Georgia HS football playoffs: biggest upsets, moments from the quarterfinals

AJC Varsity’s playoff brackets can be found here.

Valdosta escapes Cinderella Walton, 45-42

Walton’s Cinderella story came three points short of advancing to the semifinals. Valdosta beat the Raiders 45-42 and will advance to face Buford next Friday.

Walton beat No. 1 seed McEachern in the first round before dominating East Coweta last Friday night.

Upset Alert: Kell shocks 12-point favorite Cartersville

Kell’s Moonie Gipson led the way to a statement 48-21 upset of Cartersville. The 4-star running back led the Longhorns against a Cartersville defense that had only allowed more than 30 points once this season.

Cartersville suffered its first loss of the season, and Kell is headed to its first semifinals since 2016.

Pepperell shocks Rabun County

A Pepperell win at Rabun County wouldn’t have been that unbelievable entering Friday night. Rabun County was only favored by four points.

But a Pepperell win by a 34-0 count — where it jumped out to a 28-0 lead by halftime — was definitely a surprise to many.

Pepperell will face top-ranked Worth County in the semifinals next Friday.

Hebron Christian rolls Prince Avenue Christian, GAC shocks Athens Academy

Hebron Christian dominated Prince Avenue Christian 63-20 in a rematch of the Class 3A-A Private state championship last season.

Hebron Christian will face Greater Atlanta Christian, which is fresh off a statement win of its own.

Greater Atlanta Christian hammered five-point favorite Athens Academy 49-14. The Spartans have scored 97 combined points in their two playoff wins.

West Laurens stays perfect, makes first semifinals in program history

West Laurens knocked off Jenkins 21-16 to move to 13-0, the best record in program history. The Raiders also clinched their first semifinals berth in program history and will face Jefferson next Friday.

Benedictine drops 80 in dominant win

Benedictine left no doubt in its quarterfinal matchup against Central-Carrollton. The Cadets bombarded the Lions 80-32 to move to the semifinals, where they will face Marist.

Rome ends Jackson County’s historic season

Rome outscored Jackson County 14-0 in the second half to end the Panthers’ historic playoff run.

Jackson County, which had never advanced past the first round of the playoffs before this season, fell 31-17 in the quarterfinals. Both of the Wolves’ touchdowns came in the fourth quarter.

Rome is slated to play the winner of Gainesville-Hughes in the semifinals.

AJC Super 11 selection Kaiden Prothro sets state TD record

AJC Super 11 selection and 5-star Georgia commitment Kaiden Prothro reportedly made history for Bowdon.

Prothro broke Georgia’s career receiving touchdown record against Jenkins County, hauling in the 60th of his career, according to @westgatv on X.

Hapeville Charter topples Morgan County, 34-22

Hapeville Charter picked up a slight road upset at Morgan County by a 34-22 count. The Hornets put the game away with under four minutes left as Ray Damon Stiggers broke off a 31-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2.

Roswell holds off Sequoyah

Roswell escaped a late comeback push from Sequoyah to advance to the semifinals with a 42-35 win. The Hornets led 35-14 in the third quarter before the Chiefs started staging the comeback.

Roswell quarterback Trey Smith accounted for five touchdowns in the first half for a 28-14 lead. Smith’s last touchdown, a 76-yard pass to Wills Campbell, put the game out of reach.

Carrollton dethrones Grayson

Carrollton knocked off defending state champion Grayson 34-14 Friday night. The Rams entered the game as the nation’s No. 1 team according to three separate polls.

Grayson scored the first 14 points before Carrollton finished with 34 unanswered. The Trojans also avenged a 38-24 loss to Grayson in the 2024 state championship.

Carrollton advanced to face North Gwinnett in the semifinal round.

Jefferson, Thomas County Central complete comebacks in dominant fashion

Jefferson climbed out of an early 21-0 relatively quickly and simply kept rolling. The Dragons bulldozed Cairo the rest of the way en route to a 47-28 win.

Thomas County Central fell behind 26-point underdog Woodward Academy 12-0 early. Then Christian “Deuce” Lawrence returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, and the Yellow Jackets never slowed down from there.

Thomas County Central advanced to the semifinals with a 49-19 win.

Buford dominates Douglas County, advances to semifinals

Buford stayed perfect on the season with another win over Douglas County at home. The Wolves beat the Tigers 30-15 and will face the winner of Valdosta-Walton next week.

