Quarterfinal preview: Classes 4A, 3A and 2A

Class 4A

*Eastside (11-1) at Creekside (9-2): These teams have lost only once to Georgia opponents, and that was Eastside’s 40-35 defeat at third-ranked and undefeated North Oconee last month. Eastside, ranked No. 5 and trying to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2009, beat defending champion Perry 21-10 last week. Jayden Barr returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and Eastside led the defensive struggle 248-217 in total yards. Barr rushed for 89 yards. Myles Mims rushed for 58. Both have more than 900 yards rushing this season. Barr, committed to Georgia Tech, also is an outstanding safety. Christian Gass, committed to Tennessee, is a linebacker and the team’s leading tackler. Creekside, the 2023 Class 5A runner-up to Coffee, beat Kell 42-35 last week after trailing 21-6 in the first half. Cayden Benson threw two fourth-quarter TD passes for a 42-28 lead. Benson was 15-of-19 passing for 159 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Creekside, ranked No. 10, has not faced a top-10 Georgia opponent.

*Cambridge (10-2) at Marist (12-0): Cambridge is playing in its first quarterfinal in its 13-season history. Marist, ranked No. 1, has played in 12 during Cambridge’s lifetime. Marist beat Jones County 22-14 in the second round in Marist's closest game this season. Marist trailed 14-9 entering the fourth quarter and scored on drives of 11 and 12 plays that ate up 11:52 on the clock. Trace Gaines rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Marist out-rushed Jones County 239-14 and was out-passed 307-32. Cambridge beat Central of Carrollton 41-22 in the second round. Tyler Blalock rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. Cambridge held Central, with star running back Jonaz Walton, to 128 rushing yards. Cambridge is normally more of a passing team. Weston Taylor has thrown for 3,061 yards and 33 touchdowns. Craig Dandridge (1,150) and Hudson Cocchiara (1,030) have over 1,000 yards receiving. These schools have never met in football. This will be the first No. 1-ranked opponent that Cambridge has ever met.

*Benedictine (7-4) at Blessed Trinity (10-1): These schools have won five of the past seven Class 4A championships, with Benedictine on top in 2021 and 2022 and Blessed Trinity in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Blessed Trinity has won all four previous meetings between these Catholic schools, most recently in 2019. They’ve never met in the playoffs. This season, Blessed Trinity has lost only to No. 1 Milton of Class 5A. In the second round, Blessed Trinity beat Jonesboro 22-7. Noah Godhard was 5-for-5 on field goals (47, 42, 37, 36 and 35 yards). Ahmontae Pitts rushed for 111 yards, his fourth straight game over 100. Blessed Trinity is known for its defense and five-star sophomore DL D.J. Jacobs. The Titans are allowing 11.6 points per game, and they’ve played four quarterfinal teams. Benedictine beat Ola 34-14 in the second round. Bubba Frazier had 159 scrimmage yards and scored touchdowns rushing and receiving. Also a kick returner, Frazier has 1,357 all-purpose yards this season. Benedictine’s top defender is Herbert “Third” Scroggins, a linebacker committed to Miami. He had two sacks and three other tackles for losses against Ola. After five seasons with a major Division I quarterback (Auburn’s Holden Geriner, FSU’s Luke Kromenhoek), the Cadets are relying on sophomore Omari Burse (845 yards passing in seven games), pressed into duty because of injury.

*Cartersville (12-0) at North Oconee (12-0): These are the only undefeated teams playing against each other in any classification this week. North Oconee, ranked No. 3, has made the quarterfinals or better each of the past four seasons and made the semifinals in 2021 and 2022. Cartersville, ranked No. 2, made the semifinals the past two seasons. They’ve never played each other. North Oconee beat Ware County 30-6 last week. Harrison Faulkner was 12-of-18 passing for 280 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 89 yards. Khamari Brooks, a top-200 national junior prospect as an edge rusher, had four receptions for 124 yards. Landon Roldan, who is committed to Georgia, had five receptions for 95 yards and three touchdowns. Cartersville had not allowed more than two touchdowns in a game through a 9-0 start, but victories over Hiram (45-43), Westminster (37-22) and Starr’s Mill (53-35) the past three weeks have shown a different side to the Hurricanes. Against Starr’s Mill last week, Nate Russell was 18-of-24 passing for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Jamauri Brice had 12 receptions for 134 yards.

