Senior quarterback Ben Guthrie connected with Sean Wilson on 3rd-and-15 to bring Alpharetta within a field goal of No. 2-ranked Roswell, but the Hornets got a pair of late touchdowns from Nykahi Davenport — his second and third of the night — to pull away and secure the Region 7-6A title with the 38-21 win.
Junior quarterback KJ Smith found senior Chris Elko on the opening drive to put Roswell (9-1, 6-0) on the board just 0:26 seconds into the game, and Guthrie knotted it at 7-7 early in the second frame with a 3-yard QB scramble. The Raiders (7-3, 5-1) seemed poised to take the lead on their next drive, but senior Ethan Nation came down with a red zone interception and Roswell capitalized shortly after with Davenport’s first rushing score before adding a Brett Gonda field goal for a 17-7 edge at the break.
Alpharetta started the second half strong, with senior receiver Garrett Young hauling in three receptions on the opening drive, including a 40-yarder for a touchdown. Elko returned the ensuing kickoff into Raider territory — one of three Roswell drives that started past midfield — but Aven Kelley’s sack forced a Hornet punt. Mark Trigg returned the favor for Roswell, sacking Guthrie late in the third, and the 17-14 score held into the final frame.
Nation’s 35-yard trip to the end zone to start the fourth was called back on a penalty, but Elko’s second touchdown came moments later on a pass from Smith to make it a two-score game. Guthrie and Wilson then cut Roswell’s lead to 24-21 with 6:56 left on the clock before Davenport’s back-to-back touchdowns sealed the win for the Hornets. Alpharetta secures the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with the loss.
The AJC has writers at McEachern at Hillgrove, North Gwinnett at Norcross, Parkview at Grayson, Carver-Atlanta at Cedar Grove and Milton at Lambert. Follow the link to Todd Holcomb’s Friday Night Wrap or follow the link to the Prep Scoreboard powered by Score Atlanta.
To see the full playoff brackets follow the link.
Class 7A
Buford 49, Central Gwinnett 7
Top-ranked Buford completed its perfect regular season with a 49-7 victory over host Central Gwinnett. The Wolves led 21-0 after the first quarter, 35-0 at halftime and 42-7 heading into the final frame. The Region 8 champs — Buford’s 19th region title since 2001 — will host Peachtree Ridge in the opening round of the playoffs next week.
South Forsyth 24, West Forsyth 7
South Forsyth improved to 6-4 on the season and 3-2 in Region 6 play with a 24-7 win over West Forsyth to secure the three-seed in the War Eagles’ ninth-straight postseason appearance. The game remained scoreless until South Forsyth got a pick-six with 30 seconds left in the first half and a kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half. The Eagles will face two-seeded Walton in the opening round.
Cherokee 30, Kennesaw Mountain 14
Cherokee trailed host Kennesaw Mountain 14-0 before closing the game with 30 unanswered points, securing a fifth-straight postseason appearance with the victory. Quarterback Tanner Savasir finished the night with 153 passing yards, including a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kaden “Pops” Jameson, and Daniel Young also found the end zone on a short run. Zi Johnson had 179 all-purpose yards for the Warriors, including 95 yards rushing and 75 yards on returns. Rodion Averianov added field goals of 52 and 37 yards, Reed Chandley sent a 35-yarder through the uprights and Ryane Martin Jr capped the scoring with a 66-yard pick-six in the fourth. Jayce Jones had an interception in the second quarter as well.
North Paulding 21, Marietta 14
North Paulding won the Region 3-7A championship with its home win over Marietta, which earned the No. 2 seed. North Paulding cut Marietta’s lead to 14-7 with 45 seconds remaining in the first half on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Boone Anderson to Jackson Wade on a 4th-and-8 play. The Wolfpack tied the game in the third quarter on a 5-yard Jaylen Poe rush from a direct snap and took the lead in the fourth quarter on another direct snap to Poe, this time from 1 yard out. Marietta took its early lead on two Chase McCravy touchdown passes.
