Semifinal preview: Class A

by Derek Wiley,

Lincoln County vs. Wesleyan: Lincoln County has won 14 state championships and 34 region championships. Its semifinal opponent, Wesleyan, won its first region championship this season and is in the state semifinals for the first time in school history. The Red Devils and Wolves have met once before in the first round of the 2000 playoffs; Lincoln County was dominant, winning 45-7. But that was a completely different Wesleyan team. This year’s Wolves have won 10 straight games and have outscored their opponents in the playoffs 80-26. The Wolves have won with a balanced offense led by junior quarterback Conor Welton and sophomore running back Kyle Karempelis. The Red Devils like to run the football with A.G. Middlebrooks and Taivious McGahee. Both teams feature strong defenses. The Red Devils have given up only 12 points in the playoffs, all of those coming last week to Wilcox. If the Wolves are going to advance to their first state championship game and upset the Red Devils, they must come up big in the red zone.

ECI vs. Wilkinson County: As defending state champions, Emanuel County Institute was expected to be here. The same cannot be said for opponent Wilkinson County, however. The Warriors began their season losing two of their first three to Region 2-A teams Twiggs County and Wilcox County. They then won five in a row before losing to Lincoln County, 20-0. Since then, they have begun another streak, winning four straight—including last week’s 7-6 upset over Turner County—to advance to the semifinals. While ECI is led by touchdown machine and UGA-bound Washaun Ealey, the Warriors have a couple of talented backs of their own. Immanual Shinholster ripped off touchdown runs of 60 and 75 yards to beat Commerce 21-7 in the first round. Ricky Jones ran for 135 yards and a touchdown in a second-round win over Whitefield Academy. Ealey has rushed for 542 yards and nine touchdowns in the playoffs for the Bulldogs.

Derek Wiley can be reached at dwiley@scoreatl.com.