Georgia High School Football Daily

Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

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Semifinals filled with elite teams

It’s all big-boy football from now to the end of the playoffs, which resume today with 16 semifinals games in eight classifications.

Cinderella didn’t get an invitation. Thirty-one of the 32 semifinals teams are ranked. Fellowship Christian of Class 2A is the top-10 exception, but the Paladins were a 2021 semifinals team that started No. 5 in preseason and now carry an eight-game win streak to Fitzgerald to challenge the defending champion.

Two semifinals games match undefeated teams, and one pits No. 1 against No. 2. Here’s a closer look at the eight final fours.

Teams to beat: No. 1-ranked teams still playing are Hughes (6A), Ware County (5A), Cedartown (4A), Cedar Grove (3A), Fitzgerald (2A), Prince Avenue Christian (A Division I) and Bowdon (A Division II). The only absent No. 1 team is Class 7A’s Buford, eliminated in the second round.

Most intriguing game: Carrollton, playing in the highest classification for the first time and unranked in preseason, is 13-0 and chasing its first state finals appearance since 2013. Its quarterback, Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, is the state’s most heralded freshman since Trevor Lawrence, whose high school coach, Joey King, now is Carrollton’s coach. Lewis has thrown for 3,339 yards. (Lawrence threw for 3,053 yards as a Cartersville freshman.) Carrollton is traveling 200 miles to Colquitt County, which also is 13-0. The Packers’ new coach, Sean Calhoun, is Carrollton’s former coach. Calhoun, hired in the offseason, was Colquitt County’s offensive coordinator during its 2014 and 2015 championship seasons and is 43-0 when a member of Colquitt County’s coaching staff.

No. 1 vs. No. 2: One game matches the two highest-ranked teams in their classification. That would be No. 2 North Oconee (13-0) at No. 1 Cedartown (13-0). It’s one of two semifinals between undefeated teams, joining Carrollton-Colquitt County. North Oconee, in its 19th season, has never reached a state final. Cedartown last made it in 2001 and won its only title in 1963.

Breaking new ground: Dutchtown, Schley County and St. Francis are in the semifinals for the first time. Appling County, Mill Creek, North Oconee and Troup are a win from their first finals.

Small-town opportunity: Aside from the first-timers, the three schools breaking the longest semifinal droughts are Bowdon and Johnson County (last made it in 2005) and Lincoln County (2012). Those three and semifinals newcomer Schley County play in Class A Division II, and that’s no coincidence. Until this season, the threshold for the lowest classification was about 600 students. Now, it’s around 400, a big victory for the little guy.

Regulars: Irwin County and Warner Robins are in the semifinals for the sixth consecutive season, and they’re 5-0 in those games. Either can join Buford (2007-16) and Eagle’s Landing Christian (2014-19) as only teams in state history reach six consecutive championship games. Benedictine, Fitzgerald and Irwin County are the only other schools that have made the semifinals each of the past three seasons.

Football towns: The three cities with two semifinals teams are Bogart (North Oconee, Prince Avenue Christian), Milton (St. Francis, Milton) and Roswell (Fellowship Christian, Roswell). School systems with multiple semifinals teams are Oconee (North Oconee, Oconee County) and Fulton (Milton, Roswell, Hughes).

Well-traveled: Oconee County is the only team to win three straight road games to reach the semifinals. The Warriors can become the 12th team in history to reach a championship game with four victories away from home. Their coach, Ben Hall, was the offensive coordinator for the 2008 Flowery Branch team that did it. Oconee County is a 23-point underdog to defending 3A champion Cedar Grove, according to the Maxwell Ratings.

Hard to predict: The lone pure tossup, according to Maxwell, is No. 2 Swainsboro (13-0) at No. 4 Irwin County (11-1) in A Division I. One-point favorites are Appling County over Thomson in 2A, Colquitt County over Carrollton in 7A and Johnson County over Schley County in A Division II.

Historic coaches: Ware County’s Jason Strickland is the 10th coach in GHSA history to lead three schools to the semifinals (Ware, Fitzgerald, Pierce County). Current St. Francis and former Cartersville coach Frank Barden and current Oconee County and former Jefferson coach Hall now have reached the semifinals with two schools.

Making themselves at home: The GHSA has minimum seating requirements for the semifinals, and three Fulton County schools had to move games elsewhere. Roswell is playing against Gainesville at McEachern’s Cantrell Stadium. Milton is playing Mill Creek and Hughes is playing Rome at Atlanta’s Lakewood Stadium in a doubleheader. The minimums for classes 6A and 7A are 6,000 permanent seats.

What’s next: The championship games are Dec. 8-10 at Center Parc Stadium.

IN THE NEWS

Blessed Trinity coach Hall retires

Blessed Trinity coach Tom Hall retired Thursday after two seasons as head coach and 13 years at the school.

Blessed Trinity was 9-5 and 7-4 under Hall, reaching the semifinals in Class 5A in 2020 and the first round in 6A this season. Hall was on Blessed Trinity’s staff from 2007 to 2017 and was offensive coordinator on the 2017 team that won a Class 4A championship. Hall was on the staff of Somerset Academy Canyons in Florida when Blessed Trinity hired him back in 2020.

In other coaching news Thursday, Joaquin Sample announced he would not return next season at Central of Macon, his alma mater. Sample’s teams were 16-36 in five seasons, 3-8 in 2022.

Those mark the 23rd and 24th reported coaching opening since the end of the regular season. Click here to see the complete list on our website.

NATIONAL RANKINGS

Here is where Georgia teams stand in several national polls. The numbers on the left are this week's rankings; the numbers in parentheses are last week's rankings.

