It’s a little early for teams to officially claim region titles, considering there are four weekends remaining in the regular season. But several teams have a chance to take full control of their fates on Friday. Here are five games that match the two remaining unbeaten teams in a region, where the winners will emerge as the favorites down the stretch:
*McEachern at North Cobb (4-AAAAAA): North Cobb knocked Hillgrove out of a virtual tie for first place last week and has a chance to do the same to McEachern on Friday. The Warriors would all but lock up the region title with a victory. McEachern still has games remaining against Harrison and rival Hillgrove, the two teams that are tied for third place. McEachern won in a blowout last year. Look for a closer game but another McEachern victory this time.
*Richmond Hill at Ware County (3-AAAAA): Ware County is 3-0 all-time against Richmond Hill, although each game was closer than the previous one. I expect Ware County to pull out another close one, but don’t be shocked if quarterback Nick Fitzgerald (committed to Mississippi State) and Richmond Hill escape with an upset victory.
*St. Pius at Cedar Grove (6-AAA): This game matches the two-time defending region champion (St. Pius) against a team that hasn’t won a region title since 1991. Cedar Grove has one of the top offenses in DeKalb County and has had almost equal success passing or running the ball. But look for St. Pius to control the game with its run-based offense and be in the driver’s seat for the title.
*Dooly County at Marion County (4-A): Dooly County and Marion County finished in a three-way tie with Brookstone for first place in the region last year. Marion County won the regular-season matchup with Dooly County, but it was Dooly that reached the public-school state championship game. Marion won region titles in 2010 and 2011, and it will again this year after taking care of Dooly.
*Wilkinson County at Aquinas (7-A): Aquinas lost two games in region play last year. The Fighting Irish avenged one of them last week with a 42-14 rout of Lincoln County that snapped a 32-game losing streak against the Red Devils. Aquinas will get payback for the other one on Friday. The computer Maxwell Ratings project Aquinas as a 22-point favorite. I suspect it won’t be that close.
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 137-31 (.815); Overall: 994-259 (.793)
THURSDAY
Winner##Loser
Alcovy##Morrow
Carver-Columbus##Southwest-Macon
McIntosh County Academy##Jeff Davis
Mundy’s Mill##Forest Park
Northside-Warner Robins##Jones County
Troup##Columbus
West Laurens##Howard
Westover##Americus-Sumter
FRIDAY
Adairsville##Sonoraville
Allatoona##Villa Rica
Alpharetta##Chattahoochee
Appling County##Beach
Aquinas##Wilkinson County
Archer##Berkmar
B.E.S.T. Academy##Chapel Hill
Bainbridge##Hardaway
Benedictine##Bacon County
Bleckley County##Taylor County
Blessed Trinity##Towers
Bowdon##Spencer
Brooks County##Pelham
Brookstone##Schley County
Brookwood##Central Gwinnett
Buford##Dawson County
Burke County##Glenn Hills
Cairo##Albany
Calhoun##Murray County
Callaway##Haralson County
Calvary Day##Jenkins County
Carrollton##Shaw
Carver-Atlanta##South Atlanta
Cartersville##Gordon Central
Cass##River Ridge
Cedar Shoals##Apalachee
Central-Carroll##Rockmart
Chamblee##Stone Mountain
Clarkston##Glascock County
Claxton##Savannah Country Day
Clinch County##Wilcox County
Collins Hill##Meadowcreek
Colquitt County##Brunswick
Commerce##Athens Academy
Coosa##Chattooga
Creekside##Whitewater
Creekview##Cambridge
Crisp County##Worth County
Cross Creek##Butler
Dade County##Armuchee
Dalton##LaFayette
Darlington##Gordon Lee
Drew##Ola
Druid Hills##Johnson-Gainesville
Eagle’s Landing##Woodland-Stockbridge
