Championship Game Previews: Class A Division I and Division II
Class A Division I
Prince Avenue Christian vs. Swainsboro
When, where: 4 p.m. Monday, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Records, rankings: Prince Avenue Christian is 13-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 5-A Division I and No. 1; Swainsboro is 12-2, the No. 3 seed from 2-A Division I and No. 8.
Last meeting: Prince Avenue Christian won 52-34 in the 2022 Class A Division I championship game.
Things to know: In the 2022 championship game, Prince Avenue trailed 20-7 in the first half and 27-17 midway in the third quarter but scored touchdowns on five consecutive second-half drives that totaled 356 yards on 20 plays, and Swainsboro couldn't keep pace. Aaron Philo set state-finals records with 477 yards passing and six touchdowns. (Carrollton’s Ju Ju Lewis broke the yards record two days later.) Philo, now a senior committed to Georgia Tech, needs 301 passing yards to break Trevor Lawrence’s career passing record of 13,902. These teams are the most philosophically different offensively of any state finals pair. Prince Avenue is passing for 313.4 yards per game, the most of the 16 finalists. Swainsboro rushes for 301.9 yards per game, the most among the finalists, and passes for only 37.6. Swainsboro is close to having three 1,000-yard rushers – Demello Jones (1,160), Jordon Williams (1,212) and Qin Brown (992). Swainsboro can win its first state title since 2000. Prince Avenue, which began varsity football in 2005, can win its third in four seasons. This private-vs.-public matchup won’t be possible the next two seasons and probably much longer. Prince Avenue is moving to the new Class 3A-A private division for the state playoffs while Swainsboro will stay in Class A Division I, which will be free of private schools in the playoffs.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Prince Avenue Christian 33, Swainsboro 21
WRITTEN BY CHIP SAYEClass A Division II
Manchester vs. Bowdon
When, where: 7 p.m. Monday, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Records, rankings: Manchester is 11-2, the No. 2 seed from Region 6-A Division II and No. 2; Bowdon is 12-2, the No. 1 seed from 7-A Division II and No. 5.
Last meeting: Manchester won 21-20 on Aug. 18.
Things to know: This is the 41st state final in GHSA history that is a rematch of a regular-season game. Manchester escaped with a one-point victory against Bowdon in the teams’ season opener. It is also a game that matches the No. 1 offense in Class A Division II (Bowdon averages 43.57 points per game) against the No. 1 defense (Manchester allows just 8.23). Bowdon, the defending state champion, has won 12 consecutive wins since starting the season 0-2 (the Red Devils lost to Central of Carrollton in Week 2). Bowdon’s offense is led by quarterback Kyler McGrinn, who has passed for 1,965 yards and rushed for 1,908 yards, putting him well within reach of 2,000 yards in both categories. It’s believed that Troup’s Taeo Todd is the only player to accomplish that feat when he did it last year, although Pierce County’s Caden McGatha could also join the club when his team plays in the Class 2A final Tuesday. McGrinn has 30 touchdowns rushing and 24 passing. Jordan Beasley has run for 1,335 yards and 17 touchdowns, and Kaiden Prothro has 809 yards and 12 touchdowns receiving. Manchester relies on the running game, getting 87% of its yards on the ground. Qua Cooper has run for 1,042 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Darius Favors has 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns. Keelan Whitaker ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on three carries in the Blue Devils’ earlier victory against Bowdon. The Blue Devils have held eight of their 13 opponents to seven points or less with five shutouts, including two in the playoffs. Manchester finished in second place in Region 6 after losing to top-ranked Schley County, which was eliminated from the playoffs by Bowdon in the semifinals.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: This game is rated as a toss-up.