Moving up in classification hasn’t hurt Calhoun or Jefferson, who each find themselves in the quarterfinals in their first season of Class AAA football. Both teams are undefeated and are behaving like it matters little to compete in the league with larger schools.
Calhoun and Jefferson have banked on their winning traditions. Calhoun has made it to the quarterfinals for seven straight years and played in the championship game each year from 2008-2012. Jefferson is playing in the quarterfinal for the third straight season.
Blessed Trinity at Jefferson
No. 5 Jefferson (12-0) won a coin flip and the right to host No. 3 Blessed Trinity (12-0) in the quarterfinal. Jefferson is known of its offensive punch, behind quarterback Evan Shirreffs and running back Sammy Williams, but the Dragons allow only 8.8 points per game.
Likewise, Blessed Trinity has a reputation for tough defense (9.5 points), but average 345 yards of offense each game behind quarterback Conor Davis. The Titans have an excellent two-way player in Pat Jasinski, who has made some key receptions at tight end and is the anchor of the defense at middle linebacker.
Pierce County at Washington County
No. 1 Washington County (12-0) hosts smoking-hot Pierce County (10-2), which has averaged 48.5 points over the last four weeks. Washington County had its seven-game streak of 50 points broken last week, but still won by 24 points.
Both teams have gifted quarterbacks: Washington County’s A.J. Gray has thrown for 1,278 yards and rushed for 1,161 and Pierce County’s Stetston Bennett has thrown for 2,119 yards and 27 touchdowns. Pierce gets the edge in the running game, as Joshua Henderson has rushed for 1,124 yards for the Bears.
Westminster at Hart County
No. 5 Westminster (11-1) heads to Hartwell for its first meeting with No. 9 Hart County since 1996. The Wildcats are surviving without starting quarterback Rankin Woley, who has missed the last two games with an injury. The Wildcats rely on running back Zay Malcome, who has rushed for 1,430 yards.
Hart County is led by quarterback Cameron Fouch, who has thrown for 2,584 yard, and running backs Keenan Dillon (563 yards, eight TDs) and Trey Clark (487 yards, five TDs). Top receivers have been Anthony Turner (40 catches, seven TDs), Wrafi Rucker, Zach Maldonado and Trae Stowers.
Elbert County at Calhoun
Elbert County (9-3) tries to resume its hot streak against No. 2 Calhoun (12-0). Elbert has looked like a different team since the return of quarterback Mecole Hardman, who was out six games with a knee injury. In the three games since Hardman’s return in the final game of the regular season, the Blue Devils have scored 124 points.
Calhoun has had no trouble making the transition from Class AA to AAA. The Yellow Jackets have been involved in only one close game, that being a 21-14 win over Dalton in the season opener. The offense is led by quarterback Kaelen Riley, who threw for 262 yards last week against Cedar Gove.
Next week’s schedule
The Blessed Trinity-Jefferson winner will play the Pierce County-Washington County winner. If Washington County wins, there will be a coin flip to determine the site. If Pierce County wins, the Blessed Trinity-Jefferson winner will host the game.
The Elbert County-Calhoun winner will play the Westminster-Hart County winner. If Calhoun wins, the Yellow Jackets will host the semifinal game. If Elbert County wins and Hart County wins, Hart would host the semfinal game. If Elbert County wins and Westminster wins, a coin flip would determine the site since both teams are No. 3 seeds in their respective regions.
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