Sandy Creek defeated Clarke Central 29-15 Friday night at the Georgia Dome in the Class AAAA State Football Championship.

The Gladiators finished second in Region 8 to Apalachee at the end of the regular season.

The Wildcats handed Clarke Central their first loss of the season, and fellow Region 8 school Rockdale County gave the Gladiators their second loss in the season.

But Clarke Central bested both Region rivals, knocking off the Bulldogs in the semifinals while the Wildcats fell to Griffin in the quarterfinals.

The Athen’s schools biggest win was a 19-17 upset of No. 2-ranked Southwest Dekalb in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.