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South 27, North 20
Date: December 29, 2009
Site: Columbus Memorial Stadium
Coaches: Jimmy Dorsey (McEachern) North and Carror Wright (SW Macon), South
North Roster: Hutson Mason (Lassiter, QB), Connor Shaaw (Flowery Branch, QB), Rajaan Bennett (McEachern, RB), Ean Pemberton (Grayson, RB), Charles Perkins (Collins Hill, RB), Cole Moon (St. Pius, FB, TE), Michael Bennett (Alpharetta, WR), Chris Boyd (Roswell, WR), Dylan Cook (Hiram, WR), Jake Skole (Blessed Trinity, WR), Evan Wilson (Woodstock, TE), Daniel Blitch (North Hall, C), Tim Wynn (Mays, C), Catlin Alford (Adairsville, OL), Morgan Bailey (Loganville, OL), Ricky Conners (Harrison, OL), Ryan Marks (North Forsyth, OL), Grant Ramsey (Pope, OL), Kyle Woestmann (Walton, OL), Quenton Brown (Tucker, DL), Lacy Coleman (Sandy Creek, DL), Ta'Vontae Drake (McEachern, DL), Matthew Hardiman (Avondale, DL), Christian Hoard (Apalachee, DL), Caleb Miles (Cedar Shoals, DT), Don Steib (Stone Mountain, DT), Victor Beasley (Adairsvile, LB), Lorenzo Bryson (Tucker, LB), Jessell Curry (Buford, LB), Jeremy Grable (Milton, LB), Thomas Sprague (Gainesville, LB), Terry Williams (Grayson, LB), Daunte Carr (Gainesville, DB), Sharrod Golihtley (SW DeKalb, DB), Dewaun Harrison (Ridgeland, DB), Isaiah Johnson (Sandy Creek, DB), Demarius Matthews (McEachern, DB), Jonathon Mincy (SW DeKalb, DB), Bradley Roby (Peachtree Ridge (DB), Richie Leone (Roswell, P)
South Roster : Terrell Brigham (Burke County, QB), Malcolm Eady (Swainsboro, QB), Michael Palmer (Northeast, QB, WR), Robert Brown (Westside, RB), Raymond Sanders (Stephenson, RB), Tray Willis (East Coweta, RB), Darqueze Dennard (Triggs County, WR), Donnie Outlaw (Wilcox County, WR), Shavarez Smith (Henry County, WR), Lamar Zanders (Peach County, WR), Larry Whitfield (Monroe, TE), Charles Emert (Statesboro, C), Ed Christian (Lowndes, OL), Jadarius Dean (Baldwin, OL), Robert Gabriel (Camden County, OL), Hunter Gay (Swainsboro, OL), Andrew Lauritsen (Warner Robins, OL), (Dylan Leonard Ola, OL), Lawrence Virgil (Brooks County, OL), Don Werden (NSWR, OL), Neiron Ball (Jackson, DL), J.C. Copeland (Troup, DL), Sherrod Loud (Worth County, DL), Brandon Smith (Carver, DL), Jeffrey Whitaker (Warner Robins, DL), Tevin Davis (Mary Persons, LB), Terell Fitts (Glenn Hills, LB), Clarence France (Carver, LB), Quayshon Simmons (Wilkinson County, LB), Telvin Smith (Lowndes, LB), Alec Ogletree (Newnan, DB), Corey Phillips (M.L. King, DB), Dontavis Sapp (Valdosta, DB), Markeist Warthen (Washington County, DB), Brison Williams (NSWR, DB), John Willis (Baldwin, DB), Joseph Mansour (LaGrange, K), Alan Sandiford (Fitzgerald, OL),
Game Summary: The South built a 24-0 lead late in the third and held on for the win. Michael Palmer was the South MVP. He threw a 55-yard touchdown pass and also caught a 70-yard TD pass. Joe Mansour had field goals of 46 and 27 yards for the South. The North scored on a 52-yard fumble return by North MVP Isaiah Johnson late in the third. Hutson Mason and Connor Shaw threw TD passes in the fourth to Michael Bennett and Jake Skole for the North.
Series Update: This was the 66th game in the GACA series that began in 1938. The South leads 34-28-4.