CalPreps

(Top 100)

9. (11) Mill Creek

14. (19) Carrollton

21. (25) Colquitt County

23. (27) Hughes

30. (24) Buford

38. (41) Cedar Grove

56. (63) North Cobb

65. (40) Walton

66. (71) Rome

71. (NR) Ware County

72. (NR) Milton

74. (NR) Roswell

78. (81) Cedartown

82. (77) Westlake

83. (98) Gainesville

100. (56) Thomas County Central

USA Today

(Top 25)

18. (17) Hughes

21. (21) Colquitt County

24. (NR) Carrollton

MaxPreps

(Top 100)

18. (18) Hughes

19. (19) Mill Creek

21. (21) Colquitt County

25. (54) Carrollton

36. (43) Cedar Grove

40. (37) Buford

49. (32) Walton

82. (96) Milton

88. (NR) Roswell

90. (NR) Rome

Massey Ratings

(Top 100)

13. (11) Mill Creek

14. (19) Colquitt County

16. (15) Hughes

19. (16) Buford

23. (21) Carrollton

37. (33) Ware County

44. (49) Cedar Gove

57. (72) Roswell

63. (73) Rome

67. (77) Gainesville

70. (65) North Cobb

73. (78) Cedartown

76. (NR) Milton

82. (46) Thomas County Central

85. (62) Walton

90. (68) Grayson

93. (75) Westlake

High School Football America

(Top 100)

15. (17) Colquitt County

19. (20) Hughes

21. (22) Mill Creek

24. (30) Cedar Grove

41. (28) Buford

63. (87) Carrollton

73. (81) Milton

75. (49) Walton

81. (80) North Cobb

88. (NR) Roswell

93. (NR) Rome

NationalHSFB.com

(Top 25)

11. (11) Hughes

17. (18) Mill Creek

18. (19) Colquitt County

19. (NR) Carrollton

20. (20) Cedar Grove

Blue Star Media

(Top 25)

21. (22) Colquitt County

23. (25) Mill Creek

25. (24) Buford

FOUR QUESTIONS

Today’s interviewee is Fulton County Schools athletic director Steven Craft. The interview was conducted by Hannah Goodin and Jon Nelson of GPB Sports on the “Football Fridays in Georgia” podcast. Three Fulton County teams are in the semifinals tonight. Milton is playing Mill Creek and Hughes is playing Rome in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. today that GPB Sports is televising from Atlanta’s Lakewood Stadium. The third Fulton semifinalist, Roswell, is playing Gainesville at McEachern’s Cantrell Stadium. All three Fulton schools had to move their games to neutral sites because their stadiums didn’t meet GHSA minimums for seating. Craft, also a GHSA board of trustees member, discusses the logistics of setting up those games and the GHSA rules that precipitated them. The full interview can be heard here. This excerpt is edited by permission to read easier and fit GHSF Daily’s Four Questions format.

Steven Craft, Fulton County Schools AD

1. Three Fulton teams are in the semifinals. What does that say about football in your area? “It just says we have amazing kids, amazing coaches, amazing community support and tremendous district support because it takes all of us in there. But, you know, at the end of the day, this is about our kids, this is about our coaches, our communities, and everything that they pour into this. When you advance this deep into the playoffs, you have talent but also luck. But it comes down to that commitment that all of the stakeholders have in place in order to make this happen. So as a district athletic director, this is one of the proudest accomplishments to have three teams in the state semis. And we had five in the quarterfinals [including Westlake and Creekside]. So it means an amazing accomplishment for our district and our schools and most importantly our kids.”

2. Once you knew which of your teams were going to the semifinals, how immediate were the conversations getting all of these things in motion? How busy was your weekend? “The phone calls started as soon as I was driving home from Langston's game. [Hughes beat Woodward Academy 56-28 in the 6A quarterfinals.] That was the second game I went to Friday night. [Craft also attended the Creekside-Warner Robins game about six miles away] And I knew I had three teams that qualified. So I started reaching out right then. I was reaching out with Gainesville's athletic director. I was getting a number for Rome's athletic director, and I was reaching out to the head coach at Mill Creek because I had his contact number. So I started that conversation Friday night and probably worked till about 1:30, 2 that night and then started working the phones again probably 7:30 Saturday morning because we had three teams designated as the home teams. At one point I had three venues and lost one of those venues. ... Just so you all know, when the home team stadium does not meet the capacity, then it is the responsibility of the home school to secure a facility that does meet it unless the opponent agrees to waive the seating requirement.”

3. How did things transpire from there? “In this case, all three [visiting] schools asked to have a stadium that meets the stadium requirements, and that is their right from the White Book [the GHSA bylaws]. I was fortunate [that] McEachern was more than happy to host a game for us, so we put Roswell and Gainesville there. I had already secured with APS [Atlanta Public Schools] to have the Langston-Rome game at Lakewood. We weren't able to use their other facility [Henderson Stadium, formerly known as Grady Stadium, in Midtown], which is where I was kind of hoping to put the Mill Creek-Milton game. So at that point I started the conversations with the Mill Creek administration. OK, here's the options we can do. Here's some choices. Would you like for me to look at this, this and this? Are there any circumstances you would consider playing this game in Milton? And they said no. I asked them about the Forsyth [County] high schools. Their stadiums are much larger than ours. Do you want me to reach out to those schools? And they said no. So at that point, the venue that I had available was to do a doubleheader at Lakewood. So I started working on it, started having conversations with my counterpart, Jasper Jewell, who is the athletic director for APS, and Corey Collier, who was his coordinator, and started having conversations like, hey, is a doubleheader doable? And we started working through the logistics. I reached back out to Mill Creek and said, hey, here's what I can do. Here are the options. Are you interested in this [the doubleheader]? And they said no, we're not interested in that. I called a few other places that [ultimately] weren't interested in hosting us. And so I'm like, OK, here's where we are. We're going to do a doubleheader. And we finalized everything and signed the contracts Sunday. And I just kept working most of the day Sunday on the logistics.”

4. When it comes to Lakewood, how is it going to work specifically? Do you have to completely clear the stadium out and then re-ticket everyone? “We’ve got two games set up, and that is a little unique for us in Fulton County Schools but not unique for APS. They routinely have doubleheaders, and they had a doubleheader in the second round. So we've got one game set up for 5 [p.m.], Milton versus Mill Creek. And then we will start the next game ... 30 minutes after the first. So hopefully we stay on schedule. Normally with an event like this, you would have to clear the stadium. But the reality is Lakewood Stadium holds close to 12,000 people, so we're going to have a lot of space for the fans. We are not going to have to clear the stadium. All the tickets are done electronically. So Milton and Mill Creek will be buying from their link. The Langston and Rome fans will be buying from their link. So you don't have to worry about the separation of money and making sure the schools are getting what they're entitled to do. If some of the fans from Mill Creek and from Milton want to watch the second game, they're going to be welcome. ... We should have plenty of space for everybody to be there on Friday.”