Walton 49, Wheeler 10
Walton earned the second seed in Region 5-7A with its home win. The Raiders led just 16-10 after picking up a safety, a 34-yard Jeremy Hecklinski touchdown pass to Wyatt Sonderman and a 78-yard Matthew Traynor kickoff return. But in the second quarter, Hecklinski threw a 67-yard touchdown to Hunter Teal and a 14-yard score to Sonderman to help give Walton a 36-10 lead at halftime. Hecklinski threw his third touchdown to Ayden Jackson for 19 yards in the third quarter. Makari Bodiford had a 13-yard touchdown rush in the second quarter, and Braylen Stokes capped the scoring in the fourth with a 9-yard rush.
Brookwood 33, South Gwinnett 27
Brookwood Broncos clinched the two seed in Region 4 with a goal-line stand with 30 seconds left to win the Battle of Snellville 33-27. Brookwood held a 33-21 advantage late in the third quarter after a 73-yard touchdown run from Jumal Prothro. South Gwinnett answered back with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Noah Sheffield to Jaylin Lackey to cut Brookwood’s lead to six with 3:45 left in the fourth quarter. South Gwinnett was able to get the ball back and drive down to the goal line but was kept out of the end zone — and consequently the postseason — by the stout defensive front of Brookwood.
Mill Creek 52, Mountain View 28
Mill Creek capped a dominant regular season with a 52-28 road win over Mountain View to finish 9-1 and clinch the two-seed in Region 8. The game was knotted at 14-14 late in the first quarter before Caleb Downs scored a 7-yard rushing touchdown to begin a 38-0 run that gave the Hawks a 52-14 lead in the fourth. Hayden Clark threw for two touchdowns, and Caleb Downs rushed for two. Mountain View added two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and finished as a three-seed in Region 8.
Newton 19, Archer 11
The Newton Rams defeated Archer 19-11 to become the three-seed from Region 4. Justin Benton scored on a short run to give Newton a 6-3 lead it would not relinquish. Deron Benson passed to Marcus Calwise on a 35-yard touchdown pass to put Newton up 13-3 with 11:46 left in the game. The Rams cemented the victory when Benson passed to Keon Davis on a short touchdown pass. Newton will now travel to North Paulding in the first round of the playoffs next week. The Tigers made the game interesting with a late score but will end the 2022 season at 2-8.
Class 6A
Sprayberry 56, Pope 0
The Sprayberry Yellow Jackets blanked Pope by a score of 56-0 to earn a trip to the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Sprayberry led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, 35-0 at the half and 42-0 entering the fourth quarter. The Jackets reach the postseason as the four-seed with a 3-3 region record and will travel to Gainesville to battle the Red Elephants in the first-round. The Greyhounds wrap up the year at 1-5 with a 1-9 overall mark.
Allatoona 31, River Ridge 0
The Allatoona defense dominated visiting River Ridge to secure the two-seed in the Buccaneers’ 13th-consecutive playoff appearance. In the first quarter, Gabriel Smith recovered a fumble forced by Mekhi Buchanan to set up Saadiq Teel’s touchdown pass to Brody Moore, and Buchanan added a 44-yard pick-six. In the second, BJ Cohen and AJ Fitts each had interceptions, with the latter returning his 70 yards for another defensive score, and Cohen had one more pick in the final frame. On offense, Jayden Ponder scored from 55 yards out and Gray Kelley hit a 47-yard field goal.
Brunswick 30, Effingham County 27
Brunswick held on to beat visiting Effingham County and clinch the Region 2-6A title. Terry Mitchell got the scoring started by taking a screen pass 53 yards to the end zone for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and extended the Pirates’ advantage to 20-7 just before halftime by returning a punt 73 yards for a touchdown. Brunswick also got touchdowns from Jayden Drayton and Jamarious Towns in addition to a 32-yard field goal by McClain Fineran. Effingham County pulled to within three points with 19 seconds remaining, but the Pirates recovered the ensuing onside kick to clinch victory.
