GIAA championships: Four titles at stake this weekend

St. Anne-Pacelli of Columbus can win its first state championship history while John Milledge Academy of Milledgeville can win its fourth straight this week in Georgia Independent Athletic Association finals today and Friday at Mercer University.

Pacelli is playing Stratford Academy of Macon for the Class 4A championship. Both played in the GHSA last season, each reaching the Class A Private playoffs.

Both Class 4A semifinals last week were crosstown rivalry games between former GHSA teams. Pacelli defeated Brookstone 20-17, and Stratford beat Tattnall Square 55-28.

Stratford has won eight state titles, all in the Georgia Independent School Association, most recently in 2004. The GISA restructured and rebranded its athletics under the GIAA label this year, in part to accommodate about 15 new members, most from the GHSA.

John Milledge is heavily favored in the Class 3A final against Deerfield-Windsor of Albany. The Trojans have won a state-record 49 consecutive games.

Deerfield-Windsor, a GHSA school last season, beat Brookwood School of Thomasville 26-21 in the semifinals on a final-play touchdown covering 60 yards. (See today’s Four Questions interview with Deerfield-Windsor coach Jake McCrae.)

Other finals pit Central Fellowship of Macon against Brentwood of Sandersville in Class 2A and Thomas Jefferson Academy of Louisville against Robert Toombs Christian of Lyons in A.

Central Fellowship won state titles the past two seasons in the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Brentwood won GISA’s Class 2A title last season.

Thomas Jefferson is the three-time defending Class A champion. Robert Toombs is a five-time former GISA champion that won most recently in 2013.