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Back in the Benz! Jefferson’s dream season goes to Atlanta, and we’re tagging along, as the Dragons look to win a state title against Sandy Creek.
JEFFERSON
Jefferson is straight up rolling! The top-seed in the playoff bracket, they’ve not had to venture from Memorial Stadium. They’re more than happy to this time, as they repeat on trips to the Benz. It’s the first time in the Dragons’ history of making the State Championship in back-to-back years. Last week, they grinded out a win over West Laurens at home with a dominant defensive outing and just enough offense. In prior playoff games this season, they’ve slugged offensively and played the defense they needed to. They know how to win in any way.
SANDY CREEK
This might be the 3-seed in the bracket, but they’re ranked #1 overall in the state polls. The Patriots are a flawless 14-0, and have one of the best overall offenses in any classification, and their defense is also a top-5 unit. This program has won several state titles, last in 2022. People forget that Sandy Creek is still a relatively new school, opening its doors in 1992. However, the football program has four championships (2009, 2010, 2012, 2022). This team has a 4-star RB in Amari Latimer (West Virginia signee), along with 3-stars: S Dan Greenhow (Purdue), DE Evan Harvey (Memphis), and Chase Usher (UNC Charlotte). They also have JR 4-star safety Corey Hadley, Jr (30 offers) along with three others with P4 offers in that 2027 class.
BY THE NUMBERS
JEFFERSON
- 13-1
- Region Standings: 8-AAA Champions
- 32.93 OFFENSE AVG
- 12.29 DEFENSE AVG
- #1 State Ranking
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SANDY CREEK
- 14-0
- Region Standings: 2-AAA Champions
- 40.93 OFFENSE AVG
- 10.43 DEFENSE AVG
- #3 State Ranking
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Be looking for highlights post-game later tonight as well as a story recapping the contest. BLITZ partners with Fox 5’s 11 PM “High 5 Sports” show throughout the season. We make sure to get Jefferson coverage on the big market show! You can also follow us on Twitter (@BlitzSportsGa) for live score updates (5G pending).
OUR PREDICTION
We typically make a case for both. Let’s begin with our beloved Dragons. Jefferson proved last week they can handle an offensive juggernaut team that scores over 40 per game. Albeit, the state’s top RB for West Laurens only had a handful of carries as he was hurt from the prior game. Still, Jefferson’s defense is as good as any out there. If they make it a low-scoring game, their offense has a chance to do some things, especially if they can get some kind of passing game going. Sandy Creek is just unbelievable – giving up more that 14 points just four times. Their offense has only been held to under 34 points twice all season. If they scored 34 in this one, it likely goes in their favor.
DO WE BRING LUCK?
For Jefferson, the Dragons have gone 27-5 overall in our 32 games covered for them going back to 2013. We’ve been to all four of their state title games since 2012 (’12, ’20, ’24, ’25).
DETAILS OF THE MATCHUP
TIME: 4:15 PM Kickoff
PLACE: Mercedes Benz Stadium / Atlanta, GA
LAST MEETING: N/A
ALL-TIME RECORD: N/A
RECORDS: #1 Jefferson Dragons (13-1) vs #3 Sandy Creek (14-0)
HEAD COACHES: Travis Noland (234-98; 28 Seasons); Darius Smiley (57-42; 9 Seasons)
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
There’s no history here, but that changes in the Benz!
TEAM LEADERS (2025 Stats)
*Stats accumulated by team-published data on Ga MaxPreps
JEFFERSON
PASSING
Colton Grant – 1,091 yds, 10 TD, 6 INT, 60% completion
Boone Horn – 218 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 63% completion
RUSHING
CJ Hays – 812 yds, 8 TD
Darren Pinkard – 560 yds, 9 TD
Max Brown – 421 yds, 4 TD (out for season)
Colton Grant – 426 yds, 12 TD
Eli Primm – 314 yds, 5 TD
Jacob Berardinelli – 67 yds, 1 TD
Griffin Drake – 65 yds, 2 TD
Boone Horn – 46 yds, 1 TD
RECEIVING
Logan Edmunds – 486 yds, 4 TD, 25 rec
Dalton Dye – 367 yds, 6 TD, 16 rec
Darren Pinkard – 286 yds, 0 TD, 15 rec
Carter Perrin – 158 yds, 0 TD, 18 rec
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Dylan Berardinelli – 116 TKL, 11 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT
Eli Primm – 100 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FR
Jacob Berardinelli – 96 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF
Darren Pinkard – 77 TKL, 17 TFL, 6 Sacks, 2 INT
Mack Gaddis – 73 TKL, 7 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 1 FF
Shyne Parham – 48 TKL, 4 TFL, 3 INT, 1 FF
Griffin Drake – 47 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FR
Jordan Robinson – 46 TKL, 8 TFL, 3 Sacks, 1 FR
Max Brown – 43 TKL, 11 TFL, 1 FR, 1 FF (out for season)
Chance Payne – 40 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 Sack, 3 INT
SANDY CREEK
PASSING
Caleb Hill – 2,353 yds, 23 TD, 4 INT, 64% completion
RUSHING
Amari Latimer – 2,323 yds, 42 TD
Caleb Hill – 398 yds, 8 TD
Omari Jackson – 263 yds, 2 TD
RECEIVING
Khaylin Stevenson – 396 yds, 2 TD, 30 rec
Avohn Florence – 377 yds, 4 TD, 19 rec
Rylan White – 369 yds, 1 TD, 22 rec
Alijah Ferrell – 360 yds, 3 TD, 21 rec
Amari Latimer – 352 yds, 4 TD, 20 rec
Corey Hadley, Jr – 176 yds, 3 TD, 5 rec
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Andrew Dawson – 93 TKL, 4.5 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 2 FF
JT Austin – 87 TKL, 27 TFL, 16 Sacks, 2 FR, 3 FF
Miles Odem – 80 TKL, 4.5 TFL, 1 Sack
Rod Smith, Jr – 72 TKL, 4.5 TFL, 2 FR
Evan Harvey – 70 TKL, 16 TFL, 5 Sacks, 1 FR
Elijah Ware – 65 TKL, 6 TFL, 2 Sacks, 1 FF
Corey Hadley, Jr – 65 TKL, 0.5 TFL, 2 INT
Dana I Greenhow – 60 TKL, 7.5 TFL, 2 FR
Chase Usher – 35 TKL, 2 TFL, 0.5 Sacks, 2 INT, 3 FF, 1 BLK