The 2022 GHSA-Tommy Guillebeau State Football Championships, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance, will be held Dec. 8-10 at Georgia State University’s Center Parc Stadium. Tickets are $20 and will be available for pre-sale, and mobile tickets are at GoFan. All games (including flag football) will be televised live on Georgia Public Broadcasting and streaming to any device on NFHS Network & GPB.org.

WATCH THE GAMES

On the Web

NFHS Network

The NFHS Network will present live streaming of football games from around the state each week. To sign up for the network or watch the games, click here. The NFHS Network partners with more than 100 Georgia high schools to give their students the opportunity to train and learn to broadcast their school's sporting events. Contact the NFHS Network to find out how your school can serve its students and fans with sports broadcasting opportunities.

On TV

Today

*Mill Creek vs. Milton, 5 p.m., GPB

*Rome vs. Hughes, 8 p.m., GPB

*Gainesville vs. Roswell, 8 p.m., WPCH Peachtree TV (Atlanta)

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LIST

State finals quest

Seven teams will be trying to reach championship games for the first times in their schools’ histories tonight. Nine can return from last season. Here are the most recent state finals appearances of the 32 semifinal teams.

Never

Appling County

Dutchtown

Mill Creek

North Oconee

Schley County

St. Francis

Troup

1993

Johnson County

2000

Swainsboro

2001

Bowdon

Cedartown

2006

Lincoln County

2012

Gainesville

Sandy Creek

Ware County

2013

Carrollton

2016

Fellowship Christian

Roswell

Thomson

2017

Rome

2018

Colquitt County

2020

Cartersville

Oconee County

2021

Benedictine

Carver (Atlanta)

Cedar Grove

Fitzgerald

Hughes

Irwin County

Milton

Prince Avenue Christian

Warner Robins

GHSF Daily, in conjunction with scoutSMART, will be announcing a statewide All-Academic team for 2022. The ideal candidate will be outstanding on the field and in the classroom. Please click here to send nominations to Diane Bloodworth.

TRIVIA

Oconee County is the only team that has won three road games in the playoffs and travels to No. 1 Cedar Grove this week. What was the last team to win four road games to reach a championship game: 2018 Bainbridge, 2017 Colquitt County, 2015 Westminster, 2015 Pace Academy or 2006 Peachtree Ridge? (Answer Monday)

Answer to Thursday’s question: The two school systems with multiple teams in the semifinals are Fulton (Hughes, Roswell, Milton) and Oconee (North Oconee, Oconee County).

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PLAYOFF SCORES, SCHEDULE

GHSA

Class 7A

Semifinals

Carrollton at Colquitt Co.

Mill Creek at Milton (L)

Championship

7 p.m., Dec. 10

Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Class 6A

Semifinals

Gainesville at Roswell (MC)

Rome at Hughes (L)

Championship

7 p.m., Dec. 9

Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Class 5A

Semifinals

Dutchtown at Ware Co.

Cartersville at Warner Robins (MT)

Championship

3:30 p.m., Dec. 10

Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Class 4A

Semifinals

North Oconee at Cedartown

Troup at Benedictine (SM)

Championship

3:30 p.m., Dec. 9

Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Class 3A

Semifinals

Carver, Atlanta at Sandy Creek

Oconee Co. at Cedar Grove (GO)

Championship

Noon, Dec. 10

Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Class 2A

Semifinals

Fellowship Christian at Fitzgerald

Thomson at Appling Co.

Championship

Noon, Dec. 9

Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Class A Division I

Semifinals

Swainsboro at Irwin Co.

St. Francis at Prince Avenue Christian

Championship

8 p.m., Dec. 8

Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Class A Division II

Semifinals

Lincoln Co. at Bowdon

Schley Co. at Johnson Co.

Championship

5 p.m., Dec. 8

Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Stadium abbreviations: (GO) Godfrey; (L) Lakewood; (MC) McEachern High School; (MT) McConnell-Talbert; (SM) Savannah Memorial

GIAA

Class 4A

Championship

St. Anne-Pacelli vs. Stratford Academy

8 p.m. today, Mercer

Class 3A

Championship

John Milledge 49, Deerfield-Windsor 0

Class 2A

Championship

Central Fellowship vs. Brentwood

5 p.m. today, Mercer

Class A

Championship

Thomas Jefferson 38, Robert Toombs 8

Flag football

(GHSA Quarterfinals)

Class 7A

Milton 26, McEachern 20

Allatoona 13, Roswell 6

Blessed Trinity 6, Pope 0

Marietta 13, North Gwinnett 0

Class 5A/6A

Central, Carrollton 7, Westside, Macon 6

East Coweta 19, Evans 6

St. Pius 7, Trinity Christian 6

Lithia Springs 20, Mt. Zion, Jonesboro 0

Class A/4A

Pace Academy 6, Calvary Day 0

Harris Co. 7, St. Vincent’s 6

SE Bulloch 7, Northside, Columbus 0

Loganville 27, Long Co. 7

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QUARTERFINAL SUPERLATIVES

Team of the Week: Bowdon

The top-ranked Bowdon Red Devils, who trailed 19-0 in the first half but rallied for a 36-26 victory over No. 3 Early County in the Class A Division II quarterfinals, received the Georgia Team of the Week plaque Wednesday at their school. It was the first road playoff win for Bowdon (seniors and coach Richard Fendley pictured above) since 300-game winner Dwight Hochstetler was its coach in 2013. The state Team of the Week award is sponsored by BSN Sports and Titan Electric.

