Camden County was 5-0 and ranked No. 2 when the month began. Now – after three straight heart-breaking losses – the Wildcats must beat both Lee County and No. 1-ranked Colquitt County in their final two regular-season games or miss the playoffs for the first time since 1988.
Camden’s 37-34 loss to Tift was the third time in three weeks that Camden has lost by six points or less. The others were to Valdosta (7-1, 2-1) and Lowndes (6-2, 1-2).
What really wrecked Camden’s ship Friday was Lee County’s 42-30 victory over Lowndes. That means Camden can’t catch Lee County (6-1, 2-1) without a victory over Colquitt (8-0, 3-0) in the final game of the regular season. Camden is 5-3, 0-3. Tift is 6-2, 1-2.
Camden has never missed the playoffs since joining the highest classification in 1992, and didn’t qualify in 1988 only because of having to forfeit five victories. Camden’s playoff streak is the longest streak of its kind for a team in the highest class.
The longest active streak belongs to Lincoln County, a playoff team each season since 1974, and struggling to get to the playoffs, as well, out of Class A.
In other Class AAAAAA games of note …
-Colquitt County moved within one victory over winning its first region championship since 1999 with its 48-20 rout of third-ranked Valdosta on Friday. Colquitt needs only to beat Tift County or Camden County – the Region 1-AAAAAA teams entered last week in last place – to sew up the No. 1 seed. Colquitt’s region-title drought is the longest among Region 1 teams, and remarkable considering the Packers have reached a state-record five state semifinals. The Valdosta blowout also figures to help Colquitt’s bid for a national title. The Packers are ranked No. 3 by the High School Football 100 and No. 5 by USA Today.
-Lee County, better known to some these days as Buster Posey’s alma mater, scored one of its biggest football victories Friday with a 42-30 victory over fourth-ranked Lowndes. Lee was a Region 1-AAAAA champion last season, but was not expected even to make the playoffs with a move up in classification.
-Region 3 is headed toward a showdown Friday between south Fulton County rivals Westlake (5-1, 4-0) and Hughes (6-1, 4-0). Both won easily against their closest rivals in the region – Westlake beating Douglas County 34-3, and Hughes beating South Cobb 20-13. Those were the closest contenders in the region.
-Roswell took another step toward a region title with a 49-38 victory over Woodstock, which has now lost two straight after a 5-1 start. Roswell (5-2, 4-1) is tied with seventh-ranked Milton (6-1, 4-1) but beat Milton and therefore is the only Region 5 teams that controls its destiny.
-Walton, the team forced to forfeit three victories earlier this month, lost to Milton 20-17, but don’t be surprised if the Raiders make the playoffs despite their 2-6, 2-4 record. Wins over Cherokee and Etowah would probably do, and that seems realistic given Walton’s play against Milton and the victory the previous week over Woodstock, which had started 5-1.
-Second-ranked Grayson’s 28-0 victory over Brookwood means that the Rams (9-0, 6-0) can clinch Region 8 with a victory next week over No. 5 Dacula (7-0, 5-0). Grayson has won four of the past six Region 8 titles, but finished 4-6 last season.
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