Has anybody seen a career receiving yardage total for Da'rick Rogers (Calhoun) for our state records? I'm sure he belongs on the list.

Camden County 31, Northside-Warner Robins 3 (Georgia Dome, 12-12-09)
Camden County made its case for the state's best program this decade with a 31-3 win over Northside-Warner Robins in Saturday's Class AAAAA championship at the Georgia Dome.Camden (13-2) won its third state championship since 2003 with a pair of lightning-quick touchdowns before it even ran its first offensive play from the line of scrimmage.
"We came out and exploded on them with special teams ... [Northside] didn't know what hit them," said Camden tailback Ean Days, who is under scholarship consideration from Georgia Tech.
Days returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Exactly two minutes later, Camden's Steve Murphy returned a punt 62 yards for another touchdown with 9:45 left in the first quarter.
"That was huge," Camden coach Jeff Herron said. "When you get two big plays like that on special teams, it changed the game.
"That's why we put such a big emphasis on special teams at Camden County. That's why we started every practice with special teams."
It only got worse in the first quarter for Northside (13-2). On the ensuing possession, quarterback Briar Van Brunt tried to throw a shuttle pass and had it intercepted by Camden's Jeremiah Booth.
Camden's offensive unit finally got on the field. Six plays later, Darius Sullivan ran 1-yard up the middle for the third touchdown in the game's first nine minutes. Northside's players held their heads down and the team's supporters were nearly silent after the stunning early turn of events.
Camden also won championships in the state's largest classification in 2003 and last year. The Wildcats are tied with Northside for second with the most wins this decade (121) among Georgia schools, behind only Buford.
Trailing 21-3 at halftime, Northside tried to put together a rally. The Eagles got the ball first in the second half, but kickoff returner Brison Williams fumbled after a jarring hit. Northside appeared to catch a break when Camden missed a subsequent short field goal. But Northside quickly turned the ball over again on a fumble by Van Brunt, and Camden's Matt Ehasz booted a 41-yard field goal to ice the game.
"I'm speechless about it all," Herron said. "We came from almost no where this year to get to this position. It's amazing."
Northside turned the ball over five times, including three times on fumbles. Van Brunt completed 6 of 20 passes for 108 yards with one interception, and he was sacked four times.
Camden split carries between six different players in the wing-T offense, with Aundre Johnson rushing for 68 yards on 16 carries. Days finished with 55 yards on 13 attempts.
For Northside, it was the sixth time this decade that the Eagles had played for the state title; they won Class AAAA championships in 2006 and 2007. Coach Conrad Nix registered his 300th career victory in last week's semifinals.
Northside -- 3-0-0-0--3
Camden -- 21-0-3-7--31
C -- Ean Days 96 kickoff return (Matt Ehasz kick)
C -- Steven Murphy 62 punt return (Ehasz kick)
C -- Darius Sullivan 1 run (Ehasz kick)
N -- Devon Pike 42 field goal
C -- Ehasz 41 field goal
C -- Murphy 30 pass from Joel Ruiz (Ehasz kick)

