Calhoun 33, Clarke Central 14
Region 7 No. 3 Calhoun trailed Clarke Central 14-7 midway through the second before scoring 26 unanswered points to advance to the quarterfinals. The two teams traded touchdowns en route to a 14-14 tie at the break; Gladiators quarterback Will Robinson found Nono Mack for touchdown completions of 15 and 73 yards, and Yellow Jackets quarterback Christian Lewis threw scoring strikes to Quin Smith (30 yards) and Will Seamons (15 yards). Jerrian Hames gave Calhoun its first lead at the start of the third on a short run, Lewis capitalized on an interception from the Yellow Jacket defense with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Cole Speer, and Hames found the end zone again from 5 yards out early in the fourth for the 33-14 final.
Warner Robins 30, Woodward Academy 7
Warner Robins trailed 7-0 after the first quarter but scored 30 unanswered points the rest of the way to overwhelm visiting Woodward Academy. Ahmad Walker scored the Demons’ first two touchdowns to give them a 14-7 lead at halftime, and Jaylen Addie and Malcolm Brown provided the second-half scores to go along with a field goal by Cary Payne.
Cartersville 31, St. Pius X 19
Cartersville used 31 unanswered points to pick up a road win over St. Pius X. Quante’ Jennings rushed for two touchdowns to give the Hurricanes a 14-7 lead at halftime and his third score resulted in a 31-7 advantage early in the fourth quarter. Cartersville also got a touchdown run from Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and a 22-yard field goal by Oscar Hernandez. St. Pius X took a brief 7-0 lead in the second quarter on a 3-yard run by Luke Jacobellis before the Hurricanes’ surge began. The Golden Lions wrapped up the game with another score for Benefield and a 13-yard touchdown pass from Dennis O’Shea to Casey Vermeulen following a successful onside kick. For Cartersville, an Amarai Orr interception set up Jennings’ third touchdown of the night.
Ware County 49, Creekside 25
No. 3 ranked Ware County outscored the host Seminoles 21-0 in the fourth quarter with three Tommy Casto touchdowns to secure the victory. The Gators will square off against Cartersville next week in the quarterfinals.
Jones County 34, Griffin 13
No. 10 Jones County eliminated Griffin from the playoffs for the third time in the past four seasons. The Greyhounds outscored the Bears 17-0 in the second half after building a 17-13 lead.
Eastside 37, New Manchester 7
Eastside’s Sincere Johnson capped off a 78-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Eagles up 7-0 in the first quarter, and teammate Kenai Grier added a 43-yard rushing score with 4:55 left in the half to grow the lead to 14-0. Eastside tacked on 16 points in the third quarter with a safety, a 55-yard Dallas Johnson touchdown run and Grier’s 12-yard score to take a 30-0 edge into the final frame.
Coffee 24, Starr’s Mill 9
After leading 9-3 at the half, Coffee held a narrow 9-3 halftime lead over Starr’s Mill before closing out a 24-9 second-round victory over the Panthers to secure the Trojans’ third-consecutive quarterfinals appearance and take one step closer toward the school’s first-ever state title.
Class 4A
Marist 24, Flowery Branch 0
The War Eagles shut out the Falcons in their second-round matchup to set up a quarterfinals showdown with Perry. Marist struck first with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ian Otten to Charlie Fleming late in the first, and Lincoln Parker added a rushing score in the second. Dawson Jones extended Marist’s lead with a fourth-quarter field goal before a 17-yard touchdown run from George Parker brought the score to its final tally.
Jefferson 35, Hapeville 0
Jefferson will make its second-straight quarterfinals appearance following the Dragons’ second-round shutout of Hapeville Charter. Junior Malaki Starks provided the first points of the night with a 32-yard trip to the end zone, and a pair of second-quarter touchdowns from Spencer Neese and Max Aldridge — the latter of which came on a fumble recovery return off a Hapeville punt — put the Dragons ahead 21-0 at the half. Senior Paxton Corkery added another touchdown in the third, and Starks scored again on a quarterback sneak to claim the 35-0 victory.
Cedartown 56, North Oconee 0
Cedartown will face Bainbridge in the quarterfinals following its 56-0 win over North Oconee. The Bulldogs built a 42-0 lead by halftime with scoring contributions that included a pair of rushing touchdowns by Cedric Washington from 61 and 51 yards out and a 42-yard score from Harlem Diamond. Diamond and Jayden Johnson each added second-half touchdown runs for 67 and 71 yards, respectively.
