AJC Varsity
Seven teams will punch tickets to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for state championship games, while Gainesville finally gets its shot at No. 1 team in Class 5A.
Kell quarterback Kaleb Narcisse drops back for a pass on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, at Kell High School in Marietta. Kell is coming off a 48-21 victory over second-ranked Cartersville. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)
The high school football playoffs resume Friday with 14 semifinals and the long-awaited Gainesville-Hughes game.
Gainesville-Hughes is the quarterfinal the GHSA postponed last week while sorting out the matter of 38 suspended Gainesville players.
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Teams to beat
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Best matchup
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- Valdosta and Buford rank 1-2 in state titles won (24 and 14, respectively). They’ll meet for only the second time, in Valdosta.
- Carrollton vs. North Gwinnett, the other Class 6A semifinal, is the No. 1 game nationally, according to MaxPreps. GPB Sports will televise that one.
- Marist and Benedictine, Catholic schools that rank sixth and seventh in Georgia football victories over the past 10 seasons, play in Class 4A. It’s the only game the Maxwell Ratings pegs as a tossup.
- Bowdon’s Rich Fendley, whose team has won three straight state titles, travels to Clinch County, where Jim Dickerson is the only active Class A coach with more titles than Fendley (5).
Top players
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Regulars, newcomers, history-seekers
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Up next
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Deep dive into every matchup
Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
