We’ve got bonus GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia and a special Thursday night edition for you tonight as the No. 4 Gainesville Red Elephants meet the No. 5 Rome Wolves in the GHSA Class 5A semifinals. 

Our coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. at historic Barron Stadium in Rome with the winner advancing to the State Championship Game next Wednesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to play the winner of Roswell at Thomas County Central.

By now you probably know all the turmoil that caused this adjustment in the 5A playoff schedule. The turmoil resulted from a brawl sparked by Brunswick when the Pirates were losing to Gainesville 42-0 in the second round of the state playoffs. 

RRheader

But that was only the beginning. The initial suspension of 38 Gainesville players followed by the GHSA. Gainesville’s appeal to the GHSA was denied. An injunction was granted by a Georgia Superior Court prompting the GHSA to delay the 5A schedule. The Association later decided against an appeal of the court’s decision and so now here we are with bonus playoff football just four days before the start of the State Finals at Mercedes-Benz. 

Gainesville is 11-2 overall and winners in eight of its last nine games. The Red Elephants only losses came against 6A finalist Carrollton and Roswell, the other 5A semifinalist.

Rome is also 11-2 but has won 11 straight since opening the season with a loss to 4A finalist Creekside and those aforementioned Carrollton Trojans in a game the Wolves led 21-7 late in the third Quarter.

This will be just the second meeting between these two teams and the first ever at Barron Stadium. Gainesville was a big winner the last time they played in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, when DeShaun Watson led the northeast Georgia powerhouse to its first and only championship.

So we’ve got the football TV market all to ourselves tonight unless you’re counting the Falcons vs Bucs. But you’re not seriously considering watching that over two great teams battling for a spot in the State Championships? I didn’t think so.

That’s the game story in a nutshell. Now here’s the top prospects to keep your eyes on.

Gainesville Prospects

Kharim Hughley

Kharim Hughley

Credit: 247 Sports

#8 Xavier Griffin – 6-4, 215, Senior – 5-Star rated as high as No. 1 LB, No. 1 Prospect in Georgia and No. 13 overall prospect in the country 2026 – Signed with Alabama over 38 total offers including Ohio State, Texas, Florida State and USC to whom he was originally committed 

#11 Jamarion Matthews – 6-3, 240, Senior – Consensus 4-Star rated as high as No. 6 Edge 2026 and No. 1 in Georgia by Rivals – Signed with Alabama over 23 total offers including Auburn and Florida State 

#9 Kharim Hughley – 6-0, 190, Junior – 4-Star rated as high as No. 5 Dual-Threat Quarterback 2027 – Committed to Clemson over 17 total offers including Georgia and Auburn 

#99 Ayden Cain – 6-2, 275, Senior – Consensus 3-Star DL 2026 – Signed with Duke over 15 total offers

#1 Nigel Newkirk – 5-11, 185, Junior – Consensus 3-Star RB 2027 – 32 offers including Georgia, Auburn, and Alabama

#3 Kadin Fossung – 6-3, 220, Senior – Consensus 3-Star Edge 2026 – Signed with Tulsa over 21 total offers

#77 Tyler Ford – 6-6, 340, Junior – 3-Star IOL 2027 – 16 offers including Georgia

#54 Bryson Hurt – 6-3, 310, Junior – Consensus 3-Star IOL 2027 – 16 Offers including Ole Miss 

#73 Krew Moledor – 6-3, 290, Senior – Consensus 3-Star IOL 2026 – Signed with Georgia Tech over 10 total offers including Louisville to whom he was once committed

#7 Jeremiah Proctor – 6-3, 195, Junior – 3-Star Safety 2027 – 16 offers including Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, and Coastal Carolina (82.67)

#57 Carter Mathis – 6-7, 303, Junior – 3-Star OL 2027 – 10 offers including Georgia, Kennesaw State and Georgia State (82.33)

#7 Colin Porterfield – 6-3, 200, Junior WR – Seven offers including Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Memphis

#6 Darryn Williams – 5-11, 190, Junior LB – Three offers including Georgia State and Miami (Ohio)

#40 Timothy Cole – 6-1, 180, Freshman LB – Offered by Memphis and Toledo

#5 Cameron James – 6-2, 215, Senior TE/LS – Committed to Furman over two other offers

#21 Zac Ingram – 6-0, 170, Junior CB – Offered by Gardner-Webb

#17 Tre Diggs – 5-7, 155, Junior WR – Offered by ETSU

#37 Jordan Blassingame – 5-9, 150, Sophomore – Offered by Wofford

#2 Phillip Williams – 5-8, 160, Senior WR – Offered by Murray State

#1 Marshall Leonard – 6-2, 225, Senior DE – Offered by Reinhardt

#16 Landon Williamson – 6-3, 225, Senior TE – Offered by Wingate and UVA-Wise

#88 Tydrick Turner – 5-10, 245, Senior DL – Offered by Maryville

 

Rome Prospects

J.J. Winston

J.J. Winston

Credit: 247 Sports

#4 Darnell Collins – 6-3, 215, Senior - Consensus 3-Star Safety 2026 - Signed with Georgia Tech over 25 total offers 

#11 J.J. Winston – 6-3, 185, Senior - Consensus 3-Star WR 2026 - Signed with Georgia Tech over 15 total offers 

#51 Nasir Jones – 6-5, 305, Senior - 3-Star Interior OL 2026 - Signed with Coastal Carolina over 6 total offers 

#55 Jy'Quice McCrary – 6-4, 300, Junior - 3-Star Defensive Lineman 2027 - Offered by Georgia and Georgia Tech 

#56 Brooklyn Spivey – 6-3, 330, Senior - 2026 OL/DL - Offered by Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Charlotte

#3 Aidan McPherson – 5-10, 180, Junior QB – Offered by Rhode Island

#8 Braxton Anderson – 6-0, 190, Senior SAF/QB – Offered by Reinhardt

#5 Dash Kinnebrew – 6-0, 185, Senior DE – Offered by Georgia Military and others

So, join Wayne Gandy, Jon Nelson, and me for our Emmy Award-winning Football Fridays (on a Thursday) in Georgia Game of the Week as the Gainesville Red Elephants play at the Rome Wolves in the 5A State Semifinals. 

Remember, there are many ways you can watch Football Fridays in Georgia. Traditional TV (GPB), online at GPB.org, GPB Sports app, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch. 

Now if you miss the game live or just want to watch it again, don’t worry, you can watch it on demand anytime at GPB.org. 

Enjoy your Dec. 11, 2025, Football Thursday in Georgia.