Player of the Week: Jontavis Curry

Jontavis Curry, a senior running back at Thomson who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a 56-38 victory over second-ranked South Atlanta in the Class 2A quarterfinals, received his Georgia Player of the Week plaque Tuesday at his school. (Curry, pictured with head coach Michael Youngblood) finished with 359 all-purpose yards (100 rushing, 67 receiving, 192 returning) and scored five touchdowns. The state Player of the Week award is sponsored by Sports Turf.

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ALL-REGION TEAMS

Please send all-region teams to GHSF Daily at ghsfdaily@bellsouth.net. We will publish any team that we receive. GHSF Daily encourages those selecting and providing all-region teams to include each player's year in school. All-region players who are recognized as underclassmen have a better chance of being recruited and getting recognition on preseason all-area or all-state teams in 2023.

To see all of the teams that we have received, visit the 2022 All-Region Teams page on our website.

Region 4-4A

Player of the year: QB Taeo Todd, Troup, Sr.

Offensive player of the year: RB Autavius Ison, Riverdale, Sr.

Defensive player of the year: LB Popo Aguirre, Whitewater, Sr.

Athlete of the year: WR/DB Qua Moss, Troup, Sr.

Special teams player of the year: PK/P T.J. Hartley, Whitewater, Sr.

Coach of the year: Tanner Glisson, Troup

First-team offense

QB - Jaylan Brown, LaGrange, Sr.

RB - AJ Tucker, LaGrange, Sr.

RB - Braxton Mueller, Whitewater, Sr.

RB - Phoenix Moss, Trinity Christian, Jr.

WR - Logan Sinkfield, Troup, Jr.

WR - Magic Johnson, LaGrange, Sr.

WR - Cam Roach, Trinity Christian, Sr.

TE - Josh Phifer, Starr's Mill, Sr.

OL - Jycel Mosley, LaGrange, Jr.

OL - Nathan Jones, Trinity Christian, Sr.

OL - Isaiah Hall, Troup, Jr.

OL - Jayden White, LaGrange, Sr.

OL - Ethan Boelsterli, Whitewater, Sr.

OL - Will Thomas, Starr's Mill, Sr.

K - Max Prozny, Starr's Mill, Jr.

First-team defense

DL - Qua Birdsong, Troup, Jr.

DL - Cam Matthews, Trinity Christian, Jr.

DL - Parker Shattuck, LaGrange, Jr.

DL - Ethan McDowell, Trinity Christian, Sr.

DL - Tyler Glover, Whitewater, Sr.

LB - Javari Fannin, Troup, Jr.

LB - Ryan Earl, Trinity Christian, Sr.

LB - Dorsey Benefield, Starr's Mill, Jr.

LB - Will Snellings, Whitewater, Sr.

LB - Cody Anderson, Trinity Christian, Jr.

DB - Shawn Braxton, Trinity Christian, Sr.

DB - Tray Blackmon Jr, Troup, Sr.

DB - Will Yarbrough, Starr's Mill, Sr.

DB - Noah Dixon, Troup, Jr.

P - Josh Taylor, Trinity Christian, Sr.

Second-team offense

QB - Henry Brodnax, Trinity Christian, Sr.

RB - Logan Griffith, Whitewater, Sr.

RB - Andersen Cardoza, Starr's Mill, Jr.

RB - Javon Graham, Fayette County, Jr.

WR - Cam Roach, Trinity Christian, Sr.

WR - Colin O'Brien, Whitewater, Sr.

WR - Jamey Newman, Riverdale, Jr.

WR - Jaylon Jordan, LaGrange, Sr.

OL - Jalen Wiltz, Riverdale, Sr.

OL - Jaxson Gier, Whitewater, Sr.

OL - Eli Dumas, Whitewater, So.

OL - Kelijah Parks, LaGrange, Jr.

OL - Alex Shirah, Fayette County, Sr.

OL - Joshua Montgomery, Fayette County, Sr.

TE - J'Arthur Dunn, LaGrange, Sr.

K - Christian Ceja, LaGrange, Sr.

Second-team defense

DL - Johnathan Navakas, Whitewater, Jr.

DL - Pete West, Starr's Mill, Jr.

DL - Stephen Johnson, Whitewater, Sr.

DL - Towson Partin, LaGrange, Sr.

LB - Tyler Leslie, Troup, Jr.

LB - Evan Bartek, Starr's Mill, So.

LB - Carlos Wall, Fayette County, Jr.

LB - JD McCutcheon, LaGrange, Jr.

LB - JT Burks, LaGrange, Jr.

DB - Corey Richardson, Whitewater, Jr.

DB - Logan Moss, Trinity Christian, So.

DB - Denorayon Reid, LaGrange, So.

DB - Marcus Collins, Fayette County, Sr.

DB - Nicholas Taylor, Fayette County, Jr.

P - Jordan Neang, Riverdale, Sr.

Honorable mention: Fayette County - WR Kahlil Allen, So.; DB Julian Hall, Sr.; DB Cameron Williams, Sr.; LB Myles Howard, Sr.; LB Max Calloway, Sr.; DL Jayden Scott, Jr. LaGrange - DL Ni Gunsby, Sr.; DL Christian Ector, Sr.; LB Harris Grace, So.; DB Jeffery Sims, Sr.; DB Marcus Jones, Sr.; OL KT Owens, Jr.; OL Jaden Ligon, Jr. North Clayton - OL Jocquez McClendon, Jr.; OL Gabriel Harris, Jr.; OL Maximiliano Flores, Fr.; RB Nyziah Scott, So.; QB Taron Essex, Fr.; LB Cayden Burnett, Fr.; DB Nadir Mayer, So.; QB Dominique Lewis, So.; OL Jamari Montfort, So.; WR Malique Johnson, So.; DL Akintunde Young, Fr.; DL Ta'shaun Bagley, Jr.; DL Isaiah Mitchell, Jr.; WR Eric Washington, So.; RB Caleb Harris, Sr.; DL Joesph Harris, Sr. Riverdale - Chandler Folger, Sr.; JaCorey Walker, Sr.; Jhoan Andrade, Sr.; Marcus Torrence, Jr. Starr's Mill - DL Carson Schmidlkofer, Jr.; DL Jarred Moore, So.; LB Ethan Bramblett, Jr.; LB Josh Layton, So.; DB Will Clem, Jr.; QB Logan Inagawa, So.; RB Jacob Free, Sr.; OL Jordan Yoder, Sr. Trinity Christian - OL Greyson Ingram, So.; OL Jonay Conaway, Jr.; LB Cam Rodgers, So.; TE Kaden Hanson, So.; DL David Hayden, Sr.; OL Sederik Saxon, Sr. Troup - OL Jeremy Patrick, Jr.; OL Jatorian Blackmon, Jr.; OL Amarius Perdue, Jr.; WR Malikah Poythress, Jr.; LB TJ Mitchell, Jr.; DT Ben Taylor, Jr.; DT Charles Davis, Jr.; DE Jacob Bailey, Sr.; DB CJ Sands, Sr. Whitewater - QB Ty Ellington, Sr.; RB Xavier Clay-Turner, Sr.; DE Braylon McDowell, Jr.; DB Terrell White, Jr.; DB Markel Aguirre, Fr.; LB Blake Elsenpeter, Sr.; OL Bryson Phipps, Sr.

