Class A Division I

Bryan Co. at Prince Ave. Christian

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Brad Akins Field, Bogart

Records, rankings: Bryan County is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 3-A Division I and No. 10; Prince Avenue Christian is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from 5-A Division I and No. 1.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Bryan County is playing in its first semifinal since it began football in 1976 while Prince Avenue is playing in its eighth in nine seasons with the goals of a fourth straight finals appearance and third championship in four years. Bryan County beat Commerce 24-16 in the quarterfinals and broke a 16-16 tie with Austin Clemons’ 2-yard run in the final minute. Clemons rushed for 75 yards. Jacari Carney rushed for 63. Sean Kelly Hill was 5-of-7 passing for 77 yards and a touchdown. Tanner Ennis scored on a 20-yard run and a 17-yard pass. Clemons has rushed for 1,660 yards and 21 touchdowns. Carney has rushed for 951 yards and is averaging 121 over his past six games. Bryan County gets 84.4% of its total yards rushing, although Hill has thrown one TD pass in each playoff game. Bryan County held Commerce, which had been Class A’s leading rushing team, to 181 rushing yards. Prince Avenue, the classification's leading passing team, beat Irwin County 41-7 last week. Aaron Philo was 28-of-42 passing for 448 yards and four touchdowns. Connor Causby had six receptions for 201 yards. Philo (committed to Georgia Tech) has thrown for 3,788 yards and can become the first player in state history to pass for 4,000 yards in three straight seasons. His 49 TD passes are seven shy of K’hari Lane’s state record. Philo is 790 yards short of Trevor Lawrence’s state career record for passing yards, which is 13,902.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Prince Avenue Christian 32, Bryan County 20

Swainsboro at Brooks County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Veterans Stadium, Quitman

Records, rankings: Swainsboro is 11-2, the No. 3 seed from Region 3-A Division I and No. 8; Brooks County is 8-5, the No. 1 seed from 1-A Division I and unranked.

Last meeting: Brooks County won 15-14 in the first round of the 2010 Class 2A playoffs.

Things to know: Swainsboro, the 2022 Class A Division I runner-up, is back in the semifinals despite losing its final two regular-season games to Bleckley County and Dublin. Brooks County is in its fifth semifinal in seven seasons despite starting 1-5, each loss suffered against bigger schools, two that are still playing (Thomas County Central, Cook). In the quarterfinals, Brooks County beat Rabun County 39-13. Chris Cole rushed for 206 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. He's gone over 100 in every playoff game and rushed for 1,617 yards this season. Junior Burrus was 8-of-16 passing for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Brooks held Rabun County to 127 total yards and intercepted three passes. Swainsboro beat Elbert County 34-28 and scored the winning touchdown midway in the fourth quarter after trailing 28-26. Swainsboro rushed 54 times for 455 yards while going 0-for-2 passing. Demello Jones (committed to Georgia) led the way with 155 yards, followed by Qin Brown (116), Jordon Williams (105) and freshman Ja’bios Smith (79). Williams has rushed for 1,152 yards this season; Jones has run for 1,026, and Brown has rushed for 936. Brooks County is 2-0 all-time against Swainsboro with playoff victories in 1986 and 2010.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Brooks County 20, Swainsboro 14

Class A Division II

Telfair County at Manchester

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Manchester

Records, rankings: Telfair County is 10-2, the No. 2 seed from Region 4-A Division II and unranked; Manchester is 10-2, the No. 2 seed from 6-A Division II and No. 2.

Last meeting: Manchester won 27-0 in 1981.

Things to know: Telfair County was 7-0 and ranked No. 8 in late October but fell out of the top 10 after losing its final two regular-season games against Dooly County (21-15) and Treutlen (20-10). Telfair County now has beaten top-10 teams Portal and Macon County in back-to-back weeks to reach the semifinals for the first time in a history that dates to 1967. In a 38-14 victory over third-ranked Macon County last week, Bradyn Cook rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Telfair County rushed for 240 yards as a team. Jeremiah Quinn returned a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown. The Trojans are allowing 11.3 points per game in the playoffs. Manchester trailed Clinch County 17-7 with three minutes to play in the quarterfinals but scored two touchdowns down the stretch, with the help of an onside-kick recovery, for a 21-17 victory that put the Blue Devils in the semifinals for the first time since their 1997 championship season. Darius Favors scored on an 8-yard run with 2:55 left to cut the lead to 17-14, and Qua Cooper scored the game-winner on a 29-yard run with 1:18 remaining. Favors rushed for 134 yards, putting him at 967 for the season. Cooper ran for 114 yards and has 871 for the season. Both are juniors. They are the leading rushers for a team that gets 281.3 yards per game on the ground and 46.6 passing.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Manchester 20, Telfair County 7

Schley County at Bowdon

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Warren P. Sewell Field, Bowdon

Records, rankings: Schley County is 12-0, the No. 1 seed from Region 6-A Division I and No. 1; Bowdon is 11-2, the No. 1 seed from 7-A Division II and No. 5.

