Class A Blog: A preview of Round 2

No. 9 Wesleyan (9-2) at No. 8 Christian Heritage (9-1)

This is the first meeting between the two schools, and will feature two of the state’s best sophomores. Wesleyan QB J.C. French has thrown for 2,067 yards and 26 touchdowns. Christian Heritage RB/LB Gage Leonard has rushed for 864 yards and nine touchdowns and leads his team in tackles (108 total, four sacks). Wesleyan advanced in the first round with a 35-28 overtime victory over First Presbyterian. Wesleyan trailed 28-14 in the third quarter after FPD returned an interception for a touchdown. French later scored two touchdowns, one in overtime, and Trent Bartlett sealed the win with an interception of Parker Ingram, who had thrown for 391 yards. Christian Heritage, which began varsity football in 2012, is one victory from its first 10-win season. Wesleyan has made the playoffs 18 of the past 20 seasons but advanced to the quarterfinals once (2016) since 2010.

No. 16 Savannah Christian (7-3) at No. 1 Savannah Country Day (10-0)

Savannah Christian leads the all-time series 22-10, but lost the last meeting, 35-21, back on October 25. The teams have met every year since 1988, but this is the first time the Savannah community rivals have met twice in the same season. Savannah Christian just beat one crosstown rival, Calvary Day, in the first round and now faces another. Marquell Brown rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-21 victory over Calvary last week. Savannah Christian trailed 21-18 at halftime. Brown has 1,082 yards rushing on the season. Country Day QB Barry Kleinpeter, a sophomore, has thrown for 1,934 yards and 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Another sophomore, Davion Smith, has rushed for 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in nine games. Three of SCD's four leading tacklers are sophomores. Kleinpeter passed for 231 yards and three touchdowns while Smith rushed for 142 yards in SCD's 35-21 victory over Savannah Christian on Oct. 25. SCD led 432-273 in total yards.

Lower Left Bracket

No. 12 Hebron Christian (7-4) at No. 5 Mount de Sales (10-0)

This is the first meeting between the two schools. Hebron Christian beat Mount Vernon Presbyterian 13-7 in the first round in a game that was tied 7-7 in the fourth quarter. From there, Jack Ihm intercepted a pass and returned it to the Mount Vernon 10-yard line, and Donnovan Moore scored the winning touchdown on the next play. Moore, who also intercepted a pass later in the game, has rushed for nearly 900 yards. Colton Gauthier has thrown for more than 1,900 yards and 15 touchdowns. Hebron played and lost its only previous second-round game last season. Mount de Sales, the Region 7 champion, is 10-0 for the first time since 1997 and is seeking its first quarterfinal since rejoining the GHSA in 2014. QB Dexter Williams (committed to Indiana) has thrown for 1,404 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 896 yards and 12 TDs.

No. 13 North Cobb Christian (8-3) at No. 4 Fellowship Christian (10-0)

Fellowship Christian has won both previous meetings, including the most recent game, 35-0, in 2011. Fellowship gets more than 80 percent of its offense running the ball and has scored 58 rushing touchdowns in 10 games. The leading rusher is Murphy Reeves with 1,366 yards and 15 touchdowns. Fellowship has scored 42 points or more in nine of 10 games and scored 31 in the other (a 31-9 victory over Whitefield Academy). Fellowship made the quarterfinals last season (lost to Savannah Christian) and the finals in 2016. North Cobb Christian, another heavy-run team, beat George Walton Academy 16-14 in the first round despite losing three fumbles. QB Anson Mathis rushed for 112 yards and scored both of his team's touchdowns. North Cobb Christian rushed for 248 yards and was 0-for-1 passing.

Upper Right 

No. 23 Mount Paran Christian (6-4) at No. 7 Darlington (9-1)

Mount Paran leads the all-time series 2-1, and won the last meeting between the two schools, 24-22, in 2016. Mount Paran is led by senior Niko Vangarelli, GHSF Daily's state Player of the Week, who rushed for 316 yards on 37 carries, passed for 105 yards and had eight tackles in a 29-27 victory over Aquinas in the first round. He's rushed for 1,726 yards (second-most among Class A private schools) and passed for 1,432 on the season. Darlington is trying to put behind itself a humbling 42-7 loss in the Region 6-A championship game and hopes to reach the quarterfinals for the third straight season. Kolin Rogers has rushed for 1,327 yards, which ranked sixth among Class A private schools in the regular season. Griffin Brewster has passed for 1,829 yards. OL/DL Tate Ratledge, a Georgia commit, is the classification's most heralded lineman.

