Sandy Creek Runs Past Jefferson, 27-7, to Win Georgia Class AAA State Championship: Live Score Recap

Amari Latimer, Caleb Hill each run for two touchdowns to march Patriots to title

Sandy Creek senior running back Amari Latimer (1) breaks loose during a 2024 game. Latimer, who has signed with West Virginia, has rushed for 2,313 yards and 42 touchdowns to lead the Patriots to the Class AAA state title game against Jefferson on Dec. 17, 2025 in Atlanta. / Amari Latimer

It took a while to get going, but the Sandy Creek Patriots finished what they set out to do: march to a state championship.

Held out of the end zone in a scoreless first quarter, Sandy Creek got touchdown runs from star senior running back Amari Latimer and quarterback Caleb Hill in both halves to pull away from Jefferson, 27-7, in the GHSA Class AAA state championship game on Wednesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

In finishing the season unbeaten, Sandy Creek (15-0) won its fifth state championship, second in four seasons.

“It’s been incredible,” Sandy Creek coach Darius Smiley told a George Public Broadcasting broadcaster after the game. “Hat’s off to the young men, the coaching staff and the community.”

Sandy Creek used a stifling defense to keep Jefferson (13-2) in check in the first half. The Dragons managed only nine offensive plays and 17 total yards in the first 24 minutes.

With the defense holding its ground, Sandy Creek finally got going on offense when Latimer, a West Virginia signee, rumbled 15 yards around right for a touchdown with 8 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter.

Jefferson then ran three straight running plays and was forced to punt. A high snap resulted in the punt being blocked by Sandy Creek’s Evan Harvey and the Patriots took over at the Jefferson 15-yard line.

Not much later, Hill ran for a 3-yard TD to give Sandy Creek a 14-0 lead with 2:53 left in the first half.

But just when it seemed the Patriots would run away with it, Jefferson countered with a thrilling 82-yard kickoff return for a TD by Chance Payne. It took just 14 seconds to cut Sandy Creek’s lead to seven points, 14-7.

Jefferson continued to struggle with bad luck in the third quarter when the punter inadvertently took a knee when preparing to kick, giving Sandy Creek the ball at the Jefferson 4-yard line.

Two plays later, Hill ran 2 yard for a TD – his second rushing score of the night – to give the Patriots a 21-7 lead.

Jefferson finally got its offense untracked later in the third quarter when it drove inside Sandy Creek’s 30-yard line. But Taylor McCall missed a 41-yard field goal.

Sandy Creek then put the game on ice in the fourth quarter when it drove 80 yards in 11 plays, capped by Latimer’s 24-yard TD run.

Hill was named Player of the Game after completing 14 of 19 passes for 167 yards and rushing 15 times for 68 yards and two scores.

Pre-game Notes

The Jefferson Dragons and Sandy Creek Patriots meet for the first time but both schools are postseason veterans. The Dragons finished as Class 3A state runner-up last year and are looking to take the next step this year and win their first title since 2012. Unbeaten Sandy Creek is aiming to win its fifth state championship.

Jefferson is located in Jackson County in Northeast Georgia, about 1 hour northeast of Atlanta. Sandy Creek is located in Fayette County, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The schools are about 1 1/2 hours apart.

Live Updates

(Please refresh this page repeatedly for live updates and analysis throughout the game.)

Sandy Creek wearing all red with white helmets, and Jefferson is wearing all white with red helmets.

1st Quarter

Jefferson kicks off to Sandy Creek.

QB Caleb Hill big run for 1st down on 3rd and long.

Caleb Hill hits Khaylin Stevenson for 19-yard pass for first down

Caleb Hill runs for 1st down on 4th-and-1. 1st down from the Jefferson 30

INC PASS

Amari Latimer finding running room difficult.

Long pass from Sandy Creek QB Caleb Hill to Corey Hadley Jr. is broken up nicely by Chance Payne in the end zone!