Last meeting: Bowdon won 39-31 in the 2022 Class A Division I championship game.

Things to know: This is a rematch of last year’s championship game, which Bowdon won to claim its first state title since 1992. Gone from that Bowdon team are T.J. Harvison (Pittsburgh), who rushed for 212 yards in the final, and quarterback Robert McNeal (East Tennessee State). The offensive load this year has fallen to Alabama transfer Kyler McGrinn, who has been up to the challenge. He has 1,847 rushing yards, 1,767 passing yards and 52 combined touchdowns and was recently named his region’s offensive player of the year. McGrinn rushed for a season-high 340 yards and six touchdowns last week in a 55-28 victory over Dooly County. Schley County is led once again by quarterback Jay Kanazawa, who threw for 239 yards against Bowdon last year and 315 in a 28-24 victory over Early County last week. Kanazawa has passed for 2,750 yards and 31 touchdowns this season. Jalewis Solomon, committed to South Carolina as a defensive back, had 10 catches for 122 yards against Bowdon and has 907 receiving yards this season. In the quarterfinals, Schley County trailed Early County 24-14 in the fourth quarter but scored two touchdowns, including a game-winning 21-yard touchdown pass from Kanazawa to Carson Westbrook in the final two minutes.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Schley County 31, Bowdon 26

GHSA's Hines set to retire Aug. 1

GHSA executive director Robin Hines announced Wednesday that he will retire Aug. 1.

Hines shared the news at the end of an executive committee meeting in which the GHSA ratified reclassification for 2024-26 and adopted a playoff format and rankings formula for classes 3A to A Division I.

Also approved at the Thomaston meeting were four schools’ appeals to move down in classification for the 2024-26 academic years. They were Alexander and Effingham County to 5A, Eastside to 4A and Holy Innocents’ to 2A.

After the meeting, Hines told the committee that his seventh year on the job would be his last.

“My kids have been pushing for this for a couple of years,” Hines told GHSF Daily. “My grandchildren are getting older. They’re involved in youth sports. I yearn to be a part of that.”

Hines and his wife, Kim, bought a house on Lake Hartwell about a year ago, and the 3.5-hour drive from Thomaston had been keeping them apart too much, he said.

Hines’ decision reverses his plans from March, when he signed an extension through May 31, 2026. He said he would stay a little beyond Aug. 1 if needed.

“The August 1 date is certainly a soft one for me,” Hines said. “I’m sure it would be an advantage to work side by side with the new executive director for a couple of months. I’ll do whatever the association needs me to do.”

The GHSA has had only six executive directors. The others were Sam Burke (1946-81), Bill Fordham (1982-91), Tommy Guillebeau (1992-2000), Ralph Swearngin (1991-2013) and Gary Phillips (2014-16).

The GHSA settled on a playoff plan and rankings formula for 3A-A that will seed teams with a model similar to the RPI rankings the NCAA sometimes uses. The plan would award preferred seeding to region champions and runners-up and give automatic playoff berths to the top four finishers in each region. Some schools will make the playoffs with at-large berths when they finish outside the top four.

Private schools in classes 3A to A need a seeding model because they will be competing in multiple classifications with public schools during the regular season, then separated into private-only state playoff brackets.

The 3A, 2A and A Division I playoffs also will use the ranking model because some of their regions contain private schools that won’t make their playoffs.

The executive committee also closed an avenue whereby private schools might reintegrate with public schools in 3A-A playoffs if the number of private-school teams in a sport dipped below 24.

Classes 6A to 4A and Class A Division II will use the traditional playoff model of 32 playoff teams, four from each region, seeded based on region finish.

John Milledge seeks fifth straight title

John Milledge Academy will seek its fifth consecutive state championship when it takes on Valwood in the GIAA Class 3A final tonight at 8 at Mercer's Five Star Stadium in Macon.

John Milledge, of Milledgeville, comes into the game with a state-record and nation's best 62-game winning streak. The Trojans’ last loss came on Nov. 30, 2018, in the 3A championship game against Frederica Academy. John Milledge is 12-0 this season, and its closest game was a 27-22 victory against First Presbyterian, which will play in the Class 4A final on Friday.

The Trojans are led by running back Javian Butts, who has rushed for 2,180 yards and 27 touchdowns. Butts ran for 284 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries in a 63-28 victory over Pinewood Christian last week.

