Fitzgerald at Benedictine
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, T.A. Wright Stadium/Savannah State, Savannah
Records, rankings: Fitzgerald is 11-1, the No. 2 seed from Region 1-AA and No. 5; Benedictine is 12-0, the No. 1 seed from 2-AA and No. 1.
Last meeting: Benedictine won 51-7 in the second round of the 2013 Class AA playoffs.
Three things to know: 1. Benedictine's victory over Fitzgerald in 2013 was a turning point in how the Cadets were viewed statewide. Benedictine was 11-0 but ranked only No. 6. Fitzgerald was 6-4-1 but had a streak of nine 10-win seasons. Benedictine would go on to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1978, then win its first state title the next year. 2. Benedictine beat Lovett 41-40 last week in a game of nine lead changes. John Kennedy rushed for 106 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 40-yard run with 3:23 left. Kennedy has 1,064 yards rushing, 776 receiving and 25 touchdowns. The leading rusher is sophomore RB Tyleek Collins (1,157 yards). Benedictine averages 313.4 yards rushing per game. 3. Fitzgerald averages 339.3 yards rushing per game but was held to 198 with 47 passing in a 24-7 victory over Heard County last week. Fitzgerald had three interceptions and four sacks. FB J.D. King has rushed for 1,928 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Benedictine by 11
Winner plays: Rabun County/Jefferson County winner
Rabun County at Jefferson County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Warrior Field, Louisville
Records, rankings: Rabun County is 11-1, the No. 1 seed from Region 8-AA and No. 3; Jefferson County is 10-2, the No. 1 seed from 3-AA and No. 7.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Both teams have played in only one previous quarterfinal. Rabun County lost to Taylor County in 1998, and Jefferson County lost to Calhoun in 2009. 2. Rabun County beat Early County 41-7 last week, scoring all of its points in the second half after trailing 7-0. WR Charlie Woerner had nine receptions for 209 yards and four touchdowns. QB Bailey Fisher was 17-of-26 passing for 309 yards. Rabun was held to 45 yards rushing but held Early County to 124 yards in total offense. 3. Jefferson County PK Evans Hodges made three field goals, including a 37-yarder for the game-winner with 2:56 left, in a 23-21 victory over Wesleyan last week. Jefferson County QB T.J. Bell has passed for 1,738 yards and rushed for 1,063. Marquis Carter and Jakota Turner have seven TD receptions each.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Rabun County by 2
Winner plays: Fitzgerald/Benedictine winner
Credit: Adam Krohn
Credit: Adam Krohn
Brooks County at GAC
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Spartan Stadium, Norcross
Records, rankings: Brooks County is 10-2, the No. 1 seed from Region 1-AA and No. 6; Greater Atlanta Christian is 11-1, the No. 1 seed from 6-AA and No. 2.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. GAC and Brooks County are the champions of Class AA's most dominant regions. Region 1-AA has sent 20 teams to the quarterfinals in the past 10 seasons, while 6-AA has sent 21. The 41 total is more than the other six regions combined. Brooks has made six quarterfinals in that time; GAC has made five. 2. Brooks County sophomore RB Jonathan White rushed for 118 yards (his second 100-yard rushing game of the playoffs) in a 41-26 victory over Manchester in the second round. His fourth touchdown, a 10-yard run with 1:37 left, provided the final margin. QB Demontay Jones was 16-of-21 for 232 yards. The Region 1-AA player of the year, Jones has thrown for 2,122 yards and rushed for more than 600 this season. 3. GAC has rushed for 2,308 yards and passed for 2,455 on the season, but the ratio is closer to two-to-one passing in two playoff games, when QB Davis Mills has been 28-of-41 for 494 yards and five touchdowns. Liam Sullivan and Malcolm Cunningham have 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Greater Atlanta Christian by 16
Winner plays: Pace Academy/Macon County winner
Pace Academy at Macon County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Adams-Maffett Field, Montezuma
Records, rankings: Pace Academy is 10-2, the No. 4 seed from Region 6-AA and No. 9; Macon County is 10-2, the No. 1 seed from 4-AA and unranked.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Macon County is in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2005. That's a mild surprise considering that 2014 AA defensive player of the year Roquan Smith graduated and coach Larry Harold, who turned the program around, took the Brunswick job. Pace Academy is in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, although it hadn't won a playoff game until last year. 2. Macon County nearly has a 3,000-yard passer (K'hari Lane has thrown for 2,957 yards), 1,000-year rusher (Jared Daniels has 1,357 with 21 touchdowns) and 1,000-yard receiver (sophomore Trey Brown has 1,018 yards, 11 touchdowns). All are underclassmen. Brown and fellow sophomore WR Tra Brown each had more than 100 yards receiving in a 41-7 victory over Bowdon last week. 3. Pace QB Gunnor Faulk, known for his accuracy, was 9-of-11 passing for 148 yards in a 27-7 victory over Screven County last week. But Pace averages 194.5 yards rushing, only 100.6 passing. OLB Philip Markwalter had 13 tackles against Screven, two for losses, giving him 19 behind the line on the season. PK Samuel Sloman has made 18 of 20 field-goal attempts.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Pace Academy by 6
Winner plays: Brooks County/Greater Atlanta Christian winner
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