Semifinal preview: Classes 7A and 6A
Class 7A
Camden County at Walton
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Raider Valley, Marietta
Records, rankings: Camden County is 10-3, the No. 3 seed from Region 1-7A and unranked; Walton is 13-0, the No. 1 seed from 5-7A and No. 2.
Last meeting: Walton won 40-20 in the first round of the 2018 Class 7A playoffs.
Things to know: Walton, seeking its first state title, is the highest-ranked and lone undefeated team remaining in Class 7A. Camden County, with three state titles, none since 2009, is the lowest-seeded team remaining above Class A. Camden is the only semifinal team in any class that didn’t have a playoff berth clinched until its final regular-season game. The Wildcats’ victory at Lowndes was the first of four straight road wins that have them here. As a 16-point underdog, Camden beat No. 1 Mill Creek 39-20 in the semifinals. Camden rushed 47 times for 371 yards. Jaden Dailey carried 15 times for 148 yards, Antonio Laws ran 15 times for 102 yards and three touchdowns, and Ja’Marley Riddle (committed to East Carolina) ran nine times for 77 yards. Walton defeated Carrollton 56-35 in the quarterfinals. Jeremy Hecklinski (Wake Forest) was 22-of-24 passing for 366 yards and three touchdowns. Hecklinski’s 3,395 passing yards lead Class 7A. Cameran Loyd had 105 yards receiving. Jordan Bride had 100. Makari Bodiford (Memphis) rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Power 5-committed players in this game, in addition to Hecklinski, are OL Daniel Calhoun (Georgia), LB Wendell Gregory (South Carolina) and LB Ashton Woods (North Carolina) for Walton and TE Elyiss Williams (Georgia) for Camden County.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Walton 35, Camden County 19
Milton at Grayson
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Grayson Community Stadium, Loganville
Records, rankings: Milton is 11-2, the No. 1 seed from Region 6-7A and No. 10; Grayson is 11-2, the No. 1 seed from 4-7A and No. 6.
Last meeting: Milton won 35-12 in the 2022 Class 7A quarterfinals.
Things to know: Since 2018, the season of Milton’s Class 7A championship, Grayson and Milton lead 7A in victories with 66, one ahead of Colquitt County, which Milton defeated 39-37 in the quarterfinals last week. Milton and Grayson have met only once, in the 2022 quarterfinals. Grayson led in total yards 307-249, but Milton had seven sacks, and Debron Gatling returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown and a 28-9 lead in the third quarter. Gatling also caught a TD pass from Luke Nickel. Those two were at it again last week. Gatling (committed to Texas A&M) had 10 receptions for 137 yards against Colquitt County. Nickel (Miami) was 20-of-32 passing for 289 yards and four touchdowns, though intercepted twice. Nickel has thrown for 3,275 yards this season. His receivers also include highly recruited junior C.J. Wiley (1,292 yards). Grayson beat Buford 19-14 in the quarters. Grayson trailed 14-13 with four minutes left and faced a fourth-and-8 from Buford’s 48. Jeff Davis hit consecutive passes to Alexander Sanchez, getting Grayson to the 3, and Amari Alson scored from there. Grayson sacked Buford’s Dylan Raiola six times and held Buford to negative rushing yards. Davis was 9-of-23 passing for 167 yards. Davis has thrown for 2,763 yards this season. This semifinal will have more Division I recruits than any other. Milton has six committed to Power 5 schools. They include Dylan Lewis and Tyler Redmond, cornerbacks pledged to Tennessee. Grayson’s top recruits include OL Walt Flynn and TE Kylan Fox (Central Florida) and CB Jaylen Bell (LSU).
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Grayson 26, Milton 22
WRITTEN BY CHIP SAYEClass 6A
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Tiger Stadium, Douglasville
Records, rankings: Woodward Academy is 11-2, the No. 1 seed from Region 3-6A and No. 10; Douglas County is 13-0, the No. 1 seed from 5-6A and No. 3.
Last meeting: Douglas County won 37-3 in 2005.
Things to know: Woodward Academy advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2019 with a 20-17 victory over top-ranked Gainesville. Landon Walker threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Abdullah with 2:31 remaining for the game-winning score, and Andrew Hines sealed the win with an interception. Hines also had 11 tackles. Abdullah provided Woodward Academy’s first points when he returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, but the War Eagles trailed 17-7 at halftime. Hudson Hanges kicked two second-half field goals (32 and 48 yards) to get Woodward Academy within striking distance. Douglas County tied a school record for wins and reached the semifinals for the first time since 1988 with a 59-45 victory over Lee County. Douglas County built an early 21-0 lead, saw that lead cut to 31-28 by halftime, then pulled away in the second half. The Tigers rushed for 319 yards, led by Rah’keith Kelly with 14 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown. James Johnson ran for 100 yards and three touchdowns on five carries, had 55 yards receiving and a touchdown on three catches, returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown, led the team with 13 total tackles, had two tackles for losses and returned a kickoff 40 yards. Sire Hardaway threw for 172 yards and a touchdown, giving him 2,433 passing yards for the season.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Douglas County 24, Woodward Academy 17
Thomas County Central at Marist
When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Hughes Spalding Stadium, Atlanta
Records, rankings: Thomas County Central is 13-0, the No. 1 seed from Region 1-6A and No. 2; Marist is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from 4-6A and No. 7.
Last meeting: Thomas County Central won 28-21 in 2013.
Things to know: Thomas County Central has won seven of eight all-time meetings with Marist, but the series is best known for the four semifinal games the teams played between 1996 and 2003 that were decided by an average of 5.5 points (Thomas County Central won three of those four). Thomas County Central is back in the semifinals for the first time since 2007 after a 19-16 victory over Rome last week. Drew Reneau kicked a 31-yard field goal on the final play of the game. It was his fourth field goal of the game and gave the Yellow Jackets their only lead. The Yellow Jackets’ lone touchdown came on a 6-yard pass from Jaylen Johnson to Trey Brenton on fourth-and-goal that tied the game 13-13 late in the third quarter. Thomas County Central is the highest-ranked team remaining in the Class 6A field. Marist is in the semifinals for the first time since its 2020 Class 4A championship season after defeating Roswell 48-21. Roswell took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but Marist took control with a 27-0 run in an 11-minute span in the second and third quarters. Joseph Pizzo ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Jack Euart ran for 67 yards and two touchdowns and was 4-of-6 passing for 86 yards and two TDs. Euart is the team’s leading rusher for the season with 808 yards and has thrown for 795 yards. Jackson Hughes has 668 rushing yards for the season.
Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Thomas County Central 24, Marist 14