Daily Dive: Three football teams that could win their first-ever state championship this season

There are certainly more than three high school football teams in the state that could win state championships this season.

But here are three program who might win their first.

Kell (4A): This year, the Longhorns fielded one of their best rosters in recent memory. After early losses to great competition in Sequoyah (5A) and Lowndes (6A), Kell pitched three shutouts before finding their groove offensively towards the end of the year. Moonie Gipson, a top eight RB in the 2027 class, has been dominant on the ground, averaging 143 rush yards per game. Gipson will receive an increased workload as the Longhorns work their way deeper into the playoffs. On the other side of the ball, LB Brayden Rouse, a top five LB in America, has been all over the field for the Longhorns. Rouse leads the team with 90 tackles this season. Rouse is part of a dynamic front seven as the Longhorns have 5 players with 7+ TFL’s this year. Kell is on a crash course to face undefeated Cartersville in the quarterfinals. If they can make it through, there could be a potential matchup with Creekside’s high-flying offense and a Kell defense with four shutouts. If Kell earns a state title game berth, the other side of this 4A bracket contains teams like Benedictine and North Oconee.

Cambridge (4A): The Bears are led by second-year head coach Tyler Jones. Last year, Jones led Cambridge to their first double-digit win season in the teams 14-year history. Connor Langford has been extremely productive at QB, throwing 30 TD’s to just three interceptions. The star for Cambridge is WR Craig Dandridge. The UGA commit is a top 20 player in the state as well as a top 20 WR in his class. Dandridge has hauled in 17 TD’s this year to go along with 1130 receiving yards, his second-straight year with 1100+ yards. He has been arguably the best WR in the state this year. At his best, he can be dominant regardless of the competition. This Friday, Cambridge will have one of the state’s best second-round matchups as they take on Central-Carrollton. If the Bears can pick up a big win, they will face the winner of Cass-Benedictine for a trip to the semifinals. If Cambridge can navigate their loaded quadrant of the 4A bracket, it could potentially face undefeated teams such as North Oconee, then Creekside or Cartersville in the state title game.

North Hall (3A): Led by Sean Pender, The Trojans have put together their first ever undefeated season behind a historic offense. QB Alex Schlieman is the point man for the state’s best passing attack. Schlieman averages over 280 passing yards per game, totaling 3129 passing yards on the year. North Hall has six players with 3 or more touchdowns and 240 or more receiving yards this year. Cole Cable leads the way with 1014 receiving yards on the year while Ty Kemp is averaging 102.4 receiving yards per game, playing just eight games this year. The Trojans balance their passing attack with a run game that averages over 200 yards per game. Justin Allen leads the team in touchdowns with 14 scores on the ground. Parker Carlton has 679 yards on the ground this year to go along with 13 total touchdowns. North Hall has a ranked second-round matchup against LaGrange. A run to the title game would likely require going through a team like Sandy Creek or Calhoun. If the Trojans reach the championship game, potential matchups could include ranked teams such as Peach County, Jefferson, or Troup.

‍