GAINESVILLE, Ga. — After going winless in 2023 and starting this season 1-4, the Chestatee football team is headed to the Class 3A state playoffs.
Behind a powerful running game and a defense that made big plays when needed, the War Eagles beat Greater Atlanta Christian 30-20 in Region 6-3A play Friday night.
“This means the world to me,” Chestatee junior running back Ben Plemons said. “Last season did not go how we wanted. We really stepped it up this year and bought into the program. I’m so proud of every single one of the players on this team.”
Chestatee showed great improvement in its second season under Coach Stuart Cunningham.
“I’m excited,” Cunningham said. “These players deserve it. Their parents and our booster club have done so much to support us. There are lots of people that deserve this. When you win there is enough of it to go around for everybody.”
After losing four of their first five, the War Eagles (5-5, 4-3 Region 6-3A) won four of their last five regular season games to make the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Chestatee now waits to see where it finishes in the Georgia High School Association playoff rankings and who it will be facing when the first round of the playoffs starts in two weeks.
“They are warriors,” Cunningham said. "We go at it really hard every day, and that’s reflected in how they play. They played really hard tonight.”
A final defensive stand secured the victory in the game's final moments.
After the Spartans cut the lead to 30-20, they drove to the Chestatee 5 with three minutes to play, but the Chestatee defenders rose up and stopped GAC on fourth down. The War Eagles got a first down and ran out the clock, setting off a huge celebration.
“We are a whole different team,” Plemons said. “We can fight through adversity. Every single moment mattered tonight. Everyone knew that coming into the game.”
Holding on to a 24-13 lead early in the fourth quarter, the War Eagles’ defense came up with its biggest play of the game. With GAC driving in Chestatee territory, Plemons forced a fumble, and Brody Burke recovered.
Chestatee rushed for 296 yards on 58 attempts, but it was a 76-yard touchdown pass after the turnover that was the biggest play of the second half. Colton Steele hit Plemmons on a shallow crossing route. Plemmons turned the corner and outran the GAC secondary for a 30-13 lead.
Plemons finished with 114 yards and two touchdowns rushing and caught two passes for 77 yards and a score. The War Eagle showed a balanced running game with seven players carrying the ball. Caysen Goss had 58 yards on the ground. Izayah Ledford rushed for 56 yards and one touchdown, and Hector Espinoza added 38 yards.
The War Eagles’ defense set up their first score. Goss intercepted a pass on GAC’s first possession. Charlie Bradshaw’s 23-yard run to the 1 set up Plemmons’ first touchdown and a 7-0 lead. The lead grew to 10-0 with Isaiah Glez’s 41-yard field goal with 1:39 left in the first quarter.
A Plemons’ sack stopped the next GAC drive, forcing the Spartans (4-6, 4-3 Region 6-3A) to settle for Adam Anand’s 34-yard field goal. The War Eagles forced a fumble on a punt return in the final minute of the half that Blake Conner recovered. Plemmons put the War Eagles up 17-6 with a 1-yard TD run with 25.7 seconds left in the half.
On its first drive of the second half, the War Eagles mounted an 11-play, 80-yard drive that took 4:17 off the clock. Izayah Ledford scored on a 5-yard run for a 24-6. GAC, which went almost exclusively to its passing game in the second half, answered with Denzell Watkins’ 75-yard scoring pass to Gabe Daniels to cut the lead to 24-13.
