ATLANTA — Rabun County and North Gwinnett football will have to wait an extra week to play for their first state championships -- but at least they will get to do so on home turf.
The Wildcats and Bulldogs each saw state title showdowns scheduled for Saturday cancelled due to the winter weather that enveloped north Georgia on Friday, and the Georgia High School Association opted to send the postponed games -- originally set for Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- to school campuses. Both games will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Top-seeded Rabun County won a coin toss against fellow No. 1 seed Hapeville Charter to send the Class AA state championship game to Frank Snyder Stadium in Tiger.
North Gwinnett, meanwhile, is a No. 1 seed and will host No. 3 seeded Colquitt County at Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium in Suwanee.
“We are all disappointed that we cannot play in the Benz (Saturday) but we will be playing for a State Championship at some point," Rabun County coach Lee Shaw said on Friday. "That’s the most important goal."
All but two state championship games set for Mercedes-Benz were postponed. Eagles Landing Christian Academy dominated the Class A Private final, defeating Athens Academy 41-3. Meanwhile, Calhoun edged Peach County in a highly-controversial 10-6 finale in the Class AAA title game.
Friday's Class AAAAA final between Rome and Warner Robins and the Class AAAAAA title game between Coffee and Lee County were postponed -- as were all of Saturday's games, also including the Class A Public contest between Irwin County and Clinch County and Class AAAA championship between Marist and Blessed Trinity.
