Predicting the Georgia High School Football State Championship Games

GHSL state titles are on the line week and we put ourselves on the line with our picks to capture state titles this week at the Mercedes Benz Dome

Milton senior quarterback Luke Nickel will attempt to lead his Eagles to back-to-back GHSL state championships and complete a wire-to-wire run as the state's No. 1 team this season. / Photo by Matt Christopher (2024)

After several exciting weeks of playoff football in the state of Georgia, state championship week is finally upon us. 

On paper, the matchups are stellar. The lineup features two teams ranked inside the Top 10 nationally in Class 5A’s Milton and Class 6A’s Carrollton. It features two undefeated teams in Marist and North Oconee doing battle in the Class 4A state title game. And it also features a rematch from earlier in the season between Hebron Christian and Prince Avenue Christian for the Private state championship. 

Below are our predictions for each classification. 

GHSL CLASS AAAAAA

Grayson (13-1) vs Carrollton (14-0)

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that this is the matchup for the Class AAAAAA state championship game. Carrollton has been the top-ranked team in 6A all season, and Grayson wasn’t too far behind. 

The Rams had a much more favorable route to the title game after getting lined up on the left side of the bracket. The Trojans had to go through Buford, one of the other tournament favorites in the semifinals to reach the title game. 

On paper, the Trojans will be favored in this game. While they aren’t the strongest in the trenches, JuJu Lewis is the best quarterback in the state, and the weapons that surround him are very good as well. 

The Rams have a lot of weapons as well. Quarterback Travis Burgess has improved throughout the season and the Rams have gotten great production out of their young crop of running backs. Alex Sanchez has also been one of the more underrated wide receivers in the state. 

No team has been able to hang with the Trojans for four quarters. Will Grayson be the first team to do it this season? 

Prediction: Carrollton 30, Grayson 20 

---

GHSL CLASS AAAAA

Langston Hughes (13-1) vs Milton (14-0)

With how the brackets fell this season, this is another matchup that isn’t surprising whatsoever. Milton has been the state’s No. 1 ranked team all season, and Langston Hughes has been comfortably inside the Top 3 for Class AAAAA. 

Many thought a semifinal matchup between Milton and Lee County would be considered the real 5A state championship game with who good both of those teams had been this season. But don’t sleep on the Panthers, who have lost just one game this season. 

What’s made the Eagles so impressive this season has been their ability to step on the gas whenever needed. They’re the only team in the state that’s been able to do that, and that’s why they’re ranked where they are nationally. 

In most years, the Panthers might be favored. They’ve been one of the state’s most consistent teams over the past few years and have a title under their belt. But this is going to be an extremely difficult undertaking against Milton. 

Prediction: Milton 38, Langston Hughes 24

---

GHSL CLASS AAAA

Marist (14-0) vs North Oconee (14-0)

For the first time this season, Marist of North Oconee will walk off a football field a loser. 

The War Eagles and Titans are set to do battle inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Class AAAA state championship, and it will be a matchup of unbeatens. Both teams are 14-0 heading into the matchup, and they’ve both looked dominant in the process. 

The War Eagles entered the tournament as the favorite, but this game is a toss-up. Both teams are extremely well-coached and they don’t make many mistakes. From an experience level, the War Eagles have the edge, but from a pure athlete standpoint, that edge might go to the Titans. 

This has the potential to be the best game of any. 

Prediction: North Oconee 31, Marist 28 

---

GHSL Class AAA

Jefferson (11-3) vs Calhoun (11-3)

The Class AAA state championship game will consist of Jefferson and Calhoun. 

The Dragons entered the playoffs as the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and they took care of business to reach the finals. The Yellow Jackets entered as the No. 6 overall seed and didn’t have a ton of trouble winning their matchups. 

On offense, the Dragons have been led by quarterback Gavin Markey, who doubles as their best rushing threat. He’s rushed for just shy of 1,600 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, and he’ll be the key man the Yellow Jackets are looking to stop. 

The Yellow Jackets have a great offensive attack in their own right, and they had to take down Peach County, the tournament’s No. 3 overall seed on the road to reach the finals. 

