Here’s what to look for this weekend in each of the Class AAAAA quarterfinals:
*Houston County at Allatoona: This will be the classic matchup between a passing team and a running team. Houston County averages 317.3 yards per game from a passing attack led by quarterback Jake Fromm, an Alabama commitment who has thrown for 3,728 yards and 34 touchdowns. Allatoona averages almost 300 yards per game on the ground, but the Buccaneers have been without leading rusher Russell Halimon for most of the past two games after he was injured early in a first-round victory against Winder-Barrow. Halimon, an Arizona commitment who has rushed for 1,543 yards, is questionable this week. In his absence, Brandon Archibald (182 yards vs. Winder-Barrow) and Charles Anderson (101 yards vs. Starr's Mill) have had 100-yard games.
*Kell at Northgate: Northgate has the top defense in AAAAA, allowing just 7.8 points per game. Kell is No. 2 among the remaining teams, giving up 11.5 per game, but the Longhorns will face a big test from a Northgate offense that averages 40.5 points and has scored 85 points in two playoff games. Northgate, like so many of the Region 4 teams, has an outstanding running back. Ton Evans ran for 194 and three touchdowns in a 41-21 victory over Region 8 champion Lanier last week. Kell is primarily a running team, led by Josiah Futral (845 yards) and Dre Houston (535). Shamaar Bennett scored on a 97-yard rumble return against Coffee last week.
*Drew at Ware County: No. 4 seed Drew and third-seeded Ware are the only teams left in the AAAAA field that were not one of the top two teams from their regions. Drew has bulldozed its way into the quarterfinals, averaging 62 points in victories over Carver-Columbus and South Paulding. Quarterback Joseph Newman and running back Quarderman Sloan have led the Titans to a school-record nine victories and the first playoff victories in program history. Ware County, which runs the ball about 80 percent of the time, was a preseason favorite in Region 3 but fell to third place after back-to-back losses to Glynn Academy and Effingham County.
*Glynn Academy at Stockbridge: Glynn Academy was a bit under the radar in a Region 3 that includes high-profile teams Coffee and Ware County, but the Red Terrors are in the quarterfinals for the second time in two years under former Walton coach Rocky Hidalgo. Stockbridge is ranked No. 1, the only unbeaten team and one of three remaining region champions (Houston County and Allatoona are the others). Jalen Holston rushed for 292 yards and four touchdowns in a 40-34 overtime victory against Gainesville last week. Quarterback Malachi Brown passed for 64 yards and ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner.
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