Worth County Baseball Falls To Gordon Lee In Class A Final Four

CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. — Nearly six hours from Sylvester, with mountains rising beyond the outfield fence and a dugout full of Rams battling to keep their season alive, Worth County’s unforgettable school year finally reached its finish line Thursday night.

A football state championship in the fall.

A baseball Final Four in the spring.

Not many schools ever experience a year like that.

Worth County’s season ended against a Gordon Lee team that looked every bit like the defending state champions, as the Trojans swept the Rams 8-0 and 5-0 in the Class A Division I state semifinals to move one step closer to repeating as state champions.

Even in defeat, Worth County head coach Will Smith walked away proud of what the Rams accomplished.

“What a great run … what a great year,” Smith said. “Not a lot of schools can say they win a state championship in football and then make the Final Four in baseball. It’s been a rewarding year and there’s nothing for us to hold our heads about.”

For a brief moment Thursday, it looked like Worth County might seize control of the opener against one of the best teams in Georgia.

Senior Avery Kilcrease opened Game 1 with a double, and pinch runner Kaden Ware moved to third on a perfectly executed bunt by Colby Griffis. Moments later, with Hayden Short at the plate, a wild pitch skipped to the backstop and Ware sprinted toward home.

The throw arrived almost simultaneously with Ware, and the umpire ruled him out at the plate to end the inning and the Rams’ scoring threat.

Instead of Worth County grabbing early momentum, everything flipped.

The Trojans erupted for three runs in the bottom of the third inning after Brady Little doubled down the right field line, an error extended the inning and JR Zeimet added a sacrifice fly. Smith believed a disputed call earlier in the inning would have ended the frame before the damage began.

Fueled by a loud home crowd and relentless pitching, Gordon Lee never let the Rams recover.

“That’s a really, really good baseball team,” Smith said. “Their pitching was spot on. Their defense was flawless. They were big, fast and strong. A lot of two-strike, two-out hits.”

Kilcrease battled through five innings in Game 1, allowing four runs — only two earned — while striking out six. Lyndon Worthy and Kilcrease each collected two hits, but Gordon Lee pitcher Maddox Millard scattered five hits across a complete-game shutout.

Game 2 brought more frustration for the Rams.

Gordon Lee grabbed control early when Garrett Ross launched a solo home run in the second inning, and the Trojans continued to pressure Worth County with timely hitting and clean defense.

DJ Easom kept the Rams within striking distance for much of the game, striking out five over 4 2/3 innings, while Hayden Short and Griffis each collected two hits in the finale. But Gordon Lee starter Dustin Day and the Trojan defense continually shut down any momentum Worth County tried to build.

“We had opportunities, but their pitchers shut the door,” Smith said. “We did a lot of things right, but we couldn’t get them back to back. They are not the defending state champions by accident.”

Worth County finishes the season 28-10 with the school’s first baseball Final Four appearance and another banner season for a program that continues to rise under Smith.

The final outs Thursday night may have ended the Rams’ postseason run, but they did little to diminish what Worth County accomplished over the last year.

A football state championship.

A baseball Final Four.

The Rams did not leave North Georgia with a trip to the state championship series, but they left with something few schools ever achieve — a school year Worth County fans will remember for decades.