North Gwinnett pulls away in fourth quarter for road win

North Gwinnett is headed to the Class 6A semifinals after a 25-15 win at West Forsyth. The Bulldogs were knotted at 15-15 at the end of the third quarter before pulling away to improve to 12-1.

North Gwinnett will face the winner of Grayon-Carrollton next week.

Marist snaps North Oconee’s title hopes, home winning streak

North Oconee hadn’t lost a game at home since 2021 before Friday night.

Then Marist shocked the Titans, avenging their 2024 state championship loss to North Oconee with a walk-off field goal. The War Eagles will face Benedictine in the semifinals.

It will be Marist’s third straight semifinals appearance under 40th-year head coach Alan Chadwick.

Upset Watch: Carrollton takes three-score lead over Grayson

Carrollton running back Cameron Wood just scored his third touchdown of the night, and the Trojans have scored 31 unanswered points.

Carrollton is on its way to handing Grayson — a national No. 1 according to several national polls — its first loss since its 2024 season-opener.

Carrollton is also avenging a state championship loss to Grayson last December.

Upset Watch: Valdosta leads Walton 24-21 at half

No. 4 seed Walton’s Cinderella story is alive and well in Winnersville.

The Raiders trail 20-point home favorite Valdosta 24-21 at halftime. Walton’s sophomore quarterback, Christion Peacock, has thrown for touchdowns of 72 and 62 yards and ripped off a 52-yard touchdown run to keep the Raiders within striking distance.

Upset Watch: West Forsyth ties North Gwinnett

West Forsyth tied North Gwinnett to start the fourth quarter with an 11-yard screen pass for a touchdown and a two-point conversion. The Wolverines entered Friday night as 24-point underdogs.

Sequoyah connects for 21-yard touchdown, fighting Roswell

Roswell’s three-score lead isn’t completely safe, as Sequoyah’s explosive offense is still fighting. The Chiefs connected for a 21-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 35-21.

Sumter County leads Carver-Atlanta 33-20

Carver-Atlanta’s championship hopes appear to be in danger late in the third quarter. The Panthers trail Sumter County 33-20 with 3:46 remaining in the quarter.

Carver was a one-point favorite entering the third-round matchup.

Kell takes 34-7 lead at half

Kell is on its way to an upset of 12-point favorite Cartersville. The Longhorns lead the Purple Hurricanes 34-7 at halftime.

Kell converted a third-and-30 with a 62-yard touchdown reception from Moonie Gipson to take a three-possession lead.

UGA, Georgia Tech legacies team up for North Oconee

Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner made the drive from Mercedes-Benz Stadium to North Oconee following the Georgia-Georgia Tech game. Faulkner’s son, Harrison, is quarterbacking the Titans as they look to extend their season into the semifinals.

UGA great David Pollack’s son, Nick, is a key contributor at tight end and outside linebacker.

Harrison Faulkner just tied at Marist at 13-13 with his second touchdown pass of the night.

Walton air attack challenging Valdosta, Wildcats hold slight lead

Walton quarterback Christion Peacock hit two explosive touchdown passes to keep the Raiders within striking distance of Valdosta’s lead.

Peacock found his little brother, freshmen receiver Jordan Peacock, for a 62-yard score to cut the deficit to 17-14.

Jefferson scores 23 unanswered, takes lead at half over Cairo

Cairo’s passing attack looked unstoppable early as receiver Bryian Duncan picked up 195 yards on three touchdowns.

Then the Dragons roared back, scoring 23 unanswered for a two-point halftime lead. Colton Grant housed an eight-yard touchdown for the 23-21 advantage.

Jackson County, Rome tied at 17 at half

Jackson County is hanging tight with eight-point favorite Rome. The Panthers tied the Wolves at 17-17 right before halftime.

Jackson County is playing in its first quarterfinals round. The Panthers beat reigning state champion Milton last week in their first second round appearance.

Hapeville Charter has Morgan County on upset watch

Hapeville Charter is on its way to a slight upset at Morgan County. The Hornets have a 21-7 lead at halftime.

The Bulldogs entered Friday night as a five-point favorite with a 12-0 record.

Pepperell takes a 28-0 lead into halftime, rolling to upset

Pepperell leads Rabun County 28-0 at halftime after a double-pass touchdown built the four-score lead late in the half. Rabun County has thrown two interceptions — one for a pick-six — and has turned the ball over on downs twice.

