Previews of the 8 state championship games

Class 7A

Collins Hill vs. Grayson

When, where: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Collins Hill is 12-2, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-7A and No. 6; Grayson is 13-0, the No. 1 seed from 4-7A and No. 1.

Last meeting: Grayson won 28-7 on Sept. 18.

ExploreCollins Hill joins parade of Gwinnett schools to make finals

Things to know: Grayson is playing for its third state title in 10 seasons, first since 2016. Collins Hill is in the finals for the first time. This will be the third all-Gwinnett County final in the highest classification. The others were Norcross vs. North Gwinnett in 2013 and Brookwood vs. Parkview in 2002. The regular-season game between these two was scoreless at halftime and 7-7 in the fourth quarter. Collins Hill’s Travis Hunter, a Florida State commit who has 1,639 yards receiving and 23 TD receptions, was held to 51 yards and no touchdowns. Grayson’s Phil Mafah, a Clemson signee, rushed for 175 yards, but he’s now injured. Grayson QB Jake Garcia, a Miami signee, didn’t play in the first game. He has thrown seven TD passes in the playoffs. Collins Hill QB Sam Horn, a four-star recruit, has attempted 50 and 54 passes the past two games, for 684 yards and five touchdowns, though with four interceptions. Grayson’s forte is defense. The Rams have shut out four of their past five opponents and held nine overall to seven points or less.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Grayson 27, Collins Hill 10

ExploreAJC high school football scores

Class 6A

Buford vs. Lee County

When, where: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Buford is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-6A and No. 2; Lee County is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from 1-6A and No. 1.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

ExploreMaxwell finals projections

Things to know: Buford is in the championship game for the 17th time in 21 seasons. The Wolves are seeking their 12th title in that stretch, including the Class 5A championship last season, and 13th overall. Lee County is one win away from its third state title in four seasons. Both teams average about 40 points per game and get roughly 70% of their offense from the running game. Both have a 1,000-yard rusher (Buford’s Victor Venn with 1,152; Lee County’s Caleb McDowell with 1,258) and another back likely to surpass 1,000 yards in the final (Buford’s Gabe Ervin with 979; Lee County’s Preston Simmons with 994). Buford has the edge statistically on defense. The Wolves have allowed just 8.2 points per game (best in 6A), compared to Lee County’s 13.6, and have given up more than a touchdown in only four games this season. Tommy Beuglas has 57 tackles, 24 assists, 11 tackles for losses, three sacks and two interceptions. Lee County might have the advantage on special teams. The Trojans have blocked six kicks and scored seven special-teams touchdowns, and McDowell averages 24.7 yards on punt returns and 31.5 on kickoff returns, with three TDs.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Toss-up (Buford 21, Lee County 21)

Class 5A

Cartersville vs. Warner Robins

When, where: 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Cartersville is 12-1, the No. 2 seed from Region 7-5A and No. 4; Warner Robins is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from 1-5A and No. 2.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Warner Robins is playing in its fourth consecutive final but last won in 2004. Cartersville won titles in 2015 and 2016, when Trevor Lawrence was its quarterback. Warner Robins’ lone defeat was against Class 6A finalist Lee County. Cartersville lost to Cherokee, a Class 7A school. Both teams have elite quarterbacks. Warner Robins’ Jalen Addie has thrown for 1,944 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 947 yards and 11 touchdowns. Cartersville’s Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, a Florida signee who transferred from Grayson, has thrown for 1,374 yards in less than a half a season. Warner Robins’ strength is its front seven. Sophomore DL Vic Burley has 21 tackles for losses, and LB Ahmad Walker is an all-state player. Cartersville is outstanding at receiver and defensive back. Devonte Ross and Sam Phillips have more than 800 yards receiving each while playing significantly on defense. Evan Slocum, a safety, has signed with Wake Forest. Both teams beat their common opponent, Ware County, by three points. Warner Robins also beat Cartersville’s region champion, No. 1-ranked Blessed Trinity, in the quarterfinals. Cartersville canceled its game with Blessed Trinity over COVID-19 concerns.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Warner Robins 23, Cartersville 20

Class 4A

Jefferson vs. Marist

When, where: 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Jefferson is 12-0, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-4A and No. 2; Marist is 12-0, the No. 1 seed from 6-4A and No. 1.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: This is the only championship game between undefeated teams. It matches the highest-scoring team in Class 4A (Jefferson, 44.0) against the top defense in the state (Marist, 2.8). Jefferson is in the state finals for the first time since its 2012 championship team, while Marist is in the finals for the second time in four seasons and seeking its first state title since 2003. Both teams rely heavily on the running game. Jefferson is led by five-star QB Malaki Starks, the No. 3 athlete nationally among juniors. He ran for 321 yards and four touchdowns and threw a TD pass in a 42-35 victory over Benedictine in the semifinals. Starks has 1,457 rushing yards, 542 passing yards and a combined 35 TDs for the season. Rem Maxwell is the leading tackler for a defense that allows 10.5 points per game, second-best in 4A. Marist’s leading rusher is Lincoln Parker (82 carries, 450 yards). QB Champ Davis, who is second with 426 yards, has been the leading rusher in the playoffs with 233 yards on 56 carries. Davis also is 28-of-55 passing for 400 yards for the season. LB Grey Taylor and DL Derek McDonald lead the team in tackles.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Marist 20, Jefferson 14

Class 3A

Oconee County vs. Pierce County

When, where: Noon Wednesday, Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Oconee County is 12-0, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-3A and No. 2; Pierce County is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from 1-3A and No. 6.

