GHSA football championship game previews for classes 3A and 4A

Below are previews for the state championship matchups in Classes 3A and 4A.

AJC Varsity will have previews for the matchups in all classes.

Class 4A

Creekside vs. Benedictine

When, where: 7 p.m. Monday, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Creekside is 14-0, the No. 1 seed from Region 4-4A and No. 1; Benedictine is 11-2, the No. 1 seed from 1-4A and No. 4.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Creekside is the state’s all-time leading single-season scorer with 803 points. The Seminoles can become the second team in history, first since Valdosta in 1971, to win each game by 20 points or more. A state title would be Creekside’s first since 2013. Creekside was the 2023 runner-up to Coffee. As historic as the offense is, Creekside’s defense might be what makes the team so hard to beat. Creekside has held all 11 Class 4A opponents to 7 points or less. Central to those efforts are junior linebackers Decari Farley (committed to Southern Illinois) and Major Levell (recruited by Indiana, UAB, Memphis). Benedictine is in the finals for the first time since 2022 in search of its fifth championship in 12 seasons, all under coach Danny Britt. Only 13 GHSA schools have won five state titles, and just four this century (Buford, Cedar Grove, Clinch County, Eagle’s Landing Christian). Sandy Creek also can join that group in Class 3A next week. Relative to Creekside, Benedictine is the more star-studded team from a prospects standpoint. LaDamion Guyton, signed with Texas Tech, was the state’s consensus No. 1 prospect. Quarterback Stephen Cannon also is a Texas Tech signee. Bubba Frazier, signed with Notre Dame, has 1,247 all-purpose yards — 243 rushing, 639 receiving, 365 returning.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Creekside 34, Benedictine 14

Class 3A

Jefferson vs. Sandy Creek

When, where: 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Jefferson is 13-1, the No. 1 seed and No. 3; Sandy Creek is 14-0, the No. 3 seed and No. 1.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Sandy Creek is trying to win its second state title in four seasons and fifth overall. Sandy Creek has been ranked No. 1 since mid-September. The Patriots’ 16- and 18-point victories over LaGrange are the closest games Sandy Creek has played against their 12 Class 3A opponents. Sandy Creek’s best-known player is Amari Latimer, a West Virginia signee who is 164 yards from 5,000 for his career. He has rushed for more than 100 yards and scored at least one touchdown in all 14 games. Jefferson, the 2024 runner-up to Calhoun, is trying to win its first title since 2012. Jefferson has won nine consecutive games since losing to North Oconee, the then-No. 1-ranked Class 4A team. Jefferson hangs its hat on defense. The Dragons held Marist and Jackson County without touchdowns in the regular season and limited West Laurens to less than 150 total yards in the semifinals. Darren Pickard, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound outside linebacker and fullback, is a standout two-way player with 821 yards from scrimmage and 17 tackles for losses.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Sandy Creek 28, Jefferson 16