Senior quarterback Jelani Woods (17) is a threat with his arm and his feet as Cedar Grove takes on Greater Atlanta Christian in the Class 3A state title game on Friday. (Photo by Mark Brock)

The No. 6 ranked Cedar Grove Saints face the No. 1 ranked Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans at 1:00 pm on Friday in the Georgia Dome for the Class 3A state championship and a second chance to win a ring in 25 years.

A shot at the 1991 state title eluded the Saints in a 28-19 loss to Cartersville while the Spartans are getting a third shot at ring after having lost to Buford (34-10) in 2002 and Benedictine (45-21) in 2014.

The Saints have marched through the playoffs scoring 193 points (48.3/game) in four games and allowing just 41 (10.1/game) while beating No. 4 Calhoun and No. 5 Crisp County by a combined total of 102-21.

The 55-0 blowout of Crisp County gave Crisp its first loss of the season while also setting a record for the largest margin of victory for the road team in state playoff history.

Leading the charge for the Saints offense is senior quarterback and Oklahoma State commit Jelani Woods (an early high school graduate) as he passed for two touchdowns and ran for another (his 14th this season) as Cedar Grove built a 41-0 halftime lead. Woods has 2,301 yards passing and 26 touchdowns on the season and 4,293 career passing yards. His season total of 2,301 is 9th on the DeKalb list while his 26 touchdowns is fifth. His career passing yards is 8th on the DeKalb career passing yardage list and he needs just 157 yards to pass Dunwoody’s Billy Ray and Southwest DeKalb’s Quincy Carter for 6th.

Senior running back Grant Walker has rushed for 1,774 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season including five consecutive games over 100. The season yardage total ranks tied 13th and another 100 yards this weekend would move him into 8th on the list.

Sophomore wide receiver Jadon Haselwood has 12 touchdowns (tied for 9th in a season) to go with his 46 receptions for 811 yards. Senior Dennis Bell adds another threat in the passing game with 27 receptions for 642 yards and 7 TDs.

The Spartans defense is led by senior linebacker Devin Thomas (98 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INT) and senior strong safety Davis Markham (90 tackles). Junior linebacker Robby Fowler (77 tackles, 2 sacks) and defensive lineman Christopher Hinton (66 tackles) lead a defense that limited No. 2 Peach County to just 7 points in the semifinal last week.

Cedar Grove’s first team defense has allowed just 17 points in its four playoff games and has six shutouts on the season including the 55-0 blowout of Crisp County last Friday.

Senior defensive end DeAngelo Malone who had a ½ sack for a safety in the first quarter against Crisp County leads the team in tackles for a loss (35) and sacks (12) along with 100 total tackles while senior linebacker Dezmond Harris leads in total tackles with 103 with 16 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks on the season.

Junior defensive end Roderic Forts (18) helps lead a tenacious Cedar Grove defense against Greater Atlanta Christian in the Class 3A state title game in the Georgia Dome at 1 pm on Friday. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Junior defensive end Roderic Forts only has 57 total tackles, but 24.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks lining up on the opposite side from Malone. Senior linebacker Jenard Morris picked up his first sack of the season against Crisp County that accounted for the Saints’ second safety of the first quarter and has 10 tackles for a loss and 67 tackles for the season. Senior defensive lineman Justin Shaffer does double duty on the offensive line as well, but has 13.5 tackles for a loss and 3 sacks.

Greater Atlanta Christian’s offense is led by one of the top quarterback prospects in the state in senior Davis Mills (2,730 yards, 34 TDs). His top target is senior receiver Harrison Sloan (57 receptions, 940 yards, 17 TDS) along with junior Max Burke (38 receptions, 559 yards, 3 TDs).

Junior running back Kyler McMichael leads the way on the ground with 1,416 yards rushing and 15 TDs on the season.

The Spartans only loss came to Valor Christian, a 5A state finalist in Colorado, by a score of 21-17. The Saints have won 10 games in a row since a 42-21 loss to Westminster.

Common opponents between the two finalists includes No. 3 Westminster, No. 8 Lovett and No. 9 Pace Academy along with Cedar Grove’s first round opponent Union County which was the No. 4 seed from GAC’s Region 7-3A.

The Saints were 3-1 losing to Westminster (42-21) and defeating Lovett (28-21), Pace (49-0) and Union County (63-17). Greater Atlanta Christian won all four games including Westminster (19-16 in overtime), Lovett (31-6), Pace (35-17 in first round of playoffs) and Union County (35-12).

DeKalb championship entries Cedar Grove and Tucker give DCSD two teams in the state championship round in the same season for the fifth time since Tucker (lost) and Avondale (won) in 1963. The other three times include 1972 (Lakeside and SW DeKalb both winning), 1981 (Columbia and Peachtree both losses) and 1991 (Cedar Grove loss, Lakeside co-champs).

Ten DeKalb teams have played for state titles winning 12, including two co-champions, led by Avondale (3, 1958, 1963, 1976), Lakeside (3, 1970, 1972, 1991), SW DeKalb (2, 1972, 1995) Tucker (2, 2008, 20011), Dunwoody (1, 1993) and Redan (1, 1979). Cedar Grove (1991), Columbia (1981), Lithonia (1969) and Peachtree (1981) all reached the finals before falling.

Cedar Grove is the first team besides Tucker to play for a state title since a 1996 loss by Lakeside. Tucker has won two titles (2008, 2011) since Southwest DeKalb’s 1995 14-7 title victory over Parkview which had been the 10th state title and last until Tucker’s 2008 15-3 win over Marist.

DCSD FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, DEC. 9
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
GEORGIA DOME
CLASS 6A
Tucker (13-1) vs. Valdosta (13-1), 8:00 pm

CLASS 3A
Cedar Grove (12-2) vs. Greater Atlanta Christian (13-1), 1:00 pm