Class AAA blog: Top teams play to form in Round 1, Dawson snubs Westminster

The top 10 Class AAA teams in the Georgia high school football playoffs played to form in the first round -- No. 2-ranked Cedar Grove plays Fannin County later tonight -- with No. 10 Westminster as the only victim.

Here's how things played out:

-- Top-ranked Peach County weathered a steady cold rain to take a 19-0 victory against Brantley County. It was not the offensive dominance the Trojans have put on teams all season, but the cold stinging rain might have had something to do with the low score. Peach will host Calhoun in the second round for another rematch of the 2017 state championship game. Peach avenged the '17 state-title loss to Calhoun last season, winning 22-7 in the semis.

-- The Savannah schools – Benedictine and Jenkins – won big. Jenkins beat Adairsville 41-0 and will host Dawson County in the second round. Benedictine enjoyed a 56-0 victory against Monroe and awaits the winner of Cedar Grove-Fannin game.

-- Appling County advanced past Westside-Macon 28-7 to earn a berth against Jefferson in the second round.

-- Crisp County had its highest-scoring game of the season with a 46-0 victory against Southeast Bulloch at the Cougar Den in Cordele. Crisp, with its formidable offensive and defensive lines, will play at home against North Hall in the second round.

-- Pierce County advanced past Central-Macon 49-6 and will host Hart County in the second round. Hart defeated Haralson County 56-27 to advance.

-- North Murray beat Monroe Area 28-14 to move to a second-round game against Jackson, a team that surprised some with its 28-14 victory against Liberty County.

And the possible bracket game-changers that were predicted did not pan out:

-- Cook handled Windsor Forest 7-6 and will face Greater Atlanta Christian in the second round.

-- North Hall beat Lovett 24-21 and will face Crisp County in the second round.

-- Dawson County defeated Westminster 27-3, ending its years-long to survive in the playoffs and will face Jenkins in the second round.

-- Jackson got past Liberty County 28-14 and will play North Murray in the second round.

Class AAA second-round schedule

R6 #2 Calhoun at R4 #1 Peach County

R3 #2 Benedictine at/vs. R7 #4 Fannin County/R5 #1 Cedar Grove winner (on 11/16)

R8 #2 Hart County at R2 #1 Pierce County

R1 #2 Cook at R7 #1 Greater Atlanta Christian

R2 #2 Appling County at R8 #1 Jefferson

R7 #2 North Hall at R1 #1 Crisp

R4 #2 Jackson at R6 #1 North Murray

R7 #3 Dawson County at R3 #1 Jenkins

The 'what I thought was going to happen' second round schedule…