Three area teams are gunning for a state championship berth this Friday -- and two of those contests will play out live on the airwaves of Jacobs Media.
Buford, Jefferson and Mill Creek are each set for intriguing showdowns in their respective classifications. (NOTE: AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night page will also bring you postgame stories and video highlights from all three showdowns.)
The Wolves will play host to Kell in a Class AAAAA battle that will feature live on WDUN AM 550. Buford is gunning for its 10th straight appearance in the title game but know it won't come easy against Kell. The Longhorns (11-2) may be making their second ever state semifinal appearance -- and have yet to reach the Georgia Dome -- but Kell proved its worth in an extremely tough Region 7-AAAAA, which has two teams in the semifinals (Rome being the other), and pushed three teams into the quarterfinals.
The Wolves (12-1) fended off fellow 7-AAAAA program Carrollton in the third round, 34-27, and will look to make the most of homefield advantage against the No. 3 seeded Longhorns. The play of running back Christian Turner over the last two contests (373 yards and 8 TDs combined) has given Buford an explosive element that no defense has been able to stop.
While Buford is aiming for a record 10th straight Georgia Dome appearance (even a 10th straight semifinal appearance is a record), Jefferson is looking for a return to the Dome after winning the 2012 Class AA championship.
To get there, the Dragons (12-1) must knock off the only team to defeat Jefferson this season. Despite winning the coin flip, Jefferson will have to travel to Thomson (13-0) and The Brickyard on Friday due to Memorial Stadium in Jefferson not meeting permanent seating requirements. The showdown will be aired live on the airwaves of WDUN FM 102.9.
Jefferson has done it all season with a dominant defense and ground game, and you can expect more of the same against a Thomson team equally-devastating in its rushing attack. The Bulldogs are rushing for an average of 319 yards per contest -- though they are also capable in the passing game with 108 yards per contest through the air.
Yet Thomson also features game-changing special teams play, and that is what turned the tables in the Bulldogs' favor in their 42-20 defeat of Jefferson back on Sept. 2. Leading 21-13 early in the fourth quarter, Thomson responded to a Hayden Kilgore field goal with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Dragons then pulled within 28-20 on a Zack Boobas touchdown -- only to watch the Bulldogs scoop an onsides kickoff attempt and return it 48 yards for a touchdown.
It goes without saying that it will be interesting to see how the rematch plays out.
Meanwhile, the entire state will have at least one eye on the match-up in Class AAAAAAA, where Mill Creek travels to face Grayson.
The Rams drew plenty of preseason attention in assembling a team full of standout transfers and have at least seven seniors headed to play top-level collegiate football. The Hawks, meanwhile, feature just one senior committed to an FBS program -- offensive lineman Tyler Fannin (Virginia). Yet this could be one of the tighest semifinals in some time between two teams that have largely dominated this season.
Mill Creek's calling card has been defense, especially against the run, as the Hawks (13-0) enter the contest yielding just 23.4 rush yards per contest. The Rams (12-1), meanwhile, rushed for 373 yards last week against 2014-15 state champion Colquitt County.
Both teams also feature quarterbacks capable of game-winning performances, including Grayson's Chase Brice (Clemson commit) and Mill Creek's Cameron Turley (a Georgia Tech baseball signee), who has broken just about every program passing record.
The two teams have faced off just once, with Grayson getting the better of a 24-6 first round playoff contest in 2014. This year's showdown has plenty more on the line.
STATE SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE, DEC. 2
CLASS AAAAAAA
Mill Creek at Grayson*
CLASS AAAAA
Kell at Buford -- Radio: WDUN AM 550
CLASS AAAA
Thomson at Jefferson* -- Radio: WDUN FM 102.9
*- Home field was determined by coin flip
