Streaking Sherwood Eagles head to Fourth straight state title game

ALBANY — The scene at Legacy Field felt familiar, almost scripted by years of success: a packed home crowd, the sharp screech of the Eagles’ sound effect slicing through the night, and Sherwood Christian systematically taking apart another opponent on the biggest stage of its season.

The result felt familiar, too.

Sherwood Christian Academy (11-0) wore down region rival Georgia Christian 30-7 Friday night to earn a spot in the GIAA 8-man state championship game for the fourth straight season. The Eagles will now head to Mercer University in Macon on Thursday, where they’ll face Westminster of Augusta — the same team they defeated 36-26 in last year’s title game.

For a program that has now won 22 straight games and 44 of its last 46, championship week has become more routine than rare. But nothing about Friday’s win felt routine in the moment.

Sherwood opened the night ready to strike. After receiving the kickoff, the Eagles marched down the field with quarterback Tripp Roberts orchestrating the offense. A long touchdown run on the opening series was wiped out by penalty, but Sherwood didn’t flinch. Roberts kept attacking, and with 2:36 left in the first quarter he found Quinton Murray in the end zone to give the Eagles a 6-0 lead.

Georgia Christian answered early in the second quarter with its lone highlight: a touchdown pass from Carson Hanks to James Frazier for a brief 7-6 lead. That advantage didn’t last long — and it didn’t come close to shifting control.

Sherwood responded with its most explosive drive of the first half. Roberts picked apart the Generals’ edge, finishing the possession with a keeper for a touchdown. He then powered in the two-point conversion himself, reclaiming a 14-7 lead with 2:34 remaining before halftime.

And then came the play that swung everything.

With just 14.8 seconds left in the half, Grady Mills jumped a deep throw for an interception, sending Sherwood into the locker room with a firm upper hand. Georgia Christian wouldn’t score again.

From that point forward, the Eagles’ defense strangled the Generals’ offense, and Sherwood’s own offense continued piling on. Early in the third quarter, Roberts broke loose on a 19-yard touchdown run, followed by a two-point run by Chuck LaGrange that stretched the lead to 22-7.

The Generals tried to answer, but every attempt at momentum was met with a wall of white jerseys. Hunter Gregg finished with eight tackles, and Lawson Brooks delivered seven more — including the hit that jarred the ball loose on a Georgia Christian catch, even though the Generals recovered.

The Eagles sealed the win late in the third when Roberts lofted a perfectly placed deep ball to LaGrange for a 36-yard touchdown, the final blow in a game that Sherwood had slowly, steadily taken over.

By night’s end, Roberts had authored another MVP performance: 136 rushing yards on 20 carries, two rushing touchdowns, and a 257-yard passing night with two more scores through the air. LaGrange delivered everywhere he was asked — 115 receiving yards, a touchdown, and 95 rushing yards — the kind of do-everything performance this program has leaned on all season.

Sherwood’s fourth straight trip to the championship game didn’t come with the ease of past blowouts, but the result looked like so many before it: the Eagles making the key plays, controlling the line of scrimmage, and wearing down a rival that simply couldn’t match their depth or pace.

Next comes Westminster of Augusta, a familiar opponent on a familiar stage.

Three titles in four years. A 22-game winning streak. A dynasty that continues to grow.

On Thursday in Macon, Sherwood Christian gets another chance to finish the job.