Eagle’s Landing Christian##Our Lady of Mercy
East Coweta##Tri-Cities
East Paulding##Rome
Eastside##Lumpkin County
Effingham County##Jenkins
Etowah##Cherokee
Evans##Grovetown
Fannin County##Banks County
First Presbyterian##Hancock Central
Fitzgerald##Berrien
Flowery Branch##Heritage-Conyers
Gainesville##Clarke Central
George Walton Academy##Pinecrest Academy
Gilmer##Pickens
Glynn Academy##Bradwell Institute
Grayson##South Gwinnett
Griffin##North Clayton
Harlem##Josey
Harris County##Northside-Columbus
Harrison##South Cobb
Hart County##Jackson County
Hawkinsville##Central-Talbotton
Heard County##Jordan
Henry County##Jackson
Hillgrove##Kennesaw Mountain
Holy Innocents’##Strong Rock Christian
Hughes##Newnan
Irwin County##Lanier County
Jefferson##Oglethorpe County
Jefferson County##Cook
Johnson County##Treutlen
Jonesboro##Spalding
Kendrick##Chattahoochee County
LaGrange##Fayette County
Lakeside-Evans##Greenbrier
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe##Coahulla Creek
Lamar County##Putnam County
Lambert##Johns Creek
Landmark Christian##Pace Academy
Laney##East Laurens
Lanier##Chestatee
Lincoln County##Georgia Military
Loganville##Winder-Barrow
Lovejoy##Luella
Lovett##Hapeville Charter
Lowndes##Coffee
Macon County##Northeast-Macon
Manchester##Bremen
Marietta##Campbell
Marion County##Dooly County
Marist##Redan
Mary Persons##Rutland
Mays##Dunwoody
McEachern##North Cobb
McIntosh##Starr’s Mill
Metter##Atkinson County
Mill Creek##Duluth
Miller County##Terrell County
Milton##Lassiter
Model##Pepperell
Monroe Area##Walnut Grove
Montgomery County##Wheeler County
Monticello##Crawford County
Morgan County##East Jackson
Mount Paran Christian##Fellowship Christian
Mount Pisgah Christian##Whitefield Academy
Mount Zion-Carroll##Cross Keys
Newton##Rockdale County
Norcross##Mountain View
North Gwinnett##Habersham Central
North Hall##White County
North Oconee##Elbert County
Northview##North Springs
Northwest Whitfield##Ridgeland
Oconee County##Franklin County
Pacelli##Greenville
Parkview##Shiloh
Peach County##Central-Macon
Pierce County##Johnson-Savannah
Pope##Sprayberry
Prince Avenue Christian##Hebron Christian
Randolph-Clay##Baconton Charter
Richmond Academy##Hephzibah
Ringgold##North Murray
Riverside Military##Social Circle
Riverwood##Osborne
St. Francis##Lakeview Academy
St. Pius##Cedar Grove
Sandy Creek##Alexander
Savannah Christian##Portal
Screven County##Westside-Augusta
Seminole County##Calhoun County
Sequoyah##Forsyth Central
South Forsyth##Centennial
South Paulding##Hiram
Southeast Bulloch##Brantley County
Southeast Whitfield##Heritage-Ringgold
Stephens County##Madison County
Stephenson##Miller Grove
Stockbridge##Dutchtown
Thomas County Central##Lee County
Thomasville##Early County
Thomson##Dodge County
Toombs County##Long County
Towns County##North Cobb Christian
Tucker##Southwest DeKalb
Turner County##Telfair County
Twiggs County##Warren County
Union County##Greene County
Union Grove##Mount Zion-Jonesboro
Upson-Lee##Riverdale
Valdosta##Tift County
Veterans##Perry
Vidalia##Bryan County
Walker##King’s Ridge Christian
Walton##Wheeler
Ware County##Richmond Hill
Warner Robins##Houston County
Washington County##Swainsboro
Washington-Wilkes##Rabun County
Wayne County##South Effingham
West Forsyth##North Forsyth
West Hall##East Hall
Westlake##Douglas County
Westminster##Wesleyan
Westside-Macon##Baldwin
Windsor Forest##Groves
Woodland-Cartersville##Lithia Springs
Woodstock##Roswell
Woodward Academy##McNair
SATURDAY
Arabia Mountain##North Atlanta
Columbia##Lithonia
Grady##Banneker
Jackson-Atlanta##Douglass
M.L. King##Lakeside-DeKalb
Mitchell County##Stewart County
Washington##Therrell
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