Class 3A

*Cherokee Bluff (11-1) at Jefferson (9-3): This will be Jefferson’s second consecutive playoff game against a fellow member of Region 8-3A. The top-seeded Dragons beat Oconee County 42-6 in the second round, avenging a 32-30 loss in the teams’ regular-season finale on Nov. 1. Quarterback Gavin Markey ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries and was 4-of-8 passing for 47 yards. He had 206 yards rushing, 75 yards passing and four combined touchdowns in Jefferson’s 35-7 victory over Cherokee Bluff on Oct. 25. Markey has 1,240 passing yards and 1,217 rushing yards for the season. Cherokee Bluff, a seventh-year program in Hall County, has tied the school record with 11 victories and is making its first quarterfinal appearance. The Bears advanced with a 21-14 victory over Luella last week. Brooks Brien threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to K.T. Thompson midway through the third quarter that broke a 14-14 tie and held up as the game-winner. In the first game against Jefferson, Brien passed for 111 yards (about half his average) and a touchdown with two interceptions as the Bears were held to 156 total yards.

*LaGrange (9-3) at North Hall (10-2): Unranked and No. 20 seed LaGrange pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the second round when it defeated second-ranked Sandy Creek 38-22, avenging a 27-7 loss when the teams met in the Region 2-3A opener on Aug. 30. LaGrange had a 24-0 lead in the second quarter and held on. Malachi Fannin-Render had 224 yards and three touchdowns rushing and three receptions for 15 yards and a touchdown. DE Spencer Stroud had seven tackles, five assists, two tackles for losses, three sacks, two QB pressures, a pass break-up, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. The Grangers are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2008. Fifth-seeded North Hall is in the quarters for the first time since 2012 after a 27-20 victory over Upson-Lee, which beat LaGrange 18-15 in the teams’ regular-season finale. It was the Trojans’ 10th straight win since opening the season with losses to Wesleyan and Cherokee Bluff. Smith McGarvey passed for 210 yards and two touchdowns. His 19 TD passes this season broke the North Hall record. Cole Cable, who had 96 yards and a touchdown receiving, now holds the school single-season record for receiving yards (816) and receiving TDs (12).

*Calhoun (9-3) at Peach County (11-1): This game matches two teams that were down last year but have been among the state’s most successful programs in the smaller classifications. Seventh-ranked Calhoun missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1999 but is back in the quarterfinals for the 18th time in 21 seasons after a 38-14 victory over No. 9 Douglass. Tight end Emaree Winston (committed to Texas), who missed more than half the season with an injury, had six receptions for 93 yards and scored on two short runs. Top-ranked Peach County had a losing record last season for the first time since 1986 but is in the quarterfinals for the 15th time in 22 seasons after beating Baldwin 37-3. D.J. Hudson was 11-of-16 passing for 189 yards and three touchdowns, all to brother Zion Hudson. He threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns in the first round. This will be the third meeting between the teams since they were involved in one of the most controversial championship games in state history, the 2017 Class 3A final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, when an apparent go-ahead touchdown pass by Peach County in the fourth quarter was ruled incomplete in a game Calhoun won 10-6. Peach County has won the two meetings since.

*Southeast Bulloch (10-2) at Stephenson (9-3): No. 18 seed Southeast Bulloch is one of two double-digit seeds (LaGrange is the other) remaining in the Class 3A field. The Yellow Jackets, who finished third in 10-team Region 3-3A, are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1974 after a 21-0 victory over Region 4 champion Harlem. Colby Smith ran for 254 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Kyle O’Brien had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery, and Stevie Padget had two interceptions. This will be the second game in Southeast Bulloch history against a DeKalb County school (the Yellow Jackets lost to Cedar Grove 48-10 in the 2021 second round). No. 7 seed Stephenson, the Region 5 champion, moved into the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season with a 41-7 victory over Jenkins. Anthony Booker scored four touchdowns and had 240 yards rushing on 20 carries. Marte Barton passed for 181 yards and two touchdowns, moving into 11th place on the DeKalb career passing yards list with 4,718. This is the Jaguars’ ninth appearance in the state quarterfinals. They went 1-7 in the previous eight.

