Eight players who will make the difference in quarterfinal games

Eastsides Jayden Barr is a Georgia Tech commit with a propensity to step up at a critical position given this opportunity. In a win over defending state champion Perry last week, he returned the opening kickoff and rushed for 89 yards in the 21-10 victory. Barr rushed for 961 yards and 23 touchdowns, including three against Oconee County in the team’s only loss. He was named Region 8 Teammate of the Year. He is destined to play safety at the next level.

Creekside quarterback Cayden Benson threw for 1,916 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first season as a starter. The junior is considered a three-star prospect and was named Region 4 Offensive Player of the Year. Benson threw for 159 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 42-35 win over Kell last week.

Cambridge at Marist

Cambridge quarterback Weston Hall led Class 4A in passing this season. The senior has thrown for 3,061 yards and 33 touchdowns and has two 1,000-yard receivers in Craig Dandridge and Hudson Cocchiara. Hall, a left-handed hitter, is a dropback passer whose strength is reading the defense and finding the open receiver.

Marist is led by a three-year starting quarterback Jack Euartwho will play baseball in college. Euart understands the Marist offense almost as well as the coaches and knows how to keep a cool head under pressure. Last week, the War Eagles were losing in the fourth quarter when he made a couple of tackles that lasted nearly 12 minutes.

Benedictines in the Holy Trinity

Benedictine battled a series of debilitating injuries throughout the season. It helps that linebacker Herbert “Third” Scroggins has remained healthy. In 10 games, he had 70 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and eight hurries. Scroggins is a four-star player who committed to Miami.

Blessed Trinity has thrived on its defense for most of the season as a sophomore DJ Jacobs He’s playing well enough to be named Region 6 Defensive Player of the Year. Jacobs (6-5, 220) is a four-star edge rusher who already has offers from every school in the SEC. In 10 games, he had 93 tackles, including 25 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

Cartersville in North Oconee

Cartersville receivers Jamauri Brice is a big receiver and favorite target of QB Nate Russell. Brice has 53 receptions for 651 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns. Last week, he broke ground with 12 receptions for 134 yards in a 53-35 win over Starr’s Mill. He amassed more than 2,000 yards in his career as a Purple Hurricane. Brice is rated as a three-star prospect and has committed to Georgia Tech.

North Oconee quarterback Harrison Faulkner keeps putting up big numbers. Last week, the junior threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns, completing 12 of 18 in a 30-6 win over Ware County. He’s approaching 3,000 yards. Faulkner, the Region 8 co-player of the year, has great targets in Landon Roldan (a UGA commit) and tight end Khamari Brooks (another UGA commit), but has the skill set to find the right player and play the ball. His knowledge of the crime is exceptional.

Photo credit: Steve Colquitt, Oconee Count Schools

Photo credit: Steve Colquitt, Oconee Count Schools