The focus of the final two weeks of the regular season is on two sets of races – the battles for region championships and the fight for the 32 playoff spots.
No Class AAAAAA team has clinched a region title yet, but 10 could do it this week, including four that just need to win their games to take the crowns. On the other end of the spectrum, only 11 teams have been mathematically eliminated from the postseason chase.
Here’s a look at the 10 teams that could clinch a region title this weekend, and what it would take to win the championship.
*Valdosta: The Wildcats will win the Region 1 championship if they beat visiting Coffee.
*Glynn Academy: The Red Terrors can win the Region 2 title without having to take the field. Glynn Academy, which has Friday off, will win the championship if Effingham County beats Bradwell Institute.
*Lakeside-Evans: The Panthers will claim the Region 3 title, their first since 2009, if they win at Evans.
*Evans: The Knights will be the Region 3 champions if they beat Lakeside and Heritage-Conyers loses to Alcovy. If Heritage wins, Evans could still be the outright champion with a win against Lakeside and another next week against Heritage.
*Tucker: The Tigers will win the Region 4 championship if they beat Mt. Zion-Jonesboro tonight and Stephenson loses to M.L. King on Friday. Otherwise, Tucker would still need to beat Stephenson next weekend.
*Alexander: The Cougars win the Region 5 title if they beat Mays.
*Mays: The Raiders will win the Region 5 title if they beat Alexander and Northgate loses to Hughes. If Northgate wins, Mays would need to beat Alexander and then Northgate next weekend to claim the title outright.
*Dalton: The Catamounts will win the Region 6 title if they beat South Cobb and Allatoona loses to River Ridge. If Allatoona wins, Dalton would also need to beat the Buccaneers next weekend.
*Dacula: The Falcons will be the Region 8 champions if they beat Lanier.
*Lanier: The Longhorns would get the Region 8 title if they beat Dacula and Gainesville loses to Apalachee. If Gainesville wins, Lanier would need to beat the Red Elephants next week as well.
And here are five other Class AAAAAA games this weekend that will have a big impact on which teams will make the playoffs:
*Northside-Warner Robins at Houston County: A victory by Northside against formerly No. 1-ranked Houston County would guarantee the Bears a fifth-place finish in five-team Region 1 and end their playoff hopes. It also would mean that Northside, Valdosta, Coffee and Lee County would be the region's playoff teams.
*Richmond Hill at Brunswick: Brunswick is winless in five-team Region 2 and down to its last chance. A Richmond Hill victory would eliminate the Pirates and send Glynn Academy, Richmond Hill, Effingham County and Bradwell Institute to the playoffs.
*Greenbrier at Grovetown: Evans and Lakeside-Evans have clinched two of the playoff berths from Region 3, and Heritage-Conyers is in good shape. The fourth spot will probably go to the winner of this game. Grovetown would clinch a playoff berth with a victory; Greenbrier would still need to beat Alcovy next week.
*Creekview at Sprayberry: Creekview and Sprayberry are tied for fifth place in Region 6, one game behind Sequoyah. Sprayberry plays Sequoyah in the regular-season finale, and a victory by Sprayberry this week would set that game up as a winner-take-all showdown. Creekview will still need help, even if it beats Sprayberry, and would be eliminated with a loss.
*Habersham Central at Winder-Barrow: The winner of this game is likely to capture the fourth spot in Region 8 behind Dacula, Lanier and Gainesville. Winder-Barrow clinches a playoff spot with a victory. Habersham would still need to beat Apalachee next week.
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