Class AAAA playoffs: Higher seeds, blowouts and shutouts
Higher seeds rolled, and blowouts and shutouts were all the rage in the first-round of the Class AAAA playoffs.
Higher seeds went 14-2 on Friday, with only Baldwin and Stephens County knocking off teams seeded ahead of them.
The average margin of victory Friday was 25.3 points, with only three of the 16 first-round games being decided by single digits.
No. 1 Buford shut out Southwest Whitfield 63-0. The top-ranked Wolves won their 36th straight game and posted their third straight shutout and sixth on the season. They'll host defensive-minded Mary Persons in the second round. The Bulldogs also are coming of a first-round shutout in a 14-0 win over Westover.
Cartersville, St. Pius and Woodward Academy also posted shutout wins.
Woodward Academy quarterback Jes Sutherland went completed of 7 of 7 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the War Eagles’ 55-0 rout of Lithonia. Running back Elijah Holyfield, son of boxing great Evander Holyfield, led Woodward Academy in rushing (78 yards) and receiving (79 yards) and scored two touchdowns. The War Eagles advance to face Burke County in the second round.
St. Pius X rushed for 323 yards, while attempting only two passes, in a 24-0 win over Fayette County. Grant Holloman had two touchdown runs, and Dalton Wilson scored on a short run to lead the Golden Lions into the second round. St. Pius will host Eastside, Covington this week.
Eastside, Covington and Thomson played the game of the first round. Thomson led by 21 at one point, but found itself clinging to a seven-point lead with less than two minutes to play. According to the Newton Citizen, the Bulldogs pinned Eastside deep in its own territory with a 1:40 to play, only to surrender a 96-yard scoring drive. Facing a 4th and 10 with 23 seconds to play, Eagles quarterback Austin Holloway connected with Quintrell Mathis for a tying touchdown. After each team scored twice in overtime, the Thomson kicker missed an extra point, allowing Eastside to prevail 35-34.