North Gwinnett holds halftime lead thanks to explosive special teams

North Gwinnett holds a 15-7 lead over West Forsyth after returning a kickoff 100 yards in the second quarter. The Bulldogs converted a two-point conversion to build the eight-point lead.

Roswell holds two-score lead after eye-popping half from Trey Smith

Roswell quarterback Trey Smith has scored all four of Roswell’s first half touchdowns, building a 28-14 lead.

Star Power trading blows in Cartersville-Kell

Kell took a 14-7 lead over Cartersville on a short touchdown run from Moonie Gipson. The 4-star running back pushed through Cartersville’s front and across the goal line for the 14-7 win.

Cartersville’s first score came from an explosive pass to 3-star UGA commitment Brady Marchese. The speedy receiver took a short drag route 52 yards for the score.

Carrollton scores 14 unanswered to tie Grayson

Carrollton’s offense delivered two explosive plays to tie Grayson at 14-14.

Cameron Woods put Carrollton on the board with a 69-yard rushing touchdown.

Then freshman quarterback CJ Cypher found Peyton Zachary behind the Rams defense for a 40-yard touchdown pass.

Grayson ground game claims 14-0 lead at Carrollton

Grayson’s Brandon Gray matched his counterpart, Ashton Turner, with a first half rushing touchdown of his own. Gray ran behind a dominant Rams offensive line, almost untouched and across the goal line.

West Forsyth hits back, ties heavy favorite North Gwinnett

West Forsyth running back Andrew Davidson tied North Gwinnett at 7-7 with a three-yard rushing touchdown.

The Wolverines are hosting the Bulldogs tonight, but they’re 24-point underdogs.

Woodward Academy builds lead, Thomas County Central rips kick return TD

Woodward Academy entered Friday night as a 26-point underdog at Thomas County Central. The War Eagles built a 12-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Then Thomas County Central hit back as Christian “Deuce” Lawrence returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.

Jackson County leads Rome after 31-point first quarter

Jackson County holds a 17-14 lead over Rome entering the second quarter. The Panthers took the lead on the final play of the quarter when RJ Knapp II plowed into the end zone from 11 yards out.

LaGrange takes 10-point halftime lead with pick-six

LaGrange’s Zy Huzzie cashed a pick-six with 15 seconds left in the second quarter. The Grangers took a 17-7 lead into halftime.

LaGrange trailed most of the first half before taking a 10-7 lead with 1:28 remaining in the second quarter. Dylan Barber hit Wylan Walsh for a six-yard score.

Roswell, Sequoyah both score twice in shootout first quarter

Roswell’s Trey Smith broke off a 39-yard rushing touchdown on the final play of the first quarter to tie Sequoyah at 14-14. Smith also threw an 80-yard touchdown for Roswell’s first score.

Grayson hits the ground for 7-0 lead over Carrollton

Grayson got physical for the first touchdown of a nationally anticipated matchup between the Rams and Carrollton.

Running back Ashton Turner plowed through the Trojans’ front and into the end zone from six yards out.

North Gwinnett draws first blood in 6A clash

North Gwinnett is on the board first at West Forsyth as Braylen Jackson caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Elam Rahman on third-and-long.

Both North Gwinnett and West Forsyth are No. 1 seeds, but the Bulldogs are favored by 24 points on the road.

Cairo’s Bryian Duncan feasting

Cairo wide receiver Bryian Duncan has scored all three touchdowns for the Syrupmakers tonight. The star receiver has 195 yards on the three scores alone and has built a shocking 21-0 lead over Jefferson.

Pepperell has early upset makings with 14-0 lead

Pepperell has taken a 14-0 lead over Rabun County in the first quarter.

Pepperell started the game with a 91-yard touchdown drive and took the two-score lead on a pick-six from Madoc Garcia.

Sequoyah connects on 25-yard touchdown for early lead

Kolby Martin found a wide-open Brooks Darling for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Sequoyah took an early 7-0 lead over Roswell.

The Chiefs are shooting for an upset at home as a 12-point underdog.

Calvary Day dominating Whitefield Academy early

Calvary Day enters the second quarter with a 21-0 lead. The No. 4-ranked 14-point favorite is trying to make its third semifinal round in the last six seasons.

Cairo cashes scoop-and-score for first points, leads Jefferson 14-0

Cairo shocked Jefferson early, returning a scoop-and-score 60 yards for the game’s first points. The Syrupmakers, who entered the game as 11-point underdogs, lead Jefferson 7-0.

