With the semifinals coming up this week, is it possible to top what Round 3 of the 2024 GHSA football playoffs gave us last week? We had Superman-type individual performances and some big-time upsets, including top ranked teams, and three defending state champions will not have the opportunity to win consecutive championships.
The 2024 season has delivered many exciting moments, including last week’s quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Why would we think the fun stops now?
No. 1 QB Julian “JuJu” Lewis May Be Out for Carrollton vs. Buford
What’s up with JuJu?
The Carrollton Trojans are headed to Buford this week, and the big question is if they will have their team leader and the No. 1 quarterback in the country, Julian “JuJu” Lewis, with them. He left the game versus Hillgrove last week with an injury and did not return.
If Lewis is unable to play, Dylan Bishop will take the snaps for the Trojans. When Lewis left the game last week, Bishop went in and did well, completing 10-of-14 passes for 123 yards and three TDs.
But this is Buford, not Hillgrove.
I am sure Bishop is poised and ready to lead head coach Joey King’s offense. But Lewis is the top-rated QB in the country for a reason, and everyone wants to see him against Buford’s defense.
Let’s hope Lewis can play Friday night. The reports now are that it could be a game day decision.
4-of-8 Defending State Champions Still Hopeful for Repeat Titles
Of the eight state champions from a year ago, four are still looking to repeat.
Savannah Christian was upset by North Cobb Christian in Round 3 of the 2024 GHSA football playoffs, which keeps the door open for Prince Avenue Christian to repeat as state champion.
The other 2023 state champions still alive are Bowdon, Coffee, and Milton.
Let’s consider the semifinal matchups for all four.
Prince Avenue Christian hosts North Cobb Christian
The North Cobb Christian Eagles pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the playoffs by knocking off the unbeaten Savannah Christian Raiders last week. The Savannah Christian squad featured five-star defensive linemen Elijah Griffin and Ladamion Guyton, and the Raiders were considered a shoe-in to capture the Class 1A-3A Private state title.
The Eagles, who have advanced in the playoffs as far as the quarterfinals in 2018, are hoping the mammoth upset over the Raiders will now give them an opportunity to capture their first-ever state championship.
Bowdon hosts Irwin County
Bowdon is actually looking for a third-straight state championship.
The team they will line up against can tell them all they need to know about making it to the championship game and winning it. Irwin County advanced to the state title game in 1975, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. They won the state title in 2019 and 2020.
Coffee and RB Tyrese Woodgett travel to Langston Hughes
The Coffee Trojans are in no hurry to let go of their state title, but they’ll have to get by the Langston Hughes Panthers, who are looking to get back to the title game after consecutive trips to the Class 6A championship contest in 2021 and 2022 yielded the Panthers’ first title in 2022. Hughes made it to the second round of the playoffs last year before seeing their season come to an end at 9-3.
Coffee running back Tyrese Woodgett, a senior, destroyed a state rushing record last week with a performance that had everyone in the state talking all Thanksgiving weekend. Woodgett ran around, through, and over the Sequoyah defense, averaging 30 yards per carry to lead Coffee to a 72-48 playoff win over the Chiefs. He finished with 605 yards rushing and seven TDs on just 20 carries.
Woodgett and his Coffee teammates will now try to knock off Hughes, who did what most felt like could not be done last week by holding the Thomas County Central offense scoreless in one half of football, then allowing only a touchdown and two field goals. Thomas County Central’s lowest output of the season up to that point was against Lee County in a 35-23 loss at Leesburg.
Milton hosts Lee County
Yes, the Milton Eagles are looking to repeat their state title, but they’ll have to stave off the Lee County Trojans, who know all about repeating as state champions: They did it themselves back in 2017 and 2018.
These two monster programs share a lot of similarities: Each team has blasted through the state playoffs so far, barely breaking a sweat. Both are undefeated with 13-0 overall records. They each won their regions in Class 5A, Milton in Region 7 and Lee County in Region 2, which are considered to be possibly the two toughest regions in the state. They each feature a big, strong QB who can run and throw equally well and a big, strong RB who has breakaway speed.
I think you get the point.
We’ll be back next week for a recap of Round 4 of the 2024 GHSA football playoffs and a look at the finals.
