Calhoun took a 14-0 lead in the first seven minutes and let its defense handle the rest, clamping down on Jefferson for a 20-7 victory in the Class 3A football championship game Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Yellow Jackets, ranked No. 7 coming into the playoffs, won their first state title since 2017 and fifth overall. They lost in their most recent appearance in the championship game, against Warner Robins in the 2021 Class 5A final.
Calhoun (12-3) won its final 11 games this season after starting 1-3, with losses to Class 5A Creekview and Class 4A schools Cartersville and Cambridge. The Yellow Jackets’ closest game during the winning streak was a 38-28 victory over top-ranked Peach County in the quarterfinals.
“The goal of a football coach is to make sure those guys understand that their purpose is far greater than what we do on Friday nights,” Calhoun coach Clay Stephenson said. “That’s what gets you through those 1-3 times and gets you through different things in a season. Friday nights or Wednesday nights or whenever we play will take care of themselves.”
Jefferson, which entered the playoffs ranked No. 3, finished the season 11-4. Three of the four losses came against teams that reached the championship games - Calhoun and Class 4A finalists North Oconee and Marist. The Dragons were seeking their first state title since 2012.
Calhoun’s offense met little resistance early, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions for a 14-0 lead with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets drove 65 yards in five plays on their first possession, scoring on a 23-yard run by Hudson Chadwick. After forcing a Jefferson three-and-out, the Yellow Jackets went 55 yards in six plays and scored on a 21-yard run by quarterback Trace Hawkins.
Jefferson got its only points on a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Gavin Markey on the first play of the second quarter, but Calhoun’s Carlos Lopez restored the two-possession lead with a 39-yard field goal on the final play of the half to make it 17-7.
Calhoun’s defense dominated the rest of the way. The Yellow Jackets held Jefferson to 74 yards in the second half after giving up 151 in the first two quarters, allowed only one play in Calhoun territory until the final three minutes of the game and intercepted Markey three times. The Dragons ran no more than four plays on any of their six second-half possessions.
Hawkins was 16-of-25 passing for 184 yards and rushed for 47 yards on nine carries, and Chadwick had 50 yards rushing on 16 carries. Lopez was 2-for-2 on field goals, including a 48-yarder late in the third quarter.
“It was a strange game because we got off to a great start and then their defense started getting stops. That means we had to get stops as well. I don’t know how many turnovers we got, but that’s a great offense, and to get that many stops, I’m just super proud of them. … All three phases is what it takes to win a state championship, and all three phases played well.”
Markey passed for 123 yards and rushed for 91 yards on 20 carries, accounting for all but 11 of the Dragons’ 225 total yards. He came into the game with 1,566 yards passing and 1,424 yards rushing.
Jefferson - 0-7-0-0 - 7
Calhoun - 14-3-3-0 - 20
First quarter
C - Hudson Chadwick 23 run (Carlos Lopez kick), 9:35
C - Trace Hawkins 21 run (Lopez kick), 5:11
Second quarter
J - Gavin Markey 3 run (Taylor McCall kick), 11:56
C - Lopez 39 field goal, 0:00
Third quarter
C - Lopez 48 field goal, 2:15
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