St. Pius Weekly Sports Recap

Only two fall sports, football and competition cheerleading, were in action last week. Football took on Shaw in the first round of the Georgia High School Association AAA state playoffs while the cheer squad competed in the state championships in Columbus on Saturday. The Golden Lion gridders continue to sit in the No. 2 spot in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution rankings and No. 3 in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association poll.

The Golden Lion football team advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year with a 48-14 victory over Shaw. Senior quarterback Trey White led the Golden Lions with 137 yards rushing and one touchdown.  Ryan Braswell chipped in with 80 yards and two TDs while Jake Delaney, Nick Ruffin, Geno Smith and Jack Spear each added a rushing score. The Golden Lions did not attempt a pass in the win, rushing for 460 yards, the second highest team rushing total in school history.

The defense was led by Michael Healy and Logan Rosborough with seven tackles each. Rosborough also combined with Nick Glass for a sack, and T.J. Holloman added an interception. will host Henry County, the third seed from Region 4, after the Warhawks knocked off No. 6 Thomson, 28-7. The game will be Friday at 7:30pm. The Golden Lions will look to advance to the state quarterfinals for the fourth time since the playoffs were expanded to 32 teams per class in 1996.

The competition cheer squad placed 11th at the state championship meet in Columbus on Saturday. The finish is the highest in the 13-year history of the sport at St. Pius. The ladies completed another successful season with the fifth region title in six years and seventh overall.