Class 3A: Sandy Creek 27, Jefferson 7
Recap: Caleb Hill passed for 167 yards and rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Amari Latimer rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Sandy Creek held Jefferson to 96 yards rushing and 3-of-19 passing for 86 yards. Jefferson scored its only touchdown on a kickoff return. Sandy Creek opened the scoring on a 14-play, 84-yard drive in the first half with Latimer scoring from 15 yards on a third-and-9. Sandy Creek got its second touchdown on a 15-yard drive after Eva Harvey blocked a punt. Sandy Creek went up 21-7 after a low snap to the punter, whose knee touched the ground with the ball, giving the Patriots possession at the Jefferson 4. Sandy Creek put the game in away with an 11-play, 80-yard drive in the second. They key play was Hill’s 32-yard pass to Rylan White on a third-and-20 to get to midfield.
History: Sandy Creek won its fifth state title, first since 2022. Only Buford (14) and Eagle’s Landing Christian (6) have won more since Sandy Creek’s first in 2009. This is Sandy Creek’s third 15-0 finish, to go with 2010 and 2012. Jefferson lost in the finals for the third time since its 2012 Class 2A title. Jefferson coach Travis Noland is 0-4 in finals (0-2 with his previous school, Oconee County), though he has good company at 0-4 with Gainesville’s Bobby Gruhn and Marist’s Dean Hargis, a pair of retired legends at their schools. Jefferson finished 13-2.
Game Statistics
Jefferson - 0-7-0-0 - 7
Sandy Creek - 0-14-7-6 - 27
Second quarter
S - Amari Latimer 15 run (Trey Love kick), 8:01
S - Caleb Hill 4 run (Love kick), 2:53
J - Chance Payne 82 kickoff return (Taylor McCallkick), 2:39
Third quarter
S - Hill 2 run (Love kick), 9:41
Fourth quarter
C - Latimer 25 run (kick blocked), 6:55
Rushing: Jefferson - Colton Grant 10-61, Darren Pinkard 10-39, CJ Hays 4-9, Team 1-(-13). Sandy Creek - Amari Latimer 22-96, Caleb Hill 15-68, Rylan White 1-1, Team 1-(-5) 5.
Passing: Jefferson - Colton Grant 3-18-0-86, Boone Horn 0-1-0-0. Sandy Creek - Caleb Hill 14-19-0-167.
Receiving: Jefferson - Logan Edmunds 2-55, Darren Pinkard 1-31. Sandy Creek - Khaylin Stevenson 5-35, Rylan White 4-51, Nathan Holston 2-18, Avohn Florence 1-48, Omari Jackson 1-10, Alijah Ferrell 1-5.