Gainesville Capitalizes on Second Chance, Outlasts Langston Hughes in Thrilling Georgia 5A Quarterfinal

After weeks of adversity which threatened their 2025 season, the Red Elephants return to the field intact and rise to the challenge

Despite two weeks of controversy and adversity, Gainesville has reached the Class 5A state semifinals. / Gainesville Football

The Gainesville football team has endured plenty of adversity in the last couple of weeks.

Despite having their backs against the wall, the Red Elephants still managed to pull off a 40-32 upset over top-ranked Hughes in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class 5A quarterfinals on Friday.

Red Elephants Survive a Whirlwind Stretch Which Included a Brawl, Suspensions, An Appeal and a Court Ruling

The whirlwind for the Red Elephants began with a bench-clearing brawl in a 5A playoff opener against Brunswick on Nov. 21. Gainesville won 42-0 after the game officially ended with 1:57 left in the third quarter, but it initially came with a cost.

On Nov. 24, GHSA announced that 39 Gainesville players and 41 Brunswick players were suspended. GHSA agreed to lift the suspension of four players the following day, but 35 players were still suspended.

Then, on Nov. 26, Judge Clint Bearden ruled in favor of Gainesville after the school filed a motion to overturn the suspensions. GHSA, however, responded the same day by postponing Gainesville’s 5A state quarterfinal matchup against Hughes on Nov. 28.

Prevailing in a Game That Remained in Limbo for Two Weeks

The 5A playoffs remained at a standstill for a handful of days. On Monday (Dec. 1), GHSA ultimately decided that the quarterfinal round contest between Gainesville and Hughes would take place on Friday, meaning all the previously suspended players could suit up.

The Red Elephants jumped to a 27-13 halftime lead and fended off the Panthers the rest of the way to close things out with a win.

Gainesville Remained True t Its Mission Throughout

Gainesville coach Josh Niblett told Jake Leo of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that even though the chaos started with the Nov. 21 brawl, the team’s message and mission hasn’t changed.

“We don’t change who we are because of our circumstances and what we’re dealing with,” Niblett told Leo. “For us, the playoffs are lock in, lock out...lock in the things that do matter and lock out the things that don’t matter. We’ve been blessed...God is good. It allowed us an opportunity to do what we love to do – and that’s to play the game of football. These guys love playing with each other and they love the game. You can see that by the way they play.”

2022 State Championship Game Loss Also Served as Motivation

Niblett noted that Gainesville has players that were on the Red Elephants’ squad that lost to Hughes in the 2022 GHSA state championship game, adding that the team had a bit of a chip on its shoulders Friday evening.

“This win is big for us because we had to do it on the road. To be able to do what we did...I’m just so proud of our kids,” Niblett said.

Gainesville junior quarterback Kharim Hughley was 10-of-15 on completions for 141 yards and four touchdowns. Jeremiah Proctor, Legend Wilmont, Sergio Ruiz and Trent Wilcox each had a receiving TD.

The Red Elephants, now 11-2 on the season, will face Rome in the GHSA 5A semifinals on Thursday (Dec. 11). The winner of that game moves onto the state championship game on Dec. 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

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