ELLENWOOD, Ga. — When Sandy Creek and Cedar Grove get together, it's impossible to not remember the infamous play.
It was nearly one year ago, in the Georgia high school 3A state championship game, that one controversial call led to changes that will now alter one major rule during the final -- the addition of replay.
And now in a Friday night rematch between the Saints and Fighting Patriots, the Saints of Cedar Grove are looking to exact revenge on their region rival after they felt like their fifth state championship in nine years (and overall) was stolen from them. For Sandy Creek, it was their fifth state title, surpassing their rival.
The call was made on a 3rd and goal rushing play from the 2-yard-line with under a minute to go in the fourth quarter as Sandy Creek was looking to capitalize and take the lead. Though the run was stopped well short of the goal line - about an entire yard short - it was ruled a touchdown, and Sandy Creek went ahead and won 21-17.
Videos of the play, which was broadcast by Georgia Public Broadcasting, went viral as it clearly showed there was no touchdown.
The Georgia High School Association, the state governing body for high school sports, approved the use of replay in football championship games back in April. The organization confirmed a unanimous vote to approve replay, though there aren't specific details about how the replay will be used.
RELATED: After controversial touchdown call, GHSA board approves replay for football championship games
But now in 2023, the two teams stand atop their region both undefeated at 1-0. Sandy Creek, however, has had a bit more success outside of their region. The Fighting Patriots are 6-2 while the Saints are just 3-5. But the only thing that matters going forward is their respective records inside their region.
Sandy Creek has one of the best rushing attacks in the entire state. They are led by sophomore back Amari Latimer who has tallied 985 yards on 120 carries and has converted 14 rushing scores on the year. Junior quarterback Dalen Penson has rushed for 667 yards and eight scores, in addition to seven TD passes, according to MaxPreps.
Latimer has already received seven offers from schools such as Georgia, Wisconsin, Auburn and Ole Miss.
On the other side of the ball, Cedar Grove's offense has been fantastic all season long. Their defense has been the problem. They've tallied 281 points this season but they've allowed nearly as many -- 274. They've scored more than Sandy Creek, but have given up more than 100 more points.
They are led by UCF quarterback commit EJ Colson and UGA running back commit Bo Walker in what is an exciting offense to watch.
Can Cedar Grove's offense overcome their leaky defense and win a revenge game on their home turf against Sandy Creek? We will see when this game gets underway at 7:30 p.m. at Hallford Stadium in Ellenwood.
To watch the controversial play at the end of the 2022 3A state championship, watch the video below: