The Georgia Varsity state final matched perennial in-state rivals Alpharetta Phoenix and East Cobb Trojans in what was a repeat of a somewhat controversial 2016 championship gam that was halted for lightning and never finished.

East Cobb won that 2016 event, as they led at the point of the game being halted. Phoenix wasn't happy about it, and did well to put the game in their pocket this time around.

It was a physical, intense game at Kennesaw State University.

Early pressure resulted in an easy penalty for Phoenix kicker Ollie Kennett and this was followed by a nicely-taken try. Phoenix hooker Elvis Pressley took a tighthead scrum on the Trojans' 22. Marek Lipold picked up at the base and offloaded to scrumhalf Logan Cridick, who scampered over untouched. Kennett just made the difficult conversion, bouncing the ball off the crossbar to bring Phoenix to a 10-0 lead early in the game.

Kennett added another penalty to make it 13-0 at halftime.

The Trojans responded at the start of the second half with a perfectly executed maul from a lineout five meters from the Phoenix tryline. That made it 13-5. Phoenix replied with a break from Lipold, who linkd up with Kennett, who sprinted in to score. It was not all Phoenix, as the Trojans putting on a lot of pressure on the Phoenix defense and were in fact held up in-goal a number of times. Finally, Kennett recovered and sprinted from his own goal line to put the game beyond the reach of Trojans.

East Cobb did score on a well-executed maul, but by then it was too late. Phoenix flyhalf Shay O'Driscoll sealed if for Alpharetta 32-10.

Ollie Kennett was named Man of the Match.

"I'm happy for the win, particularly considering how young this team is," said Phoenix Coach Brian Hartigan. "We will be a force regionally next year again." 

Phoenix closes out their season with an MSIRL match up with South Greenville on Saturday.