Round 2 Previews

No. 24 Holy Innocents' (6-5) at No. 8 Calvary Day (9-1): Calvary Day is shooting for its third consecutive quarterfinal appearance. The Cavaliers are allowing only 9.6 points per game, second-best among Class A private schools. They're led by LB/DE Sayyid Stevens (committed to Duke), DE D'Quan Douse (Georgia Tech) and all-state LB Jalen Leary. QB Thomas Carver is 99-of-147 passing (.673) for 1,542 yards and 16 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Holy Innocents' is in the second round for the first time since 2013, also the last time that the Golden Bears defeated a ranked team such as Calvary, which enters at No. 8. Holy Innocents' RB Michael Cox rushed for 263 yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries in a 44-21 first-round victory over Mount de Sales. He has run for 1,525 yards on the season. 
Next: No. 16 Mount Vernon Presbyterian-No. 1 Athens Academy winner.

No. 16 Mount Vernon Presbyterian (8-3) at No. 1 Athens Academy (10-0): Athens Academy, ranked No. 2, was the state runner-up a year ago. Len'Neth Whitehead has rushed for 1,003 yards and has not been held under 100 yards in a game when given at least 14 carries. Mount Vernon's eight wins are the most in school history. Austin Douglas rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-28 victory over Savannah Country Day in the first round. He has run for 1,528 yards on the season. Sophomore Blake Kytle has thrown for 2,283 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Next: No. 24 Holy Innocents'-No. 8 Calvary Day winner.

Lower Left Bracket

No. 21 Brookstone (7-4) at No. 5 North Cobb Christian (9-1): Brookstone won a playoff game last week for the first time since 2008 during coach Blair Harrison's first tenure has head coach. He returned in 2017 after a five-year absence. Jeremiah Burgess rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a 28-7 first-round victory over Christian Heritage. Burgess, a two-way starter, has run for 1,242 yards on the season and is among the team's leading tacklers. North Cobb Christian will be looking for its first-ever playoff victory this week. The Eagles had never won more than six games in a season until this one and got a signature victory in the last week of the regular season in beating Mount Paran Christian with a 251-yard rushing effort. QB Jack Watson has rushed for a team-leading 650 yards and passed for 636.
Next: No. 13 Wesleyan-No. 4 Prince Avenue Christian winner.

No. 13 Wesleyan (7-4) at No. 4 Prince Avenue Christian (10-1): Prince Avenue, ranked No. 3, averages 45.9 points per game, second-most among Class A private schools. Brock Vandagriff has thrown for 2,637 yards, most in Class A. Mack Simmons (926 yards receiving) and Christian Parrish (716 yards) have 19 TD receptions between them. Wesleyan has begun to play well, winning five straight in a rebuilding year. Freshman QB J.C. French has thrown for 1,676 yards. The Wolves' best all-around player is probably WR/DB J.D. Kavel, who has 593 yards receiving and a team-leading 28 solo tackles. Donald Conley rushed for 114 yards in a 10-8 first-round victory over Tattnall Square. That was Wesleyan coach Franklin Pridgen's 100th victory.
Next: No. 21 Brookstone-No. 5 North Cobb Christian winner.

Upper Right Bracket

No. 23 Riverside Military (6-5) at No. 7 Fellowship Christian (9-1): Riverside's 24-14 victory over sixth-ranked George Walton Academy was the military school's first GHSA playoff victory. Riverside had won a state title in 2005 in the Georgia Independent School Association. Jordan Battles rushed for 200 yards in that game. Battles, also a defensive back with 68 tackles, was rarely used on offense until breaking loose for 165 yards rushing in a loss to Prince Avenue Christian the week before. Fellowship, ranked No. 7, has the Class A private division's second-leading rusher, sophomore Murphy Reeves, who has run for 1,702 yards and 18 touchdowns. 
Next: No. 18 Hebron Christian-No. 2 Savannah Christian winner.

