FPCA will again battle it out in the GISA Final 4 in Macon next week.

By defeating Crisp Academy in the Elite 8 Saturday, the Highlanders are another step closer to defending their state title. FPCA will face Furtah Prep in the Final 4. That is the team they defeated in last year's state final.

In Saturday’s game, the Highlanders initially seemed caught off guard by Crisp’s tenacity. Down by one at the end of the first quarter (20-21), the Highlanders would slowly shake off the shock in the second and begin an aggressive defense. At half FPCA was up 34-29.

In the third, the Highlanders pulled away from Crisp, who were unable to maintain the speed of play from the first half. In contrast, the Highlanders appeared energized, scoring 25 points in the third quarter. The Highlanders led 59-39 going into the fourth quarter.

Final score was 78-59. Khalyn Weekley had 29, George Mitchell 18, Isaiah Scott 18, Trayvon Harris 6, John Killough 5 and Marcus Williams 2.

The last time the Highlanders and Furtah Prep played was last year’s state championship. Their next game will be at 4 p.m. Friday at Mercer University. If FPCA wins, they play in the state final on Saturday at Mercer. The two other teams facing off in the Final 4 are Solid Rock and Windsor Academy. Early this season, Highlander coach Shane Smith predicted it would be FPCA and Windsor in the state final.