Collins Hill and Trinity Christian won their first state championships in football last week while Fitzgerald and Brooks County cashed in for the first time in decades. Benedictine, Buford, Cedar Grove and Warner Robins simply added to their rich collections.
The Georgia high school football season ended late Saturday night with Collins Hill, Class 7A’s No. 1 team, putting an exclamation point on one of the best seasons in state history.
The Eagles defeated Milton 24-8 to finish 15-0. Ranked No. 3 nationally in multiple polls, Collins Hill became the first team in the highest classification to win every game by 15 or more points since 1971 Valdosta.
Sam Horn, a Missouri commit, passed for 228 yards, giving him 10,022 for his career, good for eighth all-time in Georgia. Travis Hunter, the state’s No. 1 senior prospect, had 10 receptions for 153 yards.
Buford won its third straight championship, 14th overall, beating first-time finalist Langston Hughes 21-20.
Ashton Daniels threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Tobi Olawole with 2:55 left for the lead, and Hughes missed a 35-yard field goal attempt on the final play. In each of the past three seasons, Buford has won after trailing in the fourth quarter with Daniels, a quarterback committed to Stanford, throwing a critical final-quarter TD pass in all of them.
Warner Robins dominated the Class 5A final, beating Calhoun 38-14. Fred Perry rushed for 233 yards. It was Warner Robins’ second straight title, sixth in history.
Benedictine in Class 4A won its third championship, first since 2016. Holden Geriner, an Auburn commit, passed for 397 yards in the 35-28 victory over Carver-Columbus.
Cedar Grove beat Carver-Atlanta 56-26 for the Class 3A champion. Jamar Graham threw five TD passes, tying the state finals record set in 1971 by Valdosta’s Stan Bounds.
Fitzgerald won its first title since 1948, the first year that the GHSA held finals in all classifications. The Purple Hurricane scored on its first three drives, each covering more than 70 yards, and beat Thomasville 21-7 in Class 2A.
Brooks County won Class A Public with a 56-28 victory over defending champion Irwin County. Omari Arnold rushed for 320 yards and five touchdowns.
Trinity Christian beat defending champion Prince Avenue Christian 55-28 in the Class A Private final. David Dallas passed for 263 yards, and Aaron Gates had five receptions for 165 yards. Trinity became the first Coweta County school to win a championship.
Class 7A
1. (1) Collins Hill (15-0)
2. (3) Milton (13-2)
3. (4) Mill Creek (11-2)
4. (2) North Cobb (10-2)
5. (9) Walton (9-4)
6. (7) Brookwood (10-3)
7. (NR) Grayson (10-4)
8. (5) Lowndes (10-3)
9. (10) Roswell (10-3)
10. (6) Colquitt County (8-3)
Out: No. 8 Marietta
Class 6A
1. (1) Buford (14-1)
2. (3) Hughes (13-2)
3. (2) Lee County (11-2)
4. (7) Carrollton (12-2)
5. (5) Westlake (10-3)
6. (NR) Dacula (9-5)
7. (9) Cambridge (9-2)
8. (NR) Johns Creek (9-4)
9. (NR) Northside-Warner Robins (9-4)
10. (6) Rome (8-3)
Out: No. 8 Riverwood, No. 10 Creekview
Class 5A
1. (4) Warner Robins (14-1)
2. (1) Cartersville (10-1)
3. (6) Calhoun (12-3)
4. (3) Ware County (9-2)
5. (9) Blessed Trinity (9-5)
6. (2) Woodward Academy (11-1)
7. (5) Creekside (11-3)
8. (7) Coffee (8-3)
9. (8) St. Pius (9-3)
10. (10) Whitewater (11-2)
Class 4A
1. (2) Benedictine (13-2)
2. (3) Carver-Columbus (13-2)
3. (1) Marist (10-2)
4. (4) Cedartown (11-2)
5. (5) North Oconee (10-4)
6. (10) Bainbridge (9-4)
7. (7) Perry (11-2)
8. (NR) Dougherty (10-3)
9. (9) Riverdale (9-1-1)
10. (6) Jefferson (9-2)
Out: No. 8 Spalding
Class 3A
1. (5) Cedar Grove (12-3)
2. (8) Carver-Atlanta (11-3)
3. (3) Pierce County (11-3)
4. (6) Appling County (12-2)
5. (NR) Crisp County (9-4)
6. (NR) Peach County (8-4)
7. (2) Oconee County (10-2)
8. (1) Monroe Area (11-1)
9. (4) Thomson (11-1)
10. (NR) Burke County (9-3)
Out: No. 7 Sandy Creek, No. 9 Rockmart, No. 10 Cherokee Bluff
Class 2A
1. (4) Fitzgerald (13-2)
2. (2) Thomasville (13-2)
3. (1) Rabun County (11-2)
4. (7) Callaway (10-3)
5. (5) Putnam County (12-1)
6. (3) Bleckley County (11-1)
7. (10) Swainsboro (11-3)
8. (8) Northeast (9-4)
9. (6) Haralson County (10-2)
10. (NR) South Atlanta (11-2)
Out: No. 9 Dodge County
Class A Public
1. (2) Brooks County (12-2)
2. (1) Irwin County (12-3)
3. (4) Metter (13-1)
4. (3) Macon County (11-1)
5. (5) Schley County (10-2)
6. (8) Wilcox County (10-4)
7. (NR) Turner County (6-7)
8. (6) Bowdon (10-2)
9. (NR) Manchester (7-5)
10. (NR) Washington-Wilkes (9-3)
Out: No. 7 Chattahoochee County, No. 9 Georgia Military, No. 10 ECI
Class A Private
1. (1) Trinity Christian (14-0)
2. (3) Prince Avenue Christian (13-2)
3. (5) Eagle’s Landing Christian (7-7)
4. (4) Fellowship Christian (12-2)
5. (2) Calvary Day (12-1)
6. (6) Holy Innocents (11-2)
7. (9) First Presbyterian (10-3)
8. (8) Darlington (11-2)
9. (NR) Pacelli (8-3)
10. (7) Wesleyan (8-4)
Out: No. 10 Athens Academy
Championship game scores:
7A: Collins Hill 24, Milton 8
6A: Buford 21, Langston Hughes 20
5A: Warner Robins 38, Calhoun 14
4A: Benedictine 35, Carver-Columbus 28
3A: Cedar Grove 56, Carver-Atlanta 26
2A: Fitzgerald 21, Thomasville 7
A Private: Trinity Christian 55, Prince Avenue Christian 28
A Public: Brooks County 56, Irwin County 28
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