Chattahoochee (14-0)
The skinny
Pope coach Matt Kemper, whose team lost to Chattahoochee 42-14 in the first round, breaks down the Cougars’ offense and defense:
- Offense: They do a lot of things well. They're a pretty complete football team and don't have a lot of weaknesses. They're big up front, but at the same time they're pretty darn athletic. The quarterback does a great job of managing the game and spreading the ball around to the guys that they've got. [WR Kane] Whitehurst can score from anywhere. He's a very, very talented athlete. They use a couple of running backs that can hurt you.
- Defense: I think those guys are kind of overshadowed by that offense that puts up 40 points a game, but they're solid. They run around and are very athletic, especially at linebacker. You've got to try to find that weak link in the secondary, maybe, if there is one, and try to get your best guy matched up against that. They've got good speed at linebacker and on the line, so it's hard to run the ball against them. It looks like there's a hole opening up, but it doesn't stay open very long.
AJC rating: 39
- Run [8]: (200 yards per game) The Cougars have a balanced offense, and it all starts with quarterback Timmy Byerly. He is the team's leading rusher with 1,396 yards. Freshman Chase Nelson has averaged 10.7 yards on 51 carries.
- Pass [8]: (182 yards per game) Byerly has completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,553 yards, with 30 touchdowns and two interceptions. About half of his passes go to Whitehurst, who has 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and 17 TDs.
- Vs. run [5]: (185 yards per game) The Cougars have been vulnerable against the run, allowing more than 200 yards in a game six times this season and more than 300 three times. Linebacker Josh Gregory is the team's leading tackler.
- Vs. pass [9]: (77 yards per game) Only four teams passed for more than 100 yards against Chattahoochee this season. Hunter Thomas is the team leader with a school-record five interceptions.
- Special teams [9]: Senior Ammon Lakip won two playoff games with last-minute field goals. Whitehurst has averaged 51.1 yards on 15 kickoff returns and scored four touchdowns.
Need-to-know basis
- The history: Chattahoochee High, which opened in 1991, is located in north Fulton County's Johns Creek, which became a city Dec. 1, 2006. The school's athletic teams played in the highest classification for the first 19 years before dropping to Class AAAA this year. The Cougars are playing in the state championship for the first time; their previous best finish was a semifinal appearance in 1999, when the team went 10-4 under former coach Bill Waters.
- Last year: Did not make the playoffs in Class AAAAA.
Starting lineups
Offense
QB -- 6 Timmy Byerly, 6-0, 210, Sr.*
TB -- 34 Aaron Guerrant, 5-10, 165, So.
HB -- 8 Stephen Frankiewicz, 6-1, 215, Sr.
SB - 5 Kane Whitehurst, 5-11, 172, Sr.*
SB -- 22 Josh Gregory, 5-11, 187, Sr.*
SE -- 10 Hunter Thomas, 5-10, 175, Sr.
T -- 58 Matt Kiefer, 6-5, 270, Sr.*
G -- 72 Kirk Dumont, 5-11, 260, Sr.
C -- 59 Callan Gillison, 6-0, 265, Jr.
G -- 68 Matt Mills, 6-2, 307, Sr.*
T -- 67 Travis Skillingstad, 6-3, 270, Sr.*
PK -- 1 Ammon Lakip, 5-10, 170, Sr.*
Defense
DE -- 8 Stephen Frankiewicz, 6-1, 215, Sr.
NG -- 39 Logan Musser, 6-2, 235, Jr.
DE -- 43 Juan Gomez, 5-11, 207, Sr.
LB -- 21 Christian Sutherland, 6-0, 188, Sr.
LB -- 9 Cooper Campbell, 6-2, 185, Sr.*
LB -- 22 Josh Gregory, 5-11, 187, Sr.*
DB -- 20 Ben Blanks, 5-11, 170, Sr.
DB -- 4 Chris Johnson, 5-10, 168, Sr.*
CB -- 18 Will Johnson, 5-11, 170, Jr.
CB -- 23 Trey Hart, 5-11, 177, Jr.
FS -- 10 Hunter Thomas, 5-10, 175, Sr.
P -- 1 *Ammon Lakip, 5-10, 170, Sr.
* FBS (formerly Division I-A) recruits
Results
9/3 Lambert W 31-7
9/10 Forsyth Central W 35-14
9/17 Creekview W 42-7
9/24 Northwest Whitfield W 45-15
10/1 Johns Creek W 48-14
10/8 Woodland-Cartersville W 52-14
10/15 Sequoyah W 45-7
10/22 Cass W 49-14
10/29 South Forsyth W 52-14
11/5 Rome W 44-7
11/12 Pope W 42-14
11/19 Marist W 31-28
11/26 Dutchtown W 37-14
12/3 Statesboro W 22-21
****
Starr's Mill (14-0)
The skinny
Griffin coach Steve DeVoursney, whose team lost to Starr’s Mill 24-7 on Nov. 5, breaks down the Panthers’ offense and defense.