Last meeting: Pierce County won 49-6 in the second round of the 2014 Class 3A playoffs.

Things to know: Oconee County was the Class 4A runner-up last season. The Warriors won their only state title in 1999. Pierce County is playing in its first championship game. Both won exciting semifinal games. Oconee County trailed Greater Atlanta Christian 20-14 in overtime and faced a fourth-and-16 but converted and scored a touchdown on the next play to win 21-20. Pierce County trailed 13-12 with Crisp County on the Pierce 30-yard line in the final two minutes but forced a fumble and returned it for a touchdown and won 25-13. The teams are similar statistically. Oconee allows 9.8 points per game. Pierce allows 9.9. They have similar run-pass balance, but Oconee County has a pair of big-play receivers, Jake Johnson and Darius Johnson (not related), who have 15 TD receptions between them. Jake Johnson, who stands 6 feet, 6 inches, is the consensus No. 1 tight-end recruit nationally among juniors. Pierce has a feature running back, sophomore D.J. Bell, who has rushed for 1,366 yards, and a dual-threat quarterback, Jermaine Brewton, a four-year starter with 39 touchdowns passing or rushing this season.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Oconee County 21, Pierce County 17

Class 2A

Callaway vs. Fitzgerald

When, where: Noon Tuesday, Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Callaway is 11-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 5-2A and No. 8; Fitzgerald is 13-0, the No. 1 seed from 1-2A and No. 1.

Last meeting: Callaway won 50-31 in the second round of the 2019 Class 2A playoffs.

Things to know: Fitzgerald is seeking its first state title since 1948. It has played in five state finals since then, including 2015 and 2016, but is 0-5 in those games. Fitzgerald has the No. 3 offense (35.69 points per game) and No. 2 defense (11.62) in Class 2A. Mario Clark (1,145 yards, 28 TDs rushing), Chance Gamble (694 yards rushing, 496 yards receiving) and Rashad Davis (1,194 yards passing) lead an offense that averages 333.4 yards per game. Junior linebacker EJ Lightsey has 111 tackles and 11 sacks. Callaway, which opened in 1996, is in the state finals for the first time. The Cavaliers reached the semifinals three of the past four seasons but lost in that round each time. Jalin Shephard, a three-star cornerback recruit with offers from Auburn and Tennessee, among others, has six interceptions and a team-leading 505 yards and nine touchdowns receiving. He had a 70-yard interception return for a touchdowns in a semifinal victory against Rabun County. The Cavaliers’ offensive leaders are RB Charlie Dixon (1,233 yards rushing) and QB Demetrius Coleman (1,164 yards passing, 400 yards rushing). The Cavaliers were ranked No. 1 for three weeks in the middle of the regular season.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Fitzgerald 26, Callaway 13

Class A Private

Prince Avenue Christian vs. Trinity Christian

When, where: 3:30 p.m. Monday, Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Prince Avenue Christian is 12-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-A Private and No. 1; Trinity Christian is 12-2, the No. 1 seed from 4-A Private and No. 7.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: One of these teams will win its first state title. Prince Avenue Christian played for one in 2012, losing to Eagle’s Landing Christian. Trinity Christian lost in a Georgia Independent School Association final in 2017 and joined the GHSA in 2018. Prince Avenue averages 48.2 points per game, most for a team in any classification. Brock Vandagriff, a five-star recruit signed with Georgia, has two receivers over 1,000 yards – Zac Dyer (1,230) and Logan Johnson (1,133). RB Landon Owens has 1,599 yards from scrimmage. But Prince’s defense has shone lately, allowing no touchdowns in the past two playoff rounds against 2019 finalists ELCA and Wesleyan. Davis Ridings (15 tackles for losses) was his region’s defensive player of the year. Trinity is certainly the underdog, a team with only two senior starters. Its losses came to Athens Academy and ELCA, teams that Prince Avenue defeated handily. But the Lions are hot. QB David Dallas has thrown for 1,978 yards despite missing a month injured. He has thrown 11 TD passes in the playoffs, same as Vandagriff. Tyson Wall has rushed for 1,164 yards.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Prince Avenue Christian 33, Trinity Christian 14

Class A Public

Irwin County vs. Brooks County

When, where: 7 p.m. Monday, Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Irwin County is 11-3, the No. 1 seed from Region 2-A Public and No. 5; Brooks County is 13-1, the No. 2 seed from 2-A Public and No. 3.

Last meeting: Irwin County won 21-13 on Oct. 9.

Things to know: Both teams played in the finals last season. Irwin County defeated Marion County to win the A Public title, its first championship since 1975. This is the Indians’ sixth finals appearance in seven seasons. Brooks County lost to Dublin in the 2019 2A championship game and is seeking its first state title since 1994. Irwin County beat Brooks County in the teams’ 2-A Public opener in October in a game that ultimately decided the region championship. Brooks County finished as the region’s No. 2 seed but comes into the rematch as the higher-ranked team and a two-point favorite, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. Kam Ward rushed for 166 yards and all three of his team’s touchdowns in that game. Ward has rushed for 1,165 yards and 17 touchdowns for the season. Brooks County was limited to 220 yards in the first meeting, its lowest total of the season. Ni’Tavion Burrus passed for 102 yards and Omari Arnold ran for 100, accounting for all but 18 of the team’s yardage. Burrus has passed for 1,857 yards and 22 touchdowns this season, and Arnold has rushed for 1,553 yards and 25 TDs. Both teams get about 60 percent of their offense from the running game.

Maxwell Ratings’ projected score: Brooks County 21, Irwin County 19