Albany Herald

Westwood receiver Jamie Davis, center, gets ready to run over a Brentwood defender on his way to the end zone Friday night during the Wildcats' GISA Class AA state semifinal playoff win. (Larry G. Williams/Special to The Herald)

CAMILLA — Attention all those naysayers who claimed that Westwood moving up in classification would spell doom for the two-time defending GISA Class A state champs.

BOOYAH!

That’s the message the Wildcats (11-2) sent to the rest of the state Friday night when they steamrolled Brentwood, 40-28, in the Class AA semifinals thanks to four rushing TDs from reigning Herald Player of the Week J.T. Edore and two touchdown passes by Mitch Good — one to Chason Worsham and the other to Jamie Davis.

The win now advances Westwood to next week’s championship game, where it will play Valwood, which beat John Milledge in Friday’s other semifinal.

SEMINOLE COUNTY 36, COMMERCE 7: The Indians advanced to the second of the GHSA Class A state playoffs Friday with a lopsided win in their opener.

Thomas Aiken and Dequan Hamlet each scored rushing touchdowns for Seminole and Jakhari Martin found the back of the end zone twice. Shavone Wiggins capped the Seminole scoring a 43-yard fumble return for a TD.

Seminole (9-2) will now host Dooly County on Friday in the second round after Dooley beat Turner, 19-18.

WILKINSON COUNTY 27, MILLER COUNTY 26: The Pirates were a stop --- one stop --- away from advancing to the second round of the GHSA Class A state playoffs Friday, but a late Wilkinson County drive turned a 26-20 Miller lead into a heartbreaking loss in Colquitt.

"There was about a minute or so left, and they got there," Miller County coach Frank Killingsworth said. "Between a couple of big plays and a couple of penalties, that last drive was a killer. All we needed was a stop, but we just didn't get it. I told the kids afterward that they played hard, and I was proud of them win or lose."

Richard Sheffield put Miller ahead late with a 45-yard fumble recovery, and before that Jacolby Jones scored twice on passes from QB Algin Merritt.

Miller finishes its season at 8-3.

EARLY COUNTY 28, SCREVEN COUNTY 7: For the second week in a row, the Bobcats went on the road and beat a higher seed, this time a No. 1 to advance to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2006.

Early, the Region 1, No. 3 seed which snapped Screven's eight-game win streak with Friday's win, improves to 9-3 and will now face Region 6, No. 2 Greater Atlanta Christian after GACS (9-3) upset Region 5, No. 1 Heard County on Friday, 52-21.

Early County star QB and Herald Dynamite Dozen selection Jacori Taylor was unstoppable Friday, rushing for 134 yards and a TD on 17 carries and throwing for 147 more -- and two more scores. Both of those went to Ladonis Bryant, who finished with 84 yards and also ran for a score, finishing with 104 yards on 11 carries.

Early County led, 21-0, at the half and never looked back. In fact, Screven -- which was averaging 27 points in its last five games -- didn't score until the final minute to avoid being shut out.

Friday's state scores --- full list

Class AAAAAA

Second Round

Camden County 34, East Coweta 14

Colquitt County 26, Newnan 23

Lovejoy 36, Marietta 15

Mill Creek 56, Brookwood 21

Norcross 27, South Gwinnett 7

North Cobb 42, Hughes 14

North Gwinnett 28, Grayson 10

Parkview 26, West Forsyth 23, OT

Class AAAAA

Second Round

Allatoona 20, MLK Jr. 19

Gainesville 61, Kell 42

Harris County 31, Warner Robins 21

Northside-Warner Robins 45, Thomas County Central 17

Stephenson 35, East Paulding 6

Tucker 40, North Paulding 21

Ware County 20, Union Grove 13

Whitewater 34, Glynn Academy 27

Class AAAA

Second Round

Burke County 28, Monroe 6

Marist 43, Carrollton 37, 5OT

Mary Persons 3, Cairo 0, OT

Monroe Area 21, Grady 20, OT

Ridgeland 41, LaGrange 34

Sandy Creek 35, Dalton 13

South Effingham 41, Westover 28

Class AAA

Second Round

Buford 13, North Oconee 0

Cartersville 24, Blessed Trinity 23

Carver-Columbus 45, Rockmart 16

North Hall 13, Morgan County 9

Peach County 43, Pierce County 15

St. Pius X 31, Hart County 15

Thomson 35, Johnson-Savannah 19

Washington County 28, Callaway 0

Class AA

Second Round

Brooks County 49, McIntosh County Academy 21

Calhoun 34, Washington-Wilkes 7

Early County 28, Screven County 7

Fitzgerald 52, Vidalia 20

Greater Atlanta Christian 52, Heard County 21

Jefferson 35, Westminster 7

Lamar County 24, Benedictine Military 21

Lovett 23, Manchester 0

Class A

First Round

Dooly County 19, Turner County 8

Gordon Lee 46, Emanuel County Institute 12

Lincoln County 21, Hancock Central 0

Marion County 31, Charlton County 12

Seminole County 36, Commerce 7

Trion 31, Irwin County 6

Wilcox County 42, Greenville 14

Wilkinson County 27, Miller County 26

Class A Private

First Round

Athens Academy 17, Mt. Pisgah Christian 13

Eagle's Landing Christian 42, Our Lady of Mercy 14

First Presbyterian Day 49, Brookstone 33

George Walton 38, Aquinas 12

Landmark Christian 10, Calvary Day 7

Prince Avenue Christian 42, Darlington 21

Savannah Christian Prep 35, Holy Innocents' 17

Walker 28, Athens Christian 7

GISA Class A Tournament

Semifinal

Robert Toombs 14, Thomas Jefferson 12

GISA Class AA Tournament

Semifinal

Valwood 27, John Milledge 23

Westwood 40, Brentwood 28

GISA Class AAA Tournament

Semifinal

Deerfield-Windsor 24, Stratford 17

Heritage School (Newnan) 42, Westfield 10