Editor’s Note: In this final installment of “Four-Down Territory” for the 2018 high school football season, we’ll have a brief preview of each of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state championship games involving teams in the Southwest Georgia Network coverage area. All of the games will be played at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday, December 11 and Wednesday, December 12, 2018. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, any and all historical information is courtesy of the Georgia High School Football Historians Association at ghsfha.org.
FIRST DOWN: Class 1A Public Championship-Clinch County (12-1) vs. Irwin County (13-0)-Tuesday 10 a.m.
This year’s Class 1A Public state championship game between Clinch County and Irwin County will mark the eighth overall meeting between the two Region 2 teams dating back to 2014, with Irwin winning four of the previous seven contests. However, in the two state championship games that these two teams have played in, it was Clinch that held the upper hand, winning it all in 2015 and 2017. In 2018, though, Irwin downed Clinch 21-3 in the regular season meeting on September 14. That leaves just one question for the Irwin faithful: After losing three state title games in their last four appearances, will the fourth time be the charm for the squad from Ocilla? The answer will come bright and early on Tuesday morning. A win over Clinch would clinch the first state crown for Irwin since 1975, when they finished 13-0 overall.
SECOND DOWN: Class 5A Championship-Bainbridge (9-5) vs. Warner Robins (12-2)-Tuesday 4:30 p.m.
The Cinderella Bearcats from Southwest Georgia will square off against the Demons from Middle Georgia in the first of two games involving Region 1 teams. Despite struggling to a 5-5 regular-season record, Bainbridge has managed to pull off one upset after another during postseason play, knocking off the likes of Jones County, Wayne County, Buford, and Stockbridge, among others, to earn the right to play for their first state championship since 1982, when they finished 14-1
overall under former head coach Ralph Jones. On the other hand, the Demons avenged their loss to Rome in last year’s title game to return to the title game this year, ending the Wolves 40-game winning streak in the process. Stopping the brother-to-brother combination of quarterback Dylan Fromm to tight end Tyler Fromm (yes, they’re the younger twin siblings of University of Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm) just might be the key to the Bearcats taking home their first state crown in 36 years.
THIRD DOWN: Class 6A Championship-Lee County (14-0) vs. Northside-Warner Robins (9-5)-Tuesday 8 p.m.
Throughout the 2018 season, no team has been as dominant as the defending Class 6A champion Lee County Trojans. Why? It all comes down to the total points allowed, with the Trojans from Leesburg outscoring their opponents to the tune of 610-77. Additionally, Lee County has pitched five shutouts, four of those during the regular season. Head Coach Dean Fabrizio and his charges will face a Northside squad that has been on a Cinderella journey of its own during these playoffs, finishing 2-2 in Region 1-6A action en route to a 5-5 overall record. While the Trojans trounced Mundy’s Mill, Effingham County, Creekview, and Lanier en route to advancing to their second straight state title game, the Eagles earned their ticket to the “Benz” in wins over Tucker, Bradwell Institute, Sequoyah, and Dacula, with three of those four wins coming on the road. Having said that, the Trojans hope to follow up their first-ever state title with their first-ever 15-0 season with a win over the Eagles.
FOURTH DOWN: Class 7A Championship-Colquitt County (14-0) vs. Milton (12-2)-Wednesday 8 p.m.
The Packers hope to win their fourth state championship in five years in taking on the upstart Eagles from north Fulton County in the metro Atlanta area. Up until their dramatic 22-21 win over Archer in overtime last week, Colquitt County had been crushing its opponents with stunning precision, outscoring its opponents 555-121 in the 13 prior to that meeting on November 30. Along the way, though, the Packers avenged last year’s loss to North Gwinnett in the 7A championship game in convincing fashion, crushing the Bulldogs 45-0 in the quarterfinals. As for the Eagles, they advanced to their first-ever state title game with three of their four wins coming by 11 points or less, including a 28-17 win over Lowndes in the semifinals. A win next week could put Colquitt County in select company, as one of the few programs in Georgia to win at least three state championships in a five-year span.
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