Playoffs Round 1 Update: 3A Standout Winners

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the state of Georgia, just because the division of play may be smaller, does not mean that the competition is less talented, or less stiff. In fact, the diversity in talent all across different levels of play in Georgia is what makes them the most exciting to watch. Some teams on this list, including Cedar Grove, have defeated plenty of teams at higher levels of play, making them even more competitive against team's in their own region, and levels of play. Below, take some time to read up on some of the 3A standout winners who put on a show, and grabbed our attention this past week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cedar Grove</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cedar Grove, who has beaten a few of the most prominent teams in the state, including Sandy Creek, did not disappoint last week. Marching into their playoff with a 7-2 record, they beat Bremen in what almost did not feel like a playoff matchup. In this game, they took it to them, and won 48-7, in dominating defensive, and offensive fashion. From the start of the game, Bremen did not stand a chance. It almost seemed as if Cedar Grove's execution was flawless, and that their star power was on full display. Players such as [player_tooltip player_id='34049' first='Kayin' last='Lee'], [player_tooltip player_id='329300' first='Barry' last='Jackson'], Everett Roussaw, and [player_tooltip player_id='220718' first='Adonijah' last='Green'] all played great games.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sandy Creek</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sandy Creek, who has had a long history of prominence, and success, continued to shine this past weekend, adding to their overall record, resulting in a current 9-2 record at this point of time. Against Coahulla Creek, who has had a successful season in their own right, Sandy Creek dominated them in all aspects of the game, leaving the field with a final score of 70-14 on the board. This game can be viewed as a statement game against the other playoff teams, and we have no doubt that this kind of firepower can take them as far as they would like to see themselves. While [player_tooltip player_id='400142' first='Geimere' last='Latimer'] passed for 3 TD's, a lot of the team's offensive success was done on the ground, as Dorian Graham, and Travis Franklin carried the load, and accounted for 4 TD's between themselves. Defensively, the team was dominant all across the board. Players managed to make key stops in the backfield, and in pursuit, making it nearly impossible for Coahulla Creek to move the ball. Expect Sandy Creek to be a force to be reckoned with moving forward.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Calvary Day</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As many fans could expect, Calvary Day has continued to stand out, and has shined amongst the majority of the teams in the state. Last week, they routed Salem, and came away with a 49-0 win, only further flexing their playoff muscle. Because of this high level performance, they will be playing against Dougherty in the next round. Nevertheless, in their last matchup, their entire team showed out. Offensively, their QB, [player_tooltip player_id='165716' first='Jake' last='Merklinger'], passed for 290+ yards and 5 TD's, and RB's Butts, and Strowbridge both accounted for TD's on the ground. It should also be noted that WR [player_tooltip player_id='321437' first='Michael' last='Smith'] also had a strong performance, accounting for 4 of Merklinger's 5 TD passes. Defensively, the team accounted for around 38 total tackles, with [player_tooltip player_id='220714' first='Troy' last='Ford'], Cutter Powell, and Kamerion Lanigan paving the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomasville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After the first round of the playoffs, nobody is doubting that Thomasville is talented, and can take their season as far as they want to. Following their first matchup, they came away with a 42-21 win over Jackson, and appeared to dominate them the entire game. In this dominating win, QB, [player_tooltip player_id='283807' first='Camren' last='Hill'], completed 13 passes, and threw for around 185 yards, and 2 TD's. In addition to this, one of the stronger parts of their offense's performance was the amount of TD's they were able to put up on the ground. In doing so, players such as Jay Randall and [player_tooltip player_id='1776947' first='Lavonte' last='Cole'] both rushed for 2 TD's, putting up the large majority of their team's points. Defensively, while the team does not have any flashy stats from this past game, they still played very well, resulting in multiple hurries, and plenty of important stops. If the defense can play up to par with Thomasville's offense, we expect them to compete at a high level within the next few weeks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->