With Round 1 in the books, it's time to compare the results to the predictions I made prior to the start of the playoffs. As you can see, I only missed on two games. In both cases, I knowingly went out on a limb.
(For a recap of Round 1, go here.)
We’ll start with the No. 7 Bremen Blue Devils at the Union County Panthers. By all accounts, the Blue Devils were the better team heading in, though they finished in third place in a very deep Region 5 (No. 3 Heard County, No. 4 Callaway) and thus had to play on the road. I picked the Panthers because, even though they were never ranked at any point in the season, I saw a team that started 9-0, had AA’s leading passer in Pierson Allison, and home-field advantage.
I was willing to ignore the Panthers’ lacking strength of schedule because they were putting up points — they averaged 44.5 points in their nine wins — and loooked good while doing it. However, only one of their wins came against a team that finished with a winning record (Elbert County, 7-4), and they only won that game 29-28. They then lost 56-28 to 8-AA champions Rabun County to take second, then put up a season-low 10 points in their 40-10 loss to Bremen.
I have failed to show the Blue Devils their due respect and as a result, I have their next opponent, No. 2 Rockmart — the only remaining unbeaten team in AA — advancing in Round 2.
The other game I got wrong was the Washington Bulldogs (No. 3, Region 6) at the Chattooga Indians (No. 2, Region 7). The game was a toss-up going in — the two were ranked side-by-side at 19 and 20 in the MaxPreps computer rankings — and Maxwell’s projections favored the Indians by only 6. Turns out it was even closer than that, with the Indians’ block of an extra point being the difference in their 7-6 win. I have the winner of this game losing to Rabun County on Friday.
Other takeaways:
- Though they won by three scores, the top-ranked Hapeville Charter Hornets looked underwhelming in their opener against Coosa when compared to the expectations of dominance that come with being the defending state champions. While teams like Rockmart (55-0 over South Atlanta) and even their 6-AA counterpart Douglass (34-0 over Pepperell) looked like they were playing in a higher gear. The Hornets actually trailed 7-0 to Coosa in the first quarter. They'll have to come out much stronger next round, as they have to face No. 4 Callaway in a way-to-soon marquis matchup.
- Each quadrant of the bracket had a team that posted a shutout: Rabun County (65-0), Douglass (34-0), Rockmart (55-0) and Brooks County (47-0). This occurred in no other classification. Also, no other classification had more than two shutouts in Round 1.
- Chattooga won its first-ever home playoff game for a program that dates back to 1961.
- Jeff Davis hung tough with No. 9 Dodge County — the Yellow Jackets led 21-19 at halftime — before ultimately losing 39-21.
On Thursday, we’ll preview Round 2.
In brief:
- One of the better coaches in Georgia, Sid Fritts, retired from his post at Elbert County following the Blue Devils' loss 27-14 loss to Callaway in the first round. He served as the football coach and, the year before, he stepped down as athletic director. In my colleague Todd Holcomb's report, Fritts cites his want to spend time with family as the reason for retiring, yet he doesn't even rule out coaching again as soon as next season. He's been a coach somewhere in Georgia every season since 2000 (Vidalia '00-04; Rome '05-09; Elbert County '10-18), so it won't be surprising to see him with a new school in 2019. He may already know where he's headed.
- Elbert County thanked its seniors for a winning season.
- With its 23-7 win over Northeast-Macon, Swainsboro is surely relieved to be on this list.
- Workhorse Dyquan Bloodshaw once again carried the load for Washington County in the Golden Hawks' 31-25 win over Vidalia in the first round.
- Chattooga is going to great lengths to help Indians fans make the long trek to Rabun County for the Indians' Round 2 matchup. Here's more on their Round 1 win from Casie Bryant of AllOnGeorgia.
- Callaway coach Pete Wiggins recently spoke with The LaGrange Daily news for a nine-minute interview.
- Border Bowl VI, in which players from Georgia and South Carolina compete in a scrimmage, recently named a number of AA players to represent Team Georgia, including Jerred Davis (Jefferson County), Lawson Lee (Screven County), Dezmon Anderson (Washington-Wilkes), Corby McIntire (Hephzibah) Preston Daniels (Washington County), Theron Foreman (Laney), Logan Etterle (Harlem), Myles Jackson (Jefferson County), Thomas Hudson (Butler), De'Quan Dorsey (Harlem), Elijah Mayes (Hephzibah), Kyle Frazier (Glenn Hills), Kevin Jones (Harlem), Dyquan Bloodshaw (Washington County), A.J. Brown (Harlem), Rayquan Riley (Hepzibah), Jarvis Washington (Laney) and Jaden Jenkins (Jefferson County).
- A number of AA players were invited in the past week to play in the GACA All-Star Classic, including Tae'Aviion Gray (Brooks County), Deon Fountain (Brooks County), Braxton Hicks (Rabun County), Juke Boozer (Rockmart), Markus Smith (Rockmart), Javin Whatley (Rockmart), Tank Bigsby (Callaway), Tate Johnson (Callaway), Zaylin Wood (Heard County) and Dyquan Bloodshaw (Washington County).
- Here's Lee Shaw being interviewed recently by Blitz. Here's a big play from Braxton Lee Hicks.
- Screven County offered thoughts and prayers to Gamecock Khalil Robinson following his surgery.
- Here's Heard County's Aaron Beasley with a touchdown run.
- WMAZ has highlights of Dublin's first round win over Toombs County.
- Kevin Eckleberry of the LaGrange Daily News points out a few highlights in Callaway's recent success. He also notes Tank Bigsby's production. Here's Bigsby's long first-quarter touchdown run.
- Fourth-year Hephzibah coach William Harrell bid farewell to his first senior class that was with him all four years. This was Harrell's first season in which the Rebels reached the playoffs.
- Here's a touchdown run from Hapeville Charter, which put the Hornets ahead 32-10 with 3:32 remaining.
- WGXA recently profiled Washington County coach Joel Ingram.
- Jalin Mekhi Shephard (Callaway) and Christian Ray (Jeff Davis) have been invited to participate in the Georgia Elite Classic.
- Former AA players excelling at the next level last week include Peyton Reeder (Coosa) and Terry Godwin (Callaway). Here's Godwin's catch.
- Georgia Minority Coaches recognized Brooks County's Maurice Freeman for his 200th career win.
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