Semifinal preview: Class A Division I and Division II
Class A Division I
Swainsboro at Irwin County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Buddy Nobles Stadium, Ocilla
Records, rankings: Swainsboro is 12-0, the No. 1 seed from Region 2-A Division I and No. 2; Irwin County is 11-1, the No. 1 seed from 1-A Division I and No. 4.
Last meeting: Irwin County won 22-12 in the 1985 Region 2-2A playoffs.
Things to know: Irwin County, a Class A champion in 2019 and 2020, can become the third team in GHSA history to reach six consecutive finals joining Buford (2007-16) and Eagle's Landing Christian (2014-19). Irwin has won seven straight semifinal games and 15 straight home playoff games. Irwin beat Mount Pisgah Christian 42-14 in the quarterfinals. Cody Soliday was 11-of-17 passing for 189 yards and his 74th and 75th career TD passes. Mason Snyder had six receptions for 133 yards. Ronnie Sanders rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries. Swainsboro made the semifinals last season in Class 2A. The Tigers are trying to reach the finals for the first time since their 2000 Class 3A championship team. Swainsboro beat Rabun County 35-10 in the quarters. Ty Adams, who is committed to North Carolina as a cornerback, was 6-of-8 passing for 133 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 57 yards on 10 carries. Swainsboro averages 328.8 rushing yards per game with two 1,000-yard rushers (Demello Jones, who last week got a Georgia offer, and Qin Brown) but has thrown for 117, 149 and 133 yards in the playoffs after averaging only 33.3 per game in the regular season.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: This game is rated as a toss-up.
St. Francis at Prince Avenue Christian
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Brad Akins Field, Bogart
Records, rankings: St. Francis is 10-3, the No. 1 seed from Region 6-A Division I and No. 8; Prince Avenue Christian is 12-0, the No. 1 seed from 5-A Division I and No. 1.
Last meeting: Prince Avenue Christian won 54-7 in 2013.
Things to know: St. Francis is one of three teams in any class making its first semifinal appearance (Dutchtown in 5A and Schley County in A Division II are the others). The Knights beat Bleckley County 37-21 in the quarterfinals. Jaiden Jenkins was 14-of-25 passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He’s thrown for 2,924 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. Brandon Strozier, one of four St. Francis players with at least 600 yards receiving, had six receptions for 116 yards. He's committed to Clemson as a cornerback. Kevin Maven-Winchester, a sophomore, has rushed for 1,474 yards. Prince Avenue, the 2020 Class A Private champion and 2021 runner-up, is aiming to reach the finals for the third straight season and fourth time overall. The Wolverines beat Metter 23-7 last week, pulling away from a 7-7 halftime score. Limited to 32 plays, Prince Avenue was held to a season-low 193 total yards. They had surpassed 500 yards each of the previous five games. Aaron Philo has thrown for 3,911 yards this season and more than 8,000 in his career. Leading receiver Bailey Stockton, the Region 8 player of the year, is out with an injury, but Josh Britt and Ethan Christian both have more than 900 yards and 10 touchdowns. Prince Avenue is 19-0 as a No. 1 team under coach Greg Vandagriff. St. Francis is 0-9 all-time against top-five teams.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Prince Avenue Christian 29, St. Francis 13
WRITTEN BY CHIP SAYEClass A Division II
Lincoln County at Bowdon
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Warren P. Sewell Field, Bowdon
Records, rankings: Lincoln County is 11-2, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-A Division II and No. 8; Bowdon is 11-1, the No. 1 seed from 7-A Division II and No. 1.
Last meeting: Bowdon won 14-6 in the 2001 Class A first round.
Things to know: Lincoln County held off Dooly County 24-21 last week to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2012 but the 27th time overall (not including predecessor school Lincolnton’s four). That’s the most among the 2022 semifinalists. Lincoln County stopped Dooly on fourth down from the 1-yard line in the final two minutes to preserve the victory. RB/CB Semaj Jenkins rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns, had seven total tackles and caused a fumble. Jenkins leads the team in rushing (910) and is second in receiving (171). Trey Huff , also a two-way starter, has passed for 790 yards and run for 726. Bowdon fell into a 19-0 hole in the first half against Early County last week but outscored the Bobcats 36-7 the rest of the way for a 36-26 victory to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2005 and eighth time overall. Robert McNeal passed for 157 yards and ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns. T.J. Harvison ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns. They are the two leaders on offense. McNeal has passed for 1,233 yards, rushed for 1,177 yards and accounted for 26 touchdowns. Harvison has run for 1,607 yards and 19 touchdowns and has 249 yards and two TDs receiving. Both have multiple FBS offers.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Bowdon 35, Lincoln County 14
Schley County at Johnson County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Herschel Walker Field, Wrightsville
Records, rankings: Schley County is 11-2, the No. 1 seed from Region 6-A Division II and No. 5; Johnson County is 13-0, the No. 1 seed from 5-A Division II and No. 2.
Last meeting: Schley County won 13-12 in the 2008 Class A first round.
Things to know: Schley County is in the semifinals for the first time in the program’s 23-year history. The Wildcats got there with a 55-23 victory over Wilcox County, their fifth consecutive game with 51 points or more. Johnson County is in its first semifinal since 2005 and fourth overall after beating Clinch County 36-21 last week. Both teams average about 40 points per game (Johnson County 40.62, Schley County 39.38) but that’s where the offensive similarities end. Johnson County gets 92% of its offense from the running game, rushing for 4,465 yards on 506 carries while attempting just 41 passes for 414 yards. Germivy Tucker, who broke Herschel Walker’s school record for career rushing yards, has run for 2,698 yards and 37 touchdowns this season and is likely to surpass South Atlanta’s Keyjuan Brown this weekend as the state’s leading rusher. Tucker ran for 182 yards and five touchdowns against Clinch County last week. Schley County, on the other hand, is more balanced, with 61% percent of its offense coming from the passing game. Junior Jay Kanazawa is 175-of-280 passing for 2,686 yards and 30 touchdowns. Malachi Banks has rushed for 1,214 yards, including 157 and three touchdowns in the victory against Wilcox.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Johnson County 21, Schley County 20