Today we continue our look at the playoff chances for Class AAAAA teams by focusing on Regions 3 and 5, which are home to three of the top eight teams in this week’s rankings.
Which teams on the lists below are getting too much credit? Which ones are being underestimated?
Next week we’ll look at Regions 7 and 8.
Region 3-AAAAA
*Locks: Ware County, Coffee
Second-ranked Ware County took a big step toward the region title when it opened region play with a 24-21 victory last week against No. 5 Coffee, which played in Region 1-AAAAAA last season. Both teams are likely to be heavily in all their remaining games.
*Likely: None
*On the bubble: Richmond Hill, Glynn Academy, Effingham County, Statesboro
Richmond Hill finished second in the region in 2013, and its 10-2 record was the best in school history. Glynn Academy and Effingham County were the region’s other playoff teams, and they got off to good starts in region play in 2014 by beating their county rivals. Statesboro, which moved up from Class AAAA, is 0-2 in non-region games but has made 15 consecutive playoff appearances.
*Long shots: Brunswick
The Pirates dropped into the region along with Coffee from 1-AAAAAA, where they finished 3-7 overall. A loss to Glynn Academy on Aug. 29 put them in an early hole, and it won’t help that they play Coffee, Richmond Hill and Ware County in the final four games.
*Not this year: Bradwell Institute, South Effingham
South Effingham’s 14-7 loss to Effingham County last week was not a good sign for a team that went 5-5 and missed the playoffs in Class AAAA last year. Bradwell Institute (0-3, 0-1) went 4-6 in 3-AAAAA last year when the region wasn’t as strong as it is now.
Region 5-AAAAA
*Locks: Allatoona
The eighth-ranked Buccaneers already have three region victories (no one else in the region has more than two). Allatoona’s region title fate is likely to be decided in a three-game stretch against South Paulding, Alexander and New Manchester that begins next week.
*Likely: South Paulding
The Spartans could move into the “locks” category with a victory at Allatoona on Sept. 26, but they are already in good shape after beating East Paulding 24-14 last week. South Paulding finished second in the region and won a school-record 10 games last year.
*On the bubble: Alexander, New Manchester, East Paulding
Alexander (3-0, 2-0) has picked up where it left off in AAAA last year, when it reached the state quarterfinals. New Manchester (3-0, 2-0), in its third full varsity season, started 4-0 last year before losing four in a row to fall out of contention. The Jaguars appear ready to take the next step. East Paulding is 0-2 in region play, but the schedule will lighten after losses to Allatoona and South Paulding.
*Long shots: Hiram
The Hornets are coming off a 1-9 season and, despite a 1-1 start in region play this year, still have a lot to prove. Hiram lost to New Manchester 28-14 before beating Paulding County. Hiram will need more than one upset to get into contention.
*Not this year: Villa Rica, Lithia Springs, Paulding County, Chapel Hill
Villa Rica was seen as a potential playoff team in preseason projections, but an 0-3 start to region play most likely has doomed its chances. Lithia Springs and Paulding County were a combined 2-18 in 2013 and are both 1-2 overall this year. Chapel Hill was a playoff team in Class AAA last year but went just 5-5 in the regular season.
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