Griffin
Griffin, GA · Education
USA TODAY
atlantanewsfirst.com
Macon Telegraph
Stratford advances to state semifinals, Howard defeats rival Westside
With the GHSA regular season officially over and the GIAA playoffs just underway, there’s lots of updates for Macon’s high school football scene this week. The No. 1 seed Stratford Eagles dominated George Walton 42-10 in the opening round of the GIAA Class AAAA playoffs. Stratford will move on to face No. 5 St. Anne-Pacelli next week in the semifinals. Windsor, also the No. 1 seed in its own Class A, rolled to a 57-8 win over Robert Toombs Christian Academy. The Knights will play in the state championship later this month. The Howard Huskies defeated the Westside Seminoles for the first time in seven seasons, winning 42-32 to secure a 5-5 record and a playoff spot in Class AAAA. Here’s a full list of scores from around Macon this week: -Stratford 42, George Walton 10 -Windsor 57, RTCA 8 -St. Anne-Pacelli 28, FPD 14 -Howard 42, Westside 32 -Callaway 28, Northeast 24 -Dodge County 35, ACE Charter 25 -Rutland 44, Central 18 (Thursday)
Gwinnett Daily Post
Macon Telegraph
Windsor pummels Robert Toombs Christian 57-8 to punch ticket to state title game
Windsor Academy is officially heading to the state championship game, and the Knights wasted little time making sure of it, steamrolling the Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusaders 57-8 to punch their ticket. Behind five rushing touchdowns from senior quarterback Heath Woodard in the first half and another explosive performance from sophomore running back Jaquan Lewis, top-seeded Windsor dominated the No. 4-seeded Crusaders right from the opening kickoff. The Knights improved to 10-1, extending their winning streak to 10 games, while the Crusaders finished their season 0-11. “They’ve been a great two-headed monster,” Windsor head coach Dylan Bass said of Woodard and Lewis. Windsor’s offense struck immediately after RTCA came up short on a fake punt. On the Knights very first possession of the game, Lewis burst into a near 70 yard run that got his unit all the way to the 5-yard line. Woodard, who came into the contest leading the Knights in rushing touchdowns, showed off his impressive speed as he raced around the right edge for the opening touchdown. RTCA’s second drive started strong before being forced to punt. Woodard added a 35-yard barreling score on the ground on this possession for the Knights. The senior signal caller
atlantanewsfirst.com
northgwinnettvoice.com
One team, many talents: Multi-sport athletes bring diverse skills to Buford flag football
BUFORD, Ga. — On the basketball court, track, soccer field or softball diamond, their athletic abilities take different forms. But when they put on their Buford flag football uniforms, 16 multi-sport athletes bring those talents together as teammates, combining skills developed across seven different sports to contribute to a growing program.
atlantanewsfirst.com
fox5atlanta.com
Gwinnett Daily Post
Dacula, Mill Creek to battle for third in Region 8-AAAAAAA
Dacula and Mill Creek have experienced similar journeys through the Region 8-AAAAAAA football schedule with each losing to Buford and Collins Hill and defeating the rest of the region. The two rivals play Friday night for third place in the region, though the stakes are a little higher for the Falcons. Dacula sits at No. 34 in the Georgia High School Association PSR Power Rankings, just two spots away from a state playoff berth. A loss to Mill Creek would finish off the Falcons’ postseason hopes. A victory would guarantee Dacula’s first winning record since 2021. Mill Creek is outside of the playoff contenders at No. 41, but it hopes to finish the season on a high note and maintain the upper hand in the rivalry with Dacula — the Hawks have won the last six meetings and 10 of the last 11 in the series. That playoff positioning would have been slightly better with a win over No. 33 Collins Hill last week, but Mill Creek surrendered too many big pass plays in a 42-34 loss. Despite the loss, the Hawks had one of their best nights of the season in the rushing attack as Nick Tuck carried 26
Gwinnett Daily Post
Gwinnett Daily Post
Norcross fighting for playoffs in game at surging Duluth
Norcross’ defense of its position in the state football playoff race is at the forefront of Friday night’s rivalry game with Duluth, which is playing its best late in the season. Heading into the regular-season finale, Norcross sits at No. 29 in the Georgia High School Association’s PSR Power Rankings and among the 32 teams who will qualify for state. A loss to No. 42 Duluth would give the Blue Devils a losing record and would put their playoff hopes in great peril. Norcross has won 18 straight games in the longtime rivalry, including 35-21 last season. Its last loss to the Wildcats came in 2003, well before the current players were born. Maintaining that streak looks tougher with how Duluth has played of late, including back-to-back wins over Hebron Christian and Berkmar. Though the Wildcats lost 40-34 in double overtime to Peachtree Ridge last week, they show considerable moxie in a second-half comeback. Down 21-0 at halftime, they outscored Peachtree Ridge 27-6 over the final two quarters to force OT. There were no shortage of offensive stars for Duluth in that loss. Quarterback Marion Luckett completed 15 of 29 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for