The second day of the GHSA Football State Championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium showcased the ending of the seasons for Division 2 of flag football and Classes A Division I, 2A and 5A of tackle football.
Follow the links to see Monday’s championship recaps, the flag football and tackle football brackets or see Tuesday’s championship recaps below.
Division 3 Flag Football Championship – Pope 19, Pace Academy 6
Pope’s 19-6 victory against Pace Academy in the Division 3 championship game marked the second-consecutive and second overall championship for the Greyhounds (26-2) and ushered in a trend in the GHSA flag football championships: title defenses.
“It was pretty difficult,” said Pope head coach Kevin Fraser on repeating as state champions. “I am so proud of our girls.”
The Greyhounds (7A champion last season) joined Southeast Bulloch (1A-4A) and Greenbrier (5A-6A) as the three title holders from last year who successfully defended the championship this year after the expansion of the sport to four Divisions. The state’s highest class, previously Class 7A, is now Division 4.
Against Pace, the Greyhounds relied on a two-touchdown performance from quarterback Abbey Bensman, who was 10-of-16 passing for 95 yards. Bensman passed to Addie Daughtry and Julia Acker for touchdowns. On the ground, Sarah Gentry had three rushed for 15 yards and a touchdown.
“The offense clicked at the right time,” Fraser said. “It was a total team effort. The girls put in a lot of preparation and a lot of hard work and I am really, really proud of them.”
Pope went ahead on a 6-yard pass from Bensman to Acker with 2 minutes left in the first quarter. Bensman expanded Pope’s lead on a 23-yard pass to Daughtry with 6 minutes left before halftime. The Greyhounds found the end zone again on Gentry’s short run, which capped a 6-play, 53-yard drive with 9:53 left in the game.
Pace got on the board on a 13-yard pass from senior quarterback Harper Auchincloss to Lucy Fleming with 4:15 remaining in the game, but the Knights ran out of time. Auchincloss was 13-of-28 passing for 157 yards and a touchdown.
“Their quarterback, as everyone saw, is unbelievable,” Fraser said of Auchincloss. “Our rusher did an amazing job containing her today and the defense played lights out.”
A youthful and experienced Pope could threaten another title defense in the upcoming season after weathering the loss of senior from last year’s team.
“I think a lot of people probably had doubts of our team this season because of the talent that we lost,” Fraser explained.
“But we regrouped pretty well over here with some new players and our returning players, so thank you to the new players for believing in us and the players who have been with us. Seniors Laila (Nixon), Sarah (Gentry) and Julia (Acker) have been here since the program started and I am happy to have them on the team and they are just great kids.”
Class A Division I – Toombs County 38, Northeast-Macon 18
Toombs County defeated Northeast-Macon 38-18 in the Class A Division I championship, securing its first-ever state title after opening a 24-12 halftime lead and outscoring the Raiders 14-0 in the fourth quarter.
“What an unbelievable feeling,” said Toombs County head coach Buddy Martin. “To God be the glory. This is a special group of young men, a special group with a lot of character, a lot of fight and a lot of heart in this group. I’m proud to be their coach.”
Northeast forced the Bulldogs to punt on their opening possession and then took their first—and only—lead of the game on a quick six-play 69-yard drive that was capped by a 35-yard touchdown pass from Reginald Glover to running back Nick Woodford—his fifth touchdown catch of the season and longest reception of the year.
Toombs County answered on its following drive and finished it with a 29-yard touchdown pass from TJ Stanley to Lagonza Hayward to take a 7-6 lead. In the second quarter, Toombs County added a 47-yard touchdown pass from Stanly to Mike Polke—who would make his impact felt in all three phases of the game.
Northeast recovered its own fumble in the redzone and capped a scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown reception from Glover to Isiah Stubbs, but the Raiders failed their second PAT attempt and remained in a 14-12 deficit. Polke returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown and grew the lead to 21-12 with 6:54 left in the half. Polke also had an interception in the second half and earned player of the game.
