10-1 and done
Lanier and Peach County saw their seasons end in the first round after 10-0 regular-season finishes. They are the ninth and 10th teams to suffer that fate in the past seven seasons. Here are the others with the teams that beat them:
2014 Lanier (Sequoyah)
2014 Peach County (Appling County)
2012 Lassiter (Brookwood)
2011 Statesboro (Thomas County Central)
2010 Northside-W.R. (Whitewater)
2010 Lovejoy (Glynn Academy)
2010 Swainsboro (Brooks County)
2009 McEachern (Brookwood)
2008 Evans (Mount Zion-Jonesboro)
2008 Jackson (Thomson)
Out in the first round
Nine Top 10 teams lost their opening-round games last week.
Class AAAAAA
No. 3 Valdosta
No. 5 North Gwinnett
No. 8 Mill Creek
Class AAAAA
No. 5 Lanier
Class AAAA
No. 10 Whitewater
Class AAA
No. 4 Peach County
No. 10 Westside-Macon
Class AA
No. 7 Darlington
No. 9 Thomasville
Showdowns
Ten second-round games this week match Top 10 teams.
Class AAAAAA
No. 2 Grayson at No. 9 Tucker
No. 4 Dacula at No. 1 Colquitt County
Class AAAAA
No. 7 Mays at No. 1 Ware County
No. 2 Coffee at No. 4 Allatoona
Class AAAA
No. 4 Marist at No. 2 Griffin
No. 9 Mary Persons at No. 1 Buford
Class AAA
No. 9 Adairsville at No. 3 Blessed Trinity
No. 6 Westminster at No. 7 Central-Carrollton
Class AA
No. 3 Lovett at No. 6 Macon County
No. 10 Lamar County at No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian
The first round of the state football playoffs claimed two undefeated teams as well as seven others ranked in the Top 10 last week, but those casualties were mild compared to what is likely in store for Round Two.
There are 10 games between Top 10 teams on Friday, four involving teams that are No. 1.
Colquitt County, No. 1 in Class AAAAAA, gets a visit from No. 4 Dacula. Other No. 1 teams tested at home will be Ware County in AAAAA vs. No. 7 Mays, Buford in AAAA vs. No. 9 Mary Persons and Greater Atlanta Christian in AA vs. No. 10 Lamar County.
The Colquitt County-Dacula game is one of three between top-five teams. The others are No. 2 Coffee at No. 4 Allatoona in AAAAA and No. 4 Marist at No. 2 Griffin in AAAA.
Four more games pit Top 10 teams. Those include No. 2 Grayson at No. 9 Tucker in AAAAAA, No. 9 Adairsville at No. 3 Blessed Trinity in AAA, No. 6 Westminster at No. 7 Central-Carroll in AAA and No. 3 Lovett at No. 6 Macon County in AA.
The opening round took its toll of nine Top 10 teams, including two that entered the postseason unbeaten. Lanier and Peach County lost in the first round Friday after 10-0 regular seasons.
That is not uncommon. A 10-0 team has lost in the first round 27 times since 1996, when the playoffs were expanded to 32 teams in each class.
Sequoyah, which beat fifth-ranked Lanier in a AAAAA game, had also beaten a 10-0 Tucker team in 2001. In AAA, Appling County ended fourth-ranked Peach County’s season at 10-1.
Other ranked teams that didn’t make it are No. 3 Valdosta, No. 5 North Gwinnett and No. 8 Mill Creek in AAAAAA, No. 10 Whitewater in AAAA, No. 10 Westside-Macon in AAA, No. 7 Darlington and No. 9 Thomasville in AA.
The Class A playoffs, which consist of public and private divisions, begin this week with their 16-team draws. All classes will be in the quarterfinals next week in the march to the state finals Dec 12-13 at the Georgia Dome.
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