Georgia entered this week tied with Florida for many groups within the Tremendous 25 nationwide rankings (5 every), making an argument as one of many two or three greatest highschool soccer states of the 2023 season. On Saturday morning? It nonetheless could also be probably the greatest, however it’s infinitely extra confounding.
Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), ranked No. 10 within the nation, was 12-0 with some extent differential of 481-182 (which means a mean rating of 40-15) over the season and had gained 20 video games in a row stretching again to final season. With a Remaining 4 look on the road, the Hawks fell 39-20 to the Camden County Wildcats (Kingsland, Ga.)
Camden County compelled Mill Creek into its lowest-scoring efficiency of the season with a robust output from the protection that included a second-quarter interception on a display screen go and a fourth-quarter surge that didn’t enable a single level within the last 11 minutes of the sport, serving to the Wildcats improve its lead from 24-20 to a full two possessions.
Mill Creek, a surefire Tremendous 25 group over the past couple of years, has fallen.
Three spots under was Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.), one other 12-0 group. After profitable 13 straight video games final yr however falling within the quarterfinals, the Packers have been trying to transfer into the semifinals this yr and show themselves as the highest group within the state.
Standing in the best way was Milton (Ga.), which entered the sport on a seven-game win streak during which it had outscored opponents 287-51 (a mean margin of about 41-7). The Hawks took down the No. 13 group within the nation 39-37 as Luke Nickel, a Miami quarterback commit, handed for 302 yards and scored 4 touchdowns.
Colquitt County led 25-14 as the primary half was winding to an in depth, however the Milton Hawks scored with lower than a minute left to chop the deficit to 25-22. The Hawks then used that momentum to flip the rating, going up 36-25 on the finish of the third. Trailing by eight factors with lower than 5 minutes left, Colquitt County scored a landing however didn’t convert the two-point try. Neither group would rating once more and the Packers went down.
Here’s a spotlight reel of a few of the TOP moments from the @CCPackersFball vs. @MiltonEagles_FB recreation! The Eagles defeated the Packers, 39-37 and can face Grayson within the semifinals. #gpbsports pic.twitter.com/Gw85QsCpz8
— GPB Sports activities (@GPBsports) November 25, 2023
No. 15 Walton (Marietta, Ga.) vs. No. 23 Carrolton (Ga.): Lastly, a matchup during which there was no approach a Tremendous 25 group wouldn’t win.
Walton managed Carrolton with relative ease, profitable 56-35 in a really high-scoring recreation, flipping final yr’s 52-27 loss to the fingers of the identical Trojans group.
Three-star Wake Forest quarterback commit Jeremy Hecklinski threw for 3 touchdowns and rushed for a fourth whereas passing for nearly 400 yards, in keeping with MaxPreps. Three-star Memphis working again commit Makari Bodiford scored 4 touchdowns, two of which got here within the second half after the lead had been reduce to seven.
Walton and Camden County will now face off within the semifinals. On the flip aspect is Milton and Grayson (Loganville, Ga.).
Grayson reached after taking down No. 16 Buford 19-14. The protection was stellar, obliterating an offense led by Dylan Raiola, a top-five recruit on the 247Sports Composite. Raiola, dedicated to Georgia, handed 12-for-17 for simply 136 yards whereas taking six sacks, in keeping with the Atlanta Journal-Structure. The Rams compelled and recovered three fumbles within the first half alone and held Buford to a detrimental variety of dashing yards.
With that, the fourth-ranked Georgia group went down. The Nos. 10, 13, 16, and 23 spots are open. That shift doesn’t simply have an effect on the chase for the Georgia AAAAAAA crown — it shifts the panorama of the nationwide rankings.
Extra:
Mater Dei redeems regular-season loss to St. John Bosco with championship win
Tremendous 25 scoreboard