Next week:
Colquitt County @ Mill Creek
Roswell @ Grayson
This could be the best final four in the modern history of the highest classification - No. 1 Colquitt County, No. 2 Grayson, No. 3 Roswell and No. 5 Mill Creek, all 13-0.
Check this out, courtesy of Loren Maxwell's query of the GHSFHA's database:
These are the only four times that four undefeated teams have made the semifinals. Note that in the case of the first two, a couple of teams went straight to the semis from the regular season.
1954 B: Claxton (10-0), Mitchell County (11-0), Model (11-0), Thomson (11-0)
1960 AAA: Avondale (11-0), North Fulton (11-0), Richmond Academy (10-0), Valdosta (10-0)
1995 A: Buford (13-0), Lincoln County (13-0), Macon County (13-0), Manchester (13-0)
2015 AAAAAA: Colquitt County (13-0), Grayson (13-0), Mill Creek (13-0), Roswell (13-0)
Of course, the top three in AAAAAA struggled Friday in tight games against unranked opponents that many expected them to blow out.
No. 1 Colquitt County trailed in the fourth quarter but defeated South Forsyth 49-31. No. 2 Grayson beat Westlake 35-28. No. 3 Roswell beat Collins Hill 17-10.
Meanwhile, No. 5 Mill Creek blew out No. 4 Archer 23-0 in the one AAAAAA quarterfinal that everyone expected to be tight. Mill Creek, which opened in 2004, advanced to its first semifinal.
Remember that in 2014, the semifinalists had plenty of battle scars. Only Colquitt County (13-0) was ranked. The others were McEachern (10-3), Archer (10-3) and Etowah (11-2).
The last time that the final four in the highest class had four top-five teams was 2005. Then, it was No. 2 Brookwood, No. 3 Lowndes, No. 4 Stephenson and No. 5 Dacula. Only two of those teams were undefeated.
The only other time the final hour has had four top-five teams was 1986 - No. 1 Valdosta, No. 2 LaGrange, No. 3 Clarke Central and No. 4 Bradwell Institute. Three were undefeated, but LaGrange had been unbeaten.
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