Class AAAA Blog: Five regions champs have been crowned

Three more teams clinched region titles on Friday, bringing the total to five out of the eight regions in Class AAAA that have been decided. Region 5’s Cartersville and Region 1’s Carver-Columbus were the teams that clinched prior to the Week 11 schedule and Region 7’s Blessed Trinity, Region 8’s Oconee County and Region 4’s Woodward Academy were the latest to secure top seeds.

Blessed Trinity won an absolute classic over rival and No. 1 ranked Marist to clinch Region 7-AAAA. Cornerback Quinton Reese intercepted Connor Cigelske in triple overtime to give Blessed Trinity the 33-30 victory. The teams went into overtime tied 20-20 and traded field goals in the first OT. Cigelske rushed for a 1-yard touchdown in the second overtime, but Duncan Reavis threw a 17-yard touchdown to James Bryant to force the third overtime. Blessed Trinity lost 11 yards and had to use a clutch 43-yard field goal by senior kicker Aaron Werkheiser to put points on the board before Reese clinched the victory with his interception.

Oconee County clinched the Region 8-AAAA championship and improved its overall record to 8-1 with a dominant 35-7 road victory over previously-unbeaten North Oconee. The Warriors intercepted North Oconee three times in the first half and surged to a 28-0 lead. Jimmy Boswell scored on a 3-yard rushing touchdown and quarterback Max Johnson rushed for a 1-yard score and tossed two touchdown passes to Ben Noland (59, 38 yards). Bubba Chandler put North Oconee on the board with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Chance Cross with 2:31 left in the third quarter, but he was also intercepted for a fourth and fifth time in the second half. Johnson connected with Jake Johnson for his third passing touchdown to ice the game with just 1:47 left.