Thirteen games on Friday will match the top two teams in a region, with the winner taking the championship. Nine of those will feature two teams that have not lost a game in region play. Here’s a look at those 13:
*Flowery Branch-Gainesville (8-AAAAA): Flowery Branch won its first outright region title last season when it stopped a late two-point conversion to beat Gainesville 35-34. The Red Elephants rebounded with five consecutive playoff victories to win the Class AAAAA championship, but they had only one home postseason game because of their No. 2 seed. Gainesville won’t have that problem this year because its victory against the Falcons on Friday will give them the top seed and at least two games at home.
*Mays-Tucker (6-AAAAA): Mays won its only region title in 2003 but put itself in position to win another one with an upset of Stephenson last week that clinched no worse than second place in the region for the Raiders. The problem for Mays this week is that it faces top-ranked Tucker, which is going for its eighth region title in 13 years. The computer Maxwell Ratings project Tucker as a 22-point favorite. I suspect it will be closer than that but that Tucker will emerge with the victory.
*Cartersville-Ringgold (5-AAA): Ringgold has been playing in the GHSA since 1949 and has never won a region title, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. In fact, this is only the fifth time in the program’s history that it has won as many as eight games in a season. Don’t look for the Tigers’ title drought to end this season, because Cartersville is on a roll and will win the region championship for the second consecutive season.
*Greater Atlanta Christian-Lovett (6-AA): Lovett has thrived this season winning close games against good competition. The Lions opened the season with a seven-point victory against Woodward Academy. They beat Blessed Trinity by 11. They beat Marist by three in two overtimes. Even their only loss was by three points in overtime against Washington County. Greater Atlanta Christian represents yet another top-quality opponent, and I look for Lovett to win another close game.
*In the other region championship games, go with Lovejoy over Alcovy (2-AAAAAA), Lassiter over Etowah (5-AAAAAA), Wayne County over Burke County (3-AAAA), Marist over Carver-Atlanta (6-AAAA), Dalton over Gilmer (7-AAAA), Heard County over Bowdon (5-AA), Seminole County over Mitchell County (1-A), Johnson County over Calvary Day (3-A), and Eagle’s Landing Christian over Landmark Christian (5-A).
WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 160-30 (.842); Overall: 1,482-342 (.813)
THURSDAY
Winner##Loser
Creekside##Ola
Hardaway##Northside-Columbus
Metter##Long County
Perry##Howard
Spalding##Mount Zion-Jonesboro
Stephenson##North Atlanta
FRIDAY
Adairsville##Coahulla Creek
Alexander##Fayette County
Allatoona##East Paulding
Alpharetta##Johns Creek
Appling County##Southeast Bulloch
Aquinas##First Presbyterian
Athens Academy##Athens Christian
B.E.S.T. Academy##Douglass
Baconton Charter##KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
Benedictine##McIntosh County Academy
Bleckley County##Northeast-Macon
Blessed Trinity##Cedar Grove
Bradwell Institute##Groves
Brooks County##Berrien
Brookstone##Greenville
Bryan County##Bacon County
Buford##North Hall
Cairo##Dougherty
Calhoun##Chattooga
Calhoun County##Stewart County
Callaway##Rockmart
Carrollton##LaGrange
Cartersville##Ringgold
Carver-Columbus##Jackson
Cedartown##Ridgeland
Chamblee##Washington
Chapel Hill##Jackson-Atlanta
Chattahoochee##Centennial
Chattahoochee County##Temple
Cherokee##Wheeler
Chestatee##Madison County
Christian Heritage##Fellowship Christian
Clarke Central##Cedar Shoals
Clarkston##North Cobb Christian
Clinch County##Turner County
Collins Hill##Mill Creek
Colquitt County##Camden County
Columbia##Banneker
Commerce##Pinecrest Academy
Coosa##Murray County
