Eight intriguing second round matchups will unfold tomorrow night, and championship contenders bolster both sides of the bracket. Here’s what to watch for in each matchup
R4#3 Woodward Academy @ R2#1 Mary Persons
Woodward Academy faces undefeated Mary Persons for a spot in the quarterfinals. The War Eagles have advanced to the quarterfinals in each of the last four seasons, but this Mary Persons team is playing lights out on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs thrashed Richmond Academy 59-0 in the opening round and have their own streak of two straight semifinal appearances riding during this year’s postseason run. Both programs are looking for their first state titles since 1980, when Woodward Academy took Class AAA, and Mary Persons took the Class AA crown.
R7#2 Marist @ R8#1 St. Pius
Marist and St. Pius will meet for the second time this season and 55th time in their history. Marist scored a 35-14 win over the Golden Lions in last year’s state semifinals—a game that marked the first-ever postseason meeting in their storied rivalry. St. Pius defeated Marist 17-0 on Sept. 14 of this season, and has now won 5 of the last 8. Marist owns the all-time series, however, 33-18-3.
R1#3 Columbus @ R3#1 Baldwin
Columbus used a 35-32 win over Salem to advance to the second round for the first time since 1974’s run to the state semifinals. The Blue Devils now face a Baldwin team that has rebounded from its 0-5 start with a six-game winning streak. The last time Baldwin had this type of success was in head coach Jesse Hicks’ first stint at the school. The Braves used a season-high 39 points to defeat Perry in the first round, and have a chance to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since Hicks led the program there in 2008.
R6#2 Ridgeland @ R5#1 Cartersville
A battle-tested Ridgeland team scored an impressive 34-14 win over Flowery Branch in the first round. The win was the program’s first victory over a ranked Class AAAA opponent since the 28-27 win over Marist in the 2012 state semifinals, and snapped their losing streak of six straight to ranked programs. Cartersville used a 34-7 win over Stephens County to advance to the second round—where they were upset by eventual state champion Blessed Trinity 21-17 a year ago. The Purple Hurricanes are 2-0 all-time against Ridgeland, scoring a 42-7 win in 2015 and a 40-6 win in 2014. This will be the first time the teams have met up in the postseason.
R3#2 Burke County @ R4#1 Eastside
Burke County battled past a tough Howard team 28-22 in the first round, and Eastside was a 41-23 winner over Hardaway. Eastside’s victory improved the Eagles record to 11-0—matching the program’s record win total in the process. Junior quarterback Noah Cook continues to play outstanding football, and has led Eastside with 1,795 passing yards and 24 touchdowns with just three interceptions. The team’s 40.3 points per game are a school record, as is the 26.2 average margin of victory they take into this matchup. Running back Taylor Carter provides balance in Eastside’s RPO offense and ran in three touchdowns in the first round win.
R8#2 North Oconee @ R7#1 Blessed Trinity
Defending state champion Blessed Trinity led Northwest Whitfield 39-0 at the half and cruised to a 55-16 first-round victory. U.S. Army All-American and Ohio State-commit Steele Chambers leads the Titans’ backfield, and quarterback Jake Smith is a proven leader at quarterback that tossed three touchdowns to three different targets in the latest victory. Blessed Trinity’s backfield got a big boost this past week as sophomore Jackson Hamilton returned from an injury. Elijah Green was Chambers’ running mate until a Week 3 injury has sidelined him since. Hamilton missed the entire regular season before returning to action last Friday and accounted for 69 rushing yards and two touchdowns. North Oconee has followed a 1-19 stretch the past two seasons and stacked up an impressive 9-2 record after a huge 27-8 win over Sandy Creek in the first round. The North Oconee Titans are led by second-year head coach Tyler Aurandt, who has plenty of experience in big games after previously serving as offensive coordinator and an assistant head coach at Parkview.
R3#3 Thomson @ R1#1 Cairo
Thomson has reached the quarterfinals three straight years, but stopping Cairo with a defense that has allowed 27.91 ppg is going to be a tough task this Friday. The Bulldogs scored a 34-28 win over Upson-Lee in the first round, in large part to the heroics of senior Damekus Taylor, who took a staggering 35 carries for 259 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Cairo’s defense is giving up just 10 ppg, and stopping Taylor will be the priority. The Syrupmakers coasted to a 44-0 win over Henry County in the first round, and are 1-1 all-time against Thomson, with this marking the first meeting between the programs since 2001.
R5#2 Troup @ R6#1 Pickens
After posting the worst performance of his career in Troup’s 43-10 loss to Cartersville in the season finale, junior quarterback Kobe Hudson was outstanding in the Tigers' 42-28 first-round win over Oconee County. The four-star Auburn commit accounted for 225 passing yards and a touchdown, while racking up 108 rushing yards off 19 carries. Hudson is committed to Auburn as a wide receiver, and his athleticism makes him a dangerous dual-threat. Pickens is 11-0 and fresh off its first-ever playoff win—a brilliant 42-0 victory over White County last Friday. Five different runners accounted for the team’s five rushing touchdowns in the win, and junior quarterback C.J. Streicher had another efficient passing performance. The Pickens offense averages more than 300 rushing yards per game, and 48 of the team’s 70 touchdowns this season have come on the ground. If Pickens can keep clicking offensively, then it could be a long night for a Troup defense that has taken steps back in recent weeks following a promising start to the season.
About the Author
