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Flag football Division 1: Southeast Bulloch 13, Columbus 6 (OT)
Southeast Bulloch tied the game with 1:13 remaining in the fourth quarter and won it 13-6 in overtime on a 10-yard run by Emma Cate Barron to capture its fourth consecutive state championship in the small-school division Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Four teams aim for first titles; Bowdon, Prince Avenue seek three-peats
Four Georgia football teams can win state championships for the first time, two can win for the third time in a row, and two others can finish undefeated with top-10 national rankings this week as eight championship games are played over three days starting Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Championship Game Previews: Classes 2A and A Division I
Northeast and Toombs County of Class A Division I are making their first appearances in the finals and will meet Tuesday in the only title game this season that guarantees a first-time state champion. Burke County and Carver of Columbus, the Class 2A finalists, are traditionally strong programs, but neither has won a state title in more than a decade.
Championship Game Previews: Classes 4A and 3A
Marist and North Oconee of Class 4A will meet Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the only state championship game this season matching undefeated teams. It will be a contrast in styles, pitting Marist's option running game against North Oconee’s pass-fueled attack. Jefferson and Calhoun will face off in the Class 3A final Wednesday.
Championship Game Previews: Classes 6A and 5A
Carrollton and Milton will put their top-10 national rankings on the line when GHSA champions are crowned next week at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Carrollton will face Grayson in the Class 6A game on Dec. 18, and Milton will take on Hughes in the Class 5A game on Dec. 17.
Profiles of the 16 head coaches whose teams reached state finals
The 16 head coaches in the state finals have won 1,704 games in Georgia, lost only 466, and have a winning percentage of .785. Ten have played for state titles as head coaches, and eight are former champions with claims to 20 titles overall. It’s likely cyclical, but that’s a big contrast to last season, when the 16 coaches had only 993 wins and five total state titles.
Semifinals in review, and what it all means
The state football finals are back for another year at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will host championship games in all eight classifications and the flag football finals in four divisions on Dec. 16-18. Here’s a recap of last week’s 16 football semifinals and the significance of the results for both the winning and losing teams.
Complete scores from GHSA semifinals
The field is down to two teams in each classification of the GHSA playoffs. Here are the scores from the 16 semifinal games played Friday night. If you have corrections, please contact us.
Georgia’s highest-ranked teams will go head-to-head in semifinals
Georgia’s four hottest football teams, each ranked in the top 25 nationally, will go head-to head in two games tonight when the playoffs resume with 16 semifinals. Carrollton, the consensus No. 7 team from nine national polls, is playing at No. 9 Buford in Class 6A, while No. 25 Lee County is playing at No. 4 Milton.
Keith Maloof, Gwinnett County’s all-time winningest coach, retires
Keith Maloof, who led Norcross football to 210 wins and two state championships in 26 seasons, retired Wednesday. He is the all-time winningest coach in Gwinnett County. Corey Richardson, a Norcross assistant for 23 seasons, will be Maloof’s successor, the school announced. Maloof, 62, became Norcross’ coach in 1999.
Semifinal preview: Classes 2A and A Division I
Three games this week will match teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in their classifications, and one will be in Class A Division I, where Toombs County visits Dublin for a trip to the championship game against Fitzgerald or Northeast. Burke County takes on Rockmart and Appling County faces Carver of Columbus in Class 2A semifinals.
Semifinal preview: Classes 4A and 3A
Four region champions will go head to head in the Class 4A semifinals Friday night. Top-ranked Marist will be at home to face Creekside, while Blessed Trinity will travel to North Oconee. In Class 3A, the top two ranked teams have been eliminated, and the teams that beat them (LaGrange and Calhoun) are still alive.
Two No. 1-ranked teams knocked out in quarterfinals
North Cobb Christian and Calhoun upset No. 1-ranked opponents in the quarterfinals last week, and North Cobb Christian made further news as one of four teams making the semifinals for the first time. The other first-time semifinalists are Toombs County and Northeast in Class A Division I and Hebron Christian in 3A-A private.
No. 1 teams survive first two rounds, but challenges await in quarterfinals
The Georgia high school football playoffs are down to 64 teams playing for eight state championships. The quarterfinals were the round of wreckage a year ago, when Mill Creek, Buford, Colquitt County and Carrollton – all ranked in the top 25 of USA Today’s and MaxPreps’ national polls at the time – were taken out.
Quarterfinal preview: Classes 4A, 3A and 2A
The only game in any classification between undefeated teams, a game between a defending champion and a No. 1-ranked opponent, and a rematch of longtime rivals headline this weekend's quarterfinal schedule in classes 4A, 3A and 2A. Sixty-four teams remain in the GHSA playoffs, each with an eye on the state championships Dec. 16-18 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Cambridge, Cherokee Bluff making first trip to quarterfinals
Cambridge and Cherokee Bluff made history by reaching the football quarterfinals for the first time, and Sprayberry, Jenkins County and Southeast Bulloch are back in a final eight after absences of more than 40 years. Unranked teams LaGrange, Stephens County and Aquinas victimized Sandy Creek, Callaway and Athens Academy, respectively, in the second round’s biggest upsets.
16 second-round games will match top-10 teams
As far as upsets go, last week’s first round of the football playoffs was just a warmup for most of the state’s best teams. It’s about to get dicey Friday night, when the round of 16 arrives with 64 games on the weekend schedule, 16 that match top-10 teams.
Second-round preview: Classes A Division II and 3A-A private
Three games matching top-10 opponents and three rematches from the regular season headline the second-round schedule in Class A Division II and the 3A-A private playoffs this weekend. The top-10 battles are No. 2 Bowdon at No. 9 Metter in A Division II and No. 8 Lovett at No. 3 Hebron Christian and No. 9 Wesleyan at No. 10 Christian Heritage in 3A-A private.
Second-round preview: Classes 2A and A Division I
Four games matching ranked opponents highlight the second-round schedule in Class 2A and Class A Division I this weekend. In Class 2A, No. 10 Thomson travels to No. 6 Hapeville Charter and No. 9 Carver of Atlanta visits No. 4 Appling County. The Class A Division I games include No. 10 Dodge County at No. 6 Worth County and No. 7 Commerce at top-ranked Toombs County.