Chamblee prepares for playoffs

By Michael Carvell

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Chamblee made its own way into the state playoffs, without the help of two other troubled Region 6-AAAA schools.

Earlier this week, fellow region members Stone Mountain and Lithonia were forced to forfeit a total of nine games as part of the penalty for using ineligible players.

Before the GSHA ruling, Stone Mountain was in fourth place in the region.

“It’s unfortunate about those other schools,” Chamblee coach Michael Collins said.

“When we heard the news, we just focused on the things we could control.

“When we lost to Tucker [on Oct. 16], we knew we had to win out to have chance for the playoffs.

“I’m very proud of the kids for rising to the challenge with playoff-type intensity over the last three weeks.”

Chamblee had its 20-12 loss to Lithonia reversed after the ruling, while Miller Grove had its pair of losses to Stone Mountain to Lithonia changed to wins.

However, even without the forfeits, Chamblee would’ve still gone to the playoffs over Stone Mountain because the Chamblee won the head-to-head meeting.

That is the tiebreaker between teams with the same region record.

Quick hits

*T. McFerrin, who came out of retirement to coach at Jefferson this year, still has the magic touch. McFerrin guided Jefferson to a 35-21 win over East Jackson in a battle of undefeated teams Friday.

Quarterback Darius Minor had 244 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns as Jefferson (10-0) claimed the Region 8-AA championship.

“I sure am proud of our team for responding so well in such a big game,” McFerrin told the Gainesville Times.

McFerrin, who had previously retired at South Gwinnett after the 2004 season, is one of the state’s all-time winningest coaches with 311 victories.

*The state’s leading passer, Lassiter quarterback Hutson Mason, said he is “just fine” one day after having a minor injury scare in the final minutes of Friday’s 42-25 win over Roswell for the Region 6-AAAAA championship.

After scoring on a 29-yard touchdown run, Mason jumped in the air to “chest bump” with a teammate and landed awkwardly on his left knee.

“It was like a ‘dead leg’ — I lost the strength in my leg for a minute or two,” Mason said Saturday.

“But once I started walking around the sidelines for a few minutes, the blood started flowing in my knee, and I was fine.

“It’s a little sore today, but it’s nothing serious. I’ll be ready to go at practice this week.”

Mason has passed for 3,086 yards and 39 touchdowns with only three interceptions to lead Lassiter (10-0) to its first region championship and first 10-win season.

Around the state

There were at least eight other high-stakes games on Friday in which the head-to-head winner earned both the region championship and, most important, the region’s No. 1 playoff seed.

Here are the other pressure-packed winners: North Gwinnett over Peachtree Ridge, 21-7, in 7-AAAAA; Sandy Creek over Banneker, 21-9, in 5-AAAA; Hiram over Dalton, 17-14, in 7-AAAA; St. Pius over Dunwoody, 10-7, in 5-AAA; Ridgeland over Carrollton, 27-25, in 6-AAA; Fitzgerald over Thomasville, 49-14, in 1-AA; Calhoun over Armuchee, 40-10, in 7-AA; and Clinch County over Miller County, 25-20, in 1-A.

Northside-Warner Robins defensive back Dontavious Anderson had an interception with around a minute remaining to clinch the 20-17 win over Colquitt County, according to the Macon Telegraph.

It was a huge win for Northside (9-1), which captured the Region 1-AAAAA championship despite last week’s upset loss to rival Warner Robins.

Woodstock won for the eighth game in a row with the 34-13 decision over East Paulding and posted the first nine-win season in school history.