Houston County 70, Veterans 21
Houston County finished its regular season with an emphatic 70-21 win over crosstown-rival Veterans after leading 35-7 at the half. Houston County scored four unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game away. The victory secured the two-seed for the Bears and a first-round home game with Glynn Academy. Houston County claimed the spot with the tiebreaking win over Northside-Warner Robins from earlier in the year. The Warhawks finished the year at 5-5 and will miss the state playoffs.
Blessed Trinity 49, Lassiter 0
Blessed Trinity scored two unanswered touchdowns in each of the first three quarters to overwhelm Lassiter in a Region 7-6A matchup to finish second in the league. Deldrick Franklin scored on an 11-yard run to open scoring. Kieran Davis pushed the lead with a 50-yard touchdown run. Alex Rogers passed to Cole Weaver to put the Titans up 21-0. Logan Sandoval scored on a 30-yard fumble recovery to extend the lead. Zyon McKenzie scored on a 98-yad kickoff return in the third quarter to push the lead to 35-0. Alex Rogers passed to Cole Harof on a 4-yard pass to give Blessed Trinity a 42-0 advantage before the final touchdown pass with a minute left in the game.
St. Pius X 29, South Cobb 7
With a victory over South Cobb, St. Pius X moved to 4-1 in league-play and secured the No. 2 seed from Region 4-6A behind Marist (5-0).
Thomas County Central 24, Northside-Warner Robins 14
No. 3-ranked Thomas County Central finished the regular season a perfect 10-0 following a 24-14 victory over Northside-Warner Robins in Friday’s Region 1-6A title game. Northside led 14-10 at halftime before Samuel Brown (3 yards) and Ricky Fulton (50 yards) added touchdown runs for the Jackets and Kendarius Reddick sealed the win with an interception.
Class 5A
Centennial 45, Greater Atlanta Christian 19
Centennial overwhelmed visiting Greater Atlanta Christian in a battle for the third seed out of Region 6-5A. Greater Atlanta Christian led 13-10 at halftime after Denzell Watkins rushed for a touchdown and tossed a scoring strike to Hunter Bryant, but Centennial reeled off 28 unanswered points in the third quarter to take control. A 10-yard touchdown run by Akeem Cunningham in the fourth quarter was not enough for the Spartans to get back in it.
Kell 35, Chattahoochee 14
Bryce Clavon completed 9-of-14 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns as Kell cruised past visiting Chattahoochee. The Longhorns set the tone on the first play from scrimmage, as Clavon connected with Marqavious Saboor for a 68-yard scoring strike. Kell scored the first 21 points of the game before Chattahoochee got on the scoreboard thanks to a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown by Syrus Chivers. Kell also got touchdowns from Davion Hampton, Justin Mitchell and Elijah Washington.
Clarke Central 37, Winder-Barrow 36
Visiting Clarke Central scored on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Lucian Anderson III to tight end Jamarion Davis with two seconds remaining to tie the game at 36-36, and freshman placekicker Heinkel Mejia-Quintero made the extra point to give the Gladiators the third seed in Region 8-5A. Anderson threw a 25-yard touchdown to Davis earlier in the fourth quarter to give Clarke Central a 24-23 lead in the back-and-forth game, and Anderson rushed for a 3-yard touchdown to give Clarke a 30-29 lead later in the quarter. Kendrick Curry and Corey Watkins also rushed for touchdowns for the Gladiators. Tyreeck Hall had a 92-yard touchdown rush and Camden Hodge had a 92-yard kickoff return for a score to give Winder-Barrow fourth-quarter leads.
Ware County 31, Coffee 6
Ware County won the Region 1-5A championship and host Coffee got the second seed after the Gators’ win. Ware County led just 10-6 at halftime after a 20-yard Nikao Smith touchdown pass to Brandon Washington and a 21-yard field goal by William Bates. In the second half, the Gators got rushing touchdowns of 3 yards and 1 yard from Dae’Jeaun Dennis and a 42-yard Smith TD pass to Jarvis Hayes to cap the scoring.