No. 18 St. Francis (7-4) at No. 2 Holy Innocents' (10-0)

Holy Innocents’ leads the all-time series, 2-0, and won the last meeting, 35-18, in 2017. St. Francis, a Roswell school better known for its six basketball state titles since 2013, won its first football playoff game last week, a 34-31 win over Trinity Christian after taking a 34-17 lead in the fourth quarter and holding on. Josh Gil has thrown for 2,027 yards and 19 touchdowns and also runs well (448 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns). WR/CB Zay Wadsworth has 961 yards and 47 solo tackles, second on the team. Also a dangerous return man, Wadsworth has 1,246 all-purpose yards. Darron Willis had three sacks against Trinity. Two freshmen start on defense. Holy Innocents' is 10-0 and ranked No. 1 for the first time. Its best finishes have been the quarterfinals in 2009 and 2013. Michael Cox has rushed for 1,540 yards (highest regular-season total among Class A private schools) and 27 touchdowns on 194 carries in 10 games.

Lower Right Bracket

No. 11 Prince Avenue Christian (9-2) at No. 6 Eagle's Landing Christian (9-1)

These programs have more wins this decade than any others in Class A, public or private. Prince Avenue is 105-21 with four straight semifinal appearances. ELCA is 116-17 with four straight state titles. ELCA is 4-0 against Prince Avenue, all playoff meetings, none close. One was a 33-0 victory in the 2012 title game. Brock Vandagriff, the state's top-rated QB prospect among juniors, is committed to Oklahoma. Back from an early season leg injury, he has thrown for 1,946 yards and 25 touchdowns in just seven games. He threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns in the first round as Prince Avenue beat Stratford Academy 46-0. ELCA RB Keaton Mitchell has rushed for 1,340 yards and scored 37 touchdowns, three on kick returns, one receiving. He's scored 86 touchdowns in 25 career games, the most prolific rate in state history.

No. 19 Brookstone (7-4) at No. 3 Athens Academy (10-0)

Athens Academy leads the all-time series, 6-5-1. The teams faced each other every year from 1977 to 1987, and then didn’t meet again until the 2007 state quarterfinals, the last game between the two schools. Athens Academy won that game 14-13. Last week, Brookstone, a 26-point underdog in the first round, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings, beat Whitefield Academy 10-7. Sam Kilgore rushed for 166 yards on 38 carries, and Brookstone forced three turnovers and didn't allow an offensive touchdown. Branche Sheffield returned one fumble inside Whitefield's 10-yard line to set up the winning score, which was freshman Dylan Thornton's 3-yard run. Athens Academy is 10-0 for the third consecutive season but No. 1 for the first time in 40 years. The Spartans lost in the finals the past two seasons. Players to watch are RB/DB Kurt Knisely (team leader in rushing yards with 871 yards and tackles with 47 solo), DB/WR Deion Colzie (615 yards receiving, four interceptions, 11 touchdowns) and QB Palmer Bush (1,434 yards passing, 24 touchdowns on just 102 attempts).

The Lions (7-4) picked up the first home playoff win in school history, thanks largely to the defense. Senior LB Jack Ihm returned an interception to the 10-yard line of the Mustangs (5-6) midway through the fourth quarter, and senior WR Donnovan Moorer scored on the next play from scrimmage to provide the margin of victory.

PUBLIC

Upper Left Bracket 

No. 9 Manchester (9-2) at No. 8 Johnson County (8-2)

This is the first meeting between the two schools. No. 9 seed Manchester reached the second round for the fourth time in five seasons with a 40-0 victory over Taylor County last week. Nick Foster had 154 yards rushing and scored on runs of 10, 53 and 67 yards. The Blue Devils had 344 yards rushing on 43 attempts and were 0-for-1 passing. No. 8 seed Johnson County is having its best season since the 2013 team reached the quarterfinals and finished 10-2. Germivy Tucker led the Trojans with 1,271 yards rushing in the regular season. Johnson County lost 47-42 in the Region 3-A championship game two weeks ago against Savannah Country Day, which handed the Trojans both of their losses this year.

No. 17 Chattahoochee County (7-4) at No. 1 Irwin County (10-0)

This is the first meeting between the two schools. No. 17 seed Chattahoochee County pulled off the biggest upset of the first round, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings, when it beat 33-point favorite Washington-Wilkes 12-7. The Panthers scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with just over a minute remaining. Top-ranked Irwin County reached the finals four of the past five seasons but is seeking its first state title since 1975. D.J. Lundy, the 2018 Class A public offensive player of the year, missed three games early in the year with a leg injury but is back now. He ran for a season-high 122 yards and two TDs in the regular-season finale, a 49-0 win over Turner County. Irwin has not given up a point since Sept. 27 and allows just 2.44 per game (best in any class).

