Top-ranked Hughes scored two touchdowns in a 14-second span late in the second quarter to create some separation from Gainesville and then held on for a 35-28 victory in the Class 6A championship game Saturday night at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.

Benedictine stuffed Cedartown on four consecutive running plays inside 2-yard line in the last minute of the game, including a fourth-and-goal from the 1 on the final play, to preserve a 14-13 victory in the Class 4A championship game Friday at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.

Thomson’s Jontavis Curry had two of his four touchdown runs in the final nine minutes of the game after Fitzgerald had taken its only lead, rallying the Bulldogs to a 32-27 victory in the Class 2A championship game Friday at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.

Prince Avenue Christian trailed 20-7 in the first half and 27-17 midway in the third quarter but scored touchdowns on five straight second-half drives that totaled 356 yards on 20 plays, and Swainsboro couldn't keep pace. Aaron Philo set state-finals records with 477 yards passing and six touchdowns.

Bowdon scored touchdowns on its first six full drives and used the seventh to ice the game with a 4-minute, 9-second drive to the Schley County 17 with 13 seconds left. Schley's final chance never got past midfield.

Four defending champions and four teams that never have won state titles are among the16 playing in the GHSA finals this week at Center Parc Stadium. No real underdogs remain. Every finalist was ranked in the top five after the regular season except Warner Robins, which ironically is Class 5A’s two-time defending champion.

The championship games will be played in all eight GHSA classifications Thursday through Saturday at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. Here’s a preview of the games in 7A (Carrollton vs. Mill Creek), 6A (Hughes vs. Gainesville), 5A (Ware County vs. Warner Robins) and 4A (Cedartown vs. Benedictine).

The championship games will be played in all eight GHSA classifications Thursday through Saturday at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. Here’s a preview of the games in 3A (Sandy Creek vs. Cedar Grove), 2A (Fitzgerald vs. Thomson), A Division I (Prince Avenue Christian vs. Swainsboro) and A Division II (Bowdon vs. Schley County).

The championship games will be played in all eight GHSA classifications Thursday through Saturday at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. Here’s a recap of last week’s 16 semifinals and the significance of the results for both the winning and losing 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.