The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Up to five schools could win first state titles
Finals in Class AA, AAAAAA guarantee first-time winners.
At least two Georgia high
schools will win their first state championships in foot-
ball this weekend, and three others are in position for the same, as the season concludes with eight state finals today and Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Class AAAAAA final tonight between region rivals Coffee and Lee County guar-
antees a first-time winner. Lee County began varsity football in 1971. Football was played for decades in Coffee County before Coffee High opened in 1970, but there’s never been a state champion from either county. Saturday’s AA final also
matches two teams seek- ing their first titles. Rabun County started football in 1949. Hapev ille Charter began in 2011. Rabun County would be the first from the northeast Georgia moun- tains to win since Stephens County in 1958. Hapeville Charter would be the first charter school to win a title.
Other potential first-time champions and their first season of varsity football are North Gwinnett (1961), Blessed Trinity (2001) and Athens Academy (1977).
Here are more facts, figures and tidbits about the finals: New dome, new home:
will chamThese pionships played be the first at the Falcons’ new stadium. They had been played at the Georgia Dome since 2008. The finals won’t be the first high school games in the new stadium, though. Three, involving mostly Atlanta city schools, were played there Oct. 21. Semifinals in review: Hapeville County 28-21 Charter on Marcus beat Heard Carroll’s tiebreaking touchdown run with 5.3 seconds left. Clinch County blocked a field goal in the final sec- onds of its 23-20 victory against Mount Zion. Oth- erwise, last week’s semifi- nal games were not overly suspenseful, but some were notable. Rome beat Buford 45-7, ending Buford’s 10-year run of making the finals. Calhoun beat defending AAA champion Cedar Grove 14-6, meaning only two 2016 win- ners remain: Rome (AAAAA) and Eagle’s Landing Chris- tian (A-private).
Low metro turnout: Only five of the 16 state finalists are from metro Atlanta: Marist, Blessed Trinity, Hapeville, North Gwinnett and Eagle’s Landing Christian. That’s the first time it has been fewer
than a third of teams since 2009, when only Buford and Sandy Creek were among 10 finalists. From 2010-16, nearly half — 45 of 92 — were metro teams. In the previous century, a low metro turnout wasn’t unusual. In 1999, no metro teams made the finals. Near worst is near first: Warner Robins is the 28th team of 648 state finalists in state history to reach a championship immediately after a losing season. The Demons, 3-8 in 2016, will play Rome for the AAAAA championship today. Only six teams have won state titles after a losing season. The last to do it was Chattahoochee in 2010.
Catho l ic Bowl: The AAAA final between Marist and Blessed Trinity marks the first time two Catholic schools have played each other for a football state championship in Georgia. Marist (1989, 2003) is among five Catholic schools that have ball. ity’s Colquitt It first. won would County state be titles of Blessed AAAAAAA in Trin- foot- Winding road to Atlanta: is history finals the 11th by to winning team reach in the the Georgia state first four away rounds from home. of the Colquitt playoffs County has won at Pebble- brook, Walton, Archer and Brookwood. Colquitt County also was the first school to do it, in 1991. The last to win a state title after such a march were Westminster and Pace Academy in 2015.
Best players: Most of the state’s most highly recruited players are finished, and the state player-of-the-year award is there for the taking. The only four-star or higher prospects still playing are Rome defensive end Adam Anderson, Colquitt County linebacker J.J. Peterson, Lee County Peach County safety Otis receiver Reese, wide Kearis Jackson, North Gwin- nett offensive lineman Warren Ericson, Hapeville Charter cornerback Chris Smith and Marist tight end/defen- sive end John FitzPatrick. Jackson is doubtful because of a wrist injury. Credit to coaches: Lee Shaw of Rabun County and Robby the head most coaches Pruitt recent of who of Coffee 31 have Georgia are led
two schools to state-championship games. Shaw led Flowery Branch to a final in 2008, while Pruitt led Fitzgerald to a final in 2000. Tim McFarlin of AAAA finalist Blessed Trinity also is in the club, although he joined with the Titans’ first trip to the finals in 2015. McFarlin took Roswell to the finals in 2006. Only 14 have won state titles with two schools. McFarlin could join that group. All-region finals: Three state finals — Coffee vs. Lee County (1-AAAAA), Blessed Trinity vs. Marist (7-AAAA) and Clinch County vs. Irwin County (2-A) — are between teams from the same region. This has happened 15 previous times since 1990, when the GHSA expanded the playoffs beyond just region champions and made such meetings possible. The region champion or No. 1 seed is 11-4 in those games. How to watch: Single-day tickets are $22 and available only at the stadium or participating schools. The games will be shown live on Georgia Public Broadcasting and streamed online at GPB.org and the NFHS Network.