Region 3-3A

Player of year: QB Jake Merklinger, Calvary Day, Jr.

Offensive player of year: RB Ahmari Douglas, Long County, Jr.

Defensive player of year: DL Elijah Griffin, Savannah Christian, So.

Athlete of year: WR/DB David Bucey, Savannah Christian, Jr.

Coach of the year: Mark Stroud, Calvary Day

First-team offense

QB - Carlos Singleton, Liberty County, Jr.

RB - Zo Smalls, Savannah Christian, So.

RB - Michael Grandy, Savannah Country Day, Sr.

WR - Ron Golden, Liberty County, Jr.

WR - Edward Coleman, Calvary Day, So.

WR - Joshua Washington, Savannah Country Day, Fr.

WR - Caden Arnold, Calvary Day, Jr.

TE - Mike Smith, Calvary Day, Jr.

OL - Jalin Scott, Calvary Day, Sr.

OL - Jep Hudspeth, Savannah Christian, Sr.

OL - Ho’o Naki, Long County, So.

OL - Phil Ajayi, Savannah Country Day, Sr.

OL - Jaden Boone, Johnson (Savannah), Sr.

ATH - Samari Dowdy, Johnson (Savannah), Jr.

K - Cash Ramirez, Savannah Country Day, Fr.

First-team defense

DL - Terry Simmons, Calvary Day, Sr.

DL - Walter Mathis, Calvary Day, So.

DL - Akeem Lane, Savannah Christian, Sr.

DL - Rooster Bing, Savannah Country Day, Jr.

DL - Demarai Booker, Liberty County, Sr.

LB - Troy Ford, Calvary Day, Sr.

LB - Jordan Davis, Calvary Day, Jr.

LB - Tyler Scott, Savannah Country Day, So.

LB - Kenny Pickens, Long County, So.

LB - Mi’Karee Stafford, Johnson (Savannah), Sr.

DB - Trevor Strowbridge, Calvary Day, Jr.

DB - Michael Ellison III, Johnson (Savannah), Sr.

DB - Jamar Joseph, Liberty County, Sr.

DB - Keshawn Smith, Long County, Jr.

DB - Jayden Hester, Savannah Christian, Sr.

ATH - James Summersett, Liberty County, Sr.

P - Matthew Gunn, Savannah Christian, Sr.

Second-team offense

QB - Paulus Zittrauer, Savannah Christian, Sr.

RB - A.J. Butts, Calvary Day, Jr.

RB - Amarion Scott, Johnson (Savannah), Sr.

WR - Ryan Lovett, Beach, Sr.

WR - Ja’Quawn Singleton, Groves, Sr.

WR - Keith James, Savannah Country Day, Jr.

WR - Aidan O’Neil, Groves, Sr.

TE - Logan Brooking, Savannah Christian, So.

OL - David Petty, Johnson (Savannah), Sr.

OL - Jayden Newton, Calvary Day, Sr.

OL - Jasiah Bradwell, Liberty County, Sr.

OL - Cole Burnsed, Savannah Christian, Sr.

OL - Jacob Hewitt, Long County, Jr.

ATH - Kenry Wall, Savannah Christian, So.

K - Ethan Byrd, Savannah Christian, Jr.

Second-team defense

DL - Noah Range, Long County, Sr.

DL - Jahzir Williams, Liberty County, Sr.

DL - Kamerion Lanigan, Calvary Day, Jr.

DL - Brooks Kleinpeter, Savannah Country Day, So.

DL - Dakari Smith, Beach, Fr.

LB - Steven Wyatt, Long County, Jr.

LB - Brody Dawson, Calvary Day, So.

LB - Jaden Miles, Savannah Christian, So.

LB - Austin Saylor, Savannah Christian, Sr.

DB - Chris Hatfield, Long County, So.

DB - Kyan Parker, Liberty County, Sr.

DB - Jamari McIvory, Savannah Christian, Jr.

DB - Jayden Jones, Johnson (Savannah), Sr.

DB - Anthony Cooper, Johnson (Savannah), Sr.

ATH - Bryan Wells, Groves, Sr.

P - Athon Herrin, Savannah Country Day, Jr.

Honorable mention: QB - Barton Mixon, Savannah Country Day, Demetrius Holloway, Beach. RB - Paul Brown, Liberty County; Sidney Simmons, Beach; Tyler Penrose, Savannah Christian; Christian Glenn, Long County; Joe Saddler, Long County. WR - Aaron Moore, Beach; Marquas Bythewood, Groves; Noah Gilliam, Calvary Day. TE - Boone Wiesner, Savannah Country Day; EJ Portela, Long County. OL - John Avino, Savannah Country Day; Keith Burno, Liberty County; Ricardo Bright, Beach; Michael Ordonez, Groves; Jackson Mercer, Savannah Christian; Tyson Gross, Savannah Christian; John Offer, Calvary Day; Tyler Padgett, Calvary Day; Tyler Snipes, Calvary Day. DL - Dewayne Allen, Liberty County; Austin Myers, Savannah Christian; Jay’Quan Johnson, Long County. LB - De’Ontae Grant, Liberty County; JaShawn Lovett, Johnson (Savannah); Isiah Scott, Johnson (Savannah); Jadarius Reid, Groves; Cutter Powell, Calvary Day. DB - Shareefe Morgan, Beach; E’Bine Griffin, Johnson (Savannah); Ronald Smith Jr., Johnson (Savannah); Jamori Taylor, Johnson (Savannah); Alex Cason, Long County; Sam Anderson, Calvary Day; Sean Stoddard, Calvary Day. ATH - De’Andre Jones, Beach; Malachi Walker, Groves. K - Trey Aiello, Liberty County; Wilmer Ruiz, Beach.

