The Class 2A semifinals are Friday, with the winners meeting in the championship 4 p.m. Dec. 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Appling County Pirates at Carver-Columbus Tigers
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Columbus
Records, rankings, seedings: Appling County is 10-3, No. 4 and the 10 seed; Carver is 12-1, No. 1 and the 2 seed.
Last meeting: Teams have never met
Maxwell’s projection: Carver by 7
Notes: This is the Pirates’ third quarterfinals appearance of the last three years after they reaching the 3A final four in 2021 and 2022. They’ve been this far two additional times, reaching the 2A semifinals in 2011 and 1999, but they’ve never advanced to the championship. They opened and closed the regular season with losses, to Ware County 40-10 on Aug. 16, and to Fitzgerald 21-16 on Nov. 8. On Sept. 13 they lost to Deland, Fla. They beat then-No. 1 Pierce County on Nov. 1 for the 3-2A title, which catapulted them from No. 9 to No. 1. However, they lost their No. 1 ranking with the Fitzgerald loss. In the playoffs, they opened with a 17-12 win over Crisp County, beat No. 9 Carver-Atlanta 35-14 and last week topped Stephens County 23-9. The Tigers are also in the semifinals a third time in four years. They reached the 3A semis last year, and the 4A championship in 2021. A win would put them in the title game for the second time in program history. They won 3A in their other trip in 2007. Their only loss was Aug. 30 to 4A’s unranked Harris County, 15-6. Following that loss they posted four shutouts and outscored the competition 314-27, including a 31-0 win over Sumter County on Oct. 17 for the 1-2A championship. They’ve yet to be challenged in the playoffs, beating Therrell 54-7, Ringgold 35-14 and a common opponent of the Pirates, No. 5 Pierce County, 44-7.
Burke County Bears at Rockmart Yellow Jackets
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Rock, Rockmart
Records, rankings: Burke County is 12-1, No. 3 and the 4 seed; Rockmart is 11-2, No. 8 and the 1 seed.
Last meeting: Teams have never met
Maxwell’s projection: Even
Notes: The Bears are in the semifinals for the first time since winning 3A in 2011. They reached the semifinals two other times, losing in 2010 and reaching the 3A championship in 1997. Their only loss was 43-14 at 4A’s No. 4 Benedictine. They beat No. 10 Thomson 47-35 in the season finale on Nov. 8 to win Region 4 and beat Thomson again, 49-42, in the quarterfinals. They edged Cook 27-21 in Round 1, and beat Laney 49-28 in Round 2. The Jackets reached the 2A championship last year for their second 2A championship appearance since 2018. Other semifinals appearances include 1988, 1957, 1954, 1952, 1950 and 1946, with their only championship coming in 1950 in A. The Jackets opened the season with two non-region losses to 4A teams Cedartown (24-3) and No. 3 Cartersville (35-6). They swept 7-2A, edging No. 10 Ringgold 23-20, and 3A-A private’s No. 7 North Cobb Christian 24-21, to win 7-2A for their eight region title in a row. North Cobb Christian is in the 3A-A Private semifinals. They opened the playoffs with a 30-6 win over Redan, then beat Westside 37-30, and No. 7 Morgan County 49-40 last week.
Sources: Georgia High School Football Historians Association, GHSF Daily
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