Lower Left

No. 21 Warren County (7-4) at No. 5 Bowdon (8-2)

The schools have split their previous two meetings, with Warren County coming out on top in the last time, 56-24, in 2011. Warren County, at No. 21, is the lowest remaining seed in the field after beating No. 12 Terrell County 30-0 last week for its first playoff victory since 2007. Dairon Jones (762 yards rushing for the season), Travis Moss (606) and A.J. Stanford (582) share the workload for a running game that averages 253.5 yards per game. All three had at least 78 against Terrell. No. 5 seed Bowdon has experienced a dramatic turnaround this season after going 3-17 the past two years. Sophomore RB Gage Stephens has run for 1,455 yards and 15 TDs on 169 carries. LB Jarrett Anderson (82 tackles) and FS Ben Fortson (71 tackles, four interceptions) lead a defense that is giving up 13.3 points per game, down from 22.5 a year ago.

No. 20 Emanuel County Institute (6-5) at No. 4 Clinch County (9-1)

The teams played to a 6-6 tie the first time they met in 1972. Since then they have split four games, with Clinch winning the last game, 39-28, in the second round of the state playoffs in 2009. No. 20 seed ECI made it back to the second round for the fifth consecutive year with a 28-23 victory over McIntosh County Academy last week. The Bulldogs had a time-consuming 82-yard drive in the fourth quarter to take a 28-17 lead and then held on. Ja'Rell Jordan has rushed for 1,489 yards this season. Second-ranked and fourth-seeded Clinch County, in its first season under coach Don Tison Jr., is seeking its third consecutive state championship and fourth in five seasons. Tyler Morehead, a four-star recruit, has run for 1,187 yards and 15 TDs for a team that attempts fewer than five passes per game. Michael Walker has run for 873 yards. Darius Dorsey has 343 yards rushing and a team-leading 50 tackles.

Upper Right

No. 10 Commerce (9-2) at No. 7 Lincoln County (8-2)

These two old rivals are meeting for the first time since 2011. Lincoln County leads the series 13-4 and is 6-1 against Commerce in playoff games. Commerce is the lower seed (No. 10 vs. No. 7) but the higher-ranked team (No. 6 vs. No. 7). Commerce, a quarterfinalist in 2018, beat Trion 23-6 last week. Commerce led 9-6 in the third quarter but got second-half touchdown runs by Daniel Wilson and Sam Roach (his second of the game). Roach has run for a team-high 878 yards this season. Lincoln County is back in the postseason after missing it last year for the first time since 1973. Kolbi Ferguson leads the Red Devils with 1,405 yards and 30 touchdowns rushing.

No. 18 Schley County (7-4) at No. 2 Marion County (8-2)

This will be the fifth meeting between these Region 4-A teams since the start of last season. Marion County won the previous four by an average of 14.3 points, including a 14-0 victory in the teams' 2019 season opener. Marion QB Trice McCannon passed for 161 yards and ran for 44 in that game. He has passed for 1,681 yards, run for 681 and had a hand in 37 touchdowns this season. Marion County is the Region 4 champion and the No. 2 seed. No. 18 seed Schley County, which lost to Marion 34-27 in the quarterfinals last year, upset Claxton 46-24 last week. Trent Bivins ran for 76 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 1,006 yards for the season.

Lower Right

No. 11 Wilcox County (9-2) at No. 6 Pelham (9-1)

The all-time series is tied at 13-13. Pelham has won the last three meeting, including the most recent one, 14-7, in 2003. Wilcox County, seeded No. 11 but ranked No. 4, is having its best season since the 2012 team went 10-3 and reached the semifinals. The Patriots rolled past Seminole County 55-6 in the first round. RB/LB Desmond Tisdol, a four-star recruit, had 162 yards and three touchdowns rushing and two tackles and three assists on defense. Tisdol has rushed for 907 yards on the season. Noah Hollingsworth has passed for 991 and run for 595. No. 6 seed Pelham has the No. 1 offense (52.8 points per game) and No. 2 defense (5.40) among Class A public schools. QB Kendrick Patterson, a three-star recruit, has 1,383 yards passing, 358 rushing and 159 receiving and has been involved in 32 touchdowns.

No. 14 Turner County (7-4) at No. 3 Mitchell County (9-1)

Mitchell County has dominated the all-time series, 29-5, including the last 12 meetings. The Eagles won the last game, 56-20. Turner County won a playoff game for just the second time since 2008 when it beat Macon County 31-12 last week. Turner County led 7-6 at halftime but got two touchdown runs from sophomore Elijah Stephens in the fourth quarter to put it away. No. 3 seed Mitchell County has won nine consecutive games since a 63-50 loss to Class AA Brooks County in the opener. The Eagles beat Pelham 36-28 in the regular-season finale to clinch the Region 1 title for the third time in six seasons. Junior QB Quentavious Hunter averages 162 yards per game passing and is the team's leading rusher. Mitchell County averages 50.8 points per game, second-best among Class A public schools.