At this point it would be silly to try to elevate a few games over the others when we've got unlimited space, so we're doing a preview of all of this week's games.
Also, if you're wondering how our predictions are holding up, I'd say so-so. We went 14-2 last week, but we're looking a little wobbly in the bottom right bracket after predicted quarterfinalist Bowdon got bounced in the first round. This is the week where things could really get sideways, I'm especially unsure of my Screven-over-Heard and Macon County-over-Lovett predictions. Scroll to the bottom to have a look.
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Heard County (6-5, No. 2 Region 5-AA) at Screven County (10-1, No. 1 Region 3-AA)
Winner plays
Brooks County/Washington-Wilkes
Record vs. 2014 playoff teams
Heard County (3-5)
Screven County (5-1)
Playoff history
Heard County
- 10th straight year in the postseason
- Third straight year in the second round
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 1990
- No state championships
Screven County
-Third straight year in the postseason
- Last time in second round: 2012
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 2002
- One state championship: 2002, AAA
Series history
First meeting
Stats
Heard County
- 27.5 ppg
- 27.5 papg
Screven County
- 236.3 rushing ypg
- 51.5 passing ypg
- 29.6 ppg
- 12.6 papg
Notable: Screven County's triple option offense is led by the running back duo of Tavarius Johnson (561 yards, eight touchdowns) and Malik Prescott (810 yards, 16 touchdowns). … Gamecocks quarterback Donta Wilburn has thrown for 566 yards and run for 398. … Screven County junior Jermany Hawkins has three blocked punts and two kick returns for touchdowns on the season … Heard County's Duranta Dunson has run for more than 500 yards in his last two games and is now well over 6,000 yards for his career. … The Braves led 28-0 over Wesleyan in the first round before the Wolves scored the game's final 21 points.
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Washington-Wilkes (7-4, No. 4 Region 8-AA) at Brooks County (8-3, No. 1 Region 1-AA)
Winner plays
Heard County/Screven
Record vs. 2014 playoff teams
Washington-Wilkes (3-4)
Brooks County (4-3)
Playoff history
Washington-Wilkes
- 17th straight year in the postseason
- Third straight year in the second round
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 2005
- Four state championships, most recent in 1967
Brooks County
- Seventh straight year in the postseason
- Seventh straight year in the second round
- Advanced to semifinals last year
- One state championship: 1994, Class A
Series history
Washington-Wilkes won 45-6 in the 1986 Class A state semifinals in the only previous meeting.
Stats
Washington-Wilkes
- 24.5 ppg
- 15.1 papg
Brooks County
- 28.2 ppg
- 17.9 papg
Notable: Brooks County's Demontay Jones threw a touchdown pass on second and 26 in the fourth quarter to lift the Trojans to a 24-17 win over Bacon County last week. … Xavius Medlock led Brooks County with 177 receiving yards on eight catches. … Washington-Wilkes recorded seven sacks in last week's 21-6 win over Darlington, holding the Tigers to minus-1 yard rushing for the game. … Quarterback Deandre Harris ran for 117 of Washington-Wilkes' 245 rushing yards last week, as the Tigers overcame six fumbles, two of which were lost.
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Lovett (8-3, No. 2 Region 6-AA) at Macon County (9-2, No. 1 Region 4-AA)
Winner plays
Benedictine/Rabun County
Record vs. 2014 playoff teams
Lovett (4-3)
Macon County (6-1)
Playoff history
Lovett
- 10th straight year in the postseason
- Third straight year in the second round
- State champs last season, second state title in program history
Macon County
- Third straight year in the postseason
- First time in second round since 2007
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 2005
- One state championship: 1996, Class A
Series history
Lovett leads 2-0, defeating the Bulldogs in the second round in 2007, and the first round in 2008.
Stats
Lovett
- 31.2 ppg
- 15.9 papg
- 199.9 rushing ypg
- 130.9 passing ypg
Macon County
- 34.5 ppg
- 12.5 papg
Notable: Coming off a big win over Lamar County in the final week of the regular season to clinch the 4-AA title, Macon County started slow in last week's game against Dublin. The Bulldogs finished with 182 rushing yards and 57 passing yards, below season averages, but enough to take a 21-7 win. ... Macon County's Roquan Smith is considered one of the top linebacker prospects in the country. … Lovett's Willie Candler completed 9 of 9 pass attempts for 172 passing yards and four touchdowns in last week's 56-21 win over Bremen. Candler has accounted for 30 touchdowns on the season (20 passing , 10 rushing).
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Benedictine (9-2, No. 2 Region 2-AA) at Rabun County (9-2, No. 1 Region 8-AA)
Winner plays
Lovett/Macon County
Record vs. 2014 playoff teams
Benedictine (4-2)
Rabun County (4-2)
Playoff history
Benedictine
- Fourth straight year in the postseason
- Third straight year in the second round
- Advanced to semifinals last year
- No state championships
Rabun County
- Third straight year in the postseason
- First time in second round since 1998
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 1998
- No state championships
Series history
First meeting.
Stats
Benedictine
- 45.6 ppg
- 12.2 papg
- 210 rushing ypg
- 231 passing ypg
Rabun County
- 29.2 ppg
- 18.9 papg
- 272 rushing ypg
- 149 passing ypg
Notable: Junior Charlie Woerner leads Rabun County in rushing yards (1,169), rushing touchdowns (11), receiving yards (597) and receiving touchdowns (5) and tackles (106). … The Wildcats defense averages more than three sacks and seven tackles for loss per game. … Benedictine's Brad Stewart was named the Region 2-AA Offensive Player of the Year this week. He has 56 catches for 1,086 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. … Cadets linebackers Tru'self Cooper, Zach Scott and Jack Muller have combined for 135 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and eight forced fumbles.