No. 18 Hebron Christian (6-5) at No. 2 Savannah Christian (9-1): Hebron Christian, coached by former NFL player Jeff Saturday, won its first playoff game in history last week, a 20-10 victory over ninth-ranked Mount Paran Christian. Freshman RB Ethan Burroughs rushed for 134 yards. Hebron is typically more of a passing team, though. Sophomore QB Colten Gauthier has thrown for 1,915 yards and 19 touchdowns. Savannah Christian, ranked No. 4, hasn't lost since a 20-7 decision to Athens Academy in the opener. The Raiders' best all-around player is Nate Moon, who has rushed for a team-leading 810 yards and 11 touchdowns and has a team-leading 89 solo tackles, 15 for losses. 
Next: No. 23 Riverside Military Academy-No. 7 Fellowship Christian winner.

Lower Right Bracket

No. 11 Aquinas (9-2) at No. 6 Darlington (8-2): This is a rematch of a 2017 playoff game won by Darlington 33-14. This season, Aquinas advanced in the first round with 30-14 victory over Stratford Academy after losing to Stratford 17-14 the week prior. QB J.P. Lambert rushed for 126 yards. Aquinas is a run-focused team led by Lambert (706 yards rushing, 937 passing) and backs Kam Brinson (832 yards rushing) and Ashlon Williams (717 rushing). Darlington started out as a passing team but lost star QB Griffin Brewster for the season early with an injury. Kolin Rogers has emerged as the go-to guy on offense. He has rushed for 1,247 yards behind an outstanding offensive line that incudes four-star OT recruit Tate Ratledge.
Next: No. 14 Trinity Christian-No. 3 Eagle's Landing Christian winner.

No. 14 Trinity Christian (8-3) at No. 3 Eagle's Landing Christian (10-1): Trinity Christian, of Sharpsburg in Coweta County, is a new GHSA team this season. The Lions were the Class AAA runner-up in the Georgia Independent School Association last season. Zach Jones has rushed for 1,005 yards for a team that gets 70 percent of its offense on the ground. ELCA, the three-time Class A private-school champion, defeated Trinity 61-0 on Sept. 21. ELCA's only loss came against Pace Academy, a Class AA school, and has won 36 straight against Class A opponents. Keaton Mitchell has rushed for 1,753 yards, the most in the Class A private-school division. 
Next: No. 11 Aquinas-No. 6 Darlington winner.

PUBLIC

Upper Left Bracket 

No. 9 Commerce (9-2) at No. 8 Mitchell County (8-2): Commerce is in the second round for the fifth consecutive season after beating Seminole County 42-6 last week. Thirteen Commerce players had rushing attempts against Seminole, none with more than three carries or 46 yards. Similarly, their leaders for the season are Nate Ray (89 carries, 661 yards), Sam Roach (116-574), DaJuan Wood (60-518) and Caleb Mason (55-491). The Tigers average 293 yard rushing and 50.6 passing. No. 8 seed Mitchell County (the top four seeds received byes) was a quarterfinalist last year and finished as the runner-up to Pelham in Region 1 this season. Junior QB James Thomas averages about 105 yards passing and 65 yards rushing.
Next: No. 16 Miller County-No. 1 Irwin County winner.

No. 16 Miller County (7-3) at No. 1 Irwin County (10-0): Miller County's 13-6 victory over Turner County last week put the Pirates in the second round for the second time in three seasons, but they haven't advanced further since 2008. Miller County runs the ball about 85 percent of the time, and most of the workload goes to 1,000-yard rusher Chris Stovall and Janorris Byrd. No. 1 seed Irwin County reached state final in three of the past four seasons but is still seeking its first state title since 1975. The Indians are No. 2 among Class A public schools in scoring (43.8) and scoring defense (8.0). D.J. Lundy (100 carries, 1,217 yards, 22 TDs), Jamal Paulk (76-654-8) and Jay Stanley (55-573-6) provide the bulk of the Indians' 317.6 yards per game on the ground.
Next: No. 9 Commerce-No. 8 Mitchell County winner.

Lower Left Bracket

No. 12 Chattahoochee County (8-3) at No. 6 Greene County (8-2): Chattahoochee County is in the second round for only the second time in the program's 13-year history after beating Macon County 22-12 last week. Brandon Thomas ran for 66 yards and a touchdown on just four carries. The Panthers attempted just two passes, one of which went for a 36-yard touchdown from Trevor Erickson to Kyjuan Harris. No. 5 seed Greene County is a region champion for the first time since 2005 and trying to reach its second quarterfinal in three years. C'darius Kelly is 117-of-195 passing for 1,449 yards and is the team's leading rusher with 930 yards and 19 touchdowns on 112 carries. Dmyron West has run for 673 yards and eight TDs.
Next: No. 13 Emanuel County Institute-No. 4 Pelham winner.

