Both top seeds said good bye in Friday night’s semifinals. Both Calvary Day and Marion County loss tough ones to Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy and Hawkinsville, while Aquinas’ 26-game winning streak was demolished by Mount Paran and Irwin County rolled over Commerce, scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half. Here’s a recap:
Private Semifinals
Top Bracket
No. 5 Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy 14, No. 1 Calvary Day 7. Eagle's Landing Christian Academy, the No. 5 seed in the GHSA/MaxPreps power ratings, will take on Mount Paran Christian, the No. 3 seed, in the private school final, 10 a.m. on Saturday. Mt. Paran defeated ELCA 31-14 in the season opener for both teams. ELCA (7-6) won the state title in 2012, the first season for split championships in Class A. The Chargers from McDonough advanced to the title game this season with a 14-7 win over Calvary Day in Savannah. Calvary Day (12-1) had knocked ELCA out of the playoffs last season, winning 35-34 in overtime in the semifinals. This time the defenses prevailed and a goal line stand by ELCA in the game's final minutes was the difference. Charger junior QB D.J. Hammonds threw two interceptions but completed 9-of-14 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown, while running for 70 yards and another touchdown. ELCA held Cavalier senior RB/LB Robert Heyward to 84 yards rushing on 13 carries, according to the Savannah Morning News. The Chargers have won seven consecutive games after starting the season 0-6 with four of those loses coming against teams that advanced to the semifinals. Two of those teams, Mt. Paran and Greater Atlanta Christian, have advanced to the finals.
Bottom Bracket
No. 3 Mt. Paran 34, No. 2 Aquinas 14. Mt. Paran (13-0), located in Kennesaw, wore down and dominated previously unbeaten Aquinas of Augusta, the No. 2 seed, en route to a 34-14 win. Mt. Paran, as it has done all season, flexed its offensive muscles piling up 524 yards of total offense, according to the Augusta Chronicle. Aquinas, the defending state champion, had won 26 consecutive games, including a 35-32 decision over Mt. Paran in last season's semifinals. This time, however, Eagle senior RB/DB Dorian Walker was too much for Aquinas to handle and may have nosed out Aquinas senior RB/DB Ruben Garnet for Class A private Player of the Year honors. Walker rushed for 244 yards and four touchdowns, while the Eagle defense clamped down on Garnett. He had rushed for 2,000 yards this season but was held to just 31 Friday. He had 116 yards receiving, 82 of which came on a touchdown pass from junior QB Liam Welch. Senior Emoni Williams added 111 yards on 10 carries, including a 45-yard touchdown run to make the score 34-7 midway through the fourth quarter.
Public Semifinals
Top Bracket
No. 4 Hawkinsville 15, No. 1 Marion County 13. Tyler Brown hit a 26-yard field goal with 13 seconds left to give Hawkinsville the upset road win and halt the Eagle’s 17-game winning streak. Marion County took a 13-12 lead on a six-yard touchdown run by junior RB/DB Lorenzo Smothers with 3:39 left in the third quarter. Hawkinsville got two touchdowns from senior LB/RB Warren Singletary, a two-yard run in the first quarter and a four-yard run with 9:22 to go in the third. Reginald McDonald led Hawkinsville with 106 yards rushing and Dustin Eckert was 12-of-15 passing for Marion County for 130 yards and a 22-yard touchdown to Marquis Thomas.
Bottom Bracket
No. 2 Irwin County 28, No. 6 Commerce 7. Down 7-0 at the half, Irwin County turned to senior Jakyron Young to beat Commerce. Young broke off a 70-yard touchdown run on the second play of the third quarter. Three Irwin offensive plays later, Young then scored again from 70 yards out. Commerce never recovered and the Indians advanced to the state finals for the first time since 1997. Young finished with 191 yards on seven carries in the half and four scores. He would also add scores on runs of 29 and four yards. For the game Young had 10 carries for 199 yards. DJ Pollard added 91 yards on 13 carries for the Indians. Commerce’s Caleb Brooks scored the Tigers’ touchdown on an 18-yard run in the first quarter.
Irwin County and Hawkinsville will face off in the public school final, 10 a.m. Saturday at the Georgia Dome. Irwin County holds a slight edge in the all-time series between the two schools, 7-6, though Hawkinsville has won three out of the last four meetings, including the last one, 21-12, in the 2009 regular season.
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