Semifinal preview: Classes 3A and 2A

Class 3A

Carver (Atlanta) at Sandy Creek

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Battlefield, Tyrone

Records, rankings: Carver is 9-3, the No. 3 seed from Region 5-3A and No. 4; Sandy Creek is 11-2, the No. 2 seed from 5-3A and No. 3.

Last meeting: Sandy Creek won 22-12 on Oct. 14.

Things to know: These teams finished behind No. 1 Cedar Grove in Region 6, one of two regions statewide with multiple teams still playing. Region 2-5A, with two teams, is the other. Sandy Creek won the regular-season meeting while holding Carver to 180 total yards. In the quarterfinals last week, Sandy Creek led 37-7 at halftime of its 51-21 victory over Savannah Christian. Preseason all-state QB Geimere Latimer was 14-of-24 passing for 212 yards and five touchdowns. He’s thrown for 2,443 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. Kaleb Cost had five receptions for 106 yards. Cost, a two-way starter committed to North Carolina, has 1,355 all-purpose yards. Carver beat Thomasville 28-23 in the quarters. Thomasville got to Carver’s 16-yard line in the final minute but was turned away. QB Bryce Bowens rushed for 103 yards on six carries and passed for 166 yards. Bowens has 2,208 yards passing on the season, and receivers Zyeek Mender and Deandre Buchannon are each over 800 yards receiving. Shoun Bilal rushed for 111 yards against Thomasville, his second straight 100-yard game. Carver was the 2021 3A runner-up. Sandy Creek last reached the final in 2012, when the Patriots won Class 4A.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Sandy Creek 27, Carver 17

Oconee County at Cedar Grove

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, William “Buck” Godfrey Stadium, Decatur

Records, rankings: Oconee County is 9-4, the No. 3 seed from Region 8-3A and No. 9; Cedar Grove is 10-2, the No. 1 seed from 5-3A and No. 1.

Last meeting: Cedar Grove won 28-14 in the 2015 Class 3A second round.

Things to know: Cedar Grove is coming off a 30-0 victory over No. 2 Calvary Day. Calvary had scored at least 28 points in every previous game but was held to 145 yards and 10 first downs. Quinterio Lawson had two sacks and two other tackles for losses. Sophomore QB Elliott Colson was 17-of-20 passing for 183 yards. Oconee County is the only semifinal team that has won three playoff games on the road and can become the 12th team in history to reach a final with four victories away from home. The Warriors beat Carver of Columbus 14-6 in a defensive slog last week. LB Whit Weeks, who is committed to LSU, had 10 solo tackles, caught a TD pass and intercepted a pass to clinch the victory. Oconee managed only 163 total yards but held Carver to 149 and seven first downs. These teams’ common opponent is Hebron Christian. Hebron beat Oconee County 35-28 and lost to Cedar Grove 70-33. Cedar Grove has won five of the past Class 3A titles, and Oconee County was a state runner-up in 2019 and 2020. Oconee is 0-5 all-time against No. 1 teams from the same classification.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Cedar Grove 31, Oconee County 8

WRITTEN BY CHIP SAYE

Class 2A

Fellowship Christian at Fitzgerald

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jaycee Stadium, Fitzgerald

Records, rankings: Fellowship Christian is 10-3, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-2A and unranked; Fitzgerald is 13-0, the No. 1 seed from 1-2A and No. 1.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Fellowship Christian, the only unranked team remaining in any classification, advanced to the semifinals for the third time in four seasons with a 40-22 victory over No. 6 Pierce County last week. Pierce County was within 20-14 midway through the third quarter, but Fellowship pulled away with three consecutive touchdowns. Caleb McMickle was 11-of-19 passing for 300 yards and touchdowns to Evan Haynes (49 yards), Josh Milhollin (50 yards) and Samuel Albee (71 yards). Fellowship Christian was ranked No. 5 in preseason but fell out for good after losing to Mount Pisgah Christian in the season opener, part of a 2-3 start. Fitzgerald, which last year won its first state title since 1948, is one win away from its third consecutive trip to the finals. The Purple Hurricane survived a threat from No. 7 Rockmart last week, winning 21-14 in overtime. Fitzgerald was limited to 181 yards, more than half of which came on an 11-play, 94-yard drive that tied the game with 2:55 left in regulation on Sylon Davis’ 3-yard run. Davis scored on a 1-yard run in overtime, and Fitzgerald prevented Rockmart from scoring on its possession, forcing an incompletion on fourth-and-6 from the 11.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Fitzgerald 26, Fellowship Christian 14

Thomson at Appling County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jimmy Swain Stadium, Baxley

Records, rankings: Thomson is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 4-2A and No. 4; Appling County is 11-1, the No. 1 seed from 3-2A and No. 3.

Last meeting: Appling County won 21-7 in the 2021 Class 3A quarterfinals.

Things to know: Thomson was undefeated and a three-point favorite when these teams met in the playoffs last year, but Appling County held the Bulldogs to a season-low 210 yards in a 14-point victory. This time both teams have one loss and Appling is the favorite, although by just one point. Last week, Thomson survived a wild 60-point fourth quarter and beat No. 2 South Atlanta 56-38. Jontavis Curry rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns, caught five passes for 67 yards and had fourth-quarter kickoff returns of 90 and 92 yards for touchdowns. The Bulldogs held South Atlanta’s Keyjuan Brown, who was averaging 243.7 yards per game rushing, to 25 yards on nine carries. Thomson is in the semifinals for the first time since 2016. Appling County is in the semifinals for the fourth time in history but still seeking its first trip to the finals. The Pirates advanced with a 44-21 victory over No. 5 Callaway last week. Appling County led 16-14 at halftime but scored the game’s next four touchdowns. Jaylen Johnson, a three-star reccruit, scored on runs of 10, 4 and 9 yards and returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown. Johnson ran for 91 yards on 18 carries, and Jamarion Williams had 102 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Appling County 21, Thomson 20