Six games this week match teams that are undefeated in region play going head to head for region championships, and three more of those matchups will decide subregion titles. It’s likely that none is bigger than the 5-AAAA matchup between top-ranked Sandy Creek and No. 2 Carrollton. Here’s a look at the nine games this week that will determine those championships.
*Sandy Creek at Carrollton (5-AAAA): Sandy Creek easily handled Carrollton last season on its way to a 15-0 record and the Class AAAA championship. But Carrollton has perhaps its most talented team in years, and I look for the Trojans to hand Sandy Creek its first loss since a quarterfinal loss to Gainesville in the 2011 playoffs. Comparing scores can be risky, but Carrollton has outscored the teams’ four common opponents by 40.5 points per game, while Sandy Creek has beaten those same teams by an average of 28.75.
*Veterans at Mary Persons (2-AAAA): Fourth-year program Veterans is seeking its first region title after going 9-21 in its first three seasons. Mary Persons has won 15 region titles but none since 1997. I expect the Bulldogs to end that drought this week. Veterans’ first trip to the playoffs in school history will be as a No. 2 seed, which will give the Warhawks a home game in the first round.
*Chestatee Monroe Area (8-AAAA): Monroe Area will be without five starters, including star quarterback Stanton Truitt, as a result of an altercation in the Purple Hurricanes’ game last week. But Monroe Area will have 1,000-yard rusher Kwan Brooks, and that should be enough for a victory. Truitt missed last year’s game against Chestatee with an injury, and Monroe Area won that one too.
*Peach County at Carver-Columbus (2-AAA): Peach County has won seven region titles in the past 10 year and Carver has won six, so it’s no surprise that they’re fighting for the championship again this season. Carver beat Peach County last year for the first time in five all-time meetings to win the 2-AAA title, and I expect the Tigers to extend that streak to two this week.
*Laney at Dublin (3-AA): Dublin finished 2-8 last year in its worst season since 1990, but the Fighting Irish are back this year and in position to win their seventh region title in 11 seasons. Laney hasn’t had a losing record since 1999 but hasn’t won a region title since 2004. Look for Laney to break that drought with a high-scoring but close victory against the Irish on Friday.
*Calhoun at Model (7-AA): Calhoun has won 12 consecutive region championships, tied with Class AAAAAA Camden County for the state’s longest current streaks and second in state history to Lincoln County’s 17. Camden County will perhaps get its shot at No. 13 next week, but look for Calhoun to extend its streak on Friday by beating a Model team that hasn’t won a region title since 1979.
*In the races for the subregion titles, go with Statesboro over Wayne County to set up a meeting with Burke County in next week’s 3-AAAA championship game; Grady over Carver-Atlanta for the right to meet Marist in the 6-AAAA final; and Cedartown over Gilmer to set up a battle with Dalton in the 7-AAAA final. Burke County, Marist and Dalton are all undefeated in subregion play, as well.
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 162-29 (.848); Overall: 1,322-312 (.809)
THURSDAY
Winner##Loser
Brantley County##Savannah
Crisp County##Albany
Houston County##Jones County
Kendrick##Jordan
FRIDAY
Adairsville##Gordon Central
Alcovy##Rockdale County
Alexander##Columbus
Allatoona##North Paulding
Alpharetta##Centennial
Americus-Sumter##Dougherty
Aquinas##Georgia Military
Archer##Grayson
Athens Academy##Hebron Christian
B.E.S.T. Academy##Rockmart
Bacon County##Atkinson County
Baldwin##West Laurens
Benedictine##Jeff Davis
Bleckley County##Monticello
Bremen##Temple
Brookstone##Central-Talbotton
Brookwood##South Gwinnett
Bryan County##Metter
Buford##East Hall
Burke County##Butler
Cairo##Monroe
Calhoun##Model
Callaway##Douglass
Calvary Day##Portal
Camden County##Lowndes
Carrollton##Sandy Creek
Cartersville##Sonoraville
Carver-Columbus##Peach County
Cedar Shoals##Salem
Cedartown##Gilmer
Central-Carroll##Chapel Hill
Charlton County##Telfair County
Christian Heritage##Trion