“It was always 0-0 from the start of the game to the end,” said Polke after earning player of the game. “At halftime, we went into the locker room with a 0-0 mindset so if they make plays, we are going to make plays right back.”
Northeast punted on back-to-back possessions to close the first half and Toombs County was able to capitalize on the field position in its final drive with a 25-yard field goal by Alex Otero at the buzzer to expand the lead to 24-12.
Toombs County out-gained Northeast 264-to-147 in first half yardage and had 12 total first downs to Northeast’s four. Stanley was 11-of-15 passing for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the first half but struggled early in the second half with five-straight incompletions and an interception. Northeast opened the third quarter with a 10-play 77-yard scoring drive that was capped by a Glover touchdown run, but a third failed PAT that was blocked left the Raiders trailing 24-18.
Stanley converted a crucial fourth down with a rush up the middle and Justin Powell increased the lead with a 12-yard touchdown run with 4:09 left to make it a 31-18 lead. Stanley padded the lead with a 28-yard touchdown run just over a minute later to give Toombs County a 38-18 lead before they closed out the victory.
Stanley finished the game 14-of-23 passing for 217 yards and two touchdowns and also had a team-high 83 rushing yards and a score. Glover finished the game 9-of-20 passing for 92 yards and two scores and also added 73 yards rushing and a score. Northeast’s Woodford was the only other Raider that took a carry and had 155 yards off 19 carries to go with his 41 receiving yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Tailen Sampson led Northeast with a game-high 17 total tackles.
Class 2A – Carver-Columbus 52, Burke County 14
Carver-Columbus has a perfect record in the 15th game of the season after the Tigers moved past Burke County in the 2A championship game to secure the program’s second state title at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
And Carver’s 2024 championship team can be summed up best by Rusty Mansell, who called the game for GPB.
“Just a lot of athletes, man,” he said after Carver-Columbus took a 45-14 lead over Burke on the way to a 52-14 victory Tuesday.
Mansell’s words came after a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Mungin to freshman Kei’Maurii Miles with a minute left in the third quarter. It forced a running clock in the fourth quarter and helped lead the Panthers to its first championship since 2007 under Dell McGhee, Georgia State’s current head coach.
“A lot of speed,” Mansell described the Carver offense. “They have a quarterback that can throw the ball. This ball is on the money. (Miles) never broke stride, that ball hit him right in the hands.”
Mungin – who finished 19-of-20 passing with touchdown passes of 54, 30, 21 and seven yards — found Miles again on a 54-yarder with 8:36 left in the game, effectively putting it out of reach.
Video. Game. Numbers.
He finished passing for 327 yards and an unbelievable 95% completion percentage and was named Player of the Game for the effort.
Head coach Pierre Coffey took over the program in 2022 and led Carver to a 9-3 record and quarterfinal appearance in 2022 and a 10-4 record and semifinals showing last season.
“We are a family, a great heritage and lineage in football,” said Coffey.
Coffey brought the Tigers back into the spotlight, leading them to a 14-1 record during an impressive season.
The first quarter featured hard-hitting rushing attempts from both sides as the two teams were getting their nerves out early in the state championship.
On the opening kick, Carver-Columbus’ Braylon Jakes ran it back to Burke County 18-yard line where fullback Jameil Williams struck first for Carver-Columbus with a rushing touchdown from a yard-out to take the early 7-0 lead.
Following the Carver-Columbus touchdown, the stout Tigers defense forced a Burke County three-and-out. As Burke County punted the ball back to Carver-Columbus, a muffed punt from the Tigers gave Burke County possession back in plus-territory for the Bears. Burke County answered the Tigers-touchdown on its second possession with a 10-play, 48-yard drive, capped off by a 21-yard rushing touchdown from Kel’Von Scott to tie up the game at 7.
