A pair of regions have waited until the last week to determine their champions. Region 5-AAA and Region 8-AAA will decide their No. 1 sees when the regular season concludes this week.
In Region 8-AAA, two state-ranked and undefeated teams will meet to determine the champion when No. 5 Jefferson travels to No. 8 Hart County.
Jefferson (9-0) brings a balanced attack to the table. The Dragons have rushed for 1,969 yards and thrown for 1,943 yards. Running back Sammy Williams has rushed for 1,015 yards and 16 touchdowns and quarterback Evan Shirreffs has thrown for 1,841 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Hart County (9-0) is equally balanced. The Bulldogs average 219 yards per game rushing and 191 passing. Quarterback Cameron Fouch has thrown for 1,726 yards and 16 touchdowns. Keenan Dillon leads a balanced corp of running backs with 408 yards and seven touchdowns.
The two teams have split their only two meetings, with Jefferson winning the most recent game 57-29 in 2011.
In Region 5-AAA, No. 7 Central Carroll (10-0) travels to play Callaway (6-3), which has won four straight games.
Central has been a dynamic running team, averaging 333.4 yards on the ground. The Lions have a pair of backs closing in on 1,000 yards: Kyle Terrell with 905 yards and 11 touchdowns and Jaleel Terry with 904 yards and nine touchdowns.
Callaway has plowed through the region and averaged 46 points in its four league games. The Cavaliers are anchored by a strong offensive and defensive line. Quarterback Terry Godwin, considered one of the state’s top athletes, has been strong at quarterback during the winning streak.
Callaway has won the only two meetings, including 46-13 last season.
Region 4-AAA playoffs
In Region 4-AAA, subregion champions Cedar Grove (8-1) travels to No. 3 Blessed Trinity (9-0) to decide the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.
Blessed Trinity is led by quarterback Conor Davis, who has thrown for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns, and running back Milton Shelton, who has rushed for 949 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Cedar Grove has one of the top defenses in the state. The Saints allow only 152.3 yards per game and an impressive 2.5 yards per rush. The Saints have a diversified offense with quarterback Jelanie Woods (1,071 yards, 10 TDs) and running back Labron Morris (1,112 yards, 13 TDs).
The other playoffs matchups in Region 4 feature North Clayton at Westminster, and Jackson vs. Washington. The winners advance to the state playoffs, albeit a road trip, with the losers eliminated from postseason consideration.
Region 7-AAA title at stake
West Hall (8-1) can nail down the Region 7-AAA championship with a win over Lumpkin County (5-4). The Spartans prefer to keep it on the ground behind Tyquan Statham (498 yards, four TDs) and Kwon Williams (609 yards, 11 TDs).
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