Clarke Central##Winder-Barrow
Claxton##Jenkins County
Clinch County##Lanier County
Collins Hill##Duluth
Colquitt County##Coffee
Columbia##Stone Mountain
Cook##Berrien
Coosa##Armuchee
Creekview##North Springs
Dacula##Central Gwinnett
Dade County##Chattooga
Dalton##Southeast Whitfield
Darlington##Our Lady of Mercy
Dawson County##Fannin County
Decatur##McNair
Dooly County##Greenville
Druid Hills##Morrow
Dutchtown##Woodland-Stockbridge
Eagle’s Landing Christian##Pace Academy
Early County##Pelham
East Coweta##Douglas County
East Jackson##Franklin County
East Paulding##Lithia Springs
Eastside##Stephens County
Elbert County##Jackson County
Emanuel County Institute##Montgomery County
Etowah##Walton
First Presbyterian##Warren County
Forest Park##Mount Zion-Jonesboro
Gainesville##Loganville
George Walton Academy##Athens Christian
Greater Atlanta Christian##Wesleyan
Grovetown##Greenbrier
Glenn Hills##Hephzibah
Gordon Lee##Mount Zion-Carroll
Grady##Carver-Atlanta
Griffin##Spalding
Hancock Central##Twiggs County
Hapeville Charter##Cross Keys
Harris County##Hardaway
Hart County##Morgan
Heard County##Spencer
Heritage-Conyers##Apalachee
Hillgrove##South Cobb
Hughes##Tri-Cities
Irwin County##Wilcox County
Jackson##Central-Macon
Jackson-Atlanta##Haralson County
Jefferson##Riverside Military
Jefferson County##Swainsboro
Johnson-Savannah##Beach
Johnson County##Wheeler County
Kell##Pope
King’s Ridge Christian##Whitefield Academy
Lakeside-DeKalb##North Atlanta
Lakeside-Evans##Evans
Lakeview Academy##Towns County
Lamar County##Macon County
Lambert##Chattahoochee
Landmark Christian##Holy Innocents’
Laney##Dublin
Lanier##Lumpkin County
Lassiter##Roswell
Lee County##Northside-Columbus
Liberty County##South Effingham
Lincoln County##Wilkinson County
Lithonia##Redan
Lovett##Westminster
Madison County##Walnut Grove
Manchester##Chattahoochee County
Marion County##Hawkinsville
Marist##Chamblee
Mary Persons##Veterans
McEachern##Harrison
McIntosh##Northgate
McIntosh County Academy##Long County
Mill Creek##Habersham Central
Miller Grove##Southwest DeKalb
Milton##Cherokee
Monroe Area##Chestatee
Mount Paran Christian##Walker
Mount Pisgah Christian##Fellowship Christian
Mundy’s Mill##Ola
Newnan##Westlake
Newton##Luella
North Cobb##Marietta
North Forsyth##Johns Creek
North Gwinnett##Mountain View
North Hall##Banks County
North Murray##Coahulla Creek
North Oconee##Oconee County
Northeast-Macon##Putnam County
Northside-Warner Robins##Warner Robins
Northview##Forsyth Central
Northwest Whitfield##LaFayette
Pacelli##Schley County
Parkview##Berkmar
Peachtree Ridge##Meadowcreek
Pebblebrook##Kennesaw Mountain
Pepperell##Murray County
Perry##Rutland
Pickens##River Ridge
Pike County##Henry County
Prince Avenue Christian##Pinecrest Academy
Rabun County##Greene County
Randolph-Clay##Calhoun County
Richmond Academy##Cross Creek
Richmond Hill##Jenkins
Ridgeland##Heritage-Ringgold
Ringgold##Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
Rome##Villa Rica
St. Francis##North Cobb Christian
St. Pius##Blessed Trinity
Savannah Christian##Savannah Country Day
Screven County##Josey
Seminole County##Miller County
Sequoyah##Cambridge
Shaw##Fayette County
South Paulding##Paulding County
Southeast Bulloch##Tattnall County
Sprayberry##Osborne
Statesboro##Wayne County
Stockbridge##Locust Grove
Strong Rock Christian##Mount Vernon Presbyterian
Taylor County##Crawford County
Terrell County##Stewart County
Therrell##South Atlanta
Thomasville##Fitzgerald
Treutlen##Glascock County
Troup##LaGrange
Tucker##M.L. King
Union County##Social Circle
Union Grove##Drew
Upson-Lee##Jonesboro
Valdosta##Brunswick
Vidalia##Toombs County
Ware County##Bradwell Institute
Washington##Banneker
Washington County##Dodge County
Washington-Wilkes##Oglethorpe County
West Forsyth##South Forsyth
Westover##Worth County
Westside-Augusta##East Laurens
Westside-Macon##Howard
White County##West Hall
Whitewater##Starr’s Mill
Woodland-Cartersville##Hiram
Woodstock##Wheeler
Woodward Academy##Cedar Grove
SATURDAY
Arabia Mountain##Dunwoody
Effingham County##Groves
Glynn Academy##Windsor Forest
Stephenson##Mays
*Games involving out-of-state teams not included
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