Class AA Brooks County vs. Dublin Friday, December 13 | 1:00 PM

By Seth Ellerbee Class AA Brooks County vs. Dublin Friday, December 13 | 1:00 PM

Brooks County is riding momentum from its semifinal victory over Callaway, when it took a 20-0 lead early only to see it vanish when Callaway took a 35-26 lead late in the third quarter. The Trojans cut the lead to 35-33 and recaptured the lead with 8:14 left to take the 39-35 victory. Brooks is in its first finals appearance since its 1994 championship. The Trojans lost in the semifinals in 1997, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2017. Brooks County is relatively balanced and averages 230 rushing and 149 passing yards per game. Junior quarterback Ni’Tavion Burrus leads the offense and is 122-of-215 passing for 1,970 yards and 21 touchdowns with 130 carries for 658 yards and eight touchdowns. Sophomore back Omari Arnold leads the ground game and has 195 carries for 1,697 yards and 21 touchdowns. Sophomore Willie Brown, senior Raquan Manning and senior Devin Edwards are favorite wideouts. BROOKS COUNTY 10-4, REGION 1 NO. 2 SEED

MITCHELL COUNTY....................................63-50 W CLINCH COUNTY.........................................38-14 L BAINBRIDGE ...............................................27-26 L DUBLIN.......................................................49-35 L THOMAS COUNTY CENTRAL.......................38-22 W B.E.S.T. ACADEMY........................................54-8 W THOMASVILLE.............................................31-20 L EARLY COUNTY ..........................................28-13 W FITZGERALD...............................................28-24 W BERRIEN......................................................42-6 W WASHINGTON COUNTY...............................42-14 W ROCKMART..................................................41-3 W METTER........................................................35-6 W CALLAWAY.................................................39-35 W 2019 RESULTS

Dublin features one of the most prolific and productive backfields in the class, if not the state, and Brooks County’s defense will be tested by it. The Fighting Irish average 413 rushing and not quite 30 passing yards per game. Last week in the 55-45 semifinal victory over Thomasville, running back Jacques Evans, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior, rushed for 280 yards and five touchdowns — in the first half. He finished with 380 yards. On the season, Evans has rushed for 2,559 yards and 43 touchdowns to lead the running backs. Senior Zion Kemp and Marcus Adams will also threaten defenders from the backfield. Kemp, Adams and Evans have combined for over 5,000 yards and 70 touchdowns on the ground. Junior quarterback Markelle Mitchell has only attempted 27 passes and of his 13 receptions, seven went for touchdowns. He adds 55 carries for 148 yards and six touchdowns behind Dublin’s big three backs. DUBLIN 13-1, REGION 3 NO. 1 SEED

EMANUEL COUNTY INSTITUTE.....................21-0 W SWAINSBORO ............................................35-13 W BROOKS COUNTY.......................................49-35 W EAST LAURENS..........................................77-13 W BLECKLEY COUNTY....................................41-32 W DODGE COUNTY...........................................35-6 W SOUTHWEST...............................................70-16 W NORTHEAST...............................................56-21 W SUWANNEE (FL).........................................77-48 W WASHINGTON COUNTY................................27-23 L EARLY COUNTY ............................................32-9 W BREMEN.....................................................45-26 W HAPEVILLE CHARTER.................................35-12 W THOMASVILLE............................................55-45 W 2019 RESULTS

BROOKS COUNTY VS. DUBLIN CLASS AA SKINNY

The teams have met just two times, once in each of the past two seasons. In 2018, Brooks County enjoyed a 13-10 victory in the regular season, and this year, Dublin took the 49-35 victory. Head coach Roger Holmes has been at Dublin since 2002 and has a 160-59-1 record during his stint leading the Fighting Irish. He led Dublin to a state championship tie with Charlton County in Class AA in 2006, its first title since 1963. Dublin also won championships in back-to-back seasons in 1959-60. Head coach Maurice Freeman came back to Brooks County in 2008 and has led the Trojans to the playoffs in each season. During his first stint as head coach at Brooks County from 1994-97, Freeman won a state title in 1994 after beating Manchester 20-0.

BROOKS COUNTY TROJANS (Quitman, GA) • Red, White & Blue # Name Gr. Pos. 36 Christian Edgerton 10 MLB