Sandy Creek 29, Clarke Central 15 (Georgia Dome, 12-11-09)
Sandy Creek is Fayette County’s first state champion in football, and head coach Chip Walker and his father got a special piece of history for themselves Friday night.
Playing in its first state championship game, Sandy Creek defeated Clarke Central 29-15 as Jarrett Davis caught two long touchdown passes from Ronnie Bell in the fourth quarter at the Georgia Dome.
Walker’s father, Rodney, and Chip are the first father-and-son pair to win state titles in Georgia. Rodney Walker’s came in 1984 with West Rome.
“We’re in the record books,’’ Rodney Walker told Chip as the two shook hands after the game, with Sandy Creek players chanting and celebrating in the locker room. “And you've got a lot of guts. I wouldn’t have thrown the ball.’’
But it was the passing game that turned things around.
Clarke held a 9-7 third-quarter lead and had a time-of-possession advantage of 24:11 to 11:49, but Davis -- who has committed to Louisville -- got hot, and things quickly unraveled for the Gladiators, the Cinderella team of the state playoffs.
With 10:52 left, Davis scored on a 72-yard scoring strike from Bell, who found his ace receiver wide open just past midfield. Bell (6-of-14 for 188 yards) then passed to Alex Chisum for a two-point conversion to make it 15-9.
Moments later, Clarke faced a fourth-and-1 at its 36 and chose to go for it. Quarterback Martay Mattox (6-of-23 passing, 127 yards) was stopped a foot short on a sneak. On the next play, Bell hit Davis in stride for a 37-yard score that made it 22-9.
“I can do damage against one-on-one [coverage], and they kept playing me that way,’’ Davis said. “We took advantage of it all the way to the end zone.’’
Davis finished with five receptions for 182 yards, including 147 in the second half.
Now desperate, Clarke attempted a fourth-and-long on its next possession, and Sandy Creek piled on a 21-yard run by Rajion Neal, who finished with 166 yards rushing on 19 carries.
“We just needed a big play to spark us,’’ Chip Walker said of the fourth-quarter comeback. “That first drive [of the game], we looked pretty darn good. But we hit a lull.’’
Clarke then drove for its only touchdown with 1:41 left on a 1-yard run by Mattox.
Sandy Creek opened the game with a quick 80-yard drive and a 7-0 lead. It took five plays, with Neal, who is committed to Mississippi State, scoring from 31 yards.
Clarke Central chipped away with field goals of 30, 25 and 36 yards by Adam Erickson. Two came after drives that each ate about 6 minutes on the clock, but the other was set up when Jordan Pierce stripped Neal of the ball on a kick return and recovered at the Sandy Creek 22. It was the only turnover of the game.
Clarke Central, playing in its first final since 1992, finished 12-2. Sandy Creek, the first of Fayette’s five high schools to play in a championship game, ended 14-1.
Clarke Central 0-6-3-6 – 15
Sandy Creek 7-0-0-22 – 29
S – Rajion Neal 31 run (Zack Lopez kick)
C – Adam Erickson 30 FG
C – Erickson 25 FG
C – Erickson 36 FG
S – Jarrett Davis 72 pass from Ronnie Bell (pass good)
S – Davis 37 pass from Bell (Lopez kick)
S – Neal 21 run (Lopez kick)
C – Martay Mattox 1 run (run failed)

Peach County 13, Gainesville 12 (Georgia Dome, 12-12-09)
For Luke Crowell, it might have been the final football play of his life. Colleges aren’t that interested in a 5-foot-8, 185-pound linebacker. So with Peach County leading 13-12 and Gainesville going for two on the final snap of the Class AAA championship game Saturday night at the Georgia Dome, Crowell made a football memory of a lifetime when he knocked down a pass from Alabama-bound quarterback Blake Sims to Notre Dame-bound receiver Tai-ler Jones.
It clinched Peach County’s third state championship in five seasons, first since 2006.
“They had 9 [Jones] split out by himself, and I figured they would go to their best guy,’’ Crowell said. “So I cheated that way and batted it down.’’
For Peach County coach Chad Campbell, it was his first state title as a head coach. He and Lee Campbell, who won Class A titles at Hawkinsville in 2003 and 2004, are the only brothers to win Georgia High School Association state titles as head coaches.
For Gainesville, which had held the No. 1 ranking most of the season, it was another heartbreaking end. The Red Elephants are 0-for-6 in state championship games.
Peach County led Gainesville 10-0 entering the fourth quarter after dominating time of possession 24:53 to 11:07.
But Sims, who finished 14-of-29 passing for 205 yards, hit Jones on 49-yard touchdown pass with 10:56 left to make it 10-6. It came after linebacker Thomas Sprague forced a fumble, Peach County’s only turnover.
But the extra-point kick was wide.
With 7:00 left, Gainesville had another chance with a fourth-and-4 at the Peach County 27, but Crowell intercepted at the 21 and returned it to the Gainesville 30. Peach County drove for a Russ Evatt field goal and a 13-6 lead.
Gainesville’s final shot started from its 34 with 50 seconds left. Sims twice hit Jones (seven receptions, 142 yards) and had Gainesville at the Peach County 21 for the final play in regulation. Sims threw a bullet in the end zone to Michael Lorentz, making it 13-12. An extra point would have sent the game to overtime.
“We were a little shaky on our first extra point, and I didn’t want to try it,’’ Gainesville coach Bruce Miller said. “I didn’t want to go overtime with them. I felt like they were running the ball too well. Looking back, you can second-guess yourself all the time.’’
Gainesville outgained Peach County 291-235, but Peach had three interceptions, two against Sims. Peach County’s Patrick Taylor was 12-for-18 for 169 yards. Jontavious Davis had two interceptions for Peach County.
Peach County 3-7-0-3 – 13
Gainesville 0-0-0-12 – 12
PC – Rustin Evatt 32 field goal
PC – Luke Crowell 9 run (Evatt kick)
G –Tai-ler Jones 49 pass from Blake Sims (kick failed)
PC – Evatt 23 field goal
G – Michael Lorentz 21 pass from Sims (pass failed)