- Offense: They've got a real good quarterback who's a coach's son that's not going to make many mistakes. They've got a running back who's real talented and runs hard. You've got to always know where those two are. Up front, they've got big offensive linemen, so they're solid. They've got good receivers, especially [Jeff Greene]. They throw the ball well, they run the option well, and they're big enough up front to pound it. They're just real well-rounded.
- Defense: It starts with their front three. Their three defensive linemen are what makes it go. You've got to account for those guys. Everybody else is good high school football players who play hard and don't make mistakes. You've got to try to get to their secondary, by throwing it out there or running wide on them. It's just tough to try to block those three cats up front.
AJC rating: 38
- Run [9]: (230 yards per game) Zach Laskey (school-record 1,464 yards) and quarterback Adam Holley (1,140 yards) have accounted for 80.9 percent of the Panthers' 3,218 rushing yards this season.
- Pass [6]: (117 yards per game) Holley has completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,630 yards and 12 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. His top targets have been junior Alex Riddle and Georgia Tech commitment Jeff Greene.
- Vs. run [7]: (133 yards per game) The Panthers held Tucker's Bashr Coles and N'Quan Maggett, who each had more than 1,000 yards rushing this season, to a combined 86 yards in the semifinals.
- Vs. pass [8]: (111 yards per game) Defensive backs Eric Armagost and Greene each have three of the team's 13 interceptions. The Panthers have allowed only six touchdown passes this season.
- Special teams [8]: Ryan Nowicki is 58-for-59 on extra points and 6-for-11 on field goals, with a long of 49 yards. Matt Hubbard has averaged 36.1 yards on 32 punts.
Need to know basis
- The history: Starr's Mill High is located in south Fayette County and serves the areas of Fayetteville and Peachtree City. The school opened in 1997 and began playing football the following year. Mike Earwood began the football program and had been its only coach until leaving for Our Lady of Mercy this season. Longtime assistant Chad Phillips was promoted to head coach. The Panthers, playing in their first state championship game, lost to Harrison 31-24 in the 2000 Class AAAAA semifinals and finished 13-1.
- Last year: Lost to Apalachee 27-24 in two overtimes in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs.
Starting lineups
Offense
QB -- 10 Adam Holley, 6-1, 174, Sr.
RB -- 32 Zach Laskey, 6-3, 210, Sr.*
WR -- 5 Alex Riddle, 5-11, 170, Jr.
WR -- 81 Jeff Greene, 6-5, 200, Sr.*
WR -- 19 Jake Thelen, 5-11, 168, Sr.
T -- 62 Jason Woods, 6-5, 230, Sr.
G -- 69 *Alex Barr, 6-7, 270, Sr.
C -- 52 Matt Mosgrove, 6-0, 250, Jr.
G -- 59 Steven Dorsey, 6-0, 283, Sr.
T - 67 Cameron Stone, 5-11, 305, Sr.
TE -- 9 Matt Hubbard, 6-4, 193, Sr.
PK -- 16 Ryan Nowicki, 5-11, 180, Sr.*
Defense
DE -- 56 Jack Thomas, 6-3, 235, Sr.
NT -- 55 Alec Brown, 6-1, 310, Sr.
DE -- 47 Ofumba Kamalu, 6-6, 250, Sr.*
LB -- 6 Gunnar Carson, 6-0, 192, Sr.
LB -- 40 Davis Aasen, 6-0, 194, Jr.
LB -- 51 Mike Muska, 5-9, 221, Jr.
LB -- 25 Dylan Autera, 5-11, 177, Jr.
LB -- 45 Elijah Goodrich, 5-11, 190, Sr.
CB - 19 Jake Thelen, 5-11, 168, Sr.
S -- 2 Eric Armagost, 6-0, 172, Sr.
CB -- 81 Jeff Greene, 6-5, 200, Sr.*
P -- 9 Matt Hubbard, 6-4, 193, Sr.
* FBS (formerly Division I-A) recruits
Results
8/27 Coosa W 41-0
9/3 Woodland-Stockbridge W 21-7
9/10 Alcovy W 27-0
9/17 Upson-Lee W 45-19
9/24 Whitewater W 21-14
10/1 Fayette County W 34-0
10/8 McIntosh W 48-0
10/22 Northgate W 35-24
10/29 Harris County W 42-8
11/5 Griffin W 24-7
11/12 Hardaway W 42-9
11/19 Brunswick W 42-34
11/26 East Paulding W 28-0
12/3 Tucker W 20-19
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