3 regions put 5 teams into second round; 4 put none
Three regions qualified five teams for the second round of the GHSA football playoffs, and four others went undefeated in the first round.
The regions with five second-round teams are Region 5-3A (Holy Innocents’, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, Lovett, North Cobb Christian, Wesleyan); Region 2-2A (ACE Charter, Bleckley County, Dodge County, Dublin, Swainsboro); and Region 6-2A (Bremen, Darlington, Heard County, Model, Pepperell).
Only Region 2-2A has five teams still alive in the same playoff classification. The Class 4A-2A Private playoffs have Darlington from 6-2A and Holy Innocents’, Lovett, North Cobb Christian and Wesleyan from 5-3A.
All three of those regions had other region members that lost games, each time against a Top 10 opponent. Region 2-2A and Region 5-3A went 5-2 while Region 6-2A went 5-1.
Going 3-0 in the first round were Region 2-7A (Carrollton, East Coweta, Westlake), Region 7-6A (Gainesville, Milton, Roswell) and Region 6-A (Macon County, Schley County, Taylor County).
Going 2-0 was Region 5-6A (East Paulding, New Manchester).
This is the first season in GHSA playoff history that teams finishing in the top four from their regions were not guaranteed playoff berths. The GHSA now uses a computer rankings model to pick and seed teams in all eight classes.
Here are the playoff teams remaining from each region.
Class 7A
- Region 1 (Four: Colquitt County, Lowndes, Richmond Hill, Valdosta)
- Region 2 (Three: Carrollton, East Coweta, Westlake)
- Region 3 (One: McEachern)
- Region 4 (Three: Archer, Grayson, Newton)
- Region 5 (None)
- Region 6 (None)
- Region 7 (Four: Brookwood, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge)
- Region 8 (One: Buford)
Class 6A
- Region 1 (One: Bradwell Institute)
- Region 2 (Three: Coffee, Lee County, Thomas County Central)
- Region 3 (Three: Creekside, Newnan, Woodward Academy)
- Region 4 (None)
- Region 5 (Two: East Paulding, New Manchester)
- Region 6 (Two: Kell, Sequoyah)
- Region 7 (Three: Gainesville, Milton, Roswell)
- Region 8 (Two: Clarke Central, Jackson County)
Class 5A
- Region 1 (Three: Benedictine, Richmond Academy, Ware County)
- Region 2 (None)
- Region 3 (Two: Central (Carrollton), LaGrange)
- Region 4 (One: Stockbridge)
- Region 5 (Two: Lithonia, Tucker)
- Region 6 (Three: Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Marist)
- Region 7 (Three: Cartersville, Cass, Dalton)
- Region 8 (Two: Jefferson, North Oconee)
Class 4A
- Region 1 (Two: Cairo, Dougherty)
- Region 2 (Four: Baldwin, Mary Persons, Peach County, Troup)
- Region 3 (One: West Laurens)
- Region 4 (Two: Hampton, Sandy Creek)
- Region 5 (Three: Douglass, Greater Atlanta Christian, Stephenson)
- Region 6 (Two: North Hall, White County)
- Region 7 (Two: Calhoun, Northwest Whitfield)
- Region 8 (One: Monroe Area)
Class 3A
- Region 1 (One: Carver (Columbus))
- Region 2 (Three: Callaway, Lamar County, Northeast)
- Region 3 (Three: Appling County, Pierce County, Toombs County)
- Region 4 (One: Hephzibah)
- Region 5 (Five: Holy Innocents’, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, Lovett, North Cobb Christian, Wesleyan)
- Region 6 (Two: Columbia, Hapeville Charter)
- Region 7 (Two: North Murray, Rockmart)
- Region 8 (Four: Hart County, Hebron Christian, Lumpkin County, Stephens County)
Class 2A
- Region 1 (Four: Cook, Fitzgerald, Jeff Davis, Thomasville)
- Region 2 (Five: ACE Charter, Bleckley County, Dodge County, Dublin, Swainsboro)
- Region 3 (Two: Calvary Day, Savannah Christian)
- Region 4 (Three: Aquinas, Laney, Social Circle)
- Region 5 (One: Whitefield Academy)
- Region 6 (Five: Bremen, Darlington, Heard County, Model, Pepperell)
- Region 7 (One: Christian Heritage)
- Region 8 (Two: Commerce, Prince Avenue Christian)
- Region 9 (Three: Fellowship Christian, King’s Ridge Christian, Mount Vernon)
Class A
- Region 1 (One: Randolph-Clay)
- Region 2 (Three: Charlton County, Clinch County, Mitchell County)
- Region 3 (Two: Emanuel County Institute, Portal)
- Region 4 (One: Treutlen)
- Region 5 (One: Johnson County)
- Region 6 (Three: Macon County, Schley County, Taylor County)
- Region 7 (Two: Bowdon, Trion)
- Region 8 (Three: Lincoln County, Warren County, Washington-Wilkes)