First round matchups in the GHSA State football playoffs for Savannah area teams
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The Georgia High School Association state football playoffs get started this week after a bye last week after the end of the regular season.
There are nine teams from the Savannah area in the GHSA state playoffs, with seven playing on Friday, Nov. 14, as Calvary Day and Savannah Christian have byes in the first round of the Class A-3A bracket.
Bethesda Academy is hosting in a SCISA Class 2A state semifinal Friday against Greenwood Christian.
Benedictine, Jenkins, Effingham County and Bethesda are set to host games on Friday.
Here’s a look at Friday’s playoff matchups involving Savannah area teams.
Class 6A
No. 4 Richmond Hill (6-4) at No. 1 Buford (10-0), Friday, Nov. 14
Richmond Hill returns to the postseason after a one year absence and for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons after finishing fourth in the rugged Region 1-6A. Now the Wildcats face a huge challenge facing Buford (10-0), which is ranked No. 2 among Class 6A teams in the state by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and No. 7 in the USA Today Sports Super 25 national rankings.
Richmond Hill’s offense averages 143.2 yards per game through the air and 111.9 rushing yards per game, while averaging 25 points per contest. Junior quarterback Gunner Mobley has thrown for 1,372 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His favorite target is classmate Eli Grant, who has 41 receptions for 573 yards and five touchdowns. Grant also leads the squad with five interceptions and has 26 tackles as a defensive back.
Senior Amire Miller leads the Wildcats with 645 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.
Junior linebacker Jaylon Deal leads the team with 83 tackles and five sacks.
Buford has a squad loaded with big-time talent with more than 30 players holding scholarship offers including Bryce Perry-Wright, a senior defensive lineman headed to Texas A&M and his classmate, Clemson-bound edge Dre Quinn.
The offensive line features Graham Buford, a 6-5, 305-pound senior committed to Georgia, who has opened holes for senior NC State commit Dylan McCoy and his classmate, Tyriq Green, who is also headed to Georgia. Senior quarterback Dayton Raiola (Nebraska) has thrown for 1,425 yards with 20 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Class 5A
No. 3 Clarke Central (5-5) at No. 2 Effingham County (8-2), Friday, Nov. 14
Effingham County finished second in Region 1-5A as the Rebels earned the right to host a first round game while reaching the playoffs for the fifth straight season and eighth in the last 10 years.
The Rebels are averaging 38 points per game and allowing 28 per contest. Quarterback Tucker Perkins had completed 66% of his passes for 1,300 yards with 17 touchdowns and three interceptions. His favorite receiver in junior Trayvis Hunter, who has 46 catches for 677 yards and six scores.
Effingham averages 168 yards rushing per game behind junior Jmere Doe-Davis, who has rushed for 814 yards and seven scores, and senior JR McKenzie, who has 14 rushing touchdowns and 649 yards on the ground.
The defense is led by junior safety Jernard Albright, who holds a number of Power 4 offers. He has 50 tackles and two interceptions (statistics listed through eight games). Linebacker Duff Davis has 54 stops and senior Marshawn Monroe leads the team with six sacks to go along with 48 tackles.
Clarke Central’s Nuhsi Valenti has rushed for 828 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the Gladiator offense. Jamarion Herring leads the team with 85 tackles. Clarke Central has reached the playoffs in eight of the last 10 seasons under head coach David Perno, including three trips to the state quarterfinals with the last coming in 2021.
Class 4A
No. 4 East Forsyth (6-4) at No. 1 Benedictine (7-2), Friday, Nov. 14 at Memorial Stadium
Benedictine is in a familiar spot as the Cadets are in the playoffs for the 15th year in a row under Danny Britt, in his 15th season at the helm. The run includes four state titles, with the last two coming back-to-back in Class 4A in 2021 and 2022.
BC enters the playoffs ranked No. 4 among Class 4A teams in the state by the AJC. The Cadets are stacked with Division I talent.
Senior quarterback Stephen Cannon, a Texas Tech commit, has thrown for 1,491 yards with 20 touchdowns and three interceptions, while completing 63% of his throws, while rushing for 355 yards and four more scores. He has a 4-star receiver in Notre Dame commit Bubba Frazier, a senior who has 36 receptions for 602 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Junior Stanley Smart Jr., who holds a number of Power 4 offers, leads the team with 671 yards rushing and nine scores.
The Cadet defense features 5-star edge LaDamion Guyton, who is also headed to Texas Tech (49 tackles and six sacks) along with Clemson commit Kam Cody at tackle (51 tackles, 5.5 sacks). App State commit Micah Williams is a standout in the defensive backfield with two interceptions and 29 tackles. Senior linebacker Jayden Houston leads the team with 69 stops, with 10 for losses.
East Forsyth started its program in 2021 and has reached the playoffs for three years in a row, but has never won a postseason game.
