MaxPreps Top 25 high school football scores: No. 1 Carrollton beats North Gwinnett 48-21 in Georgia AAAAAA semifinals

The Georgia AAAAAA state championship game is set as No. 1 Carrollton and No. 7 Buford both won big in the semifinals. The Trojans cruised to a 48-21 win over North Gwinnett (Suwanee), while the Wolves beat Valdosta 39-7. 

This game will have huge national implications as the winner will have a great chance to secure the No. 1 spot in the MaxPreps Top 25. 

UNLV-bound wide receiver Peyton Zachary led the charge for Carrollton as he hauled in five receptions for 172 yards and a score. Senior running back Cameron Wood scored his 32nd and 33rd rushing touchdown of the season. 

After the Wildcats cut the deficit to 11-7, Buford scored 28 unanswered points to clinch a spot in the state championship game for the first time since 2021. 

These two met in the AAAAAA semifinals last season and Julian Lewis led Carrollton to a 30-17 win. This will be the fifth playoff matchup for Joey King against Buford during his head coaching career. 

Buford beat Cartersville 27-3 in the AAAA semifinals in 2014 during Trevor Lawrence's freshman year. The following season King and Cartersville shutout the Wolves 10-0 in the AAAA state championship game. 

The Wolves ended Carrollton's season in the AAAAAA semifinals during King's first year with the Trojans. The Wolves won 21-6 en route to winning the school's 14th state title. 

In Louisiana, No. 8 Edna Karr (New Orleans) won its 27th straight game with a 17-10 win over Catholic (Baton Rouge). The Cougars will face St. Augustine (New Orleans) in the Division I Select state championship next Friday after they scored a game-winning touchdown against John Curtis Christian (River Ridge) for a 31-29 win with no time left on the clock. 

Aaron Frye led No. 22 Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) to a 38-21 win over Saraland (Ala.) in the AHSAA 6A state championship game. The senior quarterback completed 8 of 10 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns to go with 15 carries for 183 yards and three more scores. 

No. 24 Allen (Texas) improved to 14-0 with a 33-21 win over North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas) to advance to the UIL 6A Division 1 semifinals. This is the Eagles first semifinal appearance since 2018. Allen awaits the winner of Duncanville and Waxahachie. They play on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Midlothian ISD Stadium. 

No. 11 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), No. 20 Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) and No. 21 Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) all punched its ticket to the FHSAA state championship round. 

The Raiders beat Riverdale (Fort Myers) 45-13 and will face Lakeland in the 7A championship as they go for their seventh straight state title. 

The Bulls beat Bishop Moore (Orlando) 52-21 and will look to repeat as 3A champs next week against Raines (Jacksonville).

The Lions shutout Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) 35-7 and go for their fifth straight state title against Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach).

No. 17 Baylor (Chattanooga) capped off its perfect season with a 28-24 win over Brentwood Academy (Brentwood) in the TSSAA Division II-AAA state championship game on Thursday. Five-star junior running back David Gabriel-Georges finished with 28 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown to go with three receptions for 60 yards and another score.

Brentwood Academy erased a 21-10 third quarter deficit to take a 24-21 lead but the Red Raiders scored the go-ahead touchdown after Briggs Cherry connected with Braxton Rein for a six-yard score with 3:31 left. It capped off a 12-play, 80-yard drive. 

The only other MaxPreps Top 25 team that played on Thursday was No. 14 Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) in the NCHSAA 7A semifinals. The Whirlies extended their win streak to 30 with a 13-7 victory over Weddington (Matthews, N.C.). Junior safety Evander Davis sealed the win with his second interception of the night in the final minute. 

Grimsley will face Clayton in the 7A state championship next week. The Comets beat Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh) 35-32 in the other semifinal.  

Two MaxPreps Top 25 teams still play on Saturday.

In Texas, No. 5 Southlake Carroll (Southlake) has a huge Conference 6A Division 2 quarterfinal matchup against Guyer (Denton). The Dragons are in the mix for the No. 1 spot and are three wins away from winning their first state championship in 14 years. 

In Oklahoma, No. 16 Bixby goes for its eighth consecutive state title and 11th since 2014. The Spartans face Owasso on Saturday at Chad Richison Stadium for the 6A-I championship. These two met in last year's state championship and Bixby won 43-42 in overtime after a successful two-point conversion. They also opened the season against each other and the Spartans rolled to a 49-21 win. 

• • 21
    North Gwinnett
  • 48
    Carrollton

  12/05 Final

• • 13-0
    Southlake Carroll
  • 11-2
    Guyer

  2p

• • 39
    Buford
  • 7
    Valdosta

  12/05 Final

• • 10
    Catholic
  • 17
    Edna Karr

  12/05 Final

• • 13
    Riverdale
  • 45
    St. Thomas Aquinas

  12/05 Final

• • 7
    Weddington
  • 13
    Grimsley

  12/04 Final

• • 24
    Brentwood Academy
  • 28
    Baylor

  12/04 Final

• • 21
    Bishop Moore
  • 52
    Northwestern

  12/05 Final

• • 0
    Trinity Christian Academy
  • 35
    Chaminade-Madonna

  12/05 Final

• • 21
    Saraland
  • 38
    Clay-Chalkville

  12/05 Final

• • 33
    Allen
  • 21
    North Crowley

  12/05 Final