It’s been awhile since both teams won a title. Calhoun last won in 2017, and Jefferson last won in 2012. Both teams have been knocking on the door since last winning it, and one of them will finally break through with another next Wednesday inside Mercedes-Benz. 

Jefferson beat Calhoun in 2012 to win their first championship in program history. Can they beat them again? 

Prediction: Jefferson 28, Calhoun 24 

---

GHSL CLASS AA

Burke County (13-1) vs Carver-Columbus (13-1)

No one should be surprised that the Carver-Columbus Tigers are playing for a Class AA state championship this season. 

They’ve been the class of the field, going 14-1 this season. And the team they’re matchup up against is no slouch. The Burke County Bears entered as one of the tournament favorites and looked dominant on their way to locking up a spot in the finals. 

The Tigers are going to be favored in this matchup. They haven’t won a state title since 2007, but they’ve been knocking on the door for several years now. The Bears aren’t going to lay down, but they will have their work cut out for them in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 

Prediction: Carver-Columbus 35, Burke County 21 

---

GHSL CLASS A DIVISION I

Northeast (12-2) vs Toombs County (12-1)

What’s not to like about the Toombs County Bulldogs? They’ve been Class A Division I’s top-ranked team all season, and they’ve looked dominant in the process. 

Georgia State signee TJ Stanley has turned in a great season at quarterback for the Bulldogs, throwing for 2,315 yards and rushing for 530. All-in-all, he’s accounted for 41 touchdowns - 30 passing and 11 rushing. 

Their opponent in the Class A Division 1 state title game is Northeast, one of the best running teams in the state of Georgia. The Raiders have rushed for 4,137 yards and 52 touchdowns this season, and senior running back Nick Woodford is responsible for more than half of that. He’s rushed for 2,494 yards and 37 touchdowns. 

The Raiders will be looking to slow down Stanley, and the Bulldogs will be looking to slow down Woodford. If either team can have success doing that, they’ll have a good chance to win this football game. 

Prediction: Toombs County 48, Northeast 40

---

GHSL CLASS A DIVISION II

Brooks County (10-4) vs Bowdon (12-2)

Surprise, surprise. The Bowdon Red Devils are back in the Class A Division II state championship game for a third straight year.  

They’ve looked just as good as they have in each of the past two seasons. They avenged their regular season loss to Manchester last year in the state championship game, and very nearly had an opportunity to do it again this year until Brooks County spoiled it. 

Brooks County took down Manchester 17-14 in overtime in the semifinals, and that has the Trojans in the state championship game for the first time since 2021. 

These two teams haven’t faced each other in the playoffs in recent years. This will be the first time they’ve played since 2013, a game won by the Trojans. But this will be a very different Red Devils team since the last time they played. 

They’re going for three straight state titles, and they’re going to be favored to win. 

Prediction: Bowdon 28, Brooks County 21 

---

GHSL PRIVATE SCHOOL CLASS

Hebron Christian (12-2) vs Prince Avenue Christian (10-3)

Who doesn’t love a rematch in a state championship game? 

That’s what we’re getting in the All-Private classification thai year, and it’s two teams that did battle for a region championship just a few short weeks ago. 

Prince Avenue Christian, who has dominated whatever classification they’ve played in recent years, is set to face off against Hebron Christian, a team that will be playing for its first state championship in program history next Wednesday. In their first meeting, the Wolverines bested the Lions 34-31.  

Both teams are extremely talented. The Lions have one of the best running games in the state and their offense has been elevated this season thanks to a much better passing attack with Thomas Stallworth running the show. 

The Wolverines might be without their starting quarterback in Jake Bobo, who was injured in their semifinal game. But backup Ben Musser is no slouch. Like the Lions, they also run the football extremely well. They’ve rushed for over 3,000 yards and 46 touchdowns so far this season. 

Will the Lions find a way to get past the Wolverines in the rematch, or will the Wolverines be the one adding another state championship trophy to their trophy case? 

Prediction: Hebron Christian 30, Prince Avenue 27