Creekview##Sprayberry
Crisp County##Americus-Sumter
Dacula##Berkmar
Dalton##Gilmer
Darlington##Whitefield Academy
Dodge County##Swainsboro
Dooly County##Schley County
Douglas County##Tri-Cities
Dublin##Screven County
Duluth##Mountain View
Dutchtown##North Clayton
Eagle’s Landing##Riverdale
Eagle’s Landing Christian##Landmark Christian
Early County##Cook
East Hall##Fannin County
Elbert County##Franklin County
Emanuel County Institute##Claxton
Gainesville##Flowery Branch
Georgia Military##Twiggs County
Glynn Academy##Jenkins
Grady##Lithonia
Grayson##Brookwood
Griffin##Woodland-Stockbridge
Hart County##North Oconee
Hawkinsville##Pacelli
Heard County##Bowdon
Hebron Christian##Towns County
Hephzibah##Cross Creek
Hughes##Westlake
Irwin County##Charlton County
Jefferson##Union County
Jenkins County##Glascock County
Johnson-Gainesville##LaFayette
Johnson-Savannah##Tattnall County
Johnson County##Calvary Day
Jones County##Grovetown
Jonesboro##Locust Grove
Kell##Cambridge
Kendrick##Spencer
Kennesaw Mountain##North Springs
King’s Ridge Christian##Gordon Lee
Lamar County##Crawford County
Laney##Harlem
Lanier##Walnut Grove
Lassiter##Etowah
Lee County##Bainbridge
Liberty County##Richmond Academy
Lincoln County##Hancock Central
Loganville##Salem
Lovejoy##Alcovy
Lovett##Greater Atlanta Christian
M.L. King##Miller Grove
Macon County##Taylor County
Marietta##Harrison
Marion County##Central-Talbotton
Marist##Carver-Atlanta
Mary Persons##West Laurens
McEachern##Hillgrove
McIntosh##Drew
Milton##Woodstock
Model##Dade County
Monroe##Worth County
Monroe Area##Eastside
Monticello##Putnam County
Morgan County##Jackson County
Mount Paran Christian##Trion
Mount Pisgah Christian##Mount Zion-Carroll
Mundy’s Mill##Northgate
New Manchester##Hiram
Newnan##East Coweta
Newton##Morrow
Norcross##Meadowcreek
North Cobb##Campbell
North Gwinnett##Peachtree Ridge
North Murray##Gordon Central
North Paulding##Villa Rica
Northside-Warner Robins##Evans
Northview##Riverwood
Northwest Whitfield##Pickens
Oconee County##East Jackson
Osborne##Forsyth Central
Our Lady of Mercy##Strong Rock Christian
Pace Academy##Mount Vernon Presbyterian
Peach County##Southwest-Macon
Pepperell##Armuchee
Pierce County##Brantley County
Pike County##Central-Macon
Portal##Montgomery County
Prince Avenue Christian##George Walton Academy
Rabun County##Oglethorpe County
Richmond Hill##Windsor Forest
River Ridge##Heritage-Ringgold
Riverside Military##Greene County
Rockdale County##Druid Hills
Rome##Woodland-Cartersville
St. Pius##Decatur
Savannah##Beach
Savannah Christian##Treutlen
Savannah Country Day##Wheeler County
Seminole County##Mitchell County
Sequoyah##Pope
Shiloh##Central Gwinnett
Sonoraville##Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
South Cobb##Pebblebrook
South Effingham##Butler
South Forsyth##North Forsyth
South Gwinnett##Parkview
South Paulding##Lithia Springs
Southeast Whitfield##Cass
Southwest DeKalb##Dunwoody
Starr’s Mill##Forest Park
Statesboro##Glenn Hills
Stephens County##Lumpkin County
Stockbridge##Upson-Lee
Stone Mountain##Therrell
Telfair County##Wilcox County
Terrell County##Randolph-Clay
Thomas County Central##Harris County
Thomasville##Pelham
Thomson##Jefferson County
Tift County##Brunswick
Toombs County##Atkinson County
Towers##McNair
Troup##Shaw
Tucker##Mays
Valdosta##Coffee
Veterans##Baldwin
Vidalia##Jeff Davis
Walton##Roswell
Ware County##Effingham County
Warner Robins##Lakeside-Evans
Washington-Wilkes##Social Circle
Wayne County##Burke County
West Forsyth##Lambert
West Hall##Dawson County
Westminster##Hapeville Charter
Westside-Augusta##Josey
Westside-Macon##Rutland
White County##Banks County
Whitewater##Union Grove
Wilkinson County##Warren County
Winder-Barrow##Apalachee
SATURDAY
Arabia Mountain##Lakeside-DeKalb
Houston County##Greenbrier
Manchester##Jordan
Redan##South Atlanta
Sandy Creek##Columbus
Westover##Albany
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