AAAAAA

Lovejoy vs. Norcross

When, where: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Lovejoy is 13-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 2-AAAAAA and ranked No. 7; Norcross is 14-0, the No. 1 seed from 7-AAAAAA and ranked No. 3.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Both teams have 2,000-yard rushers and 2,000-yard passes. Lovejoy's Travis Custis has rushed for 2,058 yards with 35 touchdowns, and Alejandro Bennefield has passed for 2,395 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. Norcross' Alvin Kamara has rushed for 2,210 with 25 touchdowns, and Joseph Wilbur has passed for 2,347 yards with 27 touchdowns and five interceptions. 2. Lovejoy's defense is led by nose tackle Nathaniel Norwood, who has 16.5 sacks. Norcross' defense is led by Lorenzo Carter, who has 18 sacks. 3. Lovejoy's Al Hughes and Norcross' Keith Maloof are in their 17th seasons as head coaches. Neither they nor their schools have won a state title.

Maxwell Ratings' projection: Norcross by 9

 

AAAAA

Ware County vs. Gainesville

When, where: 8:30 p.m. Friday, Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Ware County is 13-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 3-AAAAA and ranked No. 6; Gainesville is 11-3, the No. 2 seed from 8-AAAAA and unranked.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Ware County RB/LB Xavier Tobler (1,648 yards and 27 touchdowns rushing, 112 total tackles) was the Region 3-AAAAA co-player of the year. DL Jimal McBride (136 tackles, six sacks, 25 tackles for loss) was the region's defensive co-player of the year and led a unit that has allowed just 8.6 points per game, the best in Class AAAAA. 2. Gainesville QB Deshaun Watson has passed for 3,707 yards and 47 touchdowns with eight interceptions and rushed for 1,356 yards and 22 TDs. The receivers are led by Rodney Lackey with 64 catches for 938 yards and 14 TDs, but five other players (Caleb Hayman, Tray Harrison, Michael Byrd, Jay Gaudlock and Lahius Leverette) have at least 30 catches, 310 yards and four touchdowns. 3. Neither school has ever won a GHSA state title. Waycross High, which merged with Ware County in 1994, won four titles from 1960 to 1981, including the 1960 Class AA championship when it beat Gainesville 49-0 in the final.

Maxwell Ratings' projection: Gainesville by 1

 

AAAA

Sandy Creek vs. Ridgeland

When, where: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Sandy Creek is 14-0, the No. 1 seed from Region 5-AAAA and ranked No. 1; Ridgeland is 13-1, the No. 1 seed from 7-AAAA and ranked No. 9.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Ridgeland WB/DB Vonn Bell has 1,666 yards rushing and receiving and scored 21 touchdowns. RB Darrell Bridges has rushed for 2,301 yards and scored 39 touchdowns. A former quarterback, Bridges has thrown four TD passes, including two in the semifinals against Marist. OL/DL Gannon Hampton has graded out at 94 percent for the season as a blocker and made 26 tackles for losses on defense. 2. Sandy Creek has a 2,000-yard passer (Cole Garvin), two 1,000-yard rushers (sophomores Eric Swinney and Delvin Weems), a 1,000-yard receiver (Demarre Kitt), an SEC-bound lineman (Alan Knott to South Carolina) and an SEC-bound defensive back (Shaquille Wiggins to Georgia). 3. Ridgeland, which opened in 1989, is seeking its first state title, although its hometown of Rossville was a state power decades ago and won championships in 1954, 1955 and 1962. Sandy Creek, opened in 1992, is seeking its third state title in four seasons, an accomplishment achieved by only 13 schools.

Maxwell Ratings' projection: Sandy Creek by 10

 

AAA

Buford vs. St. Pius

When, where: 5:30 p.m. Friday, Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Buford is 11-3, the No. 2 seed from Region 7-AAA and ranked No. 3; St. Pius is 12-2, the No. 1 seed from 6-AAA and ranked No. 7.

Last meeting: St. Pius won 27-7 in the 1985 regular season.

Three things to know: 1. Buford has a 1,000-yard rusher in Dontravious Wilson (1,137 yards, 14 TDs) and two quarterbacks (Taylor Mitchell, Montgomery VanGorder) with at least 750 yards passing, but the Wolves make their name on defense. They have allowed just 7.5 points, 97.1 yards rushing and 77.9 yards passing per game this season. Korie Rogers has 54 solo tackles, seven sacks and four interceptions. 2. St. Pius' run-based offense is directed by QB Jack Spear, who has rushed for 811 yards and five touchdowns on 135 carries and passed for 757 yards and eight TDs. The leading rushers among the backs are Ryan Braswell, who has 258 carries for 1,531 yards and 30 touchdowns, Branden Mitchell (92-829-7) and Nick Ruffin (59-479-4). 3. Buford is appearing in the championship game for a record sixth consecutive year and 11th time in 13 seasons, seeking its eighth state title during that stretch and ninth overall. St. Pius is playing in its third championship game. The Golden Lions lost to West Rome in 1965 and beat Gainesville in 1968 for their only state title.

