Can anyone stop Cartersville? The semifinals are a couple days away, but this has likely been a question most of those familiar with Class AAAA have been asking since last December. The Purple Hurricanes ride a state-best 28 game winning streak into Friday's semifinals matchup with Mary Persons. Their head coach Joey King has compiled a 40-2 overall record the past three seasons. The only two losses came in 2014 to North Cobb and Buford, but the next season Cartersville avenged those losses by beating both programs en route to a perfect season and Class AAAA crown. Cartersville has been unstoppable this season, even scoring a 31-0 win over Class AAAAAAA semifinalist Westlake back on Sept. 9.

 

Junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been a three-year starter Cartersville's dominating run. He's thrown for a cool 3,450 yards this season with 45 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His go-to target this season has been senior transfer Avery Showell. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver has hauled in an efficient 16 touchdowns off 40 catches. In the backfield, running back Trey Creamer benefits from his five-star quarterback and can rack up the all-purpose yards as defenses account for Lawrence's ability to connect with targets sideline to sideline. Defensively, Cartersville's 26-15 win over the potent Woodward Academy offense in the quarterfinals resulted in the War Eagles' lowest home point total in five seasons.   

 

"We want to go 1-0 this next week," King told Adam Krohn after advancing to the semis. "Our goal at the beginning of the year was a state championship. Our kids have been working towards that and that's what's most important."

 

As I look at Cartersville, I can't help but think of a quote a great coach once told me about what it takes to win a state championship in Georgia: "Everything"

 At this point, Cartersville does have "everything". They have a coaching staff and roster that has been steering this ship for the past three seasons. They've got a defense, a five-star quarterback and a history of hard-fought games together. Mary Persons, Thomson and Jefferson are still alive and Thomson could set up a 14-0 vs. 14-0 showdown at the Dome with a win this Friday. All that being said, I still have no reason to say that Cartersville can or will be stopped. 

Arabia Mountain 35, Columbia 27

Centennial 57, North Atlanta 34

Collins Hill 82, Woodstock 37

Colquitt County 58, Bainbridge 54

Columbus 82, Jordan 23

Dublin 69, Twiggs County 44

Eagles Landing 57, Union Grove 28

Effingham County 74, New Hampstead 36

Fannin County 60, Towns County 22

Flowery Branch 50, Winder-Barrow 43

Gainesville 58, St. Pius X 50

Galloway School 53, The Weber School 17

Grovetown 60, Burke County 57

Hapeville Charter 74, South Atlanta 33

Harris County 41, Newnan 38

Hephzibah 66, Butler 58

Houston County 68, Crisp County 53

Jackson-Atlanta 68, North Springs 28

Jefferson 64, Morgan County 60

Jenkins 50, Southeast Bulloch 39

Jenkins County 47, Screven County 8

Jonesboro 53, M. L. King 40

Lassiter 37, Kell 34

Long County 49, Toombs County 40

Lovejoy 58, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 22

McEachern 86, Greater Atlanta Christian 55

McIntosh 49, Alexander 47

Metter 61, South Effingham 51

Northview 52, Pope 34

Oconee County 40, Athens Christian 24

Pace Academy 69, Towers 33

Redan 70, Stone Mountain 38

Sequoyah 65, Allatoona 27

St. Francis 100, Milton 29

Upson-Lee 71, Crawford County 34

Westlake 60, North Clayton 30

Whitewater 51, East Coweta 34

Wilcox County 42, Mt. de Sales 30

Wilkinson County 52, Swainsboro 51

 

 

Boys

Alexander 70, McIntosh 68

Allatoona 92, Sequoyah 46

Alpharetta 48, Dunwoody 46

Athens Christian 48, Oconee County 39

Brooks County 81, Thomas County Central 57

Buford 77, North Oconee 50

Calhoun 59, Murray County 19

Cambridge 56, Chattahoochee 50

Dalton 52, North Murray 51

Darlington 71, Christian Heritage 57

Decatur 54, Grady 48

Flowery Branch 70, Winder-Barrow 33

Gainesville 48, St. Pius X 43

Jenkins 82, Southeast Bulloch 67

Jonesboro 65, M. L. King 36

LaFayette 71, Pickens 45

Madison County 70, Hart County 63

Mary Persons 82, Northside-Warner Robins 64

Meadowcreek 50, Parkview 49

Miller Grove 61, Chamblee 56

Mountain View 45, Mill Creek 43

North Gwinnett 74, South Forsyth 41

Northwest Whitfield 57, Ringgold 53

Pace Academy 65, Towers 49

Pebblebrook 86, Douglas County 79

St. Francis 67, Lakeview Academy 64

Tucker 84, Drew 56

Walker 82, Excel Christian 33

Westlake 86, North Clayton 43

Westminster 52, McNair 38

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