MONROE — A large contingent of South Effingham High School football fans made the lengthy trek to the town lodged between Atlanta and Athens and stayed to congratulate and console the Mustangs players after the conclusion of their season.

The Mustangs fell 47-8 Friday night in the Class AAAA quarterfinals to the host Monroe Area Hurricanes, who advanced to play Sandy Creek in the semifinals. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Marist-Ridgeland clash for the state championship next week at the Georgia Dome.

The Hurricanes jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. The Mustangs, who had upset Westside-Macon and Westover-Albany in back-to-back weeks on consecutive road trips, could not pull off another shocker on their longest journey of the postseason.

“I’m proud of my kids,” said a dejected South Effingham coach Donnie Revell. “They played hard and they continued to play. That’s all you can really ask them to do.”

Monroe Area fans aren’t just looking forward to this weekend’s semifinal game — they also will be interested observers in the Bowl Championship Series national title game. Former Hurricanes star Stephon Tuitt is now one of the starters on the University of Notre Dame’s defense.

For game coverage, visit the Prep Sports section at http://sports.effinghamherald.net/prep-sports/