So much for the all-Region 1 final four in Class AAAAAA.
Lee County and Northside-Warner Robins did their part, each winning by at least 22 points against teams from Cherokee County and Region 6. It was a different story, however, for Valdosta and Coffee, which were beaten handily by two teams from Gwinnett County and Region 8, Dacula and Lanier.
All four Region 1 teams were projected by the computer Maxwell Ratings to win by at least a touchdown.
Instead, it will be two Region 1 teams against two Region 8 teams in the semifinals. No team from Region 8 in the second-highest classification had reached the semis since Deshaun Watson-led Gainesville did it in 2013.
Here’s how this year’s semifinalists advanced Friday:
- Dacula (11-2) led Valdosta 29-21 at the end of three quarters but broke the game open in the fourth with touchdown runs by Jarrett Jenkins (49 yards), Kyle Efford (69 and 83 yards) and Jaylen Drummond (1 yard) and won 56-21. Efford finished with 189 yards rushing on 11 carries, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post. Jenkins rushed for 69 yards and passed for 161 and two touchdowns.
- Northside (8-5) built a 23-0 lead in the second quarter and cruised to a 30-6 victory over Sequoyah. The win puts the Eagles in the semifinals for the ninth time in 14 seasons. Zikhyree Hill and Daniel Neal had touchdown runs and Cory Munson kicked a 42-yard field goal for a 16-0 lead. Eric Smith added two touchdown runs. Sequoyah was trying to reach the semifinals for the first time.
- Lanier (10-3) will be making its first semifinal appearance in the program’s nine-year history after a 27-7 victory over Coffee, the state runner-up in 2017. Lanier trailed 7-0 at halftime, but Jake Ludwig’s 10-yard fumble return for a touchdown early in the third quarter ignited the rally. Quarterback Zach Calzada threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jahkai Richardson and scored on a 17-yard run.
- Lee County (13-0), the No. 1-ranked team and defending state champion, beat Creekview 42-20 for its 19th consecutive victory. Creekview was 12-0 and ranked No. 2. The Trojans led just 14-7 at halftime, but they scored three unanswered touchdowns to start the second half for a 35-7 lead. Lee County quarterback Kyle Toole threw a touchdown pass and ran for two scores.
Here are the quarterfinal scores and the matchups for the semifinals:
Quarterfinals
Dacula 56, Valdosta 21
Northside-Warner Robins 30, Sequoyah 6
Lanier 27, Coffee 7
Lee County 42, Creekview 20
Semifinals
(R1 #3) Northside-Warner Robins at (R8 #1) Dacula
(R8 #2) Lanier at (R1 #1) Lee County
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