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! 4th and 8: Caleb Hill sacked by fast Jefferson defense! Turnover on downs after driving to Jefferson 28-yard line!

Jefferson 3-and-out. Booming punt to Sandy Creek 13, short return.

Sandy Creek pass for nice gain, face mask penalty on Jefferson afterwards.

Consecutive false start penalties on Sandy Creek. Timeout by SC.

Penalty on Sandy Creek star Amari Latimer for running out of bounds and catching ball for 1st down.

3rd and 27: Sandy Creek QB Caleb Hill runs but is short of 1st down. Howeve, personal foul called on Jefferson's Eli Primm for late hit. 1st down.

END OF 1ST QUARTER: Jefferson 0, Sandy Creek 0

2nd Quarter

Designed run for SC Caleb Hill. Stopped short of 1st down.

3rd and 3: Hill runs for 1st down! Ball at Jefferson 28.

Caleb Hill runs for 1st down, but then penalty on Patriots.

Amari Latimer no gain and then 5-yard run.

Timeout. Sandy Creek dominating time of possession with 27 plays for 112 yards, more than 11:00 off the clock. Jefferson only 3 plays so far.

TOUCHDOWN! West Virginia signee Amari Latimer explodes 15 yards around right end for TD! PAT good. Sandy Creek 7, Jefferson 0, with 8:01 left in 1H.

Jefferson KO return to 27-yard line.

4-yard run by CJ Hays and then QB Colton Grant sacked.

Jefferson 3 straight runs, forced to punt. High snap and Sandy Creek's Evan Harvey slaps ball down. Jefferson recovers. Sandy Creek takes over at Jefferson 15!

Caleb Hill runs ball to 4-yard line for 1st down

TOUCHDOWN! Hill runs right, then cuts back and zips straight up for 3-yard TD! PAT good. Sandy Creek 14, Jefferson 0, with 2:53 left!

TOUCHDOWN! Jefferson's Chance Payne takes kickoff, cuts left and sprints 82 yards for touchdown! Blazing speed! Sandy Creek 14, Jefferson 7, with 2:39 left in 1H.

Sandy Creek QB Caleb Hill throws it up for grabs and Avohn Florence comes down with ball, but then is stripped by Shyne Parham, who recovers the ball! Jefferson takes over the ball at 26-yard line.

Jefferson brings in QB Boone Horn and he throws INC pass. Two short runs by CJ Hays follow. Time runs out in first half.

Jefferson runs only nine plays for 17 yards in the entire first half but trails by only 7 points! Sandy Creek has run 36 plays for 199 yards.

END OF FIRST HALF: Sandy Creek 14, Jefferson 7

3rd Quarter

Sandy Creek kicks to Jefferson, ball does a dead bounce and Jefferson returner tackled back at Dragons' 11.

QB Colton Grant runs to 17. 3rd down. Timeout.

Jefferson punts but replay shows punter's left knee hit the ground before he punted. Officials reviewing. Amari Latimer had 50-yard punt return on the play for Sandy Creek.

Officials rule that punter's knee hit the ground, Sandy Creek takes over at Jefferson 4.

TOUCHDOWN! Two plays later, Sandy Creek QB Caleb Hill runs 2 yards for a TD -- his second TD run of the night. Hill seems injured after the play, however. PAT good. Sandy Creek 21, Jefferson 7.

Nice run KO return by Jefferson but Dragons penalized for holding on play. Jefferson backed up to its 20.

Jefferson QB Colton Grant runs for 1st down with 9:23 left -- the Dragon's first 1st down of the game.

Grant hits Darren Pinkard on wheel route for big gain down to Sandy Creek 26!

Short gain by Pinkard, illegal shift offense next.

Pinkard tackled for loss on what looked to be designed double pass. 3rd and 17

INC PASS. 4th and 17 pass sails long. Turnover on downs.

