Only two Class A programs went undefeated through the regular season and will take that momentum into the weekend, when the state high school playoffs begin across the state.
In Division I, No. 2 Trion (10-0, 6-0) defeated Darlington 42-14 to move to 10-0 for the third time in program history. Trion victory won the Region 7 championship, the team’s first since 2003 and 13th overall.
Trion, which lost in the second round of the playoffs last season, began playing football in 1933 and has two state championships – 1957 under head coach Sam R. McClain and 1974 under Clarence Blevins. Both titles capped 13-0 seasons.
Division I No. 1 Prince Avenue Christian was led by Georgia Tech commitment Aaron Philo, when it defeated Social Circle 49-3. Philo was 26-of-36 passing for 313 yards and five touchdowns. He finished the season passing for a GHSA-leading 3,131 yards. Philo has passed to nine different receivers for touchdowns, but his favorites are freshman Hudson Hill and sophomore C.J. Dockery, who combined for more than 20 touchdown receptions.
In Division II, top-ranked and 2022 state runner-up Schley County (10-0, 7-0) beat Greenville 63-32 to complete its perfect regular season and win the program’s second overall and second consecutive Region 6 championship. Senior quarterback Jay Kanazawa has been the key for the Wildcats offense. He was 11-of-14 passing for 180 yards and three touchdowns against Greenville.
Kanazawa has thrown for 26 touchdowns this season, a majority to senior Jalewis Soloman.
Class A Division I
Region 1: Brooks County beat Pelham 33-7 to finish atop the standings with Irwin County, Pelham and Bacon County in the playoffs.
Region 2: No. 5 Bleckley County leads No. 7 Dublin, No. 8 Swainsboro and East Laurens into the playoffs.
Region 3: No. 10 Bryan County has been playing football since 1976 and won the program’s first region title to lead Metter, Screven County and Claxton into the postseason.
Region 4: No. 9 Lamar County beat Heard County 44-28 to lead Heard, Temple and Crawford County into the playoffs.
Region 5: Social Circle, Oglethorpe County and Jasper County will enter the playoffs in that order behind Prince Avenue Christian.
Region 6: Whitefield Academy won the team’s third region title and first since 2008 with a 50-0 victory against Mount Pisgah. Mount Vernon, Mount Pisgah and St. Francis enter the playoffs in that order.
Region 7: Dade County, Pepperell and Darlington enter the playoffs in that order behind No. 2 Trion.
Region 8: No. 3 Commerce leads No. 4 Elbert County, No. 6 Rabun County and Athens Christian into the playoffs.
Class A Division II
Region 1: Early County has been playing football since 1966 and won the program’s 10th region title under first-year coach Frank Killingsworth. Early leads Seminole County, Randolph-Clay and Miller County into the playoffs.
Region 2: No. 4 Clinch County secured the league title and will lead Lanier County, Charlton County and Turner County into the bracket.
Region 3: No. 8 Portal entered the top-10 this week after beating then-No. 6 Jenkins County 36-34 in overtime to lead Jenkins, Emanuel County Institute and McIntosh County Academy into the playoffs.
Region 4: No. 10 Dooly County upended Hawkinsville 30-23 to capture the region title and will lead Telfair, Wilcox County and Hawkinsville into the postseason.
Region 5: Johnson County beat Hancock Central 41-14 to win the league title and will lead Wilkinson County, Hancock Central and Glascock County into the playoffs.
Region 6: Behind top-ranked Schley County, No. 2 Manchester, No. 3 Macon County and Taylor County enter the playoffs.
Region 7: Defending-champion Bowdon finished atop the region and will lead Christian Heritage and Mount Zion-Carroll to the playoffs from the three-team region.
Region 8: Jim Franklin was 13-of-21 passing for 285 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 7 Aquinas past Warren County 45-8 to capture the league title. No. 6 Greene County, Lincoln County and Washington-Wilkes will join the bracket behind Aquinas.
Class A Division I first-round schedule
Friday games
R4 #3 Temple at R1 #2 Irwin County
R3 #4 Claxton at R2 #1 No. 5 Bleckley County
R7 #3 Pepperell at R6 #2 Mount Vernon
R8 #4 Athens Christian at R5 #1 No. 1 Prince Avenue Christian
R1 #3 Pelham at R4 #2 Heard County
R2 #4 East Laurens at R3 #1 No. 10 Bryan County
R6 #3 Mount Pisgah Christian at R7 #2 Dade County
R5 #4 Jasper County at R8 #1 No. 3 Commerce
R5 #3 Oglethorpe County at R8 #2 No. 4 Elbert County
R6 #4 St. Francis at R7 #1 No. 2 Trion
R2 #3 No. 8 Swainsboro at R3 #2 Metter
R1 #4 Bacon County at R4 #1 No. 9 Lamar County
R8 #3 No. 6 Rabun County at R5 #2 Social Circle
R7 #4 Darlington at R6 #1 Whitefield Academy
R3 #3 Screven County at R2 #2 No. 7 Dublin
R4 #4 Crawford County at R1 #1 Brooks County
Class A Division II first-round schedule
Friday games
R4 #3 Wilcox County at R1 #2 Seminole County
R3 #4 McIntosh County Academy at R2 #1 No. 4 Clinch County
R7 #3 Mt. Zion-Carroll at R6 #2 No. 2 Manchester
R8 #4 Washington-Wilkes at R5 #1 Johnson County
R1 #3 Randolph-Clay at R4 #2 Telfair County
R2 #4 Turner County at R3 #1 No. 8 Portal
R6 #3 No. 3 Macon County at R7 #2 Christian Heritage
R5 #4 Glascock County at R8 #1 No. 7 Aquinas
R5 #3 Hancock Central at R8 #2 No. 6 Greene County
R6 #4 Taylor County at R7 #1 No. 5 Bowdon
R2 #3 Charlton County at R3 #2 No. 9 Jenkins County
R1 #4 Miller County at R4 #1 No. 10 Dooly County
R8 #3 Lincoln County at R5 #2 Wilkinson County
R6 #1 No. 1 Schley County BYE
R3 #3 Emanuel County Institute at R2 #2 Lanier County
R4 #4 Hawkinsville at R1 #1 Early County
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