When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Ray Manus Stadium, Roswell
Records, rankings: Camden County is 10-1, the No. 2 seed from Region 1-AAAAAA and No. 8; Roswell is 11-0, the No. 1 seed from 5-AAAAAA and No. 3.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Both teams are under third-year coaches - Welton Coffey at Camden County and John Ford at Roswell. Camden has bounced back from a 5-5 finish that broke a 13-year string of 10-win seasons. Roswell has ascended steadily since its 0-10 finish in 2011, from 3-7, 4-6 and 8-4 to now 11-0. 2. Roswell is a balanced team with a 1,000-yard rusher (Sheldon Evans) and 2,000-yard passer (Quintarius Neely). The defense is full of major college recruits. Linebackers Tre Lamar (Clemson) and Tyrone Hopper (North Carolina) are going to ACC schools. DB Xavier McKinney is committed to Alabama, and CB DeAnthony Williams Jr. reportedly favors an offer from Auburn. 3. Camden traditionally is a running team, and this season is no different. Harrison Poole rushed for 149 yards in a 38-17 victory over Hillgrove last week. Brandon McMaster had 98 yards. Both have right at 750 yards rushing on the year. DE DeAndre Gardenhire picked up his 16th sack of the season in the Hillgrove game.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Roswell by 11
Winner plays: Collins Hill/Newton winner
Collins Hill at Newton
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Homer Sharp Stadium, Covington
Records, rankings: Collins Hill is 6-5, the No. 3 seed from Region 7-AAAAAA and unranked; Newton is 9-2, the No. 1 seed from 2-AAAAAA and unranked.
Last meeting: Collins Hill won 35-14 in 1997.
Three things to know: 1. Collins Hill QB Drew Dinsmore was 20-of-36 passing for 297 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-13 victory over Lambert in the first round. He left the game in the third quarter because of a shoulder injury, and his status is uncertain. Collins Hill also got 108 yards rushing from Jeremy Lewis. 2. Newton QB Romario Johnson is a three-year starter who has passed for 6,200 career yards, rushed for 1,862 and led his school to its first playoff victories (2014) and region title (2015) since 1987. Newton also has a 1,000-yard rusher, Kurt Thomas. Linebackers Jeremiah Bundrage and Jaquan Henderson are the leaders in tackles on a team that four shutouts. 3. Both teams have multiple Division I prospects on defense. Collins Hill DE Tomon Fox, a four-star recruit, has committed to North Carolina. Others are LB Robert Snyder (Virginia) and LB Emmanuel Belmar (Virginia Tech) of Collins Hill and DB Jacobi Francis (Memphis) and DB Tay Gowan (Miami, Ohio) of Newton.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Even
Winner plays: Camden County/Roswell winner
Valdosta at Grayson
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Grayson Community Stadium, Grayson
Records, rankings: Valdosta is 8-3, the No. 3 seed from Region 1-AAAAAA and No. 10; Grayson is 11-0, the No. 1 seed from 8-AAAAAA and No. 2.
Last meeting: Grayson won 22-0 in the 2010 Class AAAAA quarterfinals.
Three things to know: 1. Valdosta trailed North Cobb 10-0 last week but won 21-17 after a 92-yard, 20-play drive in the final four minutes. Valdosta also scored on a 55-yard interception return (Jeremiah Williams) and an 89-yard punt return (Jayce Rogers). QB Seth Shuman (199-of-341 passing, 2,800 yards) is Region 1's leading passer. 2. Until the win against North Cobb, Valdosta had lost five consecutive playoff games, a streak that started in 2010 with the quarterfinal loss to Grayson. The Rams, led then by sophomore defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, would lose in the semifinals but win their first state title the next season with the same nucleus. 3. Grayson has shown no real weaknesses. RB Cameryn Brent is a 1,000-yard rusher who ran for 186 in the first round, a 38-10 victory over Wheeler. QB Chase Brice has thrown for 2,194 yards while completing 66.7 of his attempts. Wheeler was only the second team to reach 100 yards rushing in a game against the Rams. DE Mykelle McDaniel, who has several SEC offers, had 2.5 tackles for 11 yards in losses.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Grayson by 30
Winner plays: Peachtree Ridge/Westlake winner
Peachtree Ridge at Westlake
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Westlake Stadium, College Park
Records, rankings: Peachtree Ridge is 8-3, the No. 2 seed from Region 7-AAAAAA and No. 6; Westlake is 9-2, the No. 1 seed from 3-AAAAAA and unranked.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Peachtree Ridge and Westlake are both nicknamed the Lions. They won easily in the first round. Peachtree Ridge led West Forsyth 37-3 at halftime in a 51-3 victory. Westlake beat Lakeside of Atlanta 76-20. That's the most points ever scored in a playoff game in the highest classification. QB Malik Willis was 6-of-6 passing for 162 yards and four touchdowns before being pulled midway through the second quarter. It was Westlake's second playoff victory since 2006. 2. Westlake's Willis was moved from receiver to quarterback at midseason and has two 100-yard rushing games. Westlake gets two-thirds of its total yards on the ground. Marquez Burdette is the leading rusher (689 yards). DB Ronnie Blackmon (Colorado) is the team's top recruit. 3. Peachtree Ridge has a conservative offense. Running backs Malik Staples and Marquez Jackson each have 100-yard rushing games, but there is no big-yardage player overall. Peachtree Ridge has intercepted 19 passes, and only four opponents have scored more than seven points. Peachtree Ridge has scored 10 touchdowns on returns.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Peachtree Ridge by 25
Winner plays: Valdosta/Grayson winner
