Predictions. Here's how the boys and girls brackets of Class AAAAAA might play out.
BOYS: How about a rematch of the 2015 final, Wheeler vs. Pebblebrook? The most talented teams, IMO, are Wheeler and Westlake. They would meet in the seminals. The second quarter of the draw is unfairly stacked, no thanks to Norcross losing its Region 7 final to Collins Hill and getting a No. 2 seed. Sometimes an RPI and seeding committee might be a better idea. Norcross probably would have to beat Westlake, then Shiloh, to make the semifinals. Not likely. Pebblebrook is probably not among the best five teams in the state, but it’s a team that has played a tough schedule, making the Falcons potentially more battle-ready, and plays in the weaker half of the draw, although Tift County and McEachern are very good and just as likely to emerge from that side. Berkmar also could make a run. And just to protect against looking too stupid, I'll point out that Rockdale County can be tough as nails, and I wouldn't be shocked if Pebblebrook got picked off in the first round.
First round
R4#3 Kennesaw Mountain d. R1#2 Lee County
R5#1 Wheeler d. R8#4 Grayson
R7#3 Peachtree Ridge d. R6#2 Johns Creek
R2#1 Newton d. R3#4 Douglas County
R4#2 North Cobb d. R1#3 Colquitt County
R8#1 Shiloh d. R5#4 Woodstock
R7#2 Norcross d. R6#3 South Forsyth
R3#1 Westlake d.R2#4 Lovejoy
R5#2 Milton d. R8#3 Central Gwinnett
R1#1 Tift County d. R4#4 Hillgrove
R3#3 Campbell d. R2#2 Tucker
R6#1 Lambert d. R7#4 Mill Creek
R8#2 Berkmar d. R5#3 Pope
R4#1 McEachern d. R1#4 Lowndes
R3#2 Pebblebrook d. R2#3 Rockdale County
R7#1 Collins Hill d. R6#4 Alpharetta
Second round
Wheeler d. Kennesaw Mountain
Newton d. Peachtree Ridge
Shiloh d. North Cobb
Tift County d. Milton
Campbell d. Lambert
McEachern d. Berkmar
Pebblebrook d. Collins Hill
Third round
Wheeler d. Newton
Tift County d. Campbell
Pebblebrook d. McEachern
Semifinals
Wheeler d. Westlake
Pebblebrook d. Tift County
Final
Wheeler d. Pebblebrook
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GIRLS: Norcross brought back most everybody from its 2015 runner-up team (lost to McEachern in the final) and was ranked nationally in preseason. Some early overtime losses and a couple of key injuries conspired to keep the Blue Devils out of the No. 1 ranking, but by March, this should be the best team. Norcross’ draw is pretty good. McEachern and Archer, two teams that surely could win the title, are likely to play in the second round, eliminating one of Norcross’s main contenders. Then it probably would be Norcross vs. the Archer/McEachern winner in the quarterfinals. On the other side of the draw, No. 1-ranked Tucker is favored to get through, although Collins Hill and Douglas County are capable of getting to the final.
First round
R4#3 North Cobb d. R1#2 Colquitt County
R5#1 Woodstock d. R8#4 Grayson
R6#2 Northview d. R7#3 Mountain View
R2#1 Tucker d. R3#4 Campbell
R4#2 Harrison d. R1#3 Lowndes
R8#1 Parkview d. R5#4 Pope
R7#2 Collins Hill d. R6#3 Chattahoochee
R3#1 Douglas County d. R2#4 Rockdale County
R5#2 Cherokee d. R8#3 Dacula
R1#1 Tift County d. R4#4 Hillgrove
R2#2 Newton d. R3#3 Hughes
R6#1 West Forsyth d. R7#4 Mill Creek
R8#2 Archer d. R5#3 Etowah
R4#1 McEachern d. R1#4 Valdosta
R3#2 Westlake d. R2#3 Lovejoy
R7#1 Norcross d. R6#4 Centennial
Second round
Woodstock d. North Cobb
Tucker d. Northview
Parkview d. Harrison
Douglas County d. Collins Hill
Tift County d. Cherokee
West Forsyth d. Newton
McEachern d. Archer
Norcross d. Westlake
Third round
Tucker d. Woodstock
Douglas County d. Parkview
West Forsyth d. Tift County
Norcross d. McEachern
Semifinals
Tucker d. Douglas County
Norcross d. West Forsyth
Final
Norcross d. Tucker
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