Class 3A
No. 28 Whitewater (5-5) at No. 5 Jenkins (9-1), Friday, Nov. 14, at Groves Stadium
Jenkins, the Region 3-3A champion, is in the playoffs for the 10th year in a row. Tony Welch is in his fifth year leading the program and is looking for another playoff run after the Warriors reached the quarterfinals in Class 5A in 2024 and the second round in Class 3A last year.
Ryan Scott is the Warriors leading rusher in a ground game averaging 245 yards per game as the senior has rushed for 929 yards and 12 touchdowns (8.5 yards per carry).
Senior quarterback Demetrius Holloway Jr. has thrown for 1,175 yards with 14 touchdown passes and five interceptions, while rushing for 364 yards and six more scores. Dominique Johnson Jr. has 308 yards rushing and seven touchdowns with 21 catches for 482 yards and six scores. He has 1,287 all-purpose yards and 16 total touchdowns and three interceptions.
Linebackers Brandon Brown, a junior with 86 tackles, and senior Aujshawn Izzard (61 tackles with 11 for losses and four sacks) are leaders on a Warrior defense that has held opponents to 16 points per game.
Whitewater averages 271 yards rushing per game, but spreads it out among five players with at least 356 yards rushing. Junior David Duru has 449 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and sophomore Case Roberts has a team-high 499 yards rushing and two scores.
No. 25 Liberty County (7-3) at No. 8 Cairo (8-2), Friday, Nov. 14
Liberty County will be on the road in the first round as the Panthers return to the playoffs after missing out on the postseason the last two years.
Senior running back Elijah Brown leads the Panther offense with 1,257 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns.
Sophomore quarterback Jaeir Roberts has been solid in his first year as as starter with 1,038 yards passing with six touchdowns and seven interceptions, while rushing for 268 yards and four more scores.
Junior Aaron Brown, Elijah’s younger brother, leads the team with 35 receptions for 439 yards and three scores.
Senior linebacker Tyrese Alexis leads the team with 85 tackles.
Cairo is the Region 1-3A champion and is ranked No. 8 among Class 3A schools by the AJC.
No. 29 Beach (5-4) at No. 4 West Laurens (10-0), Friday, Nov. 14
Beach made the playoffs for the first time since 2011 under head coach Michael Thompson, in his fifth year at the helm.
The Bulldogs offense is led by quarterback Jayvion Williams, who has thrown for more than 1,300 yards, while rushing for more than 409, Thompson said. His top target is Kejuan Ferguson, who has more than 600 yards receiving.
Jordan Newton has been hot lately and is close to 1,000 yards rushing on the season. Dakari Smith stars on both sides of the ball with 10 sacks, more than 50 tackles and seven touchdown catches.
The Beach defense faces a stiff challenge trying to stop West Laurens running back Ty Cummings, who has rushed for 2,111 yards and 26 touchdowns on the year. He set a state single game rushing record with 615 yards rushing and eight scores in a 70-55 win over Baldwin on Sept. 26 and has committed to Georgia Southern.
Class A-3A Private
No. 17 Savannah Country Day (4-6) at No. 16 Mt. Vernon (5-5), Friday, Nov. 14, 1 p.m.
Savannah Country Day is on the road and will play a day game at Mt. Vernon for the second year in a row in a Class A-3A playoff opener. Last season, SCD beat the Mustangs 23-17.
SCD offense features junior running back Thomas Holland, who has been tough to stop as he has rushed for 991 yards and 11 scores on the year. Sophomore quarterback Devin Trawick has returned from an injury to throw for 529 yards in six games.
Sophomore Peyton Bean leads the squad with 38 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior captain Hayes Beaver leads the team with 91 tackles at linebacker, including 12 for losses, with four sacks and two interceptions. He recently announced his commitment to play at James Madison.
Mt. Vernon’s run game is led by senior Harrison Mills and junior Keon Clealand, who have combined for 1,258 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns.
No. 4 Calvary Day (9-1) has a first round bye and will host the winner of North Cobb Christian and Kings Ridge in the second round on Friday, Nov. 21.
No. 8 Savannah Christian (6-4) has a first round bye and will host Christian Heritage (7-3) in the second round on Friday, Nov. 21.
SCISA Class 2A
Greenwood Christian (9-2) at Bethesda Academy (10-0), Friday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Bethesda rolled to a 46-6 win over Thomas Sumter in a first round playoff matchup last week and now hosts Greenwood Christian in a state semifinal.
Sophomore quarterback Jordan Turner has thrown for 1,881 yards with 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His top target, senior Ralo Wesley, has 31 catches for 963 yards and 24 total touchdowns.
Running back Jordan Cheever has 1,139 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns.
Greenwood Christian does not have full season stats posted on Maxpreps.com, but the Hawks beat Dillon Christian in the first round of the playoffs 31-7 last week. Bethesda beat host Dillon Christian 40-6 on Oct. 10.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: First round GHSA state football playoff matchups for Savannah area teams
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