Class AAAA: Region-by-region notes

Carver-Columbus and Cairo each improved to 4-0 in Region 1 this past week, which makes their matchup this Friday night one of the biggest Class AAAA games this season. Americus-Sumter is the only other team with fewer than two losses left in the region and the Panthers not only haven’t faced Carver-Columbus or Cairo, but their loss came to Hardaway, which is 1-3 in the region. It is still too early to call it an official region championship game, but based on the standings, statistical probability and the performance of the rest of the region thus far, I expect it to be the game that determines the region champ.

Mary Persons has won three straight region championships and opened up Region 2 play this past week with a 21-0 win over Spalding. This week, the Bulldogs will face Upson-Lee, which they defeated 28-21 last season.

Region 3 is going to open up its region play this week with Burke County vs. Cross Creek and Richmond Academy vs. Baldwin. Richmond Academy is off to a historic 6-0 start and Burke County is 4-2 after losing its first two games of the season, so the Bears are also red-hot. Thomson will go on the bye this week after getting dominated 40-0 by Class AAAAAAA Lee County last Friday and sliding to a disappointing 2-4.

Undefeated Eastside visits four-time defending region champion Woodward Academy this Friday night in what is expected to be this year’s premiere matchup in Region 4.

Troup beat Sandy Creek 35-21 on Friday to improve to 6-0 and it looks like a monumental season finale with Cartersville is going to determine who takes the top seed in Region 5.

Pickens surpassed its win total from a year ago and is cruising at 6-0 in Region 6. The Dragons face Heritage-Ringgold this week and will likely play Ridgeland for the region crown on Oct. 19.

Blessed Trinity, Flowery Branch and Marist look like shoe-ins for playoff spots out of Region 7, but there are plenty of questions surrounding the No. 4 seed. Denmark will have trouble this week against Blessed Trinity and West Hall, which beat Denmark 48-27 last Friday, faces a much more experienced Marist squad that is not going to gift them five interceptions like the Danes did in last Friday’s victory.