LINCOLN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -Here’s your notice: Lincolnton will likely be closed on Monday.
Well, it sure feels like it anyways.
Painted business windows, signs lit up with ‘schools closed’ are scattered throughout downtown.
If you don’t know why by now, ask your neighbor-they may know.
For the first time in 19 years, Lincoln County finds itself back on Georgia’s biggest stage, a road trip to Atlanta.
The Red Devils will face Bowdon in the GHSA Class A Division II state championship on Monday, but it won’t be the first time they’ll meet in the final game of the season.
The last time Lincoln County lifted a state title trophy against Bowdon? 1989 in the Class A championship game with Georgia great Garrison Hearst on the Red Devils roster.
A Battle-Tested Opponent
Bowdon enters championship week as one of the most experienced teams in the state. Head coach Lee Chomskis didn’t hesitate to acknowledge the challenge his team faces.
“Bowdon has been in the state championship now four years in a row,” Chomskis said.
That experience shows up first in the trenches. Bowdon’s size up front has been a focal point all week.
“They’re very big up front on offense,” Chomskis said. “Their size difference — there’s quite a difference between us and them. We’re going to have to be low, and we’re going to have to play quick to maintain the line of scrimmage.”
Bowdon pairs that size with skill. The Red Devils will see one of the most dynamic offenses they’ve faced all season — a quarterback who threatens defenses both through the air and on the ground.
“He’s got over 1,000 yards running and over 2,000 yards passing,” Chomskis said. “That’s a phenomenal year, and that’s quite a task to try to stop somebody that brings that much to the table.”
Lincoln County’s Defensive Identity
While Bowdon’s offense draws headlines, Lincoln County arrives with one of the most disruptive defenses in Class A Division II — a unit built on speed, effort, and relentless pressure.
On average, the Devils defense allowed only a score per game this season.
“Our defense is predicated on speed and athleticism,” Chomskis explained. “We slant up front. We’re a slant-50 defense.”
That approach has allowed Lincoln County to neutralize size mismatches all season long, and the Red Devils will once again lean on their front three to set the tone.
“Jeremiah Wynn, Jeremiah Johnson, and Charles Jean-Charles — those three guys have really set the tone for us,” Chomskis said. “We’re going to hang our hat on them.”
Behind them, a fast-flowing linebacker group and a secondary facing its toughest test of the year will need to hold up against Bowdon’s deep receiving corps.
“The best pass coverage in the state is a pass rush,” Chomskis said. “We need to get pressure on that guy and make him get it out quick.”
Winning the Possession Battle
Offensively, Lincoln County’s focus is simple: control the clock and limit Bowdon’s opportunities.
“We’ve got to hold on to the football,” Chomskis said. “We’ve got to get first downs. We’ve got to steal some possessions from those guys because they can score any time they have it.”
No Pressure — Just Opportunity
Despite the magnitude of the moment, Chomskis insists this week feels different.
“I don’t think these kids feel like there’s any weight on our shoulders,” he said. “There’s no pressure, but there’s a lot of thought that you don’t get to do this very often.”
For some players, the moment carries even deeper meaning. Chomskis noted that several current Red Devils are sons of players from Lincoln County’s ‘05 and ‘06 title runs — adding a generational thread to this championship chase.
“There’s a little bit of bloodline there, and I’m sure they’re being challenged at home to do what Daddy did back in the day.”
A Program Built to Be Here
Lincoln County is back where it once lived regularly — playing for a state title.
To know where you’re going, you have to acknowledge where you’ve been.
“To have Coach Campbell around means the world to me. I’m glad he feels comfortable coming around.(5:54)He built this place. He built this place. He has a lot of sweat in this place, and he doesn’t want to see it go backwards. That’s the pressure I have on me. I don’t want to let him down. I don’t.”
“Winning is a part of this place,” Chomskis said. “We’re just excited to have the opportunity that we have and very proud to be a Red Devil.”
As championship week unfolds, Lincoln County will embrace the privilege of being one of the final two teams standing.
“There were 60 schools at the start of the year,” Chomskis said. “There’s only two left — and we’re one of the two.”
And here’s to hoping the sun sets in Lincolnton’s favor once again.
Kickoff in the Benz is scheduled for Monday at 3:30.
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