Semifinals in review, and what it all means
Class 6A
*Buford 39, Valdosta 7: Buford led 11-7 midway in the third quarter and scored four unanswered touchdowns. Dayton Raiola was 6-of-11 passing for 177 yards and a touchdown. Dylan McCoy rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown. Ethan Hauser, Ashton Thomas and C.J. Sibley intercepted passes.
What it means: Ranked No. 1 in USA Today, Buford is positioned to win its first national title. Buford is in the finals for the 22nd time, first since 2021. Buford has 14 state titles but is seeking its first in the highest classification. Valdosta finished 12-2 with its first semifinal in the highest class since 2003.
*Carrollton 48, North Gwinnett 21: Carrollton led 27-0 at halftime. Cam Wood rushed for 108 yards. C.J. Cypher was 12-of-20 passing for 226 yards. Peyton Zachery had five receptions for 172 yards and a touchdown. Jay Hagan had a team-leading six solo tackles and intercepted a pass.
What it means: Ranked No. 1 by MaxPreps, Carrollton is positioned to win its first national title. Carrollton is back in the finals after a 2024 runner-up finish to Grayson. Carrollton has seven state titles but none in the highest classification. North Gwinnett finished 12-2 with its first semifinal run since 2019.
Class 5A
(Quarterfinals)
*Gainesville 40, Hughes 32: Darryn Williams returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown with 21 seconds left in the first half, giving Gainesville a 27-13 lead. Gainesville would build the lead to 37-16. Williams also forced a fumble on Hughes’ first series, setting up Gainesville’s first touchdown. Kharim Hughley was 10-of-15 passing for 141 yards and four touchdowns, each to a different receiver.
What it means: Gainesville advanced to play at Rome on Thursday in the semifinals. Roswell will play at Thomas County on the same day in the other semifinal. Gainesville won as an 11-point underdog against Class 5A's No. 1 team despite the game's two-week delay as the GHSA, Gainesville and a Superior Court managed the saga of Gainesville's 38 suspended players. In the end, Gainesville had its full roster except for four that it chose to sit out because of the Nov. 21 game altercation with Brunswick.
Class 4A
*Benedictine 28, Marist 20: Stephen Cannon was 8-of-11 passing for 125 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Cannon’s 13-yard pass to Bennett Conway at the end of an 11-play, 76-yard drive gave Benedictine a 28-17 lead with 11:54 left. Benedictine led 342-248 in total yards.
What it means: Benedictine is in the finals for the first time since 2022 in search of its fifth championship in 12 seasons, all under coach Danny Britt. Marist finished 12-2 with its ninth straight quarterfinal-or-better finish.
*Creekside 35, Kell 6: Cayden Benson was 7-of-12 passing for 164 yards and three touchdowns. Ced Kelley rushed for 82 yards on 20 carries. Creekside held Kell to 208 total yards. Kell’s Moonie Gipson, who entered the game with 1,915 rushing yards, was injured in the first half and limited to three carries. Creekside’s 35 points pushed the team’s season total to 803, breaking Hughes’ state record of 792 set in 2022.
What it means: Creekside is in the finals for the second time in three seasons and seeking its first title since 2013. Kell finished 11-3 after its first semifinal appearance since 2016.
Class 3A
*Jefferson 17, West Laurens 13: Jefferson had just 187 total yards but limited West Laurens to 136 and five first downs. Mack Gaddis had four tackles for losses and a sack, and Eli Primm had eight solo tackles. West Laurens senior running back West Laurens’ Ty Cummings, the state’ leading rusher with 2,611 yards through 13 games, was slowed by an ankle injury from the quarterfinals and aggravated it early in the third quarter. He rushed for 1 yard on four carries. Jefferson’s Darren Pinkard rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Jefferson led 14-13 at halftime, kicked a field goal and never gave West Laurens a serious scoring opportunity in the second half.
What it means: Jefferson is back in the finals after a 2024 runner-up finish to Calhoun and will be seeking its first title since 2012. West Laurens finished 13-1, its best record and deepest playoff run since the school opened in 1972.
*Sandy Creek 42, LaGrange 24: Amari Latimer rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Caleb Hill was 7-of-10 passing for 62 yards and rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. LaGrange got within 21-17 on its opening drive of the third quarter and recovered an onside kick, but Sandy Creek made an immediate defensive stop and stretched the lead to 35-17 in the fourth quarter. Cooper Metcalf kicked a 52-yard field goal for LaGrange.
What it means: Sandy Creek is in its first final since winning the 2022 Class 3A championship after beating LaGrange for the second time this season. The score was 23-7 in the first one. Latimer has rushed for at least 100 yards in all 14 games and reached 2,323 yards for the season. LaGrange finished 11-3 and lost in the semifinals for the second season in a row.