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Lamar County (8-2-1, No. 2 Region 4-AA) at Greater Atlanta Christian (11-0, No. 1 Region 6-AA)
Winner plays
Vidalia/Coosa
Record vs. 2014 playoff teams
Lamar County (3-2)
GAC (7-0)
Playoff history
Lamar County
- Sixth straight year in the postseason
- Fourth straight year in the second round
- Haven’t missed quarterfinals since 2010
- State finalists last year
- No state championships
GAC
- Third straight year in the postseason
- Third straight year in the second round
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 2012
- No state championships
Series history
Lamar County won in the second round of the 2000 state playoffs in only previous meeting.
Stats
Lamar County
- 33.5 ppg
- 18.5 papg
- 179 rushing ypg
- 22 passing ypg
GAC
- 36.1 ppg
- 9.4 papg
Notable: Greater Atlanta Christian led 41-0 at halftime of last week's 41-13 win over Chattachoochee County. … The Spartans are led by a trio of high-level college prospects, RB/DB Micah Abernathy, WR/DB Darius Slayton and LB Tyler Cooksey. … This year's crop of Lamar County seniors became the winningest class in program history last week, scoring their 46th victory with a 28-14 win over Swainsboro. … Juan Tucker and Noah Eure spit carries in the Trojans backfield, combining for more than 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season, both at over 6 yards per carry.
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Coosa (8-3, No. 2 Region 7-AA) at Vidalia (11-0, No. 1 Region 2-AA)
Winner plays
Lamar County/GAC
Record vs. 2014 playoff teams
Coosa (3-2)
Vidalia (6-0)
Playoff history
Coosa
- First postseason berth since 2008
- Last time in second round: 2003
- Last quarterfinals appearance: 2003
- Two state championships: 1969 (Class A), 1961 (Class C)
Vidalia
- Third straight year in the postseason
- Lost in second round last year
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 2004
- One state championship: 1969 (Class B)
Series history
First meeting.
Stats
Coosa
- 22.1 ppg
- 11.6 papg
Vidalia
- 42.5 ppg
- 11.5 papg
- 258 rushing ypg
- 54 passing ypg
- 137 rushing yapg
- 81 passing yapg
Notable: Vidalia's Jordan Black was named the Region 2-AA Player of the Year this week. The senior quarterback/safety, who starred at receiver in previous seasons, has 1,057 rushing yards, 613 passing yards, and 33 touchdowns accounted for, including one kick return and one interception return. … Indians linebacker Nate McBride, who has scholarship offers from Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, was named the region's Defensive Player of the Year. … Coosa defeated Greene County last week, 14-7, in overtime. Tristen Bryant scored the winning touchdown, and Robbie Davis sealed the win with an interception. … Justin Ware led the Eagles with 169 rushing yards and a touchdown, but left in the fourth quarter with an injury. His status for Friday night is uncertain.
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Pace Academy (6-5, No. 4 Region 6-AA) at Jefferson County (9-2, No. 2 Region 3-AA)
Winner plays
Model/Fitzgerald
Record vs. 2014 playoff teams
Pace Academy (1-5)
Jefferson County (4-3)
Playoff history
Pace Academy
- Second playoff appearance since beginning varsity schedule in 2008
- Last week was program’s first playoff win; lost in first round in 2010
Jefferson County
- 13th straight year in the postseason
- Lost in second round last year
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 2009
- No state championships
Series history
First meeting.
Stats
Pace Academy
- 23.5 ppg
- 23.0 papg
Jefferson County
- 33.5 ppg
- 17.4 papg
Notable: Jefferson County has scored at least 49 points in each of its last four games, averaging 53 per game during that span. … The Warriors have won six straight games since falling, 12-7, to Screven County on Sept. 26. … Pace Academy scored 28 unanswered points to start the second half in last week's 49-28 win over Bowdon. … Quarterback Kevin Johnson, a Division-I prospect, threw for four touchdowns and ran for one in the win.
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Model (9-2, No. 3 Region 7-AA) at Fitzgerald (10-1, No. 1 Region 1-AA)
Winner plays
Jefferson County/Pace Academy
Record vs. 2014 playoff teams
Model (6-2)
Fitzgerald (7-1)
Playoff history
Model
- Third straight year in playoffs
- Last week was first playoff win since 1979 state championship game
- Three state championships: 1979 (Class AA), 1954 (Class B), 1953 (Class B)
Fitzgerald
- 15th straight year in the postseason
- Lost in second round last year
- Last trip to quarterfinals: 2012
- One state championship: 1948 (Class A)
Series history
First meeting.
Stats
Model
- 24.6 ppg
- 11.6 papg
- 232 rush ypg
- 98 pass ypg
Fitzgerald
- 41.7 ppg
- 21.1 papg
- 359 rushing ypg
- 94 passing ypg
Notable: Fitzgerald quarterback Gerald Morgan has thrown for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns and run for 1,746 yards and 23 scores in his first year at the position. … Sophomore J.D. King has 1,140 rushing yards in 10 games for the Purple Hurricanes. … Model's Nakyle Watkins ran for 360 yards and five touchdowns on 36 carries in last week's 50-36 win over Union County. The senior now has 1,872 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. … Blue Devils starting quarterback Tyler Dean also starts in the secondary, where he has a team-high four interceptions.
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Credit: Brent Holloway
Credit: Brent Holloway
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