Gainesville, Thomas County Central advance to Class 5A final

Gainesville and Thomas County Central won Class 5A semifinals Thursday night to set up the last of the eight championship games set for Monday-Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Gainesville beat Rome 37-6, and Thomas County Central beat Roswell 49-28.

Gainesville took a 24-0 halftime lead and tagged Rome with 15 tackles for losses - 3.5 by Ayden Cain and three by Darryn Williams.

Sophomore Dwight Lewis rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. He became the workhorse after 1,500-yard rusher Nigel Newkirk was injured after only one carry.

Thomas County Central scored four unanswered touchdowns after trailing 21-14 midway in the second quarter. Deuce Lawrence scored three touchdowns, and Jaylen Johnson passed for two. D.J. White returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown.

The Class 5A final will be the final game of the GHSA season on Wednesday.

Click here for Jack Leo’s coverage of the Gainesville victory on AJC Varsity.