Jefferson 35, Eastside 7
No. 6-ranked — and Region 8-5A champion — Jefferson capped its regular season with a 35-7 win over visiting Eastside. Sammy Brown had four touchdowns in the game, the last of which came from 57 yards out, and Max Aldridge provided the final points of the night for the Dragons on a rushing score in the third quarter. Owen Botts was a perfect 5/5 on PATs, and Clayton Phillips had an interception in the second quarter. Jefferson will host Cass next week, and the four-seed Eagles will travel to Calhoun.
McIntosh 21, Harris County 17
McIntosh defeated Harris County for the first time in program history, improving to 5-5 and 2-2 in the region and clinching the three seed with the 21-17 win. McIntosh trailed 17-14 before getting the game-winning score — a 16-yard touchdown pass from Tate Morris to Marcus Malone Jr — with 44 seconds left in the game. Harris County made it back to midfield on its final possession, but an interception by Andy Elwell sealed the win for McIntosh.
In other 5A games -- Bradwell Institute scored 20 unanswered points against Greenbrier to win its first game of the season. …Jones County jump to a 27-0 lead over Union Grove in the first half to finish the year 6-4. …Northgate running back Evan Garrett scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to lead the visiting Vikings over Drew. …Flowery Branch running back Myles Ivy scored on a 51-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to help lead the host Falcons over Heritage (Conyers). Dutchtown scored 35 points in the second half against Ola to clinch the Region 2 title. …Creekside led 21-7 against Banneker at halftime to win the Region 5 championship.
Class 4A
Central-Carrollton 35, Heritage-Catoosa 23
Jonaz Walton scored on runs of 10, 12 and five yards to lead Central-Carroll past Heritage and into the playoffs. After a scoreless first quarter, Central-Carroll took a 14-3 lead entering halftime after a 10-yard touchdown run from Walton and a 13-yard touchdown reception from Ty Brewer. Chipper Grayson kicked a 35-yard field goal to get Heritage on the board. Walton scored on a 12-yard run to push the lead to 21-3. Heritage cut into the lead on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Kaden Swope to Paxton McCrary to trail 21-10. Walton’s final run, a five-yarder with four minutes left in the game, gave Central a 28-16 lead after the Rafael Guevara point-after try. Jonah Wilson caught a 41-yard touchdown pass with under two minutes left to put the game away. Guevara was 5-of-5 on PATs for the night. The Central (Carrollton) Lions will enter the playoffs on a three-game winning streak following a 35-23 win over Heritage (Catoosa). The Lions take the two-seed in region 7 of AAAA and a home game with Madison County in the first-round. Despite the loss, the Generals of Heritage (Catoosa) still make the playoffs as a four-seed, but they will travel to second-ranked North Oconee.
Bainbridge 53, Cairo 20
No. 7-ranked Bainbridge captured the Region 1-4A title with a convincing 53-20 win over the Cairo Syrupmakers. The two squads were tied for the top spot with undefeated region records before the game. The Bearcats advance to the state tournament and will host Westside-Macon in the first round, while Griffin will travel to the two-seeded Syrupmakers.
North Oconee 42, Cherokee Bluff 7
North Oconee’s victory over Cherokee Bluff handed the Titans the program’s second undefeated season – and first for head coach Tyler Aurandt -- for a team that’s been playing since 2004. In 2011, the team went undefeated before losing in the second round of the playoffs.
Whitewater 14, Starr’s Mill 6
Whitewater was shut out in the first half but used some big plays in the second to overcome host Starr’s Mill. The Wildcats took a 7-3 lead in the third quarter on a 50-yard touchdown run by Logan Griffith and a 37-yard scoring scamper by Braxton Mueller extended the advantage to 14-6 with four minutes left in the game. Starr’s Mill got field goals of 45 and 42 yards from Max Prozny.
LaGrange 38, Troup County 34
LaGrange pulled off a 38-34 upset victory on the road to halt Troup County’s undefeated season thanks to a 21-point fourth quarter. Parker Shattuck intercepted a Taeo Todd pass with less than three minutes in the game, and moments later, AJ Tucker scored on a 13-yard run. Todd had three touchdowns — two rushing and one through the air — in the first half for Troup.
