The appeals have been heard and now the playoff pairings are set for Round 1 of the Class A playoffs. The teams will take this week off before the private and public school tournaments begin Nov. 20.
Here’s a look at the brackets with a factoid about each contest.
PRIVATE
Upper Bracket
No. 1 Prince Avenue Christian (10-0) vs.
No. 16 First Presbyterian Day (6-4)
Skinny: The teams met for the first and only time in the first round of last season’s playoffs. PAC won 55-28. The Wolverines finished the regular season undefeated for the first time since 2012, when they advanced to the private school state championship game.
No. 8 Savannah Christian (8-2) vs.
No. 9 Landmark Christian (7-3)
Skinny: The only time the teams have met was in the 2011 finals, the last season public and private schools competed for the same title. In the game, Savannah Christian won its only Georgia High School Association championship, 20-3.
No. 5 Mount Paran Christian (9-1) vs.
No. 12 St. Anne-Pacelli (7-3)
Skinny: This is the first ever meeting between the two teams, both looking for different forms of redemption in the post season. Mt. Paran, the defending private school champs, looks to shake off the sting of having its 23-game winning streak snapped last week by Pinecrest Academy in the Region 6 championship game. Pacelli last won a playoff game in 2006. The Vikings are 0-3 since then.
No. 13 Mount Pisgah Christian (6-4) at
No. 4 Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (7-3)
Skinny: The teams last met on Sept. 11, when ELCA won handily, 56-6, in McDonough. This is the first time they have met in the playoffs.
Lower Bracket
No. 3 Aquinas (9-1) vs.
No. 14 Brookstone (6-4)
Skinny: This is the first meeting between the two teams. Aquinas, the 2013 private champs, has won eight straight since falling 42-12 to Prince Avenue back on Aug. 28. Under first-year head coach Scott Pethel, Brookstone is looking for its first playoff win since 2008.
No. 6 Athens Academy (9-1) vs.
No. 11 Christian Heritage (5-5)
Skinny: Largely overshadowed by the performance of Prince Avenue in Region 8, Athens Academy had the quietest 9-1 season of any team in Georgia. The Spartans’ only loss was to Prince Avenue, 45-14, on Oct. 9. This will be the first meeting between the two teams. Christian Heritage, located in Dalton, is back in the playoffs for the second consecutive season despite a 5-5 regular season both years.
No. 7 Calvary Day (9-1) vs.
No. 10 Stratford Academy (7-3)
Skinny: Calvary Day is the lowest ranked of the five one-loss teams in the private school bracket. The teams last faced each other in 1987, when both were in the Georgia Independent Schools Association. Stratford won that game, 14-3.
No. 15 Athens Christian (6-4)) at
No. 2 Pinecrest Academy (9-1)
Skinny: The teams have split their two previous meetings with Pincrest winning 28-26 in 2013, while Athens Christian prevailed 31-14 in 2012. Pinecrest, which had its best regular season ever, is trying to follow the trend of each of the last three state title winners – ELCA (2012), Aquinas (2013) and Mt. Paran (2014). Each had their best regular season the same year they won the title.
PUBLIC
Upper Bracket
No. 1 Marion County (9-1) vs.
No. 16 Twiggs County (4-6)
Skinny: Marion County, the 2013 champion, suffered its only loss of the season to Class AAAAA Columbus (7-3), a team that had a breakthrough season, making the state playoffs for the first time since 1994. In the four years prior to Mike Swaney taking over in Buena Vista, the Eagles were 21-20. Since then, Marion County is a combined 64-9 with four region titles. Twiggs County is the only team, public or private, in the playoffs with a losing record. The Cobras are in the post season for the first time since 2009.
No. 8 Charlton County (7-2) vs.
No. 9 Commerce (7-3)
Skinny: Charlton County has advanced to the playoffs every year since 1990, the first year head coach Rich McWhorter took over. It is one of the longest playoff streaks in Georgia high school football. Commerce’s three losses came to teams with a combined record of 28-2 – Class AAA Jefferson (9-1), Athens Academy (9-1) and Prince Avenue (10-0). The Tigers closed the season strong, winning their last four games by a combined score of 167-12.
No. 5 Clinch County (9-1) vs.
No. 12 Dooly County (7-3)
Skinny: Clinch closed the season on a six-game winning streak. The Panthers’ only loss was to Irwin County, 28-12, on Sept. 18. Dooly County was 2-3 in the first half of the season and was blown out in all three losses before a big 35-7 win over defending champion Hawkinsville sparked a five-game winning streak.
No. 13 Johnson County (6-4) at
No. 4 Randolph-Clay (7-3)
Skinny: Johnson County’s only state title came in Herschel Walker’s senior season, 1979. Trojans are back in the playoffs after missing the post season last year. Randolph-Clay had a breakout year, its best season since 2005. The Red Devils won the most regular season games since finishing 10-2 in 2005, and won the school’s second region championship, the first coming in 2005.
Lower Bracket
No. 3 Irwin County (7-2-1) vs.
No. 14 Wilkinson County (6-4)
Skinny: Irwin County, last season’s runner up, lost to just one Class A team this season, Charlton County, 28-14, on Oct. 2. Wilkinson County comes into the playoffs having loss two of its last three games. Irwin has won both of the previous meetings between the two schools – 41-14 in 2013 and 41-34 in 2012.
No. 6 Turner County (8-2) vs.
No. 11 Trion (7-3)
Skinny: Turner County had a breakout season, the first for head coach Ben Simmons. The Rebels won the most games since 2008. Two of Trion’s losses came at the hands of two of the top private school teams – 27-24 in overtime to Region 6 champion Pinecrest Academy (9-1), and 7-6 to defending private school champion Mt. Paran Christian. This is the first meeting between Turner and Trion.
No. 7 Lincoln County (9-1) vs.
No. 10 Mt. Zion-Carroll (6-4)
Skinny: After two 7-4 seasons, subpar by Lincoln County’s standards, the Red Devils’ only loss this season was to Region 7 champion Aquinas (9-1), 24-3 on Oct. 30. Prior to Keith Holloway’s arrival in Carrollton four seasons ago, Mt. Zion had not finished above .500 since 1996. Holloway has the Eagles in the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time since 2000-2001. This is the first meeting between the two schools.
No. 15 Telfair County (5-5) at
No. 2 Emanuel County Institute (9-1)
Skinny: After coming close to leading Telfair to the playoffs in his first three seasons in McRae, Matt Burleson finally has the Trojans in the post season for the first time since 2004. After losing to Class AA Vidalia, 28-29, in the season opener ECI rolled to the Region 3 championship, its first since 2012, when the Bulldogs won the public school state title. ECI has won all four previous meetings between the two schools, including the last game, 25-9, in 2003.
About the Author