Cairo forced a punt on the next possession and quickly took a 14-0 lead on a 69-yard touhdown pass from Bryce Puckett to Bryian Duncan.

Benedictine scores on two three-play drives

Benedictine is off to a red-hot start, as the Cadets needed just three snaps to take a 7-0 lead over Central-Carrollton.

Then the Cadets got another short field off an interception on the ensuing drive. Three plays later, Benedictine took a 14-0 lead on a reverse.

Round 3 road favorites: Away teams favored in the Georgia high school football quarterfinals

There are nine road teams favored to advance to the semifinals, according to the Maxwell Ratings’ projections. Here they are, divided by classification.

Class 6A

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class A Division I

Class A Division II

GHSA quarterfinals schedule for reigning state champions

Two reigning state champions were eliminated last Friday, but six are still trying to defend their title in the quarterfinals. Here are all six games, including point spreads generated by the Maxwell Ratings.

Super 11 updates: Two Super 11 players face off, four others playing in Round 3

AJC Super 11 selections Aaron Gregory and Tyriq Green will battle in the secondary for the second time this season when Douglas County faces Buford.

Gregory, a 4-star Texas A&M commitment, caught five passes for 80 yards and a touchdown in Douglas County’s 34-26 loss to Buford earlier this season. Green made several punishing tackles, had 37 yards of total offense and exploded for a 30-yard punt return.

Five other Super 11 selections will play in the GHSA quarterfinals. Grayson linebacker Tyler Atkinson visits Carrollton, Gainesville edge rusher Xavier Griffin visits Hughes, Bowdon tight end Kaiden Prothro hosts Jenkins County and Central-Carrollton running back Jonaz Walton visits Benedictine.

North Oconee edge rusher Khamari Brooks suffered a season-ending injury, but his team is hosting Marist on Friday night.

Four high school football state championship rematches tonight

Four teams will try to defend their state title Friday night against the teams they beat to earn it last season.

Class 6A, Class 4A, Class A Division I and Class 3A-A Private will all have state championship rematches.

Class 6A: Grayson at Carrollton

Top-ranked Grayson’s trip to Carrollton is one of the highest-anticipated games in the country this week. The Rams beat the Trojans 38-24 last December to win their third state title in the last 10 years.

Grayson, which just picked up a third No. 1 national ranking this week, is headed to Carrollton for the first time in program history. The Rams and Trojans played for the first time in last year’s state title game. Both teams will enter Friday night’s showdown undefeated.

Class 4A: Marist at North Oconee

North Oconee and Marist had also never played before they battled in Mercedes-Benz Stadium last year. The Titans won a physical 14-7 battle for the school’s first state championship.

Fans should be in for another physical showdown, as both teams are known for dominating the line of scrimmage. Marist, a two-point underdog, enters at 11-1. North Oconee hasn’t lost at home since its 2021 season-opener.

Class A Division I: Northeast at Toombs County

Toombs County won the first state title in program history last year with a 38-14 domination of Northeast. It was the second meeting between the programs.

Northeast won both of its first two playoff games by double digits. Toombs County escaped Thomasville’s upset bid last week. The teams are 1-1 against each other all-time.

Class 3A-A Private: Prince Avenue Christian at Hebron Christian

Hebron Christian also won its first state title last season when it thumped traditional private school powerhouse Prince Avenue 56-28.

Hebron Christian beat Prince Avenue Christian 43-6 to win its region and close the regular season on Oct. 31. The Lions are 3-11 against Prince Avenue Christian all-time, but they have won the last two matchups.

Top-10 high school football matchups tonight

There are 22 games between top-10 teams in the third round of the GHSA football playoffs Friday night.

Here are all 22 games divided by classification, including point spreads generated by the Maxwell Ratings.

Class 6A

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class 2A

Class A Division I

Class A Division II

Class 3A-A Private

Every No. 1 team’s GHSA quarterfinal game

Class 6A: Grayson at Carrollton (-1)

Class 5A: Gainesville at Hughes (-12)

Class 4A: Lithonia at Creekside (-44)

Class 3A: Douglass at Sandy Creek (-28)

Class 2A: Thomson at Carver-Coumbus (-24)

Class A Division I: Gordon Lee at Worth County (-24)

Class A Division II: Brooks County at Lincoln County (-13)

Class 3A-A Private: Prince Avenue Christian at Hebron Christian (-20)