We have made it to December. Week 17. Mercedes Benz Stadium is just over this last hill. Can they make it?
Three Athens-area teams are still left, the same three as last week, all having downed their opponents in a combined heart-pounding, nail-biting 48 minutes across the state. The Final Four is make it or break it. Last year, two of these teams made it to the semifinals, and only one survived. Will there be redemption this year?
Here’s what to watch for.
Kickoff: Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. | Class 4A
It’ll be Titan on Titan crime this Friday when the state’s No. 13 team Blessed Trinity arrives in Bogart to take on an undefeated North Oconee football team led by 4-star senior wide receiver and Georgia commit Landon Roldan.
At No. 9 in the state of Georgia, North Oconee downed a fellow undefeated (well… not anymore) team last week. BT has only lost one game this season — an early 28-14 tumble to Milton. Since then, they have managed to outscore their opponents 236-82, recording a shutout against Westminster and managing to come out the better end against Cambridge in overtime.
The green Titans of Roswell have a running back with 247 carries for 1,102 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns on the season. Safe to say he’s their choice of battle weapon. Their quarterback is on pace with NOHS’s Harrison Faulkner, and he evens out the yardage on the other end of the offense for them, with 122 completions on 195 attempts for 1,541 yards, 14 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
They also have a sophomore linebacker who has managed to sack opposing quarterbacks 11 times for a loss of 78 yards and tackled the opposing O-line 108 times (that’s 47 more tackles than the next person on the team) in 12 games.
North Oconee defeated Cartersville 28-26 in the quarterfinals. Blessed Trinity defeated Benedictine 24-10.
Kickoff: Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. | Class A-3A Private
Prince Avenue Christian outranks North Cobb Christian by a lot in the state of Georgia, No. 32 to No. 94, but their competitiveness and caliber match up seamlessly, so how much does that number really capture?
Seems the one thing the Wolverines and Eagles have in common is a sophomore standout — Andrew Beard for PACS and DJ Huggins for NCC. Beard averages significantly more receiving yardage per game (155.7 yards) to Huggins, but Huggins has him by about double in the rushing category (81.7 yards per game vs. Beard’s 43.8).
But that’s not to say Beard doesn’t contribute equally to both categories. He has 207 carries for 1,868 yards (10 games over 100 rushing yards) and 21 touchdowns, as well as 31 receptions for 526 yards and 8 touchdowns.
North Cobb Christian’s quarterback is a sophomore, already with three offers from colleges. He’s in his second season as a starter, eclipsing 2,000 yards passing for the second time (yes, he did that as a freshman, too). Teddy Jarrard is apparently just that guy. In 2023, he threw 153 completions on 260 attempts for 2,065 yards and 18 touchdowns. In 2024, he’s up to 209 completions on 291 attempts for 2,647 yards and 31 touchdowns in the same time span (12 games).
Prince Avenue Christian defeated Calvary Day 61-39 in the quarterfinals. North Cobb Christian defeated Savannah Christian 30-27.
Kickoff: Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. | Class 3A
Finally, a team Jefferson hasn’t seen before. LaGrange will be cutting directly through Atlanta and all the suburbs for this one, and they wear the same 10-3 record as Jefferson. Both closed out the regular season with a loss and have since pummeled their playoff opponents.
Jefferson only allowed 12 points from their opponents in the first two rounds, while LaGrange started to slip in round two when Sandy Creek put up 22 on them.
The Dragons rely heavily on senior quarterback Gavin Markey for, well, everything. He’s their leading rusher, averaging 111.2 yards per game for a total of 1,445 yards and 183 carries in 13 games. He has more rushing yards than he does passing. He’s only at 1,283 yards there with 74 completions on 130 attempts. He’s accounted for 37 of Jefferson’s 58 touchdowns: 17 passing and 21 rushing.
The Dragons have lost only five fumbles this season, and Markey has only been intercepted 6 times on 140 passes. The Dragons had something to prove this year with the loss of Sammy Brown and prove it they did. They’re going to give LaGrange a run for their money, but LaGrange will be just as strong at this point — they wouldn’t have made it here without that strength.
Jefferson defeated Cherokee Bluff 42-28 in the quarterfinals. LaGrange defeated North Hall 49-17.

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