After 14 weeks of nonstop high school football action, the finals are here and two games were played on Friday at the Georgia Dome. Calhoun took on Buford in the AA championship game while Chattahoochee and Starr's Mill squared off in the AAAA championship game. Here's a recap of the action and a quick look at the games on Saturday.
The Calhoun Yellow Jackets believed the third time would be a charm.They reached the state finals for the third straight year but they were facing Buford for the third straight year. Calhoun did everything they could to win their first title, but Buford made one more play in the end and defeated Calhoun 31-24 in overtime.
Calhoun was down 10 points going into the fourth quarter, but were able to come back with a Landon Curtis 31-yard touchdown pass to Chase Rierson and an Adam Griffin 45-yard field goal to tie the game. The Wolves answered in overtime when Dominique Swope scored on a 9-yard touchdown run and the Buford defense shut down the Calhoun offense to win their fourth consecutive title. They are the second team in state history to win four straight state championships as West Rome accomplished that in the early 80s.
After that game was over, the AAAA game took place as Chattahoochee faced Starr's Mill and both teams were vying for their first state title in school history. When the clock struck zero it was Chattahoochee who came out on top, winning 24-0. Quarterback Tim Byerly rushed for 108 yards and one touchdown while throwing for 112 yards. Chase Nelson and Kane Whitehurst scored the other two touchdowns for the Cougars. Chattahoochee becomes the first team from North Fulton to win a title since 2006 and the first team from North Fulton since 1968 to complete a perfect record as the finished the season 15-0.
So with two championship games down, there are three more that are left and they will be played Saturday starting at 1 p.m. The first game will be the A game between Clinch County and Wesleyan. Clinch will be playing in their fourth championship game since 2000 and Savannah Christian will make their second consecutive finals appearance. The AAA game will follow the A game and that will feature Sandy Creek and Carrollton. Sandy Creek is trying to become the third team in GHSA history to win consecutive titles in different classifications. Carrolllton is looking to win its first state title in 12 years. The night game and the final game of the weekend will be the AAAAA championship game between Colquitt County and Brookwood. Colquitt could become the first team in state history to win the state title in the highest classification with five loses. Brookwood is playing in its first title game since 2005 and looking to win it's first title since 1996.