Region 6-3A

Player of the year: RB/DB Chris Roper, Adairsville, Sr.

Offensive player of the year: QB Kace Kinnamon, Coahulla Creek, Sr.

Defensive player of the year: LB Trent Baldwin, Ringgold, Sr.

Athlete of the year: RB/DB Nate Dunfee, Gordon Lee, Sr.

Lineman of the year: OL/DT Bobby Campbell, Adairsville, Jr.

Iron Man award: WR/DB Jaden Morris, LaFayette, Sr.

Iron Man award: WR/DB Jonah Hatchett, Bremen, Jr.

Coach of the year: Jonathan Cudd, Adairsville

First-team offense

QB - Jonathan Gough, Adairsville, Jr.

RB - Peyton Williams, Ringgold, Sr.

RB - Ethan Blome, Adairsville, Jr.

WR - Trevon Gott, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr.

WR - Grayson Belcher, Adairsville, Sr.

WR - Ty Gilbert, Ringgold, Sr.

WR - Manny Dominguez, Coahulla Creek, Sr.

TE - Parker Metcalf, Ridgeland, Jr.

OL - Cayden Sweatt, Bremen, Sr.

OL - James Foster, Adairsville, Sr.

OL - Clint Carlock, Ringgold, Sr.

OL - Brodie Genter, Gordon Lee, Sr.

OL - Carter Wilson, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr.

OL - Mason Tordrup, Adairsville, Sr.

OL - Hudson Mardis, Coahulla Creek, Sr.

PK - Logan Fowler, Coahulla Creek, Sr.

First-team defense

DL - Robbie Wiggins, Coahulla Creek, Sr.

DL - Barrett Greenhaw, Bremen, Sr.

DL - Brady Gray, Ringgold, Sr.

DL - Jett Johnson, Adairsville, So.

DL - Cam O’Neal, Bremen, Jr.

DL - Andrew Foster, Adairsville, Jr.

LB - Bryce Hart, Ringgold, So.

LB - AJ Sanders, Bremen, Jr.

LB - Charlie Ray, Adairsville, Sr.

LB - Beau Boozer, Ringgold, Sr.

LB - Will Douglas, Coahulla Creek, Sr.

DB - Dawson Pendergrass, LaFayette, Jr.

DB - Kishaun Taylor, Ringgold, So.

DB - Jamaurian Pullum, Adairsville, So.

DB - Gabe Helton, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr.

DB - Kade Cowan, Gordon Lee, Sr.

P - Bryson Sullivan, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr.

LS - Grant Landford, LaFayette, Sr.

Second-team offense

QB - Ross Norman, Ringgold, Sr.

RB - Trent McPherson, Bremen, So.

RB - Holt Roberts, Gordon Lee, Sr.

WR - Brent Bowman, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr.

WR - Aiden Patterson, Coahulla Creek, Sr.

WR - Darrian Burks, Ridgeland, Sr.

WR - Sam Hall, LaFayette, Sr.

TE - Sam Sartin, Gordon Lee, So.

TE/H - Doc Pearson, Bremen, Sr.

OL - Cole Norred, Bremen, So.

OL - Myles Hudson, Ringgold, Sr.

OL - Luke Altizer, Adairsville, Jr.

OL - Noah Johnson, LaFayette, Jr.

OL - Evan Brown, Bremen, Jr.

PK - Connor Nisewonger, Ringgold, Sr.

Second-team defense

DL - Riley Broome, Ringgold, Sr.

DL - Conner Whitman, Gordon Lee, Sr.

DL - Kymoni Pullum, Adairsville, Sr.

DL - Brent Raby, Ringgold, Jr.

LB - Parr Folsom, Bremen, Jr.

LB - Hayden Blalock, Adairsville, Jr.

LB - Kain Brown, Ridgeland, So.

LB - Braylon Pritchett, Ridgeland, So.

LB - Payton Simpson, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Jr.

LB - Dalton Russell, Gordon Lee, So.

DB - Tamarius Wilkey, Adairsville, So.

DB - Jakobe Turner, Ridgeland, Sr.

DB - Jared Mitchell, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Fr.

DB - Brody Barrow, Bremen, Jr.

DB - Logan Roberts, Ringgold, So.

P - Wyatt Mathis-Kline, Bremen, Jr.

LS - Chase Ward, Coahulla Creek, Jr.

Honorable mention: QB - Dylan Blankenship, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr. RB - Haddon Fries, Ringgold, Fr.; Caden Copeland, Adairsville, Sr.; Khalias Findley, LaFayette, So. WR - Tyson King, Coahulla Creek, Sr.; Robert Henson, Gordon Lee, Sr. TE - Andrew Muldoon, Bremen, So. OL - Chevy Joyce, Coahulla Creek, Fr.; Michael Hamilton, LaFayette, Jr.; Seth Sellers, Adairsville, Jr.; Nolan Dotson, Gordon Lee, Sr; DL - A.J. Thompson, LaFayette, Jr.; Brody Benton, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr.; C.J. Slocum, Adairsville, Jr.; Jamo Long, Adairsville, Jr.; Harrison Walker, Gordon Lee, So. LB - Levi Harwell, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Jr.; Nathaniel Tilley, Coahulla Creek, Jr.; Howard Bailey, Adairsville, Jr.; Cole Runion, Ringgold, So.; Chase Watkins, Ridgeland, Sr. DB - Demetree Bates, Ridgeland, So.; Hudson Moss, Ringgold, Jr.; Tre Winters, Adairsville, So.; Torrey Harris, LaFayette, Sr.; Deese Miller, Bremen, Sr.

