It has been 12 seasons since the Class 3A finalists, Calhoun and Jefferson, have played, and title game this season is a rematch of the 2012 Class 2A state championship game that Jefferson won 31-14.
Calhoun features a freshman quarterback that has led the Yellow Jackets to the final, while Jefferson boasts one of the best senior dual-threat quarterbacks in the state.
After each survived a semifinal round that featured four programs that entered Class 3A this season from higher classes, Calhoun and Jefferson will meet again Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Calhoun spent the last four seasons in Class 5A and defeated the former 4A power Stephenson 35-13 in the semifinals. Jefferson was in 5A last season and upended former 4A team LaGrange 21-13 to earn its finals appearance.
The teams have met twice, and each has a victory against the other. Calhoun won 39-6 in the first round of the 2011 playoffs, and in 2012, Jefferson won its only title.
Clay Stephenson has coached Calhoun since 2019 and is trying for his second state championship after losing to Warner Robins in the Class 5A title game in 2021. The Yellow Jackets have a chance for the program’s fifth state title – 1952, 2011, 2014 and 2017. Calhoun freshman quarterback Trace Hawkins is 149-of-217 passing for 1,893 yards and 23 touchdowns with just one interception. Cross Land is 48-of-68 passing for 678 yards and eight touchdowns. Justin Beasley is the team’s leading receiver with 69 catches for 985 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Yellow Jackets have run for 23 touchdowns behind Isiah Nalls, who leads with 178 carries for 916 yards and five touchdowns. Hudson Chadwick, Hawkins, Hunter White and Emaree Winston each have four touchdown runs. On the defensive side, Alec Upshaw leads with 81 tackles, 29 assists, five tackles for loss, four sacks, two caused fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Head coach Travis Noland took over at Jefferson in 2022 and led the Dragons to the first round of the playoffs in 2022 and the semifinals of the 5A bracket last season. Noland coached Oconee County to back-to-back Class 3A title games in 2019 and 2020.
The focus of Jefferson’s offense is quarterback Gavin Markey, who is 81-of-143 passing for 1,424 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also leads the team in rushing with 204 carries for 1,568 yards and 23 touchdowns. Dallas Russell has 165 carries for 877 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Rett Hemphill and Mickell Pittman combine for 10 touchdown runs. Talan Childress (5 TD receptions), Dalton Dye (5 TD receptions) and Hemphill (2 TD receptions) lead receivers. Hemphill, who plays both ways for the Dragons, leads the team with 89 solo tackles, 42 assists, 9.4 tackles per game, seven interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and 11 tackles for loss.
