ATLANTA — Two area high school football programs will take the field Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with state championships on the line, as Jefferson and Gainesville each compete in GHSA title games against unbeaten opponents.
Jefferson vs. Sandy Creek
Jefferson will face No. 1 Sandy Creek in the Class 3A championship game at 4:15 p.m., followed by Gainesville’s matchup with No. 1 Thomas County Central in the Class 5A title game at 7:30 p.m.
Jefferson (13-1) returns to the state finals for the third time in six seasons, seeking redemption after falling to Calhoun in last year’s championship game. The Dragons enter the matchup on a nine-game winning streak after losing standout linebacker Max Brown to a knee injury early in the season.
The Dragons’ balanced offense is led by quarterback Colton Grant, who has thrown for 886 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 422 yards and 12 scores. Running back C.J. Hayes anchors a deep backfield with 833 yards and eight touchdowns. Jefferson is ranked No. 1 in the GHSA’s Postseason Formula ratings and is seeking its first state title since legendary coach T. McFerrin led the Dragons to the championship in 2012.
Standing in Jefferson’s way is unbeaten Sandy Creek (14-0), which is playing for its fifth state championship and first since 2022. The Patriots feature one of Class 3A’s most explosive offenses, led by Region 2 Player of the Year Amari Latimer. The West Virginia signee has rushed for 2,323 yards and 42 touchdowns this season and owns 4,836 career rushing yards.
Quarterback Caleb Hill has passed for 2,353 yards and 23 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Sandy Creek’s offensive line includes three all-region selections — Ryan Moore, Andrew Holland and Mathias Miranda. The defense is led by Region Defensive Player of the Year J.T. Austin, who has 87 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 16 sacks, along with linebacker Andrew Dawson and four-star junior safety Corey Hadley. Sandy Creek enters the game ranked No. 3 in the postseason formula ratings.
Gainesville vs. Thomas County Central
In the nightcap, Gainesville (12-2) will look to cap a dominant postseason run with a Class 5A state championship when it faces Thomas County Central (14-0), the defending state champion.
The Red Elephants rebounded from a season-ending loss to Roswell — which cost them the Region 7 title — and have rolled through four playoff games. Their only other loss came earlier this season against Class 6A finalist Carrollton.
Gainesville’s offense is powered by a physical rushing attack featuring Nigel Newkirk and Dwight Lewis. Newkirk has rushed for 1,496 yards and 19 touchdowns this season, while Lewis has added 1,082 yards and 11 scores. After Newkirk was injured on his first carry of the semifinal win over Rome, Lewis responded with 226 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Quarterback Kharim Hughley entered the semifinals with 2,344 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. Defensively, Gainesville has been one of the most aggressive units in the state. The Red Elephants recorded six sacks and 13 tackles for loss against Rome and held the Wolves to just 15 rushing yards. Kadin Fossung, Ayden Cox, Darryn Williams and leading tackler Xavier Griffin headline the unit.
Thomas County Central is seeking its second state championship under coach Justin Rogers after winning the Class 5A title in 2023, the sixth in school history. The Yellow Jackets are led by Region 2 overall Player of the Year Deucee Lawrence, who has rushed for 1,836 yards and 24 touchdowns while also catching 20 passes for seven scores. He accounted for three touchdowns in the semifinal win over Roswell.
Quarterback Jaylen Johnson was named the region’s Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,503 yards and 37 touchdowns while adding 280 rushing yards and five scores. The offensive line features all-region picks Artem Korchagin, Zion Garlington and Deontavis Cooper.
Defensively, Thomas County Central is anchored by co-Defensive Player of the Year Cam Brooks, who has 11.5 sacks and 40 quarterback hurries. Issac Andrews, Prince Che, Omari Stephenson, Dannell Jester and Eddie Guerra round out a veteran unit.
Both championship games mark first-ever meetings between the competing programs.