Region 8-A Division I

Player of the year: WR Jaden Gibson, Rabun County, Sr.

Offensive player of the year: QB Keegan Stover, Rabun County, Sr.

Defensive player of the year: LB Nic Baloga, Rabun County, Sr.

Athlete of the year: RB Quan Moss, Elbert County, Sr.

Coach of the year: Michael Davis, Rabun County

First-team offense

QB - Navy Curry, Athens Christian, Sr.

RB - Jaiden Daniels, Commerce, So.

RB - Lang Windham, Rabun County, Sr.

RB - Tysean Wiggins, Commerce, So.

WR - Noah Legault, Rabun County, Sr.

WR - Trustin Allen, Elbert County, Sr.

WR - Jaylen Jackson, Athens Christian, Jr.

TE - Colton Hill, Commerce, Sr.

OL - Hampton Hutto, Commerce, Sr.

OL - Joey Duncan, Commerce, Jr.

OL - Curtis Hall, Elbert County, Sr.

OL - Chris Brown, Elbert County, Sr.

OL - Jack Hood, Rabun County, Jr.

OL - Braxton Brady, Rabun County, Sr.

PK - Marcus Remillard, Rabun County, Jr.

SPEC - Hayden Ross, Rabun County, Jr.

First-team defense

DL - Adrian Harris, Elbert County, Sr.

DL - Cesar Cruz, Rabun County, Sr.

DL - Emilliano Ortiz, Rabun County, Sr.

DL - Jack Fagan, Commerce, Sr.

DL - D.J. Raiford, Elbert County, Jr.

LB - Cole Hill, Commerce, Sr.

LB - Bubba Heard, Elbert County, Sr.

LB - Antonio Finch, Athens Christian, Sr.

LB - Ethan Owens, Rabun County, Sr.

DB - Cohen Thomason, Commerce, Sr.

DB - Jacri Huff, Commerce, So.

DB - Christian Harris, Elbert County, Sr.

DB - Titus Cummings, Athens Christian, Sr.

DB - Willie Goodwyn, Rabun County, Jr.

ATH - Cory Keller, Rabun County, Sr.

P - Coleson Smith, Commerce, Sr.

Second-team offense

QB - Jayvyn Hickman, Elbert County, So.

WR - Ty’Rikis Jones, Elbert County, So.

WR - Bryson Campbell, Athens Christian, So.

WR - Paul Piccioti, Rabun County, Jr.

WR - Eli Harris, Elbert County, Jr.

TE - Brady Dickerson, Elbert County, So.

OL - Jonathan Orozco, Commerce, Sr.

OL - Quintae Benard, Athens Christian, So.

OL - Eli Jourolmon, Elbert County, Jr.

OL - Mike Swager, Rabun County, Sr.

OL - Alex Yearwood, Rabun County, So.

PK - Ivy Tolbert, Commerce, Jr.

ATH - D.J. Walker, Athens Christian, Sr.

SPEC - Branson Bonds, Elbert County, So.

Second-team defense

DL - Jeremiah Mintz, Commerce, So.

DL - Nehemiah Robinson, Elbert County, Sr.

DL - Jet Galbreath, Rabun County, Sr.

DL - Avant Richardson, Athens Christian, Sr.

DL - Gilbert Fortson, Elbert County, So.

LB - J.D. Brown, Athens Christian, Jr.

LB - Jermaine Sims, Elbert County, So.

LB - James Johnson Jr., Athens Christian, Jr.

DB - Jackson Morris, Commerce, Sr.

DB - Jarrett Giles, Rabun County, Jr.

DB - L.J. Clark, Elbert County, Sr.

DB - Mac Mullis, Commerce, So.

Honorable mention: Athens Christian - Braden Byram, Cam Foster, Irvin Fuentes, Braxton Goolsby, Jaden Johnson, Jeffrey Rosa. Commerce - Caleb Lovin, Malachi Shockey, John Paul Allen, Dante Smith-Hernandez, Matthew Simpson. Elbert County - Corntavis Teasley, Miguel Rodriguez, Terrez Allen, Trey Moon. Rabun County - Skip Speed, Riley Stewart, Branson Gragg, Moises Figueroa

Region 4-A Division II

Player of the year: QB Abe Stowe, Wilcox County, Sr.

Offensive players of the year: RB Qua Powell, Telfair County, Sr.; and RB Lorenzo Clayton, Dooly County, Sr.

Defensive players of the year: LB Ja'Tyler Lundy, Dooly County, Sr.; and DB John Brown, Dooly County, Sr.

Special teams player of the year: KR/PR C.J. McAdoo, Wilcox County, Fr.

Athlete of the year: QB/SS Antonio Scott, Telfair County, Jr.

Coach of the year: Rob Stowe, Wilcox County

First-team offense

QB - Antwaun Clayton, Dooly County, Jr.

RB - Naja McNeil, Hawkinsville, Sr.

RB - Jason Culver, Wheeler County, Jr.

RB - DayDay Lawson, Wilcox County, Sr.

OL - Jobar Gates, Dooly County, Sr.

WR - B.J. Gibson, Wilcox County, Jr.

WR - Willie Butts, Wilcox County, Sr.

WR - Jailen Hall, Dooly County, Jr.

WR - Rodriguez Clay, Telfair County, Jr.

WR - Kolby McClendon, Treutlen, Jr.

TE/HB - Harlem Phillips, Hawkinsville, So.

OL - Charlie Allen, Telfair County, Sr.

OL - Devin McRae, Telfair County, Sr.

OL - Will Fore, Wilcox County, Sr.

OL - Bobby Hilliard, Wilcox County, Sr.

OL - Bryce Miller, Wheeler County, Sr.

OL - Granada Ridley, Dooly County, Sr.

PK - Gustavo Jimenez, Dooly County, Fr.

First-team defense

DL - Dairaishawn Bryan, Telfair County, Jr.

DL - Je'Rian Johnson, Treutlen, Sr.

DL - Tyrese Wilson, Wilcox County, So.