Bainbridge 43, Islands 0
No. 6 ranked Bainbridge jumped out to a 29-0 halftime lead before closing out the visiting Sharks to advance to the quarterfinals, where the Bearcats will face Cedartown. Quarterback Quayde Hawkins finished with four touchdown passes in the 43-0 victory
Riverdale 42, Northwest Whitfield 17
No. 1 seed Riverdale picked up its fifth-straight victory and clinched its first quarterfinal appearance since 1998 with a home win over Northwest Whitfield.
Perry 34, LaGrange 4
Perry jumped to a 17-4 halftime lead as the Grangers got on the board with a pair of safeties. The Panthers broke the game open early in the fourth quarter when they successfully executed a fake field goal that resulted in a touchdown pass to Brantley Gibson and a 27-4 lead. Makeil Kendrick’s 45-yard touchdown run came with just two minutes left and put Perry up 34-4.
Benedictine 45, Cairo 23
Cairo took a 17-3 lead over Benedictine in the second quarter, but the Cadets shut out the Syrupmakers in the second half to get the home win at Memorial Stadium in Savannah. Benedictine quarterback Holden Geriner rushed for a 2-yard touchdown in the first half and threw for three second-half scores, two of which went to Trent Broadnax for 80 and 11 yards and the other to Justin Thomas for 26 yards. Thomas also had an interception on defense for the Cadets, and defensive lineman Bryce Paschke returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown for Benedictine in the second quarter to tie the game at 17-17. LeShon Brooks rushed for a 3-yard touchdown and Nick Dillon made a 36-yard field goal for the Cadets in the first half.
Carver-Columbus 8, Baldwin 0
Carver-Columbus survived a defensive battle with Baldwin on Saturday. Baldwin had two drives end inside the Tigers’ five-yard line in the fourth quarter, but Carver forced a turnover on downs and got an interception to preserve the shutout.
Class 3A
Crisp County 36, Richmond Academy 0
No. 4 ranked Crisp County shut out the host Musketeers in the first-ever meeting between the schools. The win sets up a massive showdown with Cedar Grove in the quarterfinals, which is a rematch of the Saints’ 21-14 win over Crisp County in last year’s finals.
Oconee County 42, Dawson County 7
Oconee County scored on the ground, through the air and on defense in its comfortable win over Dawson County to advance to the quarterfinals. Jacob Wright threw touchdown passes to Jake Johnson (17 yards) and Darius Johnson Jr. (9 yards), Justin Coleman finished with a pair of rushing scores, and Tate Yancey ran in from 24 yards out. Elijah Hamm scored on a 20-yard interception return for the Warriors. Oconee County will host Peach County on Friday.
Pierce County 42, Central-Macon 0
Pierce County led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-0 at the break en route to a 42-0 shutout of Central-Macon. The home victory secured the Bears’ second quarterfinals appearance in three years, where they will host Carver-Atlanta.
Appling County 61, Upson-Lee 7
Appling County outscored the visiting Knights 40-7 in the second half and secured its first quarterfinal appearance since 2011.
Peach County 59, Thomson 7
Peach County had little trouble moving past Thomson and into the quarterfinals where it will face Oconee County. The Trojans led 23-7 at the half against Thomson and pushed the lead to 51-7 at the end of the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
Greater Atlanta Christian 33, North Hall 0
Deymon Fleming accounted for three touchdowns to help Greater Atlanta Christian coast past visiting North Hall. Fleming rushed for two scores and also tossed a touchdown pass to Brooks Miller, and Marcus Wilson added a touchdown run as well. The Spartans led 14-0 after one quarter, 21-0 at halftime, and by the final 33-0 margin going into the fourth. They limited North Hall to 68 total yards of offense — including 0 yards through the air. The Trojans had been averaging 265 rushing yards per contest before going for just 68 against Greater Atlanta Christian.
Carver-Atlanta 23, Cherokee Bluff 21
Carver avoided a Cherokee Bluff comeback to punch its ticket to a quarterfinal matchup with Pierce County. Carver led 15-6 after the first quarter and 23-12 at the break. Cherokee Bluff got a safety with 11 minutes left to pull to 23-14 and Jayquan Smith scored on a 17-yard run with nine minutes to get the game within a field goal, but Carver’s defense held in the final minutes.
