GHSA Class 5A championship, Cartersville vs. Warner Robins: Who wins?

          They’ve been hammered, 38-0 by Rome.

          They’ve come back twice from 28 points only to have a game-winning field goal blocked, and then outmistake Bainbridge to lose 47-41 in overtime.

          They were the better team, and yet Buford celebrated a three-point overtime win.

          Indeed, there are comparisons to the Buffalo Bills, for a good while the bridesmaids of the NFL.

          Will Warner Robins finally have that championship ring slipped on?

          Warner Robins and Cartersville are even in so many areas, with contrasting strengths but playmakers all over, as well as a steadiness.

          A great thing about this matchup is that it is simply a bunch of really, really good high school football players. There are only two power-5 signees, only a few in the top 200 – as per the web scam known as recruiting rankings – in Georgia, so the two final teams in Class 5A have done it with players more interested in the name on the front of the uniform than the back, more interested in the present and immediate future than a signing celebration.

          Glorious. Enjoy it, and embrace it. Great high school football players.

          As Ware County head coach Jason Strickland said a few days ago, the oldest and most relevant analytic is turnovers, and Cartersville gets ‘em.

          Penalties – be they the almost unforgivable pre-snap blunders or the inspire-a-tantrum 15-year mental flags – are huge, in as much as the timing.

          For Jalen Addie, it’s his second title game as starting quarterback, the first one ending shortly after an interception in overtime on a playcall that earned second-guessing, a night in which he was only 7 of 14 for 63 yards.

          He wants a title, and wouldn’t mind a good personal game to perhaps inspire some more attention, some extremely deserved attention. If he just plays, things will go well.

          The Demons end an era today no matter what, with so many players who have been part of this four-year title-game run. Ahmad Walker will have nearly 60 games under his belt, the equivalent of two more seasons. A number of teammates aren’t far behind him in games played.

          There will be subtle things galore to watch, since neither team has a dominant advantage in any area, and because they have more contrasts than similarities.

          So many players are keys, like Armon Porter, who had a huge TD catch last wek. The defensive backs at Warner Robins, who may be the unit to watch. So many players not named Addie or Walker or Robinson or Burley can step up with an MVP-like performance or the clutch play of a lifetime.

          Strickland was more impressed with Addie’s total game after the Demons came up with a late game-winning drive, followed up with the game-winning drive at the end against Blessed Trinity.

           “The guy is just a clutch, clutch football player,” Strickland said. “I know they haven’t got the big trophy yet, but he’s a champion. That kid is a champion.”

          Finally, though, Addie and the Demons will get that big trophy.

 Prediction: Warner Robins 23, Cartersville 20