In other 4A games -- No. 7 ranked Bainbridge captured the Region 1 title with a 53-20 road win over Cairo—adding another impressive result on the Bearcats’ resume. Cairo will take the No. 2 seed and a three-way tie between Shaw, Hardaway and Westover will determine the final two slots. In Region 2, Griffin, Westside-Macon and Baldwin entered a three-way tie at 3-3 in the region and will fill in the final two playoff spots behind Region 2 champion Perry and No. 2 seed Spalding. No. 5 Benedictine closed out the season on Thursday with a 45-6 win over New Hampstead after clinching the Region 3 title last week and No. 6 ranked Burke County responded from Monday’s 17-16 loss to No. 2 seed Wayne County with a 17-7 win over Southeast Bulloch that gives the Bears the No. 3 seed ahead of No. 4 New Hampstead. LaGrange scored the biggest win of the week in its 38-34 thriller over previously-unbeaten Troup. The Tigers remain the No. 1 seed, but LaGrange’s win forced a three-way tie with Trinity Christian and Whitewater and they now earn the No. 2 seed ahead of No. 3 Trinity Christian and No. 4 Whitewater. Starr’s Mill’s 14-6 loss to Whitewater leaves them out of the playoff picture and they close out the season 7-3. Hampton clinched a playoff berth with the No. 4 seed out of Region 5 with its 21-3 win over Luella and Woodland-Stockbridge’s 35-7 loss to Lovett. In Region 6, Holy Innocents’ can clinch the region title on Saturday with a win over visiting Hapeville Charter. Region 7 saw Central-Carroll defeat Heritage-Catoosa to earn the No. 2 seed and Madison County secured the No. 3 seed in Region 8 behind North Oconee and Madison County and ahead of No. 4 Cedar Shoals.
Class 3A
Ringgold 34, Gordon Lee 10
Ross Norman passed to Ty Gilbert on a 10-yard touchdown to open scoring for Ringgold as it moved past Gordon Lee. Norman also rushed for a short touchdown in the victory. Peyton Williams scored on a 15-yard run and Haddon Fries added a 1-yard touchdown run to bring the score to its final tally. The win moved Ringgold to 6-1, behind Adairsville (6-0) in the Region 6-3A standings.
Mary Persons 46, Pike County 10
Duke Watson scored on runs of 35 and three yards to help lead Mary Persons past Pike County. Champ Brantley scored on a 9-yard run and Logan Hickman passed to Kham Little for a 12-yard touchdown pass for the Bulldogs.
In other 3A games -- Hebron Christian beat No. 7 Stephens County 25-21 and has clinched the Region 8 title, but Hebron forced a three-way tie for second place with Oconee County and Monroe Area. Monroe Area beat Hart County 49-14 to stay tied. An 11 a.m. Saturday coin flip will sort out seeds No. 2 through No. 4 as each team is 1-1 against the others. In Region 7, Dawson won the title but there’s a three-way tie with Lumpkin County, Pickens and Wesleyan (3-2). In Region 4, Harlem defeated Morgan County 34-17 to win the title. In Region 2, Peach County beat Jackson 49-14 to win the league title with a three-way tie with Jackson, Mary Persons and Upson-Lee behind the Trojans.
Class 2A
Appling County 42, Brantley County 0
No. 3 ranked Appling County improved to 8-1 overall, picked up its seventh-straight victory, remained undefeated within the state this season and clinched the Region 3-2A title in its 42-0 win over host Brantley County. Friday marks the Pirates’ first region title since 2013.
In other 2A games -- Mt. Paran Christian came back from 12-0 down in the fourth quarter to defeat Washington 14-12 at home and earn the Region 6 No. 3 seed. Mt. Paran’s Nick Germain rushed for a touchdown and Ryan Strickland hit Lincoln Broadnax for the winning touchdown pass. … Athens Academy earned the No. 2 seed in Region 8 with a 34-7 road win over East Jackson, which got the No. 4 seed. Athens Academy got two touchdown rushes from Sam Bush, who also threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Preston Darden. ... Banks County hit a long last-second touchdown pass and then a two-point conversion rush to stun visiting Providence Christian, 40-39.