Sandy Creek penalized for 15, two nice passes but Patriots short of 1st down at 42.

Sandy Creek huge punt, but Patriots can't stop ball from rolling into end zone. Touchback.

Jefferson BIG 3rd down pass for 22 yards from Colton Grant to Logan Edmunds for 1st down.

Colton Grant big run for another 1st down! Ball at Sandy Creek 43

Darren Pinkard 8 yard run

Pinkard runs for 1st down but fumbles the ball but Clifton Williamson recovers for Dragons.

3rd down INC pass

Jefferson K Taylor McCall misses 41-yard in 3Q.

Sandy Creek at 20. Faces 3rd down and 3 now.

END OF 3RD QUARTER: Sandy Creek 21, Jefferson 7

4th Quarter

Amari Latimore runs for 4 yards. 1st down!

Sandy Creek backed up to 21 now

Long pass from Caleb Hill to Nathan Holston is incomplete.

3rd and 20 nice pass from Hill to Rylan White complete on the left boundary. 1st down at Jefferson 47

Penalty on SC but then Caleb Hill hits Khaylin Stevenson for nice 11-yard gain and a 1st down.

Another 1st down pass from Hill to White! Patriots at Jefferson 24.

TOUCHDOWN! BIG 24-yard TD run around right end by Amari Latimer! PAT fails. Sandy Creek 27, Jefferson 7!

Jefferson QB Colton Grant another nice run for 1st down.

Dragons now facing 3rd down after INC pass and short run.

4th down. Timeout

Jefferson INC pass. Turnover on downs.

Sandy Creek stopped on 3rd down.

4th and 2. Timeout. 3:17 left.

Sandy Creek QB Caleb Hill stopped short on 4th down. Turnover on downs.

Jefferson's Dalton Dye catches ball near 50 but challenge flag is thrown. Video replay appears to show ball hitting ground. Call overturned.

Jefferson backed up to 22 now with penalties.

Colton Grant runs for another 1st down, and then 2 INC passes

BIG 1st down pass from Colton Grant to Logan Edmunds.

Darren Pinkard runs for 8 but then stopped short on 4th down play. Turnover on downs, 1:23 left

Sandy Creek runs out clock. Patriots win state title, 27-7.

	1	2	3	4	F
Jefferson	0	7	0	0	7
Sandy Creek	0	14	7	6	27

Players to Watch

Jefferson

Colton Grant, Sr., QB -- 886 yards passing, eight TDs, six interceptions; 422 yards rushing, 12 TDs.

Logan Edmunds, Sr., WR/SS -- 25 catches, 487 yards, four TDs; offer from Catholic University.

CJ Hays, Fr., RB -- 833 yards rushing, eight TDs;

Dylan Beradinelli, Jr., OLB/FB -- 116 tackles, including 66 solo and 11 for loss.

Eli Primm, Jr., WR/MLB -- 100 tackles, including 62 solo and three for loss.

Darren Pinkard, Sr., OLB/TE -- 77 tackles, including 45 solo and 17 for loss, and six sacks; multiple offers, including Reinhardt University and Point University.

Sandy Creek

Caleb Hill, Jr., QB -2,457 yards, 23 TDs, four interceptions; 437 yards rushing, eight TDs.

Avohn Florence, Sr., WR -- 19 catches, 377 yards, four TDs; multiple offers, including Arkansas Bullies, Mesabi Range College and Ohio Valley CC.

Amari Latimer, Sr., RB/OLB -- West Virginia signee; 2,313 yards rushing, 42 TDs; 20 catches, 352 yards, four TDs.

Andre Dawson, Sr., OLB/SS -- 93 tackles, including 21 solo and 4.5 for loss.

JT Austin, DE, OLB -- 87 tackles, including 40 solo and 27 for loss, and 16 sacks; multiple D-1 offers, including FSU, North Caroline-Charlotte, East Carolina and Appalachian State.