Series Record: First meeting
Winner plays the Chatooga-Hapeville Charter winner in the state semifinals for Class AA
The Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes have already garnered one win over the Region 8-A champion, the Rabun County Wildcats. That happened when Fitzgerald won a coin toss last Friday against Rabun for the right to host this game. Fitzgerald, the Region 1-A champion, had to win the toss as both teams were champions of their respective leagues. It also gives Fitzgerald a big advantage as the Purple Hurricanes have only been behind for a grand total of 1:36 at home this season. They were down for 14 seconds against Irwin County, and for a 1:22 last week against Rockmart. This may be the first time all season, the Hurricanes have seen an offense nearly as efficient as their own. Led by quarterback Bailey Fisher, the Wildcats from Tiger, Ga. have scored 529 points this season, allowing 185. Fisher had a hand in all six touchdowns in Rabun's 42-7 win over Vidalia last week. He scored three times on runs, and also had three touchdown passes. On the year Fisher, a 6-0, 180 pound junior, has completed 72.6 percent of his passes, 151-for-208 attempts. He has 2,631 passing yards, and has thrown 27 touchdown passes, and six interceptions. He has also rushed for 917 yards on 126 carries, with 21 touchdown runs. Cal Drummond leads the Wildcats in rushing with 1,501 yards on 178 carries. He has scored 16 touchdowns. Led by Austin Jones, seven different Wildcat receivers have caught double figures in passes. Jones has 36 catches for 588 yards and five touchdowns. Cole Keener has 24 catches for 505 yards and five scores. Other top receivers are Braxton Hicks, a 6-2, 164 pound freshman, 18 catches for 366 yards and eight touchdowns; Noah Cannon, a 6-2, 185 pound senior, with 15 catches for 299 yards and four scores; and Drummond, 15 catches for 147 yards and two scores. Sam Butikofer, a 5-10, 185 pound outside linebacker leads Rabun in tackles. The senior has 88 total stops, with 9.5 tackles for loss yardage and three sacks. Gayvn Jones, a 6-0, 200 pound junior middle linebacker is second on the team in tackles with 79 total stops, 4.5 tackles for loss yardage and one sack. Besides being one of the team's leading receivers at his wide receiver spot, Austin Jones is also the team's free safety and has 68 total tackles, four interceptions, 2.5 tackles for loss yardage and three fumble recoveries. Dawson Henricks has 73 total stops, 11.5 tackles for loss yardage and two sacks. Other leading tacklers are Miguel Ortiz, 56 total stops, 3.5 tackles for loss yardage; Hawk Davis, 50 total tackles, 3.5 for loss yardage and three sacks; and defensive end Jack Blackstock, 43 total tackles, 11 for loss yardage and 4.5 sacks. Rabun beat Stephens County, 24-10, back on Sept. 2, that was the closest game the Wildcats hav effaced this season. Fitzgerald quarterback James Graham may not have the gaudy numbers of Fisher, but he has been very effective this season leading a Fitzgerald offense that is averaging 402 yards per game this season, 4,824 yards in 12 games. A junior, Graham has passed for 1,241 yards, completing 61-of-124 passes, and throwing 20 touchdown passes, and only four interceptions. He has also rushed for 597 yards on 94 carries, scoring nine touchdowns. The Fitzgerald offensive leader is senior running back JD King, who has already verbally committed to Oklahoma State. On the year, King has rushed for 1,449 yards on 181 carries, scoring 18 touchdowns. He has also scored seven touchdowns receiving, catching 16 passes for 367 yards. Ethan Gordon, Damien Devine and Montrell Harris give the Hurricanes three more offensive options. Gordon has rushed 55 times for 492 yards and nine touchdowns, and has caught 10 passes for 175 yards and three more scores. Devine has rushed for 355 yards on 57 carries with 11 touchdowns, and has caught 11 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns. Harris also has 35 carries for 261 yards and two touchdowns, and has caught nine passes for 234 more yards and three touchdowns. Not to mention tight end Lectius Smith, a Virginia Tech verbal commit, who has caught eight passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns, while helping the offensive line block. Big defensive lineman Donterious Milsap leads the Hurricanes in tackles with 97 total stops. He also has five tackles for loss yardage. His defensive line mates, Marlon Jackson, Rhamir Bryant and Markeylan Lundy also have put up big numbers. Jackson has 80 total tackles with seven for loss yardage and six sacks, while Bryant has 46 total stops with seven tackles for loss yardage and five sacks. Lundy has 54 total tackles, four for loss yardage and two sacks. Josh Reliford is the team's second leading tackler with 85 total stops, five for loss yardage and two interceptions. Other top tacklers are Willie Ross, 49 total stops, one for loss yardage and five interceptions; Ashton Newell, 54 total tackles, seven for loss yardage and one sack; and Quay Harper, 51 total tackles, two for loss yardage and three interceptions.
Irwin County Indians (8-4) at ECI Bulldogs (10-0)
Series Record: Irwin County leads 2-0 (both playoff games 1997 and 2015)
Winner meets Manchester-Macon County winner in the state semifinals for public school Class A
This is a rematch of last year's state semifinal matchup that Irwin won 19-15. ECI had apparently scored a touchdown late in that game to take a late lead, but the official call of a touchdown was overruled by another official who said the ECI receiver did not make a clean catch in the endzone. Even though video ruled that was the correct call, the Bulldogs have been itching for this rematch since that game. Senior quarterback Rhett Gay returns to lead the Bulldogs against the Indians again. During the regular season, Gay passed for 1,826 yards, completing 89-of-123 passes with 26 touchdown passes and only one interception. During the regular season, the top receiver for the Bulldogs was Dazhun Steele, who caught 25 passes for 642 yards and seven scores. David Durden also caught 25 passes, putting up 441 yards and 11 touchdowns. Durden was the receiver on the pass play that ended last year's game. He also caught a miraculous 42-yard pass from Gay in that contest. Gay passed for 190 yards in that contest. Bobby McNear caught 13 passes for 332 yards and five scores. Abb Johnson caught 10 passes for 111 yards during the Bulldogs' nine-game regular season that saw them miss a game due to Hurricane Matthew. No individual stats are available from the Bulldogs' 49-14 win over Miller County in last week's playoff game, but as a team, ECI had 235 yards passing, completing 8-of-12 passes with one interception. ECI also had 131 yards rushing in the Miller game. During the regular season, the leading rusher was Rejar Rock with 622 yards on 71 carries with seven touchdowns. McNear had 591 yards on 51 carries and eight scores. Other leading rushers were Jamoni Kelly, 43 carries for 409 yards and nine touchdowns, and Ja'Rell Jordan, 31 carries for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Trent Smoyer led the team in tackles during the regular season with 81 total stops, including five for loss yardage. Most of Irwin's stats are not available anywhere, but it is known that senior Jay Ashley is the team's leader on offense with 1,218 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns before last week's 34-17 win over Mt. Zion (Carroll). The Irwin County assistant coaches are expecting big things from 6-2, 225-pound running back D.J. Lundy, who rushed for over 100 yards in the Indians' playoff opener against Dooly County. Kyle Jones had a big game against Mt. Zion with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Last year's Irwin hero DJ Pollard has since graduated. He had 233 yards of offense against ECI, and was in on several tackles as well.