Cedar Grove 30, Rockmart 27 (3 OT)
Top-ranked Cedar Grove avoided a triple-overtime scare against Rockmart on the road but thanks to two rushing touchdowns by Rashad Dubinion in overtime, the Saints advanced. Quarterback Austin Smith threw two touchdown passes in the victory, both to Janirian Bonner. Cedar Grove will travel to Crisp County on Friday for a rematch of last year’s title game
Class 2A
Callaway 16, Lovett 9
Charlie Dixon rushed for both of Callaway’s touchdowns and Jalin Shephard made an impact in all three phases of the game as the Cavaliers held off visiting Lovett. Blake Eubanks kicked a field goal for Callaway in the first quarter and Dixon’s first score gave the home team a 9-0 halftime advantage. Lovett tied it at 9-9 early in the fourth thanks to a field goal by Lucas Hyman and a 5-yard touchdown run from Michael Hollingsworth. Shephard, whose 53-yard reception led to Eubanks’ field goal, blocked the ensuing extra point, and he also picked off a Lovett pass to set up the Cavaliers late in the fourth quarter. From there Dixon scored the game-winner with 1:48 remaining. Cam Smith also had two interceptions to lead Callaway’s stout defensive effort.
Thomasville 44, Dodge County 7
Thomasville jumped out to a 31-7 halftime lead and forced three turnovers in its win over the host Indians. Quarterback Ronnie Baker rushed for two touchdowns and connected with Patrick McNeil for a 13-yard touchdown in the first half.
Jefferson County 42, Jeff Davis 29
No. 5 ranked Jefferson County led 8-0 after the first quarter following a 28-yard Ja’Quine Gilmore touchdown run. Jeff Davis cut it to 8-7 with a 63-yard touchdown pass from Cade Walters to Austin Wood before the Warriors closed out the quarter on a 26-7 run to build a 34-14 halftime edge.
Fitzgerald 35, Northeast 18
No. 1 ranked Fitzgerald (11-0) jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead before securing the program’s fifth quarterfinal appearance in the last seven seasons.
Bremen 42, South Atlanta 6
Bremen outscored host South Atlanta 21-0 in the second half after building a 21-6 halftime lead and punched its first ticket to the quarterfinals since 2011.
Rabun County 35, Model 0
Rabun County ended visiting Model’s hopes of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 1979 with a convincing 35-0 win. The No. 2 ranked Wildcats will make their sixth-straight quarterfinal appearance next week.
Fannin County 21, Heard County 14
Fannin County improved its record to 10-0 with its home victory over the Braves, clinching the program’s first double-digit win season and quarterfinal appearance since 1995.
Bleckley County 41, Early County 7
No. 4 seed Bleckley County jumped out to a 21-0 lead and closed out Early County to advance to its first quarterfinal since 2006.
Class A Public
Washington-Wilkes 34, Bowdon 17
No. 8 Washington Wilkes led 27-14 at the half of its second-round victory over host Bowdon. The Tigers improve to 10-1 under first-year head coach Sid Fritts and are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2005.
Warren County 56, Macon County 26
Warren County scored a massive 30-point road victory over No. 6 ranked Macon County to advance to the quarterfinals for the second-straight season. The Screaming Devils are now 10-2 on the year and one victory short of the school-record 11 wins they posted on their run to the 1968 state title.
Metter 49, Mitchell County 8
No. 1 ranked Metter exploded to a 35-0 halftime lead before closing out the visiting Eagles to keep its undefeated season (12-0) alive and stamp the program’s second-straight trip to the quarterfinals.
Lincoln County 28, Hancock Central 6
No. 3 seed Lincoln County outscored Hancock Central 21-0 in the second half to close out the road victory. The Red Devils are now set to host fellow No. 3 seed Clinch County in the quarterfinals following the GHSA’s coin flip this week that grants the top of the bracket home field in the case of equal seeding.
Irwin County 14, Wilcox County 0
Defending Class A-Public state champion Irwin County limited Wilcox County to just one first down in the opening half. Kam Ward got the Indians on the board with 13.5 left before the break and then Cody Soliday iced the game with his 1-yard rushing touchdown with 5:07 left in the fourth.
Commerce 28, Gordon Lee 14
No. 4 Commerce closed out a home victory with 14 unanswered points. Trey Huff and Dreylan Martin scored the Tigers’ first two touchdowns and Gordon Lee was able to even it 14-14 with a Nate Dunfee and Cade Peterson touchdown run. Huff broke the tie with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Brown on a 4th-and-7 call and then Brown iced the game with an 11-yard touchdown run with 2:21 left.
Brooks County 41, Dublin 7
No. 3 ranked Brooks County avenged last year’s 42-32 loss to Dublin in the Class 2A state championship with a dominant road win over the Fighting Irish. The Trojans jumped out to a 41-0 lead before Dublin spoiled the shutout with Markelle Mitchell’s 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Brooks County’s scoring came on two Omari Arnold rushing touchdowns and Jamal Sanders’ three second-half rushing touchdowns. Also, Nitavion Burrus found Jamaurion Fountain for a 46-yard touchdown.