Buford 13, Calhoun 10 (Georgia Dome, 12-11-09)
For the second time this decade, the Buford Wolves are three-time state champions.
Buford (14-1) got two touchdowns from Jessel Curry and a dominant performance from its defense to defeat Calhoun 13-10 in the Class AA championship game at the Georgia Dome on Friday. It was the third consecutive title, sixth this decade and seventh overall for Buford, which also won in 1978 (Class A), 2001 (A), 2002 (AA) and 2003 (AA). Buford beat Calhoun in last year’s final 45-21.
“I couldn’t have imagined any other way to go out,” Curry said. “Some people doubted us. We’ve got a lot of haters out there. It was a close game, but we came out on top.”
Calhoun (14-1) came into the game averaging 45 points in the playoffs, but they didn’t score a touchdown until 5:06 remained in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 13-10. Da’Rick Rogers scored on a 5-yard run after Calhoun recovered a fumble at the Buford 11-yard line. It was Buford’s only turnover.
Buford didn’t give Calhoun another chance to win the game. The Wolves ran the final 5 minutes off the clock, driving from their 20 to the Calhoun 20 in eight plays. The key play was a 35-yard halfback pass from Ryan Dillard to Paris Head on third-and-5 from the Buford 36.
“If you had told me we would hold that team with that offense to 10 points, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Buford coach Jess Simpson said. “I told our coaches I thought our chance to win this game was a 38-35 game. I just felt like they were going to make their plays and get their points. I thought we were going to have to outscore them, and outscore them late. I wasn’t expecting a game like this.”
Rogers, who has committed to Georgia, had more than 200 yards receiving in each of his previous two games. Buford held him to 69 yards on 10 catches. Unofficially, Rogers finished the year with 1,635 yards, 6 yards short of Georgia’s single-season record set by Tavarres King at Habersham Central in 2007.
As a team, Calhoun finished with 232 total yards and committed four turnovers, including three in the second half, when Buford ran 37 offensive plays compared to just 14 for Calhoun.
Calhoun took a 3-0 lead on its opening possession on a 39-yard field goal by Adam Griffith, but Buford took the lead for good at 6-3 on Curry’s 1-yard run with 4:15 remaining in the first half. Curry made it 13-3 with 10:50 to play in the fourth quarter when he caught a 5-yard pass from Alexander Ross.
Buford finished with 313 yards of total offense, led by 78 yards rushing on 22 carries by Seon Jones.
“On offense, we laid an egg, it’s that simple,” Calhoun coach Hal Lamb said. “You can’t turn the ball over four or five times and expect to beat anybody.”
Calhoun 3 0 0 7 — 10
Buford 0 6 0 7 — 13
C – FG Adam Griffith 39
B – Jessel Curry 1 run (kick blocked)
B – Curry 5 pass from Alexander Ross (David Petroni kick)
C – Da’Rick Rogers 5 run (Griffith kick)