On the ensuing Carver-Columbus drive, an illegal touching penalty called back a Tigers touchdown, as the Bears were able to hold them to a field goal as Carver-Columbus gained a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The energy shifted in the second quarter when Carver-Columbus’ Zay Billingsley read the Burke County pass play and intercepted the run-pass-option and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 17-7 lead seconds into the second quarter.
On the following possession for the Bears, Carver’s defense forced another Burke County three-and-out and held the Bears to just five yards on the drive.
The Carver-Columbus offense showed appreciation for its defense after making a stand by capitalizing on its next drive with a 16-yard touchdown rush from Kelston Tarver to cap off a five-play, 61-yard drive that featured a 42-yard reception by Miles to set up the Tigers in Burke County territory.
After forcing the third Burke County three-and-out of the first half, the Tigers marched down the field in their final possession of the second quarter with an 11-play, 93-yard drive that was capped off by a touchdown reception from seven-yards out by Miles.
The Tigers held Burke County’s Wing-T offense to only four yards on their opening possession of the second half. But on the ensuring Carver possession, the Bears forced a fumble, giving its offense the ball back with a little under 10 minutes left in the quarter.
Burke County was able to capitalize with a one-play 71-yard drive with a 71-yard touchdown pass from Sean Vandiver to Joshua Arroyo to cut the Carver-Columbus lead to 31-14.
Carver came back out onto the field and answered with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that featured a fourth down conversion and a 30-yard touchdown connection from Mungin to Jakes to retake a 24-point lead in the middle of the third quarter.
Mungin and the Carver-Columbus offense continued to showcase just how dangerous they have been all season long with a 21-yard touchdown reception from Miles as the two Tigers continued to add to their impressive night, giving Carver-Columbus a 45-14 lead with a little over a minute left in the third quarter.
With a running clock in the fourth quarter, the Tigers continued to pour it on the Bears with a 54-yard touchdown strike, from Mungin to Miles for the third time on the night to give them a 52-14 lead in the fourth quarter.
Mungin only needed three receivers to which he handed out his 327 yards. Miles finished with seven receptions for 179 yards and three touchdowns and was seeming un-guardable at times. Jakes had seven catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Kobe Caselin made five catches for 58 yards.
“People don’t understand how difficult it is to be playing in Week 15,” Coffey added as his team stood as state champions for the first time in over 15 years. “And these young men have worked so hard since January 8th, almost an entire year, I’m just glad that this is the fruits of our labor.”
Class 5A – Milton 56, Langston Hughes 35
Milton finished with a 15-0 record for the first time in program history while securing back-to-back titles for the first time ever thanks to a stifling defense and the play of Mr. Georgia finalist and Miami-signee Luke Nickel.
After struggling for the majority of the first half and giving up 35 first-half points, the Milton defense stiffened in the second half producing a shutout. Hughes was limited to only four first downs and 64 total yards in the second half.
A critical point in the game came on a 4th-and-4 in the fourth quarter in Milton Territory. The Panthers were driving to cut into the deficit after their defense forced a stop. Christian Langford surveyed the defense and didn’t like his options. He scrambled to try and get a first down before he was tripped up by the Milton defense. It was a microcosm of some of the struggles the Panthers had in the first half. A player on defense that stood out was senior AJ Benton who finished with 10 tackles (seven solo) and a tackle for a loss.
“This group of seniors wanted it and they worked for it. The moment we left the Benz a year ago, people knew we had returned 18 guys; they knew we had a target on our chest,” said Milton head coach Ben Reaves. “They worked extra hard, and it’s hard to be perfect. They didn’t lose a single game, a spring practice, or a 7 on 7. Now we are back-to-back state champions.”
Nickel went off for 337 yards and four touchdowns in the first half, and he finished the game 21-of-22 for 413 yards and four touchdowns and was named Georgia Cotton Commissioner Co-Player of the Game.
