By Lee Wilson
MaxPreps.com
The Georgia high school football season is now over as the championship games for all five classifications were held Friday and Saturday in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. Just about every one of them was worth the price of admission.
There were games with potential superstars of the most elite class like Washaun Ealey of Emanuel County Institute, there were teams that seeking redemption of years past like Cairo, teams searching for their first title like Tucker and also a team that was looking to put an exclamation point at the end of a decade of dominance in Buford.
Class AAAAA: Camden County 21, Peachtree Ridge 14
After Peachtree Ridge (12-3) scored on the second longest touchdown run in GHSA history, Camden County answered with the second longest passing play in GHSA history.
That was the break Camden County (15-0) needed as it went on to the victory 21-14. It was the Wildcats second AAAAA state title.
The aforementioned 94-yard run was by Lion Ronnie Smith, who finished with 159 rush yards. It seemed to set a tone for Peachtree Ridge as it took a 14-7 lead and had momentum. Until Camden County responded on an 85-yard touchdown pass from Christian Milstead to DeAngelo Smith.
"When I first called (the passing play), I thought it was a stupid play," Wildcat head coach Jeff Herron told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But De (DeAngelo Smith) is a special player, and Christian has a great arm."
Darrell Williams added his second touchdown of the night with just over a minute to go and the Camden County defense sealed the deal on an interception on the ensuing Peachtree Ridge possession.
Class AAAA: Tucker 15, Marist 3
Tucker almost always has the edge when it meets Marist in the regular season during Region 6 play, but didn’t have much of anything back on Sept. 26 as Marist pounded the Tigers 38-0.
Tucker’s (14-1) defense proved too much this time around for Marist (13-2) in a 15-3 win that delivered the program’s first state title. Head coach Franklin Stephens struggled to find the words that defined his feelings, but he knew it felt good.
“It feels tremendous,” Stephens told the Atlanta Journal-Constitutions. “It’s been 40 years or whatever it was, and it’s like the entire Tucker community has been vindicated.”
The Tigers limited the War Eagle offense to just 27 plays on the entire evening. Tucker, on the other hand, ran 74.
Class AAA: Cairo 28, Flowery Branch 14
Flowery Branch enjoyed a terrific playoff run, upsetting several teams along the way to the Georgia Dome. The title game even had a Cinderella feel to it as the Falcons jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. Then Cairo (14-0) woke up and promptly sent Flowery Branch (12-3) home with a 28-14 loss.
The fourth quarter began with the score knotted at 14. That’s when Angelo Pease took over. The All-State quarterback ran for 97 yards on 18 carries and reached the end zone on the ground twice in the fourth quarter. Pease also completed 8-of-14 passes for 93 yards and two more touchdowns.
“We just didn’t have a lot of [offensive] snaps in the first half. I think that paid off in the fourth because I think we finally wore them down a little bit,” Cairo coach Tom Fallaw told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Cairo notched its third state title with the victory.
Class AA: Buford 45, Calhoun 21
Buford (15-0) continued to improve “Team of the Decade” resume Friday night by dominating Calhoun (12-3) in the AA title game, 45-21.
The win gives Buford – winners of 30 consecutive games – back-to-back titles and the sixth overall in school history. The achievement is even more impressive considering the Wolves lost 10 college signees, including six Division I recruits, from last year’s team.
"This was a very different team," head coach Jess Simpson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "This year's team was much more plowhorse than showhorse."
Both teams definitely have at least one thing in common – a state championship. This was Buford's fifth title since the year 2000. This year they were lead by Cody Getz, who finished with 233 yards on 23 carries and four touchdowns.
With Getz leading the way, Buford topped the 40-point mark for the fourth-straight game and 10th time in 2008.
Class A: Wesleyan 33, Emanuel County Institute 21
Not many people knew what to expect from Wesleyan this season as it went 5-5 last year in Region 6-AA and dropped to Region 8-A before this season. All the Wolves (13-2) did was cap off an amazing run through the playoffs with a 33-21 win over top-ranked Emanuel County Institute (14-1) Saturday in the Georgia Dome.
Normally it is University of Georgia recruit Washaun Ealey that gets all of the recognition, but Saturday it was Wesleyan's Kyle Karempelis that stole the show. The sophomore totaled 189 all-purpose yards, scored three touchdowns and even blocked a punt in route to a victory over the previously undefeated Bulldogs.
“The line did a great job and opened up some holes for me,” Karempelis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Words can’t describe [the feeling of winning].”
Quarterback Conor Welton also had a terrific game, going 12-for-15 passing with 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Ealey rushed for 90 yards and all three of ECI's touchdowns.