Wilcox County 30, Savannah Christian 21 (Georgia Dome, 12-12-09)
The Wilcox County offense was barely on the field long enough to work up a sweat in the first 40 minutes of Saturday’s Class A championship game at the Georgia Dome.
But after watching Savannah Christian go on one time-consuming drive after another, quarterback Nick Marshall and the Patriots (13-2) finally took control, scoring 16 points in the final eight minutes for a 30-21 victory to capture the first football state championship in Wilcox County history.
“Bringing it home to Wilcox, our first one ever,” coach Mark Ledford said. “Man, it doesn’t get any better than this.”
Marshall, a junior, accounted for all but eight of Wilcox County’s 339 total yards, completing 14 of 23 passes for 244 yards and rushing for 87 on 13 carries. He ran for two touchdowns, passed for another and completed three passes on two-point conversions.
“Their QB is something special,” Savannah Christian coach Donald Chumley said. “He’s the best I’ve ever seen, simply the best we’ve ever played.”
After Marshall’s 5-yard run cut Savannah Christian’s lead to 21-20, he passed to Jatarius Jackson with the go-ahead two-point conversion with 7:58 remaining in the game. The Patriots’ drive covered 48 yards in three plays, including a spectacular 47-yard reception by Tay Porter, who juggled the ball as he was going down and made the catch lying on his back at the 1-yard line.
After forcing Savannah Christian (14-1) to punt on its next possession, the Patriots put the game away with a 40-yard touchdown drive that took 5:27 off the clock. Marshall capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Griffin and a two-point conversion pass to Jonathan Howard with 36 seconds left.
“That’s what Nick does,” Ledford said. “All the people that got to see him for the first time tonight, they saw what he’s capable of doing. It’s not surprising to me that he was able to put the team on his shoulders and do what he did.”
Wilcox County was efficient when it got its opportunities, scoring on four of its seven possessions and outgaining Savannah Christian 339-275, despite having possession of the ball for just 16:42 of the game’s 48 minutes.
Chris Barnwell led Savannah Christian with 143 rushing yards on 37 carries. Quarterback Harrison Curry had 13 carries for 67 yards. The Raiders did not attempt a pass until the final three plays of the game.
The first two possessions of the first quarter gave an indication of what type of game this would be. Savannah Christian drove 74 yards on 15 plays and took 8:05 off the clock. Wilcox County answered with a seven-play, 64-yard drive that took 1:20.
“I knew that was going to be their game plan,” Ledford said. “That’s what they do. They were going to keep the clock. They did on the first drive of the game. That was not surprising that that happened. It was just that at some point, when they got down there, we had to have a few stops.”
Savannah Christian-7-0-7-7—21
Wilcox County-6-0-8-16—30
S – T.J. Franklin 3 run (Timothy McCarthy kick)
W – Jamaal Holmes 2 run (kick blocked)
S – Harrison Curry 2 run (McCarthy kick)
W – Nick Marshall 1 run (Marshall pass to Quez Mahoganey)
S – Franklin 15 run (McCarthy kick)
W – Marshall 5 run (Marshall pass to Jatarius Jackson)
W – Marcus Griffin 15 pass from Marshall (Marshall pass to Jonathan Howard)

What do yall think about changing the way we do the state records for scoring defense? We have been listing teams back to the pre-48 era and putting the cap at 1 ppg. That makes the list virtually unattainable for today's teams. Would it be better to limit it to the GHSA era and set the cap at 3 or 4 ppg? If so, I don't have a clue as to how to come up with a list. I don't think we have season point totals in a searchable format.

This is a pretty exclusive category:

PUNT RETURN TD's IN STATE FINALS
81-Larry Perryman (Cedar Grove) 1991
75-John Copeland (Valdosta) 1966
75-Giles Smith (Valdosta) 1962
68-Joe Williams (Early County) 1998
67-Quincy Brown (Lincoln County) 1987
62-Steve Murphy (Camden County) 2009
61-Eddie Woody (Marietta) 1967
60-Harry Clifton (Blakely-Union) 1956