“It’s easy when you have guys like this who come out and play for each other that are not only talented but great humans and great individuals who leave it all on the field for each other and all they want to do is make sure the team succeeds,” Reaves said.
The Eagles finished with 671 total yards in the game.
“It comes down to execution,” Nickel said. “We have the best offense in the country I believe. Getting the ball to my playmakers has been the biggest thing. The offensive line played great tonight and all season. Props to them. It was special. I got a little teary-eyed when we won this one. It means so much to me. I feel like I’ve been with the community for so long. Seeing all the hard work we put into each other and the trust that we have in our guys is just a special brotherhood we have in Milton.”
Another key contributor was running back TJ Lester who set a career-high in rushing yards with 201 of Milton’s 258 yards on the ground. Lester finished with three touchdowns and was announced as a finalist for Army National Guard Player of the Year heading into the state championship game and delivered quite a performance and thanked his offensive line for his big night.
“My offensive line and teammates practiced hard all week long and it showed that all the hard work paid off,” Lester said. “We are special and we have been working since last year. We decided to come together as a group and not let each other down. It paid off and we are back-to-back state champions.
Barbour was the leading receiver in the first half with seven catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. He finished with nine catches for 139 yards and a touchdown, catching all nine of his targets. CJ Wiley was another big contributor on the night finishing with four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. He had a memorable touchdown at the end of the first half where he skied over a defender on a 23-yard touchdown catch.
The Eagles have scored at least 56 points in three consecutive playoff games defeating Houston County, Lee County, and Hughes. Milton is now on a 25-game winning streak and will carry that into next season.
You have to give coach Ben Reaves and the Milton defensive coordinator a lot of credit for the adjustments Milton made in the second half of the game.
The Fulton County showdown was absolute cinema in the first half. Both Milton delivered haymakers as the offenses were hot and couldn’t be stopped. The Panthers and Eagles combined for 77 first-half points.
Milton took an early 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter after Nickel delivered two touchdown passes early in the first quarter and Lester delivered a touchdown run. Milton and Hughes went on to combine for 49 second-half points.
Nickel was one of the most impressive players on the field delivering his four touchdown passes to four different receivers and distributing the ball like a point guard.
One of the biggest moments in the first half came when Milton had only 50 seconds left in the half after a Hughes score. Nickel marched the Eagles down the field and delivered a 23 yard touchdown pass to CJ Wiley who got the best of his defender for the score. The touchdown came with just three seconds left in the half giving Milton some momentum going into the break and a 42-35 lead.
On the other side, Christian Langford had a big first half for the Panthers. He was 10-of-12 passing for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and finished 15-of-19 passing for 245 yards and two scores. Four-star RB Carsyn Baker gave the Milton defense fits as he ran for 101 yards and three first-half touchdowns on the ground. He had an impressive 70-yard touchdown run that got Hughes back in the game after they trailed 14-7 early. He finished with 115 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Maurice Gleaton was a big playmaker for Hughes. In the first half he had only two catches but both were for touchdowns. He finished the half with 127 receiving yards and two scores. On both scores he showcased his elite track speed running away from the Milton defenders.
It was a valiant effort from head coach Daniel “Boone” Williams who has built a strong program in Fairburn, GA. Coach Williams and the Panthers gave Milton one of its toughest tests of the season especially in the first half showing no quit and constantly hitting on big plays.
Hughes couldn’t quite muster the same offensive firepower it had in the first half against Milton. It was another year for the Panthers who showed they can compete with anybody in the state when they are at full strength. It’s a team to continue to watch moving forward.
After another great season, Milton deserves to play for a national title. Yes they are that good. This team makes second half adjustments and can line up and go toe-to-toe with anybody in the country. This team is special and has a lot of great players on both sides of the ball and has the confidence to go against anybody. Lester said it best about why they should compete to be national champions.
“Our brotherhood, we play as one. I don’t think anybody can stop us,” said Lester.
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