Mission Accomplished:Carver Tigers Capture Back-to-Back State Titles With 24–7 Win Over Hapeville Charter

The George Washington Carver Tigers left no doubt Tuesday night, completing a dominant postseason run with a 24–7 victory over Hapeville Charter in the GHSA Class 2A football state championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Carver (15-0) secured its second consecutive state title and third overall, finishing an undefeated season for just the second time in school history and extending its winning streak to 27 games. The Tigers’ last loss came Aug. 30, 2024, a 15–6 setback at Harris County.

The championship marked a milestone moment for first-year head coach Jarvis Jones, a former Carver standout and University of Georgia star linebacker who played four seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jones was also a member of Carver’s 2007 state championship team.

“It’s amazing,” Jones said during Georgia Public Broadcasting’s postgame interview. “These guys bought into everything we were trying to do. It’s been a long season, and I love these guys. This was our goal when we set out this summer, and it’s such a blessing to hold this trophy up in front of all our fans who traveled from Columbus.”

Carver took control early, opening the scoring late in the first quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Kendrick Spencer. The Tigers extended the lead to 10-0 when quarterback Sebastian Heard connected with Keimaurii Miles on a 38-yard touchdown pass.

Hapeville Charter (10-5) pulled within 10-7 in the third quarter on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Keylan Pope to Cedric Walker. The Hornets appeared poised to take the lead moments later on a long punt return by Zion Crawford, but a holding penalty nullified the play, and Hapeville was forced to punt.

Carver seized control in the fourth quarter. Jakobe Caslin scored on a 1-yard run with 6:49 remaining, capping a drive highlighted by Zach Watts’ 45-yard run. On the ensuing possession, JaMarcus Davis intercepted a pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown, sealing the outcome.

Heard finished 9 of 13 passing for 99 yards and a touchdown. Caslin added three receptions, while the Carver defense delivered a suffocating performance.

Hapeville was limited to 85 total yards and five first downs, managing just 54 rushing yards and 31 through the air. Tristian Givens led Carver defensively with a sack and a forced fumble. Makevious Yancie and Davis recorded interceptions, and Davis also recovered a fumble.

For Hapeville, Rashad Williamson led the defense with 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Elijah Raines added nine tackles.

With the victory, Carver capped a historic season and further cemented its place among Georgia’s elite high school football programs — now champions once again, and champions back-to-back.