No. 13 Emanuel County Institute (7-4) at No. 4 Pelham (10-0): ECI has lost in the semifinals each of the past three seasons. Last week, the Bulldogs pulled away from Manchester for a 42-20 win. Eric Dixon (1,842 yards, 25 touchdowns rushing for the season) ran for 193 yards and four TDs. The Bulldogs didn't attempt a pass. No. 4 seed Pelham is 10-0 for the first time in school history. The Hornets are the highest-scoring team in the state (54.5 points per game) and No. 1 among Class A public schools in scoring defense (7.2). Kendrick Patterson rushed for a season-high 132 yards, intercepted three passes and forced a fumble in a Region 1-clinching 34-13 victory over Mitchell County two weeks ago.
Next: No. 12 Chattahoochee County-No. 6 Greene County winner.

Upper Right Bracket

No. 10 Trion (8-3) at No. 7 Schley County (8-2): Trion broke a two-year first-round losing streak with a 20-19 victory over Wilcox County last week. The Bulldogs trailed 19-7 late in the third quarter and took the lead with 6:52 to play, but the win wasn't secure until Wilcox missed a 29-yard field goal in the closing seconds. Hagen Willingham (1,279 yards rushing in the regular season) ran for 153 yards. No. 7 Schley County has never been beyond the second round in the program's 19-year history. The Wildcats average 274.3 yards rushing and 60.0 passing. The leading rushers Tra Sampson (187-1,125 yards-14) and Zamon Ross (108-809-13). Sampson ran for 90 yards in a 21-6 Region 4 championship-game loss to Marion County two weeks ago.
Next: No. 18 Montgomery County-No. 2 Marion County winner.

No. 18 Montgomery County (8-3) at No. 2 Marion County (10-0): Montgomery County, the No. 18 seed, was the only lower-seeded public-school team to win last week. In a 31-12 first-round victory over Claxton, DaQuan Jackson had four total tackles, blocked a kick, forced a fumble, recovered two fumbles, returned an interception 33 yards for a TD, returned a kickoff 41 yards, and rushed for 159 yards and two TDs (67 and 29 yards). Marion County is the No. 2 seed after winning the Region 4 title for the sixth time in nine years. Travon Matthews has rushed for 1,400 yards and 24 TDs. QB Trice McCannon has passed for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for 823 yards. Marion averages 40.4 points and 424.8 yards per game.
Next: No. 10 Trion-No. 7 Schley County winner.

Lower Right Bracket

No. 11 Charlton County (8-3) at No. 6 Clinch County (9-1): This renewal of the Swamp War rivalry is a rematch of their Oct. 26 game, which No. 6 seed Clinch County won 40-14 to even the all-time series 28-28-1. Tyler Morehead rushed for 130 yards in that game. He leads the Panthers in rushing yards (804) and passing yards (193). Georgia commit Trezmen Marshall has 661 yards rushing, 188 yards passing and a team-leading 49 tackles. Charlton County advanced with a 38-0 victory over Taylor County last week. Michael Elliott rushed for 144 yards on six carries and had touchdown runs of 45 and 72 yards. Raykwon Anderson also scored two touchdowns. Clinch has won four straight in the series after losing 16 of the previous 20.
Next: No. 14 Dooly County-No. 3 Mount Zion-Carroll winner.

No. 14 Dooly County (7-4) at No. 3 Mount Zion-Carroll (9-1): Dooly County beat Hancock Central 28-14 last week and is trying to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. Reggie Smith had 103 yards rushing, 57 passing and 38 receiving against Hancock. Three-star recruit Bo Lawson leads the Bobcats in passing yards (1,711) and rushing yards (1,216) and has had a hand in 34 touchdowns. No. 3 seed Mount Zion, a semifinalist in 2017, beat Fellowship Christian 20-7 two weeks ago in the 6-A championship game to win its first region title since 1996. Iaan Cousin was 6-of-10 passing for 122 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 51 yards. Case Jiles and Breon Henderson intercepted passes in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Next: No. 11 Charlton County-No. 6 Clinch County winner