Central Gwinnett at Colquitt County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Mack Tharpe Memorial Stadium, Moultrie
Records, rankings: Central Gwinnett is 7-4, the No. 3 seed from Region 8-AAAAAA and unranked; Colquitt County is 11-0, the No. 1 seed from 1-AAAAAA and No. 1.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Central Gwinnett QB Micah Maxey threw seven TD passes - three each to Erron Price and Major Bellamy - in a 49-20 victory over ninth-ranked Walton in the first round. That was one TD pass short of Hutson Mason's playoff state record. It was the second consecutive season in which Central scored a major upset in the first round. In 2014, Central knocked out fifth-ranked North Gwinnett. 2. Central gets more than 70 percent of its yards through the air. Bellamy (71 catches, 1,224 yards) has been Gwinnett County's leading receiver the past two seasons. Maxey has thrown for 2,551 yards (430 last week) and 28 touchdowns. OT Tony Gray, the consensus No. 14 junior in Georgia, is the team's top prospect. 3. Under coach Rush Propst, Colquitt County is 8-0 in home playoff games while averaging 44.9 points. In a 48-16 victory over North Paulding in the first round, Chase Parrish was 17-of-24 passing for 253 yards and four touchdowns (giving him a TD pass in 26 consecutive games). Kiel Pollard, probably Colquitt's best all-around player, had seven catches for 110 yards. He has scored 21 touchdowns, several near the goal line taking a direct snap.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Colquitt County by 27
Winner plays: Tucker/South Forsyth winner
Tucker at South Forsyth
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, War Eagle Stadium, Cumming
Records, rankings: Tucker is 8-3, the No. 2 seed from Region 2-AAAAAA and unranked; South Forsyth is 10-1, the No. 1 seed from 6-AAAAAA and unranked.
Last meeting: Tucker won 20-17 in 2003.
Three things to know: 1. South Forsyth's 20-14 victory over Norcross last week was the school's first playoff win since 2003. His team trailing 14-12, South Forsyth's Cameron Kline returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown. Tucker won its eighth consecutive first-round game. Tucker is 6-1 in second-round games in that time, losing only to Sandy Creek in 2009. 2. South Forsyth averages 219.9 yards rushing and 188.0 passing per game. Sam Outlaw rushed for 118 yards against Norcross and went over 1,000 for the season (1,007). Davis Shanley has thrown for 1,993 yards and 21 touchdowns. FS Curtis Roach had 10 solo tackles, three for losses, and intercepted a pass against Norcross. 3. Tucker averages 304 yards rushing per game. Chris Broadwater (12 carries, 100 yards) and Myles Donaldson (5 carries, 131 yards) each broke 100 in the 38-28 victory over Hughes. Broadwater has 1,097 yards on the season. Tucker's top two tacklers, DE Antonio Showers and LB Gerry Vaughn, are sophomores.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: South Forsyth by 11
Winner plays: Central Gwinnett/Colquitt County winner
Archer at McEachern
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Walter H. Cantrell Stadium, Powder Springs
Records, rankings: Archer is 10-1, the No. 2 seed from Region 8-AAAAAA and No. 4; McEachern is 10-1, the No. 1 seed from 4-AAAAAA and No. 7.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Both teams were eliminated in the 2014 playoffs by eventual champion Colquitt County - McEachern in the semifinals, Archer in the final. Archer was ranked No. 1 and McEachern No. 2 in preseason. Both suffered their only defeats this season on Sept. 11. Archer fell to No. 2 Grayson 26-24. McEachern was beaten by No. 6 Peachtree Ridge 9-6. 2. In McEachern's 34-11 victory over Lowndes in the first round, RB Sam Jackson rushed for 172 yards (giving him 1,462 on the season) and Bailey Hockman passed for 172 (1,894 on the season). McEachern had 11 tackles for losses and held Lowndes to 138 yards of total offense. 3. Archer led 40-0 at halftime in its 40-17 victory over Etowah last week. RB/DB Jamyest Williams returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown, and DB/WR Dylan Singleton had two TD receptions. Williams, a 1,000-yard rusher, also threw a 50-yard pass to Singleton. Will Bearden (126-of-180 passing, 2,211 yards, 19 touchdowns) is one of the state's most efficient quarterbacks.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Archer by 10
Winner plays: Newnan/Mill Creek winner
Newnan at Mill Creek
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Markham Field at Mill Creek Community Stadium, Hochston
Records, rankings: Newnan is 9-2, the No. 2 seed from Region 3-AAAAAA and unranked; Mill Creek is 11-0, the No. 1 seed from 7-AAAAAA and No. 5.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Both teams won their first playoff games since 2012 last week. Mill Creek went on to make the quarterfinals that year. Newnan last made it that far in 2010. Newnan is 3-3 in road playoff games under coach Mike McDonald. 2. Mill Creek allowed only 67 yards in total offense to Northview in its 46-13 victory last week. Northview scored on a blocked field goal and long pass when the game was decided. Mill Creek's offense is balanced. QB Cameron Turley is 123-of-215 for 1,730 yards and 13 touchdowns. Joe Thomas and Daniel Leconte each have 100-yard rushing games. 3. Newnan CB K.D. Satterwhite has intercepted eight passes, and he returned one for a touchdown in a 34-3 victory over Lovejoy in the first round. Other players to watch for Newnan are 1,000-yard rusher Marquis Hill and Georgia Tech-committed LB Emanuel Bridges. Junior QB Chancellor Johnson has an offer from Louisville.
Maxwell Ratings' projection: Mill Creek by 35
Winner plays: Archer/McEachern winner
Coming Tuesday: Class AAAAA
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