Maxwell Ratings' projection: Buford by 10

 

AA

Jefferson vs. Calhoun

When, where: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Jefferson is 13-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-AA and ranked No. 7; Calhoun is 14-0, the No. 1 seed from 7-AA and ranked No. 1.

Last meeting: Calhoun won 39-6 in the first round of the 2011 Class AA playoffs.

Three things to know: 1. Calhoun QB Taylor Lamb was held to a career-low 64 yards passing in the semifinals against Lamar County, but RB Alex Urbano compensated with a 160-yard rushing effort. Lamb has thrown for 3,228 yards on the season, while Urbano has 1,279 yards rushing. WR Josh Barnes has 1,009 yards receiving. 2. Jefferson QB Bryant Shirreffs has passed for 2,181 yards, rushed for 1,233 and had a hand in 35 touchdowns. Three Jefferson backs average better than a rushing touchdown every 10 carries in Shirreffs (18 TDs, 154 carries), Tristen Jackson (117 carries, 603 yards, 16 TDs) and Sammy Williams (127-867-13). The key defender is LB Wesley Simonton, who has 26 tackles for losses. 3. Calhoun is looking to become the eighth school in history to complete back-to-back 15-0 seasons. Jefferson is trying to win its first state title and must get through an old enemy to do it. Calhoun head coach Hal Lamb is an alumnus of Commerce, Jefferson's arch rival in Jackson County for more than 60 years.

Maxwell Ratings' projection: Calhoun by 14

 

A (public)

Dooly County vs. Emanuel County Institute

When, where: 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Dooly County is 11-2, the No. 5 seed and unranked; Emanuel County Institute is 12-1, the No. 3 seed and ranked No. 2.

Last meeting: Emanuel County Institute won 35-0 in the second round of the 2007 Class A playoffs.

Three things to know: 1. RB Gregory Purcell has rushed for more than 100 yards in five of his last six games and has 1,028 yards on the season, but ECI's leading rusher lately has been RB James Brown. He has run for 165, 176 and 113 in three playoff games and has 993 yards on the season. The top defender is LB Taiwan Daughtry, who has 113 tackles, 16 for losses. 2. Dooly County DL Montravius Adams, the top defensive tackle prospect in the country according to some, had two sacks and 12 quarterback hurries in a 10-7 victory over Lincoln County in the semifinals. Dooly's leading rusher is sophomore Chanin Hamilton with 1,358 yards. QB A.J. Smith has thrown for 1,970 yards. 3. Dooly County opened in 1981 with the consolidation of Vienna and Unadilla high schools. Dooly has played in two state title games (1983, 2002) but never won. ECI has been fielding football teams since 1920, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, and claimed a state title as early as 1923. The 2007 state title is the only officially recognized state championship.

Maxwell Ratings' projection: Emanuel County Institute by 14

 

A (private)

Prince Avenue Christian vs. ELCA

When, where: 2:30 p.m. Friday, Georgia Dome Atlanta

Records, rankings: Prince Avenue Christian is 11-2, the No. 9 seed and unranked; Eagle's Landing Christian is 12-1, the No. 2 seed and ranked No. 1.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Prince Avenue Christian gets 89.7 percent of its offense from its running game, which averages 325.8 yards and is led by a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Carl Mattox has 1,644 yards and 22 touchdowns on 155 carries, and Bryce Huff has 1,101 yards and 13 TDs on 137 carries. Christian Payne leads the defense with 117 total tackles and three blocked kicks. 2. Eagle's Landing Christian is led by RB/LB Keyante Green. The Region 5-A player of the year has rushed for 1,203 yards and 17 touchdowns on 103 carries and has 58 tackles, including 11 for losses. QB Dalton Etheridge is 87-of-129 passing for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns and has rushed for 724 yards and 18 TDs. 3. Neither team has won a GHSA state title. Eagle's Landing Christian won a Georgia Independent School Association championship in 1996 but is making its first appearance in the finals since joining the GHSA in 2004. Prince Avenue Christian began playing football in 2005 and is in the final for the first time.

Maxwell Ratings' projection: Eagle's Landing Christian by 11

Scholarship nominations sought 

The National Football Foundation Greater Atlanta Chapter is requesting nominations for its 2013 Scholar Athlete Program Scholarship Program. Applications can be found on the web site:

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