Mays, Whitewater take different paths to region playoff

A little more than a month ago, Mays and Whitewater were on different paths.

On Oct. 3, Mays was undefeated, ranked as one of the top teams in the state, owned a victory against the Wildcats and seemingly was headed for the region title. A state playoff spot seemed certain.

Whitewater was 2-3 after losing by 10 to Fayette County rival Sandy Creek. Beginning its subregion schedule with a loss was not the ideal way of getting things started.

But things are a little different now. Mays has lost two of its last three games and has fallen into third place on its side of the region. Whitewater has won its last four to finish second behind Sandy Creek. The one thing both have in common is that the loser this time goes home.

It’s the nature of the beast in Georgia high school football, where subdivided regions come up with their own mechanisms for awarding state playoff berths. In the case of Region 5-AAAA, the winners of each subregion — in this case, Villa Rica and Sandy Creek — play each other in the season’s final week to determine the region champion and number No. 2 seed in the state playoffs.

The second- and third-place teams in the subregions cross over and play each other with their postseason lives at stake.

Mays beat Whitewater 17-14 on Sept. 12 with a 33-yard field goal with five seconds left in the game. Tonight’s contest should be just as close.

Whitewater will rely on senior quarterback Chase Penland, senior running back Thomas Frierson and sophomore running back Josh Clemons for offense, while senior linebacker Zach Mann continues his quest for the region’s Defensive Player of the Year honors. Mays will counter with running backs Desmond Walker and Broderick Thomas and safety Myer Nolan.

MAYS AT WHITEWATER

• When, where: 7:30 p.m. today, Wildcat Stadium, Fayetteville.

• Records, rankings: Mays is 7-2, Whitewater is 6-3. Neither team is ranked.

Other top games

NEWNAN (9-0, 8-0) AT EAST COWETA (7-2, 7-1)

• When, where: 7:30 p.m. today, Garland Shoemake Memorial Stadium, Sharpsburg.

• Why it matters: Newnan-East Coweta always matters. With a region title on the line, it matters even more.

• Three keys: 1. This is one of the most underrated rivalries in Georgia high school football. 2. Newnan has won the past five meetings. 3. East Coweta’s offense will have to keep the ball away from Newnan’s, which is averaging more than 40 points a game.

VILLA RICA (8-1) AT SANDY CREEK (9-0)

• When, where: 7:30 p.m. today, The Battlefield, Tyrone.

• Why it matters: The Region 5-AAAA title is on the line.

• Three keys: 1. Villa Rica running back Zay Foster is one of the most underrated in the state. 2. Sandy Creek quarterback Rio Johnson has not disappointed in his senior season. 3. Sandy Creek is 9-0 for the first time since 2004.

M.L. KING (7-2, 5-1) AT UNION GROVE (8-1, 5-1)

• When, where: 7:30 p.m. today, Wolverine Stadium, McDonough.

• Why it matters: The winner plays at home in the first round of the playoffs.

• Three keys: 1. Joel Kight and the Lions defense will try to slow down Union Grove’s spread offense, which is averaging 28 points a game. 2. M.L. King’s speed on defense could cause problems for the Wolverines. 3. Union Grove’s defense is underrated, with three shutouts this season.

NORTHGATE (5-4) AT BANNEKER (6-3)

• When, where: 7:30 p.m. today, Trojan Stadium, College Park.

• Why it matters: A spot in the state playoffs in on the line.

• Three keys: 1. Northgate is looking for its first playoff appearance since 2004. 2. Banneker is trying to make the playoffs for two consecutive years for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. 3. Banneker won 21-0 when the teams met on Sept. 12.