Gainesville, Thomas County Central set for 5A championship showdown

Gainesville had very little trouble overpowering Rome on the road in the Class 5A semifinals on the way to a 37-6 victory to secure a berth in the rescheduled state championship game following a delayed semifinal.

Weathering the fallout from a second-round fight against Brunswick on November 21, the Red Elephants then beat Langston Hughes 40-32 on Dec. 5 and Rome in the semifinals to advance to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Gainesville will be trying for the program’s second state title and first since 2012 under head coach Bruce Miller.

The teams will play the final game of the season at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“I cannot say enough about our front,” said Gainesville coach Josh Niblett to GPB’s Jon Nelson about the offensive and defensive lines. “We challenged them all week. Because (Rome) thinks a lot about the run totals, and we think a lot about the run totals. Something was going to have to give.”

Niblett took over in 2022 and led the team to the championship game in his first season. Last year’s first-round exit stung but was motivational.

“I challenged our guys on both sides,” Niblett said. “And they answered the challenge.”

Gainesville led 7-0 after the first quarter, 24-0 at the half and 37-3 entering the fourth quarter in the romp at Rome’s historic Barron Stadium.

On the other side of the Class 5A semifinals, Thomas County Central trailed early against a visiting Roswell before tying the game at 21 at halftime. The Yellow Jackets adjusted and overpowered the Hornets in the second half to secure the victory. Thomas County led 35-21 entering the fourth quarter before a punt returned 55 yards for a touchdown from DJ White expanded the lead for Thomas County.

The Yellow Jackets will try for the team’s seventh state championship and second under head coach Justin Rogers, who took over in 2022 and led the team to a state championship and undefeated season in his second year.

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