State Championship Contenders in Class 3A

Class 7A gets most of the attention in the state of Georgia, and rightfully so, but there’s still plenty of great teams in class 3A as well. This class is full of some of the state’s top talent, and it will be exciting to watch how this classification plays out through the rest of the year. So which teams are true contenders to compete for a championship? <strong>CEDAR GROVE: </strong> You can’t talk about top teams in 3A without mentioning Cedar Grove pretty early on. The 5-0 Saints have been impressive all season and are one of the most talented teams across all classifications in Georgia. They started the season off with a bang against 7A powerhouse Milton, and they’ve been destroying opponents ever since. 2022 ATH Rashod Dubinion is one of the best playmakers in the entire state and holds offers from Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, among others. They’re offense is potent, but it’s Cedar Groves defense that could lead them to another state title. The Saints have arguably the best defensive line in the state, with two lineman, Christen Miller and [player_tooltip player_id="33876" first="Joshua" last="White"], holding multiple SEC offers as juniors. White, a 6-foot-4 edge defender, recorded 7 sacks in the first 4 games. Miller, an outstanding interior lineman, has recorded 3 sacks in his first three games. They’ve got an excellent defense, playmakers on offense, and one of the best coaching staffs in the state. Whoever wins the title will have to beat Cedar Grove, and that’s going to be a tough task. &nbsp; <strong>Oconee County:</strong> In 3A Region 8, all roads will have to go through the 7-0 Oconee County Warriors. Led by 2022 TE Jake Johnson, one of the top TEs in the state, the Warriors have run through their schedule with ease so far, with their closest game coming against Veterans, where they only won by 8 points. They’ve won every other game by 17 or more. The Warriors defense has been stout, giving up more than 10 points just once in their first 7 games. The most they’ve given up all season has been 14 to a good Thomasville team. They’ve got a big region game against 6-1 Monroe Area this weekend, and if they win that one, they should go undefeated for the rest of the regular season. &nbsp; <strong>Crisp County:</strong> Another great defense in 3A is down in South Georgia at Crisp County. The 6-1 Cougars always have top talent, but this 2020 team might be one of the best in recent memory. Another well coached team, Crisp County is led by linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="33745" first="Christopher" last="Paul"] Jr., an Arkansas commit. Paul Jr. and the Cougars defense have recorded three shutouts so far this year, and has given up more than 10 points only twice. Their lone loss this season came in a heartbreaking 14-13 loss to Peach County, another top team in the classification. The Cougars are expected to win their final three games of the regular season against Americus-Sumpter, Central, and Pike County before being a high seed in the playoffs. If the offense can continue to improve, the Cougars defense should lead them to a long playoff run next month. &nbsp; <strong>Peach County: </strong> The middle Georgia program is always one of of the state’s best in 3A, and they are no stranger to state championship runs. Led by four-star offensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id="33653" first="Terrence" last="Ferguson"], an Alabama commit, the Trojan offense has been great all season, scoring more than 40 points in 4 of their 6 games so far this season. They started the season with a tough 14-7 loss to powerful Northside, but they’ve been on a tear ever since. The defense has been top-notch as well, giving up more than 10 points just twice so far this season. The 5-1 Trojans are expected to make a deep playoff run once again in 2020. &nbsp; <strong>Appling County: </strong> Another undefeated team in South Georgia is 7-0 Appling County. The small-town school in Baxley, Georgia is playing better and better each week, and they have a one of the top rising defenders in the state in DE Darris Smith. The 6-foot-6 225-pound edge defender holds offers from Georgia, Auburn, Miami, among others. Smith has led the Pirates defense to an incredible season so far, holding opponents to 21 points or under in all 7 games. The Pirates offense has been on fire recently scoring 97 points in the last two games. &nbsp;