Class A Upper State Final Preview
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For a pair of region rivals, it all comes down to this. St. Joseph’s got off to a red-hot start this season, beginning the season 5-0 with a win over 3A Seneca. The Knights fell once to Southside Christian, and…
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Continue ReadingFor a pair of region rivals, it all comes down to this.
St. Joseph’s got off to a red-hot start this season, beginning the season 5-0 with a win over 3A Seneca. The Knights fell once to Southside Christian, and again to Christ Church. They avenged the first loss in an overtime thriller in the second round of the playoffs. The other team to defeat the Knights awaits this week.
Christ Church put together one of the most dominant seasons in the 1A ranks. Their lone defeat came at the hands of Holy Innocents Episcopal, an Atlanta powerhouse. They average 44 points per game, and have topped 60 four times. One of those came against St. Joseph’s in the regular season. Here’s a look at the matchup.
St. Joseph’s (11-2) at Christ Church (12-1)
The Knights are a grind-it-out team, looking to run first. They have a QB in Walker Wood who’s able to keep defenses honest, but St. Joseph’s success comes on the ground. Wood is a good runner, and has come up with some big gains in the playoffs, including a crucial two-point conversion that extended the season in the win over Southside Christian. Harrison Zinkann is the feature back for the Knights, while Johnny Jaraczewski Johnny Jaraczewski 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB St. Joseph's | 2024 State SC picks up tough, hard yards between the tackles. He’s also a key cog for St. Joseph’s defensively, along with Tommy Sullivan and Trey Sanders.
Christ Church has shown great offensive balance, rushing for just more than 2,400 yards, and throwing for a little more than 2,300. Woods Windham Woods Windham 6'5" | 210 lbs | QB Christ Church | 2023 State SC has been responsible for almost 2,100 passing yards and 26 TDs, with Jackson Repp Jackson Repp 5'8" | 160 lbs | WR Christ Church | 2025 State SC and BJ Atkins BJ Atkins 5'11" | 180 lbs | WR Christ Church | 2023 State SC both topping 700 receiving yards. But the Cavaliers’ success begins with Dashun Reeder Dashun Reeder 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Christ Church | 2024 State SC . Reeder has rushed for more than 1,800 yards and 9.5 yards per carry, and has rushed for 36 scores. Defensively, Patrick McMaster and Jake Good Jake Good 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Christ Church | 2024 State SC have each recorded more than 70 tackles, while Carson Shaw Carson Shaw 6'4" | 200 lbs | DL Christ Church | 2023 State SC has 70 on the number, along with 23 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.
With a rivalry and region familiarity, there’s not much these two teams don’t know about each other. The Knights have shown a flair for the dramatic, and have rolled in a couple other playoff games, while the Cavaliers have just steamrolled opponents, and look to have too many weapons.
Edge: Christ Church