Valwood of Valdosta is 10-1 this season, its only loss against North Florida Christian 35-21 on Sept. 22. The Valiants are seeking their first state title since 2017.

The other three GIAA championship games will be played Friday in Macon. Flint River Academy will take on Robert Toombs Christian in the Class A final at 2 p.m., followed by the Class 2A game between Edmund Burke Academy and Gatewood at 5 and the 4A game between First Presbyterian and Brookstone at 8.

John Milledge is the only defending champion in any GIAA classification that returned to the finals this season.

On the Web

NFHS Network

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On TV

Friday

*Camden County at Walton, 7:30 p.m., GPB

*Thomas Co. Central at Marist, 8 p.m., Peachtree Sports Network

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100 Greatest

GHSA Finals

No. 7: Lanier (Macon) 15, Marist 14 (1948 Class 2A)

Coaches’ roots

Here are the 32 semifinal coaches and their high school alma maters.

Danny Britt, Benedictine

Westwood

Richard Fendley, Bowdon

Warner Robins

Maurice Freeman, Brooks County

Brooks County

Cherard Freeman, Bryan County

Lincoln County

Mark Stroud, Calvary Day

Swainsboro

Jeff Herron, Camden County

Gate City (Va.)

Conor Foster, Cartersville

Cartersville

Pierre Coffey, Carver (Columbus)

Central (Talbotton)

John Adams, Cedar Grove

Southwest DeKalb

Mike Coe, Coffee

Auburndale (Fla.)

Byron Slack, Cook

Terrell County

Maurice Dixon, Creekside

Creekside

Johnny White, Douglas County

First Colonial (Virginia Beach, Va.)

Tucker Pruitt, Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald

Santavious Bryant, Grayson

Wheeler

Travis Noland, Jefferson

Pisgah (Canton, N.C.)

Stephen Holmes, Manchester

Temple

Alan Chadwick, Marist

Decatur

Ben Reaves, Milton

Newton

Kevin Smith, Perry

LaGrange

Ryan Herring, Pierce County

Oxford (Ala.)

Greg Vandagriff, Prince Avenue

Halls (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Biff Parson, Rockmart

Franklin County

Baker Woodward, Sav. Christian

Calvary Day

Darren Alford, Schley County

Americus

Chad Phillips, Starr's Mill

Stephens County

Thomas Clark, Stockbridge

Naxapater (Philadelphia, Miss.)

Scott Roberts, Swainsboro

Irwin County

Matt Burleson, Telfair County

Dunnellon (Ocala, Fla.)

Justin Rogers, Thomas Co. Cent.

Greenville (Ala.)

John Hunt, Woodward Academy

Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.)

Daniel Brunner, Walton

Roswell

Bryan County and Telfair County are in their first semifinals. What are the only other semifinal teams that have not made a championship game? Hint: Both are in Class 4A. (Answer Friday)

Answer to Wednesday’s question: Milton of Class 7A and Creekside of 5A are the only semifinal teams from the same school system (Fulton). That doesn’t mean they’re neighbors. The schools are a 55-mile drive from each other and have never met in football.

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Here are this week’s playoff games with projected margins of victory, courtesy of the Maxwell Ratings. The projected winner is on the left. The projected margin of victory is on the right. The Maxwell computer ratings take into account each team’s historical and current season performance. The projected margins also consider actual scoring patterns and may not match the projected margins when using the ratings alone.

GHSA

(Semifinals)

Class 7A

Grayson vs. Milton -4

Walton vs. Camden Co. -16

Class 6A

Douglas Co. vs. Woodward Academy -7

Thomas Co. Central at Marist -10

Class 5A

Coffee at Cartersville -12

Creekside vs. Jefferson -1

Class 4A

Benedictine vs. Stockbridge -3

Perry at Starr's Mill -10

Class 3A

Calvary Day at Cedar Grove -9

Savannah Christian at Carver, Col. -12

Class 2A

Pierce Co. vs. Fitzgerald -8

Rockmart vs. Cook -5

Class A Division I

Brooks Co. vs. Swainsboro -6

Prince Ave. Christian vs. Bryan Co. -12

Class A Division II

Manchester vs. Telfair Co. -13

Schley Co. at Bowdon -5

GIAA

(Championships)

Class 4A

First Presbyterian vs. Brookstone -8

Class 3A

John Milledge Academy vs. Valwood -4

Class 2A

Edmund Burke Academy vs. Gatewood -3

Class A

Flint River Acad. vs. Robert Toombs -13

Coaches, click here to nominate your players for the GACA/BSN All Star Football Game on Dec. 29, 2023!