2 Ni’tavion Burrus 11 QB, FS

3 Travis Wright jr. 12 OLB, TE

4 Devin Edwards 12 WR, OLB

5 Rahiem Miley 12 OLB

7 Tyrek Thomas 12 CB, FS

8 Raquan Manning 12 WR

9 Joaquinn Dawson 11 DE, P

10 Omari Arnold 10 RB, QB

11 J’shawn Baker 11 DE

12 Camron Priest 11 MLB

13 Willie Brown 11 WR

14 Jamaurion Fountain 10 WR, CB

16 Wisdom Harris 10 WR

17 Tramaine Demps 10 WR

18 Ethan Bell 11 TE, DE

20 Kamari Blankumsee 9 CB

21 Derrick Woods 11 RB, FB

22 Jamal Sanders 9 QB

23 Devon Demaranville 11 WR

28 Saveon Cason 9 CB, CB, FS

29 Gregory Colston 10 OLB, WR

30 Cenquaz Perry 9 RB, WR, CB

31 Sidney McCloud 9 RB, DB

32 Ernest Whitfield 12 OLB, RB

33 Reagan Chastain 9 K

39 Kevon Grice 12 RB, CB

40 James Huewitt 11 MLB

44 Jeremiah Henderson 9 OLB, RB

48 Datravion Williams 9 RB, MLB

49 Benjamin Lane 9 CB

50 Joseph Leverett 11 C, MLB

52 Deandre Graham 11 DL

53 Hunter Brinson 10 T, DT

56 Aaron Burchell 10 G

58 Tavis White 10 DT, T, T

59 Kris Garcia 12 DE, T

60 Jakobee Mitchell 12 T, DT

64 Charon Wilson 10 T

65 Dylan Thompson 11 DT, DE

66 Jamaurice Gray 9 OL, DE

68 Chris Mickens 12 C, DT

73 Aaron Burchell 11 C

75 Stephon Johnson 12 G, DT

76 Zachary Gardner 12 G

81 Trey Jackson 10 WR, DE

83 Noah Yearby 9 WR, DB

84 Exzavion Chappell 9 WR

88 Di’lon Harvey 9 WR, DE

89 Jaden Corea 9 WR

Head Coach: Maurice Freeman Assistant Coaches: Kyle Wilson, Brandon Evans, Marvin Mitchell, James Brown, Lamar Thomas, Tommy Jackson, Josh MacFather, Troy Gay, Phillip Moore, Alan Griffin, Simmie Jackson, Dylan Baker, Charles Perry

DUBLIN FIGHTING IRISH (Dublin, GA) • Green & Gold # Name Gr. Pos. 35 Quonimous Lattimore 10 WB, DB

1 Zion Kemp 12 WB, LB

3 Romello Height 12 DE, WR

4 Markelle Mitchell 11 QB, FS

5 Arshon James 12 TE, DB

6 Marcus Adams 12 RB, CB

7 Jaquarius Evans 9 QB, CB, CB

8 Benjamin Griffin 11 WB, LB

9 Jaques Evans 12 LB, FB, DE

10 Jarvis Rozier 12 FB, OLB

11 Jiquarion Mundie 11 WB, DB

12 Josh Isaac 11 FB, OLB, K

13 J’Ven Street 12 WR, DB

14 D.J. Wright 12 WR, CB

15 Tyler Wright 10 WR, CB, CB

16 Gabriel Guyton 11 RB, CB

18 Kendell Wade 11 QB, FS

19 Justice Bledsoe 12 FS, FS, CB

20 Jamal Sanders 12 WR, SS

21 Terell Harris 12 QB, DE

24 Elijah Kates 11 RB, CB

25 Jaquan Stanley 9 WB, DB

26 Jaquan Willis 10 FB, LB

27 David Folosom 10 WR, DB

28 J. T. Wright 10 RB, CB

29 Qua Ashley 10 WB, DB

30 Antonio Benjamin 9 WR

34 Kevon Grice 11 TE

40 Domonic Dardy 10 RB, RB, OLB

41 Dailyn Jordan 10 WB, DB

42 Menelyk Madison 9 TE, OLB, SB

43 Jamarion Stewart 9 FB, LB

50 Nate Gregory 11 G, DE

51 Jarvis Jones 12 OL, DL

52 De’mondre Rhyne 11 T, DT, DT

53 Darius Stanley 11 OL, DL

54 Ahmad Lattimore 12 DE, OT

55 Jalen Carter 12 MLB, G

56 Tyreke Wilburn 10 OL, DE

57 Steven Slaughter 11 OL, DL

60 Nadaniel Ford 11 MLB

61 Ty McRae 12 G, OLB

63 Khalil White 12 DT, C

65 Desmond Gilbert 9 G

67 Montavious Thompkins 11 OL, DL

72 Zachary Gardner 9 OL, DL

73 Caleb Hall 10 DT

74 Berrick Wadley 12 OL

76 Jeremy Stuckey 12 C, DT

77 Jalen Hazley 12 C, DT

79 Eric Brown 9 C, G

80 Kevin Coley 9 WB, DB

81 Dennis Wilcher 10 OLB, OLB, TE

82 Trai Baldwin 9 WR

83 John William Potter 10 K

Head Coach: Roger Holmes Assistant Coaches: Nick Collins, Matt Starley, Riley Holmes, Derrick Brown, Matthew Pogue, Joe Stubbs, Sheldon Ward, Derrick Harris, Jonathan Morris, George Hagler, Brandon Walden, Melissa McDuffie