The 2022 Georgia high school football championships will be set this weekend in all eight classifications. Four reigning champs are still in the running to defend their 2021 state titles.
In 7A, the state’s largest classification, the two state semifinals feature teams firmly inside the High School Football America 100, powered by NFL Play Football.
No. 15 Colquitt County (13-0) will host No. 65 Carrollton (13-0) Friday night in Moultrie. It will be the first-ever meeting between the school’s, but Colquitt County head coach Sean Calhoun knows a lot about the unbeaten Trojans. Calhoun was Carrollton head coach from 2016 through 2020.
Calhoun, who is in his first season as the Packers’ head coach, is hoping to repeat the magic of 2014 and 2015 when he was the program’s offensive coordinator. During the two year, the Packers won back-to-back Georgia state titles. The 2015 team won the High School Football America national championship.
Carrollton is led by freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who has thrown for 3,339 yards this year with 41 touchdowns.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 20 Mill Creek (12-1) will play No. 73 Milton (10-3) at a neutral site, Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta. Last year, Milton beat the Hawks 36-27 in the state quarterfinals.
The game was moved to Lakewood, because Milton’s home stadium doesn’t meet the Georgia High School Association’s seating requirement of 6,000 permanent seats.
In 6A, No. 19 Langton Hughes (13-0) also had its game moved to Lakewood, because of the seating requirement — 4,000 permanent seats for 6A game. The Panthers, who finished runner-up in the classification last year, plays No. 93 Rome (12-1).
Ironically, in addition to ending the Panthers 2022 season, Rome also has a chance to stop Hughes from breaking their state-record points record. During Rome’s 2017 championship season, the Wolves scored 758 points. Hughes enters Friday’s game 44 points shy of the record. The Panthers are averaging just shy of 55 points per game.
The Hughes/Rome winner will play the winner of the other semifinal between No. 88 Roswell (12-1) and No. 164 Gainesville (13-0), under first-year head coach Josh Niblett, who has seven Alabama high school football state championships on his resume.
Two-time defending 5A champ Warner Robins (9-4) has rebounded from a 1-4 start to face Cartersville (12-1) in the state semifinals. The Demons started the season ranked No. 22 in our national rankings, but fell out after their rough start.
After beating Creekside in overtime last week, Warner Robins re-entered the Top 300 at No. 257.
Cartersville has made a steady climb through the rankings after losing to Calhoun (50-48) in overtime on September 29. The Purple Hurricanes are sitting at No. 199 currently.
Warner Robins has been Cartersville in the playoffs the last two years. If the Demons win Friday, they will be making their sixth straight state final appearance.
In the other semi, No. 250 Ware County (12-0) takes-on Dutchtown (12-1), which spent some time earlier in the season in the Top 300. Neither team has even won a Georgia high school football championship.
Reigning 4A champ Benedictine (11-2) is looking to win its fourth state title in the last nine years. Friday night, the Cadets play Troup County (12-1). Troup is trying to advance to its first state championship game next week at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
On the other side of the bracket Cedartown (13-0), ranked No. 254 nationally, plays North Oconee (13-0). Both teams advanced to the state semis last year, but both teams saw their season end there.
Cedar Grove (10-2) broke into the Top 25 this week. The Saints, who have won four state titles in the last five year, are ranked No. 24 this week. The reigning 3A champ plays Oconee County (9-4) in the 3A semis.
In the other semi, 2021 runner-up Carver-Atlanta (9-3) faces Sandy Creek (11-2). Sandy Creek is currently ranked No. 256 in the HSFA 300.
In 2A, Fitzgerald (13-0) is looking for back-to-back titles. The Purple Hurricanes will play Fellowship Christian (10-3), which is in the state semis for the third time in four years. Fitzgerald is looking to play in its third straight state championship game.
The other side of the bracket has Thomson (12-1) playing Appling County (11-1).
In Class 1A Division I, Irwin County (11-1) is going after its sixth straight state championship appearance. The Indians will be hosting unbeaten Swainsboro (12-0), looking for the school’s 15th straight home playoff win.
No. 249 Prince Avenue Christian is going after its third straight state title game. The Wolverines play St Francis (10-3) Friday night. PAC won the private school title in ’20 and finished runner-up last year.
The Class A Division II semifinals find Lincoln County (11-2) at Bowdon (11-1) and Schley County (11-2) travels to Johnson County (13-0)