Class 2A

*Morgan County (11-1) at Rockmart (10-2): Both teams are coming off tight second-round victories at home. Morgan County, ranked No. 8, overcame three second-half turnovers and beat Sumter County 36-30 after trailing 30-23 with about eight minutes left. Morgan County scored the final two touchdowns, the last one with 1:18 left (Jasper Cason’s 24-yard run) after Sumter County lost a fumble (forced by Christian Monfort) at the Sumter 41-yard line. Morgan County is Class 2A’s top passing team but changed up last week and produced three 100-yard rushers – Monfort (207), Cason (115) and Jordan Gordon (108). Davis Strickland has thrown for 2,826 yards. Jaylen Elder has 1,480 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. Morgan County is in the quarters for the first time since 1990 and can make the semifinals for the first time since 1962. Rockmart, ranked No. 7, beat Westside of Macon 37-30 last week. Westside scored in the final minute to get within seven points. Rockmart led 296-244 in total yards. Nate Davis rushed for 93 yards, giving him 857 on the season. He’s also Rockmart’s leading tackler. Rockmart was the 2023 Class 2A runner-up to Pierce County. Rockmart and Morgan County have never faced each other.

*Thomson (9-3) at Burke County (11-1): This is a rematch of a Nov. 8 game that Burke County won 47-35 for the Region 4 title. Burke outgained Thomson 493-319. Both teams rely on the run game and have a feature back. Burke’s Amerre Williams rushed for 173 yards in the first Thomson game, and he’s topped 140 yards in both playoff rounds. He’s run for 1,449 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. Thomson’s Anthony Jeffery rushed for 179 yards and four touchdowns in the first Burke game. He has topped 175 yards in both playoff games, with 266 last week against Hapeville Charter. Jeffery has rushed for 1,575 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. Burke County leads the series 23-18. As similar-sized competitive programs just an hour apart, they did a rare thing in 2014 and 2015 seasons and played each other twice in the regular season, once in region play and another time just for the fun of it.

*Stephens County (8-4) at Appling County (9-3): These teams have seven losses between themselves, but none worthy of an apology, as those seven victors were bigger in enrollment or higher ranked and now still in the playoffs. Stephens County beat second-ranked Callaway 35-33 last week, turning away a two-point attempt with about four minutes left. It put Stephens in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2005 and ended an eight-game losing streak in the second round. Javin Gordon, a major Division I recruit, rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries and had eight receptions for 71 yards. Tripp Underwood was 20-of-26 passing for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Appling County beat ninth-ranked Carver of Atlanta 35-14. Kemoni Ryals rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and Tavion Wallace (committed to Arkansas) rushed for 66 yards. Both scored two touchdowns, and both are two-way starters who are probably better on defense. Appling County passed for only 16 yards. This is the first meeting between these teams.

*Pierce County (11-1) at Carver-Columbus (11-1): Pierce County is the defending champion. Carver is ranked No. 1. Pierce beat Columbia 31-24 in the second round. Caden McGatha rushed for 259 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries and was 9-of-11 passing for 69 yards and a touchdown. He scored the winning touchdown on an 8-yard run to break a 24-24 tie in the fourth quarter. Pierce County’s loss came against Appling County 13-6 for the Region 3 title Nov. 1. Carver beat Ringgold 35-14 and hasn’t been tested since its only loss, to Class 4A Harris County, in August. Matthew Mungin was 15-of-19 passing for a season-high 331 yards and three touchdowns. Kobe Caslin had 257 scrimmage yards – 97 rushing, 160 receiving – and scored two touchdowns. Kelston Tarver rushed for 133 yards on 22 carries and went over 1,000 yards (1,059) on the season. Caslin also is a 1,000-yard rusher (1,164). K.J. Miles, recently back after a preseason leg injury, had four catches for 107 yards. Carver and Pierce County have never played each other.