Top-ranked Calhoun upended Jefferson 20-7 to win the Class 3A championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium securing the program’s fifth championship while giving head coach Clay Stephenson his first.
The Yellow Jackets’ run to the title was nothing less than a masterclass in coaching from Stephenson coupled by otherworldly play from freshman quarterback Trace Hawkins. But before we look ahead at the poll at the bottom of the post, let’s look back at where things stood when the season ended.
Calhoun entered the playoffs ranked No. 8 with a 7-3 record and beat Spalding 31-6 and No. 9 Douglass 38-14 to set up a road-trip rematch against top-ranked and heavily favored Peach County in a rematch of the controversial 2017 state championship game won by Calhoun.
The team entered the quarterfinals matchup with a magnificent game plan and kept Peach off the field with time-munching drivers and enjoyed a 38-28 victory to earn a semifinals berth against unranked, but upset-minded Stephenson. Calhoun upended Stephenson 35-13 to advance to the championship.
Regardless of offseason shifts, until they lose it, the Yellow Jackets have earned the top-spot in the poll and with a sophomore quarterback with a championship victory under his belt, Calhoun could be a force.
And it wouldn’t be the first time Calhoun has been favored to do well.
The program was dominant in Class 2A from 2005 to 2013 under Hal Lamb, who led the Yellow Jackets to eight state championship games and won three titles at Calhoun from 1999-2018. Lamb won every region championship from 2001 until 2018 when he retired, only missing 1999 and 2000 — his first two years at the helm.
The team reclassified up to Class 3A in 2014 where it went 15-0 for Lamb’s second title. In 2014, Calhoun did it again, finishing 15-0 and securing another title. In 2017, the team finished 14-1 but beat Peach County in the championship.
And after a runner-up finish, No. 2 Jefferson returns ahead of No. 3 Peach County, No. 4 Sandy Creek and No. 5 LaGrange.
Jefferson entered the classification from Class 5A and – despite being described as a perennial playoff power – the Dragons have just one state championship in 2012 under head coach T. McFerrin, who also led Early County to a state title in 1995.
The Dragons have appeared in five state championship games – won one – and advanced to the semifinals twice – once under Ben Hall in 2016 and under Travis Noland in 2023, the program’s last year in Class 5A.
Since taking over in 2022, Noland has led the team to three region titles, a semifinals and finals appearance and only lost eight games – four of which came in last year’s finals run.
Now, nothing is ever for certain, but Peach County was not supposed to lose to Calhoun at home last season according to nearly every prediction service out there. But the Trojans return experience and could carve out another all-too-familiar playoff run.
Peach County – which has been playing football under than name since 1970 when Fort Valley High School consolidated into Peach County – has been to the state title game nine times. However, they’ve only won three – 2005 and 2006 under Rance Gillespie and 2009 under Chad Campbell.
In the team’s most recent chances, Peach suffered in back-to-back years two of the most utterly gut-wrenching losses. In 2017, the Trojans fell 10-6 to Calhoun in a game veiled in controversy. In 2018, Jadon Haselwood lifted Cedar Grove past Peach with a game-winning touchdown reception with seconds remaining to win 14-13.
But with former Warner Robins head coach Marquis Westbrook – who won two championships for the Demons — entering his third season, Peach could be a favored program.
The class was controlled by Cedar Grove from 2016-2023. The Saints won titles in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023. But Cedar Grove – for the first time in a long time – are ranked at the bottom of the top 10, which is generous after last year’s 3-7 finish in Roderick Moore’s only season at the helm. Rich Freeman enters his first year as the Saints’ head coach and is the program’s sixth coach since 2012.
See the too, too early Class 3A Top 10 below.
1. Calhoun
2. Jefferson
3. Peach County
4. Sandy Creek
5. LaGrange
6. Oconee County
7. Cherokee Bluff
8. Douglass-Atlanta
9. Stephenson
10. Cedar Grove
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