Both Jefferson and Calhoun have lost three games on the season.
For one of those teams, however, those three defeats will be totally forgotten with a state title. The Dragons take on the Yellow Jackets for the Georgia Class 3A championship Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta.
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CALHOUN 20, JEFFERSON 7 4Q
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FOURTH QUARTER
– INTERCEPTION CALHOUN. Another first down for Jefferson as the Vikings get past midfield. But on the very next play, Calhoun’s Hunter White picks off a pass with less than nine minutes to go.
– Jefferson converts its initial first down of the second half, but barely, as QB Gavin Markey keeps it on a fourth-and-short just past the Dragons’ 40. More than 10 minutes remain.
– Jefferson forced Calhoun to punt on the final play of the third. Dragons start the fourth near their 35-yard line.
THIRD QUARTER
– FIELD GOAL CALHOUN. Yellow Jacket placekicker Carlos Lopez booms another long field goal, a 48-yard attempt that left no doubt. Calhoun now up by 13 late in the third (Calhoun, 20-7 | 2:15, 3rd)
– Calhoun’s defense has forced Jefferson to punt twice in the second half. We are midway through the third.
– The second half is under way. Jefferson will field the kickoff to start things.
HALFTIME
– Halftime stats, Calhoun has 192 yards of total offense (81 rushing, 111 passing). Jefferson has 151 total yards (59 rushing, 92 passing).
– Halftime in Atlanta, and Calhoun has a 10-point lead after bolting out to a 14-0 advantage inside the game’s first seven minutes.
SECOND QUARTER
– FIELD GOAL CALHOUN. On the final play of the half, Carlos Lopez nails a 39-yard field goal as the Yellow Jackets regain a double-digit advantage. (Calhoun, 17-7 | :00, 2nd)
– Calhoun is inside the Jefferson 30 entering the final minute of the half.
– Jefferson gets past midfield before the drive stalls. Dragons punt into the end zone for a touchback, and Calhoun takes over near the midway point of the quarter.
– Jefferson’s defense forces Calhoun to punt again, and the ball goes into the end zone for a touchback. Dragons regain possession at their 20 with a chance to even the score.
– TOUCHDOWN JEFFERSON. On the opening play of the second quarter, Dragon QB Gavin Markey takes a keeper 3 yards into the end zone to cap a 9-play 61-yard drive. PAT makes it a seven-point game. (Calhoun, 14-7 | 11:56, 2nd)
– Jefferson on the verge of getting on the board as we start the second quarter.
FIRST QUARTER
– Jefferson forced Calhoun to punt and the Dragons finally have something going. They are inside the Yellow Jacket 5 as the opening quarter comes to a conclusion.
– TOUCHDOWN CALHOUN. Yellow Jackets force Jefferson to punt on its first series, then take over and march down the field once again. Shortly after converting a fourth down inside the Jefferson 30, freshman QB Trace Hawkins takes a keeper 21 yards to the house. Carlos Lopez adds the PAT. (Calhoun, 14-0 | 5:11, 1st)
– TOUCHDOWN CALHOUN. What a start for the Yellow Jackets, as they take the opening kick and march 65 yards in just 5 plays. They get the TD as Hudson Chadwick breaks through the middle for a 23-yard run, and the PAT follows (Calhoun, 7-0 | 9:35, 1st)
– Jefferson will kick off to Calhoun to start the game.
PREGAME
– Coming to you from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, as Jefferson gets set to take on Calhoun for the Class 3A state title
ABOUT JEFFERSON (11-3)
Two of Jefferson’s defeats came at the hands of Marist and North Oconee, both of whom are playing in the Class 4A final. The Dragons – who were the top seed in the 3A bracket – are paced by quarterback Gavin Markey, who has thrown for 1,424 yards and rushed for 1,568 more. Rett Hemphill has 1,061 all-purpose yards and a team-leading 89 solo tackles.
The Dragons are in the title game for the first time since 2020. Their previous title was in 2012, when they beat Calhoun for the 2A championship, which ended the Jackets’ 29-game winning streak.
ABOUT CALHOUN (11-3)
Calhoun’s three defeats have all come to teams in higher classifications in Creekview, Cartersville and Cambridge. But the Jackets are currently riding a 10-game winning streak.
Trace Hawkins, a freshman quarterback has thrown for nearly 1,900 yards and 23 TDs while being picked off just once. Justin Beasley has 18 of those TDs, but another target for Hawkins is tight end Emaree Winston, a Texas signee.