All the games are big now, so narrowing it down to three to write about isn't easy. Well, the first one was pretty obvious. We've talked about the looming top-10 matchup between Region 1's No. 2 seed and Region 2's No. 3 seed long before we knew who those teams would be. Tough draw for both.
The other two games we'll look at (Wesleyan at Heard County, Model at Union County) present two of the first round's most interesting matchups, in my opinion. If you've got others you want to talk about it, leave a question in the comments.
And, you can see the full bracket here, and my predictions here.
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No. 9 Thomasville (6-4) at No. 4 Benedictine (8-2)
Thomasville was on pace to win the Region 1-AA title until a loss to Brooks County two weeks ago threw the Bulldogs into a three-way tie with Brooks County and Fitzgerald. Due to its 1-3 mark in nonregion play, Thomasville got saddled with the No. 3 seed and a trip to Benedictine in the first round.
Benedictine’s only losses of the season came against the top two teams in AA (Greater Atlanta Christian and Vidalia) and by a combined total of 10 points. Since falling to Vidalia, the Cadets have outscored their last three opponents by a total of 195-42, with 156 of their points coming in the first half alone.
On the season, Benedictine averages 244 passing yards and 206 rushing yards per game and boasts the top scoring average in AA with 46.7 points per game. Senior quarterback Stevie Powers has thrown for more than 2,400 yards and 22 touchdowns, while Division-I prospect Brad Stewart has hauled in 53 passes for 1,010 yards and 12 TDs. Sophomore running back John Kennedy is second on the team with 526 rushing yards (9.9 ypc) and has added 471 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns, including one kickoff return.
Thomasville does most of its damage on the ground, led by 1,000-yard rusher Jalandin Jones, but showed some prowess through the air in last week’s win over Early County. With running room tougher to find, quarterback Kenneth Hayes lifted the Bulldogs to a 31-13 win, completing 14 of 21 passes for a season-high 247 yards and three touchdowns.
Jay Bowdry, a Division-I prospect at safety, leads the Thomasville defense with 101 tackles and three interceptions on the year.
Defensively, the Cadets have recorded 59 tackles for loss, including 17 sacks, and have recorded 17 interceptions. They’ve scored five touchdowns on interception and fumble returns and three on kickoff and punt returns.
Wesleyan (6-4) at Heard County (5-5)
Heard County struggled through the early stages of the season, suffering from a combination of challenging schedule and a slew of injuries. But the Braves are 4-1 over the second half of the season and recently got star running back/safety Duranta Dunson back from a broken collarbone. The senior helped Heard County clinch Region 5-AA’s No. 2 seed last week with over 300 rushing yards, 13 tackles and an interception.
Wesleyan has seen its share of explosive backs this season, and has fared well against them at times – most notably holding B.E.S.T. Academy’s Deshawn Waller to 35 yards on 14 carries. It was the only game this year in which Waller rushed for fewer than 126 yards or 7 yards per carry.
Defense has been the Wolves’ strength throughout the fall. They've recorded three shutouts, and only GAC and Lovett have scored more than 20. Offense has been a little tougher to sustain, as Wesleyan averages just 18.9 points per game.
Heard County has the opposite problem. The Braves are scoring 36.4 points per game over the second half of the season, but have held only two opponents to less than 20 points and give up an average of 28.2 per game.
Model (8-2) at Union County (9-1)
Regardless of what happens Friday night, it’s already been a successful season for these two programs.
Model, which is looking for its first playoff win since the 1979 state championship game, has already clinched its third straight winning season for the first time since the early 1980s. Union County -- which has never won a state playoff game, according to Georgia High School Football Historians Association records – has already tied the school record for the most wins in a season.
Friday’s game features an interesting battle of the teams’ respective strengths. Union County ranks second in Class AA in scoring offense, averaging 41.7 points per game, while Model is third in scoring defense with just 9.2 points allowed per game.
Union County is led by junior quarterback Joseph Mancuso, who has thrown for over 2,600 yards with 33 TDs and only two interceptions in 254 attempts. Jacob Rogers is his top target with 41 catches for 815 yards and 15 touchdowns. Chase Barnett leads the Panthers in rushing yards (550), rushing touchdowns (11) and tackles (137).
Model is led by running back Nakyle Watkins. The senior, who missed his junior season due to a knee injury, has run for over 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns this year after rushing for more than 500 in the Blue Devils’ final two games of the regular season. Model is led defensively by Dax Bishop, a preseason All-State pick at linebacker.
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