The last local team standing in the GHSA state football playoffs is standing no more.
The Starr’s Mill Panthers reached the AAAAA state quarterfinals, falling 59-10 to Rome. It was only the second loss of the year for Starr’s Mill, whose other defeat came in a 29-28 nail-biter at the hands of Griffin.
It was Rome’s 25th win in a row going back to early last season, when the Wolves started 1-2 before reeling off 12 straight wins and bringing home the AAAAA state championship after a win over Buford, their opponent in this week’s semifinal matchup.
While some local fans might cringe at the final score, it’s not much different than what Rome has done all year. The Wolves have averaged 50 points per game this season while giving up just over 10 on average. Their first two state playoffs were 63-13 over Cedar Shoals and 56-0 over Southwest DeKalb.
But the Panthers have much to be pleased about. This was their fourth straight state playoff appearance, reaching the second round in 2015 and 2016 before improving on that mark this year.