Class A Division I
Darlington 44, Trion 13
No. 6 ranked Darlington clinched the Region 7-Division I title and capped an undefeated season with a decisive 44-13 home win over Trion. D’Marion Floyd led the Tigers with three rushing scores—including a 39-yard burst that put Darlington up 44-13 with 3:41 left and a 65-yard carry early in the third quarter. Quarterback Jack Good also connected with Tommy Bethel for a 35-yard touchdown pass in the victory.
Class A Division II
Bowdon 42, Mt. Zion-Carroll 13
No. 1 ranked Bowdon led 7-6 after the first quarter before running away with a 42-13 victory and clinched the Region 7-Div. II title with its eighth-straight victory. Dylan Akins put the Red Devils up 7-6 on a 30-yard touchdown run. He returned to the end zone on a 65-yard carry early in the second quarter and Javarious Glen’s 2-yard touchdown run pushed the lead to 21-6 at the half. Glen tacked on a 2-yard and 25-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Mason Bailey found TJ Harvison for a 35-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter for the final tally.
See the Thursday recaps below
Class 6A
Woodward Academy 42, Forest Park 6
Griffin Marshall passed to Josiah Abdullah, Ben Grice, Michael McCormick and Caden Morris for touchdowns to lead Woodward past Forest Park. Grice added a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown and Joshua Isom scored on a 5-yard run for Woodward.
Class 5A
Arabia Mountain 14, Tucker 13
Arabia Mountain avoided a late disaster to win the defensive struggle and capture the No. 3 seed from Region 4-5A. Tucker’s Connor Whatley passed to Evan Ffrench with 6:22 left in the game to pull the Tigers to within a point 14-13 but the ensuing point-after try went wide.
Class 4A
Stephenson 42, Southwest DeKalb 13
Stephenson clinched a home playoff berth beating Southwest DeKalb. Devin Ingram scored four touchdowns, including a 60-yard run, to fuel the Jaguars.
Miller Grove 24, Westminster 7
Miller Grove scored on a 40-yard pass from Chancellor Allen to Jayvonne Dillard to open scoring and Seydina Ndiaye’s PAT put Miller Grove up 7-0, a lead they would not relinquish. Ndiaye added a 20-yard field goal in the third quarter to expand the lead. Miller Grove answered a Westminster touchdown on a touchdown run from Ta’Jon Corbitt to put the Wolverines up 17-7 with 3:05 in the third quarter. Corbitt, who rushed for over 200 yards, scored another touchdown in the fourth quarter and Ndiaye’s extra-point put the game away.
Class 2A
Thomson 52, Westside-Augusta 0
Thomson rushed for six touchdowns to overwhelm Westside-Augusta and junior Jordan Lane led the way. Lane made nine carries for 92 yards and three touchdowns alongside Tre Tre Jeffrey (2 touchdown runs) and Jahkiaus Jones (1 touchdown run). Jones was 13-of-18 passing for 190 yards and a touchdown for Thomson. Tyrekus Jones made two catches for 22 yards and a touchdown.
Putnam County 26, Washington County 13
Putnam County led 7-0 after the first quarter and 20-7 at the half before holding Washington County to six points in the second half, putting the game away.
Class A Division II
Schley County 52, Greenville 6
Schley quarterback Jay Kanazawa was an efficient 10-of-16 passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Wildcats past Greenville. Malachi Banks had 12 carries for 39 yards and four touchdowns. Jalewis Solomon caught two touchdown passes and Sam Forehand caught one touchdown pass for Schley.
Manchester 14, Taylor County 12
Junior back Anthony Bartholomew had 13 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns to lead Manchester past Taylor County.
Macon County 23, Marion County 12
Brian Harris Jr. and Tyler Stephens each rushed for a touchdown and Antravious Burnam caught one touchdown pass to lead Macon County past Stephens County.
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