Manchester Blue Devils vs. Bowdon Red Devils

When: Monday, 7 p.m.

Records, ranking: Manchester (12-2, No. 4) is the No. 2 seed from Region 6. Bowdon (12-2, No. 2) is the No. 1 seed from Region 7.

Coaches: Manchester – Stephen Holmes (25-11, third season). Bowdon – Richard Fendley (52-22, sixth season).

How they got here: Manchester d. Mount Zion Carroll 49-0, d. Johnson County 35-0, d. Clinch County 21-17, d. Telfair County 35-13. Bowdon d. Taylor County 56-0, d. Greene County 28-23, d. Dooly County 55-28, d. Schley County 35-31.

Manchester: The Blue Devils are a run-first team that averages 287.4 yards per game. Darius Favors has rushed for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns and Qua Cooper has run for 1,042 yards and 10 touchdowns. Bobby Ellison (92 tackles, three interceptions), Favors (91 tackles), Justus Terry (78 tackles, 13 sacks) and Zyterrious Gray (40 tackles, six sacks, two fumble recoveries) lead the defense. Terry, a junior, has already committed to the University of Georgia and is considered one of the nation’s top defensive line prospects.

Bowdon: The McGrinn Brothers rightfully get a lot of the attention. Senior QB Kyler McGrinn does it all. He has thrown for 1,908 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 1,965 yards and 30 touchdowns. Younger brother Dylan McGrinn leads the team with 143 tackles. RB Jordan Beasley (1,335 yards rushing 17 TDs) has six offers, including one from Georgia State. WR/OLB Kaiden Prothro (32 receptions, 12 TDs) is already getting offers, including one from Vanderbilt. The secondary is led by JaMichael Jones with three interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

Series history: Manchester leads the series 8-5. Bowdon won 21-20 during the 2023 regular season.

State championships appearances: Manchester won its only state title in 1997 and also appeared in the final in 1965 and 1994. Bowdon is playing in the state championship game for the second straight year. The Red Devils won championships in 1992 and 2022.