Region 8 is as wide open as any in Class AAAAAA this year, as five of the league’s six teams head into region play this week with either 3-2 or 2-3 records.
And the one team that doesn’t – Gainesville (0-5) – has the most successful program of any school in the region.
We continue our Tuesday series examining the playoff outlooks for every Class AAAAAA team as region play kicks off (or shortly after it begins) with a preview of 8-AAAAAA, which has its first three region games of the season on the Friday night schedule. Here’s a closer look at each of the teams, broken down by playoff likelihood, in alphabetical order within each group:
Safest bets
*Dacula (3-2): The Falcons won region titles in 2016 and 2017 by going 5-0 in league play after starting the season 1-4. So, their 3-2 record going into region play puts them well ahead of the curve, especially considering that all five of their non-region games came against Class AAAAAAA teams. Dacula made the playoff 10 of the past 14 years, winning at least one playoff game seven times.
*Lanier (3-2): The Longhorns made their fifth consecutive playoff appearance last year despite a 6-5 record that was their worst since 2012. Their 3-2 start this season includes losses to a ranked opponent (Alpharetta) and a Class AAAAAAA school (Central Gwinnett), which was the same path they took into region play last year. Lanier finished tied for second place last year but got the No. 3 seed.
In the hunt
*Habersham Central (3-2): The Raiders averaged 34.6 points per game last season but finished 2-8 and missed the playoffs, mainly because the defense gave up 35.7. The scoring is still up this season (33.4 per game), but the defense has been a bit better, allowing 29.6. Habersham Central hasn't been to the playoffs since 2011 but appears to have a better than average chance to make it this year.
*Winder-Barrow (2-3): The Bulldoggs have been up and down this season, losing a close game against Clarke Central, winning a close one against Cedar Shoals, losing big to Flowery Branch, winning big against Loganville, and then losing big against Oconee County. A victory over Apalachee this week would be a big boost toward making a school-record fifth straight playoff appearance.
The jury’s still out
*Apalachee (2-3): The Wildcats' two wins at the season's midway point equal the most by the school since 2010. But can they win two more in the region, which is likely what it will take to earn their first playoff appearance since 2009? Apalachee has lost 20 consecutive region games (and 35 of its last 36). Either way, first-year coach Tony Lotti appears to have the team on the upswing.
*Gainesville (0-5): The Red Elephants' 740 all-time wins are more than twice as many as any other team in the region. All of their losses this year have come against ranked or higher-classification teams, so it's hard to know if Gainesville has dropped off that far. It played its best game of the season in a 28-19 loss to Flowery Branch last week. Gainesville hasn't missed the playoffs since 1999.
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Next week: Region 3-AAAAAA
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