Here’s what to look for during the first week of the high school football playoffs.
Class AAAAAA
Lassiter was 10-0 and ranked No. 1 last season when beaten in the first round by Brookwood. A year later, Lassiter is a region champion again, but this time it will be a surprise to many if Lassiter advances past the first round.
Peachtree Ridge is the opponent. Both teams are 7-3, but Lassiter’s Region 5 doesn’t get nearly the respect of Peachtree Ridge’s Region 7, which has three of its teams (No. 1 North Gwinnett, No. 5 Norcross and No. 7 Collins Hill) in the Top 10.
If the computer Maxwell Ratings are correct, Region 7 will sweep the four games against Region 5 on Friday — Peachtree Ridge over Lassiter by six, North Gwinnett over Milton by 18, Collins Hill over Walton by 19 and Norcross over Etowah by 24.
Here is a look at the other region-to-region matchups in the first round:
- Region 1 is heavily favored in three games against Region 3 (Camden County over Westlake, Colquitt County over Newnan, Lowndes over East Coweta), but the Hughes-Valdosta game is one of the more intriguing of the week. Region 3 champ Hughes has won nine consecutive games, but without a signature victory. Valdosta has lost four of its past six, including 38-17 last week against non-qualifier Coffee.
- Region 4 is heavily favored in three games against Region 2 (North Cobb over Luella, Hillgrove over Alcovy, McEachern over Newton). Region 4's No. 4 seed, Marietta, plays Region 2 champion Lovejoy. A year ago, Marietta stunned sixth-ranked Lowndes in the first round. This year, Lovejoy is ranked No. 6.
Class AAAAA
- The best matchup of regions in the first round is the one between 6-AAAAA and 8-AAAAA. Defending state champion Gainesville (R8) faces an M.L. King (R6) team that went 11-1 and reached the second round last year. Top-ranked Tucker (R6) meets a Heritage-Conyers (R8) team making a school-record fourth consecutive playoff appearance. Stephenson (R6) and its opponent, Flowery Branch (R8), both spent time in the Top 10 this season. And Clarke Central (R8) and Mays (R6) will be meeting in the playoffs for the third time in five seasons.
- The health of Thomas County Central quarterback Adam Choice will be a big factor in the Yellow Jackets' game at Richmond Hill. Choice ran for 258 yards and broke the school record for career rushing yards in a loss to Harris County last week, but left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, and his availability for this week remains uncertain. If Choice is unable to play, look for the Yellow Jackets to replace him at quarterback with Deondre Cooksey, who has 1,138 yards rushing at running back this season.
- McIntosh has not played a postseason game since 1987 and has never appeared in the state playoffs. The Chiefs won a school-record eight games this season and finished as the No. 3 seed in Region 4. They'll face a tough test when they travel to Northside-Warner Robins.
Class AAAA
- No. 1 Sandy Creek begins its playoff defense with an intriguing matchup against running back Nick Chubb and Cedartown. Chubb has rushed for 2,612 yards and 40 touchdowns this season. "He reminds you of Alabama tailbacks the way he runs and how physical he is," said Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker, who coached Chubb last season in the Junior Bowl, which features rising seniors. "He can do a little bit of everything, run with power, run with speed; he'll make you miss. He's just a big old running back and a really, really good player." The Patriots have won three of the past four state championships in their classification and enter the playoffs on a 25-game unbeaten streak. Sandy Creek would meet No. 2 Griffin in the state quarterfinals if both teams advance.
- Three AAAA teams will make their first trip to the playoffs: Lanier, Locust Grove and Veterans. Veterans, the top seed from Region 2, will host Locust Grove in the first round. Lanier, the third seed from Region 8, will open against Carver-Atlanta.
- There are four ranked teams in the bottom-right portion of the AAAA bracket, the most of any of the quadrants: No. 3 Monroe Area, No. 4 Carrollton, No. 9 Stockbridge and No. 10 Westover. With first-round victories, Monroe Area and Carrollton would meet in the second round. The Purple Hurricanes open against Banneker. The Trojans host Northwest Whitfield on Friday. … Seventh-ranked Wayne County is the only ranked team in it quadrant (bottom-left) of the bracket.
Class AAA
- If you're looking for a game that features two of the best athletes in the state, look no further than the first-round match between North Oconee and Woodward Academy. The game provides a spotlight for North Oconee's Kawon Bryant and Woodward Academy's Terry Googer and may offer the best game in the opening week of the playoffs. North Oconee (7-3) finished third in Region 7-AAA. Woodward Academy (8-2) is the second seed from Region 5, relegated to second place because of a loss to Blessed Trinity.
- St. Pius plays at Hart County in a rematch of last year's second-round game, which St. Pius won 31-15. This will be the second meeting between the two teams. Hart County (9-1) has thrived again in the second term of coach William DeVane, who was 38-3 in his first stop at the school. St. Pius has (7-3) done a nice job building on last year's trip to the Class AAA final. Joey Connors has stepped in at quarterback and done a nice job running the option.
- Cedar Grove is one of the best 6-4 teams in the state, but the Saints will have a tough time winning at the Granite Bowl against Elbert County. All four of their losses have come against ranked teams, including close setbacks the past two weeks against Blessed Trinity and Woodward Academy. The two teams have never played.
Class AA
- For three AA teams, the postseason began earlier this week. In Region 1, Cook, Early County and Fitzgerald each ended the regular season in a three-way tie for the final two playoff spots. As a result, those teams played a "Mini-Playoff Game" on Monday at Worth County to determine which two teams moved on. Fitzgerald beat Cook 3-0 in the first half, and Cook defeated Early County 7-0 in the second half. Fitzgerald earned the No. 3 seed because it defeated Cook in the regular season, and Cook took the No. 4 seed. Cook will travel to Laney, the No. 1 seed from Region 3; Fitzgerald travels to Region 3's No. 2 seed, Dublin.
- The No. 1 seeds are Brooks County (Region 1), Benedictine (2), Laney (3), Lamar County (4), Heard County (5), Lovett (6), Calhoun (7) and Washington-Wilkes (8). Between them, there are 10 state champions — the most recent being Calhoun in 2011. Calhoun also won in '52. Brooks County ('94), Lovett ('70), Washington-Wilkes ('67, '66, '63, '60) and Laney ('66, '61) are the other champions, according to GHSFHA.org.
- Calhoun has reached the championship game the past five seasons and won one title in that span. Lamar County is the state's No. 1-ranked team and seeks the first state title in school history. Trojans' coach Franklin Stephens is in his second year with the program after leaving Tucker, where he brought the Tigers the first two state titles in their school's history.
Class A
Public
No. 12 Emanuel County Institute (6-4) at No. 5 Johnson County (9-1): Johnson County walloped defending public-school champion ECI 65-29 Oct. 28. Johnson County quarterback Markel Horne rushed for 330 yards and scored six touchdowns on 16 carries to lead the charge. At the time both teams were ranked in the top 10 — Johnson County at No. 5, ECI at No. 8.
Private
No. 9 Christian Heritage (5-5) at No. 8 Darlington (8-2): Like Johnson County and ECI, these two teams are in the same subregion, Region 6, Division A. Darlington won the game 18-14 on Oct. 11, after scoring 15 consecutive points in the second half.
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