FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: Terrell Academy, Lee County, Pelham still alive in postseason

ALBANY —It’s been nine years since Terrell Academy claimed its last state championship in football.

The Eagles will meet Gatewood Friday afternoon in Macon at Mercer University’s Five-Star Stadium. The Georgia Independent Schools Association Class 2A state championship game will kick off at 5 p.m.

Two Albany-area Georgia High School Association football teams — Lee County and Pelham — will play in the state semifinal round Friday night. Lee County will play host to Lanier at 7:30 p.m. in Leesburg in the Class 6A semifinals, while Pelham will play its first road playoff game in the postseason when the Hornets travel to Ocilla to meet Irwin County at 7:30 p.m. in the Class 1A Public division.

After Terrell Academy scored a late touchdown to beat Edmund Burke 17-14 in the semifinals, the Eagles (8-4) earned a berth in the championship game against powerful Gatewood Academy. The Gators routed Terrell 37-12 at Don Beard Field in Dawson on Sept. 28. However, that loss ignited a five-game Terrell Academy winning streak.

Gatewood (9-2) has won nine of its last 10 games after starting the season with a lopsided loss to GISA Class 3A power John Milledge. Its other loss was a 35-26 nonregion setback to Memorial Day on Oct. 19. But the Gators got their revenge last Friday night, pounding the Matadors 42-14 to advance to the state championship game.

Lanier (10-3) is making its first trip to the state semifinals and the Longhorns have come-from-behind to win all three of their postseason games, including last week’s 27-7 victory over Coffee. Lanier trailed 7-0 until a 10-yard fumble returned for a touchdown early in the third quarter ignited an avalanche of points. The Longhorns scored 27 unanswered points to turn a close game into a rout.

Lee County (13-0), meanwhile, is hosting its third straight playoff game at home after whipping No. 2 Creekview 42-20 in a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams last Friday at Trojan Field. Lee rolled up 466 yards of total offense and scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half after leading just 14-7 at halftime.

The Grizzlies (12-1), who dropped their first and only game of the season, were held to 165 yards of total offense.

“We’ve got a big semifinal game here next week,” Lee County coach Dean Fabrizio said after the Trojans pounded Creekview. “We don’t get a chance to see Lanier much because they are in the north (side of the state), but that was a big win for them over Coffee. The good thing is that we get to move on and play another game.”

Pelham (12-0) is in the state semifinals for just the second time in school history, and they will have their hands full against an unbeaten Irwin County team that finished as the Class 1A public state runner-up last year.

But the Indians will try to slow down a Pelham offense that has scored 40 points or more in both of its playoff victories over Emanuel County Institute and Greene County.