When, where: 8 p.m. Saturday, Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Marietta is 12-2, the No. 2 seed from Region 3-AAAAAAA and No. 6; Lowndes is 14-0, the No. 1 seed from 1- AAAAAAA and No. 1.

Last meeting: Marietta won 30-27 in the first round of the 2012 Class AAAAAA playoffs.

Things to know: Marietta was the preseason No. 1 team and made the top 10 of several national polls. Lowndes is the current No. 1 and now ranked high nationally, peaking at No. 3 by PrepNation.Marietta has six of Georgia's top 100 senior prospects but no state title appearances since its 1967 Class AAA championship. Lowndes has no top-100 players but five state titles since 1980, the most of any current Class AAAAAAA school. Add the north-south thing - Marietta is metro Atlanta's oldest football program, Lowndes the flag bearer for storied Region 1 - and this game is full of intrigue.

Marietta has won seven straight games, four against top-10 teams, since losing to McEachern in October. Only one team this century, Peachtree Ridge in 2006, has won a state title in the highest class after losing a game that late. The Blue Devils' list of blue chips include QB Harrison Bailey (4,000 yards passing, committed to Tennessee), WR Arik Gilbert (1,614 yards receiving, LSU), WR Ricky White (1,246 receiving, Michigan State), RB Kimani Vidal (1,511 rushing, Troy), DE B.J. Ojulari (LSU) and DB Rashad Torrence (Florida).

Lowndes' offense is built around sophomore QB Jacurri Brown, who has rushed for 1,508 yards and passed for 1,253 yards. Lowndes allowed more than 21 points for the first time last week in a 49-28 victory over North Gwinnett. Marietta has allowed 21 or more six times. Marietta and Lowndes have four common opponents. Lowndes beat Grayson 28-20 in the quarterfinals. Grayson beat Marietta 28-14 on Sept. 13. They're both 3-0 against the others.

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