In the past three seasons, 10 Georgia high school football teams have won state championships for the first time in their histories.
The trend toward newer and fresher is moving ahead as the football playoffs reach the semifinals tonight with 14 games that will qualify teams for the state finals Dec. 12-13 in the Georgia Dome.
Eight of the 28 semifinal teams are one victory from playing in their first state championship games. They are Etowah and Archer in AAAAAA, Mays, Stockbridge and Allatoona in AAAA, Blessed Trinity in AAA, Benedictine in AA and Mount Paran Christian in A.
"Our entire school preschool through 12th grade is excited about Friday night and being one game away from playing in the Georgia Dome," said coach Mitch Jordan, who started Mount Paran's football program in 2008 and is 12-0 for the first time. "We have incredible school and community support. Parents, teachers, administrators and the entire student body have helped us reach this point."
Semifinal teams that have played in championships - but never won a state title - are McEachern in AAAAAA, Greater Atlanta Christian in AA and Calvary Day in A.
In 2013, Creekside, Aquinas and Marion County won titles for the first time. There were four new champions in 2012 and three in 2011, making it the most first-time champs over a three-year run in GHSA history.
Here are some other things worth knowing about tonight's 14 semifinal games.
*Favorites: Buford (AAAA), Washington County (AAA), Greater Atlanta Christian (AA) and Aquinas (A) have been ranked No. 1 since preseason. Buford has won 38 consecutive games, tied for the fifth-longest streak in history. Aquinas has won 26 straight. Colquitt County (AAAAAA) is ranked in the top 10 nationally in several polls. Marion County (A public) is a defending champion. Only Class AAAAA has no clear team to beat.
*Underdogs: Brooks County's odds of winning the AA title are 55-to-1, longest of any of the 28 semifinalists, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. Maxwell also gives low odds to Commerce (46-to-1) and Etowah (35-to-1).
*Best games: Two semifinals match undefeated teams. They are Blessed Trinity vs. Washington County (AAA) and Mount Paran vs. Aquinas (A private).
*Best players: Only one of the top 10 senior recruits in Georgia is in the semifinals, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. That would be McEachern tackle Chuma Edoga. That's unusual. Six of the top 10 were in the semifinals a year ago. But there are plenty of stars. Greater Atlanta Christian has two of the state's top 10 recruits - running back Micah Abernathy and wide receiver Darius Slayton (Georgia). Both are two-way starters that rarely leave the field. Recently named Gatorade state player of the year A.J. Gray also is a two-way starter (quarterback/safety) for Washington County. Colquitt County running back Sihiem King is Gray's main competition for the Journal-Constitution's player-of-the-year award. McEachern wide receiver T.J. Rahming has 1,387 yards receiving, 268 short of the state record for a season.
*A chance at history: No Cherokee County team has won a state title. Etowah is still playing. No Henry County public school has won a state title. Stockbridge is still playing. No city of Atlanta school has won a state title since Southwest in 1973. Mays is still playing. No Cobb County team has won a state title since Marietta 1967. McEachern, Allatoona and Mount Paran Christian are still playing.
*Also notable: There are 10 private-school teams remaining, six in classes AAAA, AAA and AA. Lovett of AA in 2013 became the first private school in 10 years to win a title above Class A.
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