Chattahoochee vs. Kell
When, where: 9 a.m. Saturday, Georgia Dome
Rankings: Chattahoochee (7-4 in 2012) is unranked in Class AAAAAA; Kell (10-2 in 2012) is No. 8 in AAAAA.
Last meeting: Kell won 19-8 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. Chattahoochee WR Collin Lisa has committed to UAB. He caught 37 passes for 689 yards and eight touchdowns in 2012. HB Chase Nelson is a three-year starter and holdover from the Cougars' 2010 state championship team. The quarterback is Tasleem "Taz" Wilson, who started as a sophomore for a school in Las Vegas, but sat out last season for Chattahoochee. 2. Kell defenders Taylor Henkle and Ethan Elliott got all-state recognition last season as juniors. Henkle, a receiver and strong safety, had 51 solo tackles last season and intercepted three passes. He also had 14 catches and four touchdowns on offense. Elliott, an undersized defensive end, had 10 sacks. QB Matt McGuigan threw for 1,800 yards and was his region's offensive player of the year. 3. This is the only rematch of a 2012 Corky Kell Classic game. Kell beat Chattahoochee 19-8 as McGuigan threw two first-half TD passes to Brendan Langley, now a freshman at Georgia.
Peachtree Ridge vs. Walton
When, where: 11:45 a.m. Saturday, Georgia Dome
Rankings: Peachtree Ridge (4-6 in 2012) is unranked in AAAAAA; Walton (7-4 in 2012) is unranked in AAAAAA.
Last meeting: Walton won 26-14 in 2011.
Three things to know: 1. Walton's D.J. Smith is a four-star recruit at cornerback, but also figures to replace all-state tailback Tyren Jones, who is at Alabama. Smith averaged 123 yards rushing in Walton's final three games after Jones was lost for the season with a knee injury. 2. Peachtree Ridge, coming off its first losing season in eight years, is expected to be among the most improved teams in the state. The Lions have five seniors with Division I offers in RB Jordan Ellis (committed to Virginia), OL Orlando Brown (Tennessee), DB Nick Glass (formerly committed to Georgia), RB Myron Burton (offers from Tennessee and Vanderbilt) and LB Dru Moody (offer from Georgia State). 3. Walton and Peachtree Ridge have played only one other time, also in the Kell Classic in 2011. An 89-yard punt return for a touchdown by Dakota Richardson broke open the game, won by Walton 26-14. It was the first game as head coach for Peachtree Ridge's Mark Fleetwood, and the first of 14 consecutive wins for Walton, which was the AAAAAA runner-up to Grayson that year.
Colquitt County vs. Grayson
When, where: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Georgia Dome
Rankings: Colquitt County (10-4 in 2012) is No. 2 in AAAAAA; Grayson (10-2 in 2012) is No. 10 in AAAAAA.
Last meeting: Grayson won 35-31 in the 2011 AAAAA semifinals.
Three things to know: 1. Grayson and Colquitt County have played twice, both in classic state semifinal games at Grayson. In 2010, Colquitt County won 31-24, outscoring Grayson 14-0 in the final quarter. In 2011, Grayson won 35-31 on Nick Schuessler's 6-yard TD pass to Marcus Lindquist with six seconds left. 2. Grayson graduated 21 starters and seven Division I signees from a defending state championship team that started the season ranked No. 1 nationally in one poll. Among those was DE Robert Nkemdiche, the No. 1-rated recruit in the country who signed with Ole Miss. 3. Colquitt County is high on QB Daniel Mobley, who was 68-of-103 passing for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He had won the starting job, but was injured and didn't get it back. Also watch for DE Jamiyus Pittman, Colquitt's preseason all-state defensive end.
Camden County vs. North Gwinnett
When, where: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Georgia Dome
Rankings: Camden County (11-2 in 2012) is No. 5 in AAAAAA; North Gwinnett (11-2 in 2012) is No. 4 in AAAAAA.
Last meeting: Camden County won 35-0 in the 2009 AAAAA quarterfinals.
Three things to know: 1. Each team has two players who rate among the top 50 senior recruits in the state. For North Gwinnett, they are DE Dante Sawyer and WR Nate Brown. For Camden County, they are Kalvaraz Bessent and Chris Williams, both of whom play in the backfield on offense and defense. Both have committed to Alabama. North Gwinnett OL Mitch Hyatt is rated by some as the No. 1 junior prospect in the state. 2. Both coaches have won state championships in other states — North Gwinnett's Bob Sphire in Kentucky, Camden County's Welton Coffey in Florida. Coffey, a promoted assistant, is taking over for Jeff Herron, who won three state titles in his 13 seasons in Kingsland. 3. Both teams have new quarterbacks. North Gwinnett's Hayden Sphire, the son of Bob Sphire, replaces Michael Haynes, who threw for 2,193 yards and rushed for 632 despite injuries last season. Camden County's Dalton Sikes replaces Brice Ramsey, now a freshman at Georgia. Sikes is accurate, but expect also to see sophomore Antonio Hamilton, a dangerous runner.
Brookwood vs. McEachern
When, where: 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Georgia Dome
Rankings: Brookwood (7-5 in 2012) is unranked in AAAAAA; McEachern (8-3 in 2012) is No. 6 in AAAAAA.
Last meeting: Brookwood won 20-10 in the first round of the 2009 AAAAA playoffs.
Three things to know: 1. McEachern has beaten Brookwood twice in the Kell Classic only to lose to Brookwood that same season in the first round of the state playoffs (1992, 2009). They've met one other time in the Kell Classic (McEachern won in 1999) and one other time in the playoffs (Brookwood won in 2002). These are the founding schools of this event, and they've played in it each season. 2. McEachern QB Ty Clemons rushed for 108 yards in last season's Kell Classic in a 35-24 loss to Walton. Speedy RB Taj Griffin has offers from Georgia and Ohio State as a junior. Nine starters return on defense. McEachern's question mark is the offensive line, which returns only one starter. 3. Brookwood lost 13 of 22 starters. The biggest questions are on defense after allowing 28.8 points per game in 2012. RB Josh Brown has several smaller Division I offers and could lead Gwinnett County in rushing this season.
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