DL - Tylon Gorham, Wheeler County, Sr.

DL - Darius Anderson, Hawkinsville, Jr.

DL - Eric Almond, Dooly County, Sr.

LB - Sammy Grimes, Telfair County, Jr.

LB - DeMarko Terry, Treutlen, Jr.

LB - Jackson Owens, Wilcox County, Jr.

LB - Caysen Harvey, Wheeler County, Sr.

LB - Terry Wright, Hawkinsville, Jr.

LB - Jadarian Fairfax, Dooly County, Sr.

LB - Trey Coley, Wilcox County, Jr.

DB - Jordan “B.B.” McRae, Telfair County, Jr.

DB - Jeremiah Kincey, Wheeler County, Jr.

DB - Ian Scott, Wheeler County, Jr.

DB - De'ante Burden, Dooly County, Jr.

DB - Marlon Smith, Dooly County, Sr.

P - Rhett Rodgers, Wheeler County, Jr.

Second-team offense

QB - Jordan Coney, Treutlen, So.

RB - Alvin Ricks, Wheeler County, Fr.

RB - Jamario Westbrook, Dooly County, So.

RB - Quamar Jordan, Treutlen, Sr.

WR - TreDevin Cross, Dooly County, Sr.

WR - Kenton Mincey, Wheeler County, Jr.

WR - Devon Grace, Wilcox County, Sr.

WR - Jammari Sanders, Dooly County, Sr.

WR - Jeremiah Davils, Dooly County, Jr.

TE/HB - DyQuan Robinson, Dooly County, Sr.

TE/HB - Jailen King, Dooly County, Jr.

OL - Jacob McMillian, Telfair County, Sr.

OL - D.J. Smith, Treutlen, Sr.

OL - Cole Blackwell, Wilcox County, Sr.

OL - Jordan Bridges, Wheeler County, So.

OL - Walker Bridges, Wheeler County, Jr.

OL - Mason Coley, Hawkinsville, So.

OL - Ken Lucas, Dooly County, Fr.

PK - Joshua Juarez, Wheeler County, Jr.

Second-team defense

DL - Brenton Hackle, Treutlen, Jr.

DL - Keylan Wooten, Wheeler County, Jr.

DL - Josh Killings, Hawkinsville, Jr.

DL - Quandarian Coleman, Dooly County, So.

DL - Shaud Evans, Dooly County, Sr.

DL - Tre Collier, Dooly County, Sr.

LB - Bradyn Cook, Telfair County, So.

LB - Larsen Luke, Wilcox County, Sr.

LB - Justin Culver, Wheeler County, Fr.

LB - Jake Brooks, Treutlen, So.

LB - Kaylek Woodham, Dooly County, Jr.

DB - Kyle Page, Treutlen, Sr.

DB - Reco Wooten, Wheeler County, Fr.

DB - Jabari Watkins, Dooly County, Jr.

DB - Jakarious Bolden, Dooly County, Jr.

P - Gage Williamson, Hawkinsville, Jr.

CLASSIFIEDS

The Premo Source helps create athletic environments of excellence

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Do you know a kicker, punter or snapper who should be invited to the Southeast Kicking, Punting and Snapping Competition in Atlanta on Dec. 11? Become an all-state specialist and get honored at the Georgia Kicking, Punting and Snapping Awards. Each participant also will be placed into our ranking system based on their performance at the Competition! Click here to register. For more information, contact Cedric Oglesby via email by clicking here.

GPSA helps students grow in athletics, education, and life skills

Student-athletes’ athletic talents and skills are secondary to their academic eligibility to enter and stay in higher education programs. Our prep program can help non-qualifying student-athletes. Our NCAA-approved classes are taught in-face, giving student-athletes opportunities for more in-depth study while improving their academic skills, work ethic and GPAs. Our complete on-site facility promotes athletic and academic priorities, commitment and focus. For additional information, call 770-652-7711 or contact us via email by clicking here.

Southeast Georgia Football Recruiting Fair hosted by FCA on Dec. 6

The 2022 Southeast Georgia Football Recruiting Fair hosted by FCA will be held Dec. 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Camden County High School in Kingsland. Free to high school coaches and college recruiters. Contact us via email by clicking here to reserve your sport. RSVP requested by Dec. 1.

Sports marketing company Score Atlanta looking for help

Score Atlanta, which recently produced and activated the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame for almost 800 spectators at the College Football Hall of Fame, is looking to hire an administrative assistant. Recent college graduates are welcome to apply. The job includes working with the Falcons, United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium as well as Score's many high school businesses that involve television, including the Corky Kell Classic, Drive For The GHSA State Title and the upcoming Georgia Elite Classic. If you are interested, please send your resume to Graham David via email by clicking here or call him at 513-600-6557.

Shaw seeking applications for head coaching position

Shaw High School of Columbus, a member of Region 1-4A, is seeking applicants for the head football coaching position. All potential candidates must hold or be able to obtain a clear/renewable Georgia teaching certification. Head coaching experience and/or coordinator experience is preferred but not required. Please submit a cover letter and resume to athletic director Blair Harrison via email by clicking here. Inquiries and applications will be accepted through Thursday, Jan. 12.

GHSA offering scholarships for students looking to become officials

The GHSA is offering a scholarship to graduating senior boys and girls from all GHSA member schools to stay in the games they love by becoming a contest official. The scholarship covers GHSA registration, association membership dues and training camp fees for a two-year period. Member schools merely need to submit the names, school, and email contact information of the students they wish to nominate for this scholarship to Ernie Yarbrough by clicking here.

GHSF Daily classified ads

Reach 23,000 readers per day in GHSF Daily’s classified ads. Rates are $50 per week. Ads must be a maximum of 75 words and include a headline and contact information. Click here to contact us.

About Us

Georgia High School Football Daily is a free e-mail newsletter produced and owned by Todd Holcomb and Chip Saye. Holcomb is a former lead high school football writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and co-founder of the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. Saye is a 38-year veteran of the newspaper industry who has covered high school sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Athens Banner-Herald, Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail and Gwinnett Daily News.