GIAA championships: Central Fellowship tops Brentwood to finish perfect season, Stratford loses defensive battle
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
There were early blemishes, a pair of missed point-after-touchdown plays.
That was about it for Central Fellowship.
The Lancers took control early and kept it in pulling away for a 46-7 win Friday night over Brentwood for the Georgia Independent Athletic Association Class AA state championship at Mercer’s Five Star Stadium.
There was little suspense for CFCA, which won a state championship the past two years in the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
CFCA head coach Jake Walls unsuccessfully negotiated attempts to stay dry. More postgame celebrating follows, including a nice hug with father and son and quarterback Jeb.
Video: Michael A. Lough/The Central Georgia Sports Report
Friday’s win was a statement for CFCA.
“It feels like, ‘Hey, we got credibility now,’” head coach Jake Walls said. “It’s not just the little school beating up on small Christian schools. The last couple years, we’ve beat several big schools from this league.
“But yeah, it does feel good.”
Brentwood was stopped from defending its AA title, and finished 9-3, taking second in the state for the third time under veteran head coach Bert Brown.
The Lancers’ athletic advantage paid dividends, but they made the basic plays all night.
“We pray and ask the Lord every game we play to help us play the best game we can play,” Walls said. “That’s come true a lot this year. I think tonight was definitely our best game.
“We’ve been 11-1 before. 13-0, it’s the first time in school history.”
Quarterback Jeb Walls scored on two runs en route to a 106-yard rushing night.
He threw three touchdown passes to Jaylun Goodrum – the senior turning a dazzling run after the catch on one - and one to Knox Walls, Goodrum adding a touchdown run.
Goodrum caught five passes for 96 yards, Jamal Lawrence six for 87, and Knox Walls three for 54.
Central Fellowship head coach Jake Walls was thrilled with how the Lancers got control and kept it to finish off a perfect season, their first back in the GISA/GIAA.
Video: Michael A. Lough/The Central Georgia Sports Report
Jeb Walls, the senior son of the head coach, was a sharp 15 of 20 for 243 yards and four scores with no interceptions.
Brentwood managed to rack up yards on the ground, but couldn’t finish drives. The War Eagles were picked off twice and lost three fumbles, ruining a 373-yard night.
Shorter fields made life tougher for the War Eagles and better for the Lancers, who had 348 yards.
CFCA was 5 of 10 on third and fourth down to 3 for 9 for Brentwood.
“The moment wasn’t too big for us,” Walls said. “I was concerned about that, being in a different environment. They came focused on what we had to do to win the game, not focused on the atmosphere. And that showed.”
Class AAA championship
St. Anne Pacelli 10, Stratford 0
Two old-school coaches watched their teams turn a 2022 game into something from back in the day.
The ball went into the air off a foot as much as off of a hand, Stratford and St. Anne Pacelli engaging in a line-of-scrimmage running-game battle.
Neither team gave ground, but a botched punt snap led to all the points the Vikings would need for their first state championship.
And it’s the first time St. Anne Pacelli head coach Dwight Jones was able to hoist a trophy after the final game of the season. Jones’ head coaching career started in 1995 at Hardaway, and included stops at Northside-Columbus, McIntosh, Jones County, and Harris County, 22 seasons as a head coach.
The defenses controlled things, although St. Anne Pacelli (12-1) got close enough to try a late first-half 17-yard field goal that was wide left.
Pacelli moved to a score, boosted by a 39-yard pass play, but a 27-yard field goal try was partially blocked.
Another Stratford (9-4) drive ended with a punt, but the snap was dropped and the Vikings took over inside the 10.
They lost yardage on a penalty, but Cooper Trombley hauled in Cam Ellis’s 18-yard pass over two Stratford defenders for a 7-0 lead with 2:09 left in the third quarter.
For all intents and purposes, that was it.
They added a field goal about four minutes later, digging the Eagles into a deep hole en route to their first shutout since the second round of the GHSA playoffs in 2020, a 27-0 loss to powerhouse Eagle’s Landing Christian.
The 10 points was the second-fewest allowed by Stratford this season, the Eagles giving up seven to Deerfield-Windsor and George Walton.
Pacelli swept Stratford, winning 21-7 in Macon on Sept. 16.