State playoff preview: Northside-Camden County

When Northside-Warner Robins plays Camden County Friday, it will mark the first time top-five teams have met in the second round in the highest classification since the state tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1990.

And each followed much different paths to reach this point.

Fifth-ranked Northside’s story is one of hardship. Mere survival is the only way to describe a schedule involving games against the defending Class AAA champions (Carver-Columbus) and the two-time defending Class AAAAA champion (Lowndes).

Second-ranked Camden, on the other hand, waltzed past Region 3-AAAAA competition undefeated for the ninth consecutive year. The region winning streak reached 63 in a row.

“There is a good and bad to this,” said Northside coach Conrad Nix, who won the past two Class AAAA titles before moving up to Class AAAAA this season.

“The big point is, they are fresh and have been able to stay rested all year with a lot of their games over and their guys out by the end of the first quarter,” Nix said. “But when you have the grind we’ve had, week-in and week-out, you get nicked up, bruised up and that slows you down.”

Camden is built on speed and quickness. Seniors Greg Baker and Darrell Williams lead a group of pure game-breakers out of a wing-T offense.

Northside counters with two of the state’s best defensive players — tackle Abry Jones (a Georgia commitment) and linebacker Eric Fields (Clemson) — who helped Northside survive a close game against Carver and could not stop a close loss against top-ranked Lowndes.

“I’ve told our offensive linemen to shut their eyes when we were watching the [Lowndes-Northside] film, because if their mamas did see that they wouldn’t let them play,” Camden coach Jeff Herron said. “We do have team speed, but we are not any faster than Lowndes.”

NORTHSIDE-WARNER ROBINS AT CAMDEN COUNTY

• When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Chris Gilman Stadium, Kingsland

• Records, rankings: Northside is 10-1 and No. 5 in Class AAAAA. Camden is 11-0 and No. 2.

• Winner plays: Woodstock/Norcross winner

OTHER TOP GAMES

• Clinch County at Emanuel County Institute, 7:30 p.m. Friday: A Class A showdown with ECI defending its state title against the always strong No. 7 Panthers.

• Cartersville at Gainesville, 7:30 p.m. Friday: Fireworks guaranteed, with each team possessing some of the state’s best big-play performers.

• Jefferson County at Brooks County, 7:30 p.m. Friday: Battle between two of the state’s top junior skill players — Brooks’ Keith Christopher and Jefferson’s Barry Bostic.