Clinch County 14, Pelham 6
Region 2 No. 3 Clinch County has advanced to the quarterfinals for the sixth-consecutive season following its 14-6 road win over Pelham in which the Panthers defense held the Hornets to just 9 yards of offense in the second half.
Class A Private
Fellowship Christian 49, Athens Academy 14
Region 8 No. 2 Athens Academy opened the second half with back-to-back touchdowns to cut Fellowship Christian’s lead to 21-14, but the Paladins closed the second-round matchup with 28 unanswered points to advance to the quarterfinals. Senior quarterback Eli Hildebrandt connected with junior Josh Cole for a 76-yard first-quarter touchdown, and Cole added a pair of rushing scores for a 21-0 lead at the break. Athens Academy QB Palmer Bush threw touchdown passes to Deion Colzie (35 yards) and Tre Hawkins (89 yards), the latter of which came on 4th-and-5, before the Paladins took over for good. Jayven Hall took a pair of trips to the end zone in the second half (32, 2 yards), and Hildebrant (63 yards) and Murphy Reeves (58 yards) added touchdown runs as well.
Trinity Christian 54, Whitefield Academy 13
Trinity Christian booked a spot in the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history after David Dallas accounted for five touchdowns at the expense of visiting Whitefield Academy. Dallas completed 14-of-20 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns while also scoring twice on the ground. Tyson Wall rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown for the Lions, who swept the third quarter 21-0 to take a 48-6 lead going into the fourth.
Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy 27, Stratford Academy 0
Eagle’s Landing Christian led just 6-0 at halftime over Stratford Academy but scored a touchdown in the third quarter and two in the fourth to pull away for the home win. The Chargers got a 3-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Philip Massengale late in the second quarter, set up by a long pass from Massengale to Mac Craig. The Chargers missed the PAT to lead 6-0 at half. ELCA led 13-0 after a 15-yard rushing touchdown by Brandon Hood at the 4:07 mark of the third quarter, which was set up by an interception and long return into Stratford territory by R.J. Johnson. Another ELCA interception, this time by Caleb Anthony, was returned inside the Stratford 20-yard line and led to a 4-yard Massengale touchdown rush to put the Chargers ahead 20-0 with 10:23 remaining. ELCA capped the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Massengale to Samuel Allred with 4:16 to play. Massengale was 6-of-8 passing for 125 yards.
George Walton 28, Christian Heritage 25
No. 10 George Walton toppled No. 6 ranked Christian Heritage on the road to make its first trip to the quarterfinals since the program’s 2009 state championship season.
Calvary Day 14, First Presbyterian 7
Calvary Day defeated First Presbyterian Day for the second time this season to advance to its fourth quarterfinals in the past five seasons. The Cavaliers previously beat First Presbyterian Day 42-17 on Oct. 2.
Wesleyan 20, North Cobb Christian 17
Brooks Sturgeon kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired to lead Wesleyan past visiting North Cobb Christian. A Trey Stephens field goal followed by a 28-yard touchdown run from Sharnard Banks gave North Cobb Christian a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, but Sturgeon’s first field goal cut the Wolves’ deficit to 10-3 at halftime and Ryan Rose’s touchdown pass to Cooper Blauser made it 10-10 early in the third quarter. Rose and Blauser connected from 10 yards out with 4:45 left in the game for Wesleyan’s first lead, but the Eagles answered with Walker Ormsby’s 7-yard scoring run with 43 seconds remaining. Clutch passes from Rose to Blauser, Andrew Van Wie, and Wyatt Hodges on the final drive — including one fourth-down conversion — put Sturgeon in position for his heroics.
Savannah Christian 37, St. Anne-Pacelli 24
No. 8 ranked Savannah Christian led 24-17 at the half before punching its third-straight ticket to the quarterfinals. The Raiders will face Wesleyan next week in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals that the Wolves took 42-16.
Prince Avenue 42, Darlington 6
Five-star UGA commit Brock Vandagriff passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one to lead the Wolverines past Darlington and into the quarterfinals. Vandagriff passed to Logan Johnson for touchdowns on passes of 37 and 14 yards and connected with Chas Scoggins on an 86-yard touchdown pass. Scoggins also had an interception in the romp. Landon Owens scored on runs of 69 and 14 yards for Prince Avenue.
Loading ...