Class 2A
*Carver (Columbus) 33, Burke County 14: Carver rushed for 418 yards and scored three third-quarter touchdowns after leading only 13-7 at halftime. Kelston Carver rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Carver completed only one pass, but it went for 54 yards.
What it means: Carver won its 26th consecutive game, the longest active streak in Georgia. Carver is positioned to win its second straight state title and third in history. Jarvis Jones is in the final as a first-year head coach. Burke County finished 11-3 after a 2024 runner-up finish that also ended with a loss to Carver.
*Hapeville Charter 24, Sumter County 18: Hapeville Charter scored first in overtime, missed the extra point, then forced a Sumter County fumble, and Elijah Paige recovered, clinching the victory. Xavier Paige, Elijah’s brother, scored on a 15-yard reverse on Hapeville’s one-play overtime possession. In the final minute of regulation, Sumter County scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to force the 18-18 tie. Hapeville Charter was tackled at the Sumter County 5-yard line after about a 45-yard run on the final play of regulation. Ray Damond Stiggers rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
What it means: Hapeville, projected to lose by 17 in the Maxwell Ratings, was the biggest underdog to win a semifinal. Hapeville is in the finals for the first time since winning the Class 2A championship in 2017. Sumter County finished 12-2, its best record and deepest playoff run since the school opened in 2004.
Class A Division I
*Worth County 32, Pepperell 12: Worth County took a 16-0 lead in the first half and held Pepperell to 2 yards rushing. Worth County’s Kaden Chester rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Lyndon Worthy was 8-of-16 passing for 185 yards and a touchdown, though he was intercepted three times. He hit Jaquaveon Nelson on a 96-yard TD pass to open the scoring.
What it means: Worth County is in the final for the first time since 1990, seeking its first championship since 1987. Pepperell finished 9-5 after its longest playoff run since 1998.
*Toombs County 40, Heard County 14: Toombs County scored two touchdowns late in the third quarter to blow open what had been a 14-7 game. Justin Powell rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Joseph Owens was 19-of-24 passing for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Carroll had 12 receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Hayden Roy had 11 solo tackles and two sacks.
What it means: Toombs County is in the finals for the second consecutive season and seeking its second straight championship. Heard County finished 13-1, its best record and playoff run since winning the 2018 Class 2A title.
Class A Division II
*Bowdon 45, Clinch County 6: Kaiden Prothro scored four two touchdowns – two receiving, one returning an interception and one returning a punt that he blocked. He had four receptions for 113 yards. Josh Hopkins was 9-of-13 passing for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Chandler rushed for 104 yards on 13 carries. Gavin Parmer had 10 tackles. Bowdon held Clinch County to 87 total yards.
What it means: Bowdon remains on target to win a fourth straight championship, a feat that only three previous schools (West Rome, Buford, Eagle’s Landing Christian) have accomplished. The 39-point loss is the largest for any team coached by Jim Dickerson, who has won five state titles at Clinch County. This Clinch County team finished 13-1, its best season since winning a 2018 Class A championship.
*Lincoln County 34, Early County 0: Lincoln County held Early County, a team with two 1,000-yard rushers, to 130 total yards. Lincoln County ran only 23 offensive plays and was 0-for-1 passing. Kelby Glaze rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns on six carries, and Jonathan Norman scored on a 73-yard run.
What it means: Lincoln County is in the finals for the first time since winning Class A in 2006 under 11-time state champion coach Larry Campbell. Early County finished 10-4, its first 10-win season or semifinal appearance since 2006.
Class 3A-A Private
*Calvary Day 24, Fellowship Christian 7: Emerson Lewis blocked a punt late in the second half that sparked a touchdown and a 17-7 lead. Ca’Den Jones rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. James Mobley was 16-of-24 passing for 111 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Calvary Day led 337-256 in total yards.
What it means: Calvary Day, seeking its first state title, is in the finals for the first time since 2013 under a first-year coach, Jason Cameron. Calvary, projected to lose by seven points in the Maxwell Ratings, was among two underdogs to win in the semifinals. Hapeville Charter (17 points) was the other. Fellowship Christian finished 10-2 with its second straight semifinal.
*Hebron Christian 50, Greater Atlanta Christian 24: Devon Caldwell rushed for 265 yards and five touchdowns. Jarvis Mathurin had five receptions for 110 yards and scored on a 93-yard reception and a 96-yard kickoff return.
What it means: Hebron Christian is back in the finals to defend its title. Caldwell ran his three-game playoff numbers to 796 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 64 carries. GAC finished 10-3 for its most victories and deepest playoff run since 2020.