Class 2A blog: Playoff predictions

The time has finally arrived — Round 1 of the the Class 2A state playoffs will kickoff on Saturday.

Originally scheduled to begin Friday, it was reported on Monday by GHSF Daily’s Todd Holcomb that the GHSA decided to push the opening round back a day due to lack of available game officials.

Regardless of the delay, what’s important is we got here. And fans of Class 2A are in luck, because in the latest episode of The Class 2A Blogcast, I spoke with media experts covering all eight regions, and the result is more than two hours of content perfect for those who will hit the road for the playoffs, and for the 2A community in general.

Listen here:

You’ll get analysis, insights and predictions. Guests include AJC Class 5A blogger Stan Awtrey, Thomasville Times-Enterprise managing editor Pat Donahue (Region 1), voice of the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets Jim Sewell (Region 2), WMGT sports director Montezz Allen (Region 3), The Augusta Chronicle sports reporter Wynston Wilcox (Region 4), West Georgia Podcast host Andrew Caraway and The LaGrange Daily News sports editor Kevin Eckleberry (Region 5), Friday Night Press Box host Tim Towe (Region 7) and Blitz founder Brian Carter (Region 8).

In addition to the embedded player above, you can listen to The Class 2A Blogcast playoff preview on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon/Audible and other platforms.

Be sure to subscribe and thanks for listening!

Now, it’s time for an annual tradition — my playoff predictions:

Right click image and open in new tab for larger image.

As you can see, I have an all-Region 1 final, with the No. 3 Thomasville Bulldogs beating the No. 1 Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane in a rematch of their game played on Nov. 6, which Fitzgerald won 29-28 on the road.

Should this prediction hold, it would be the Bulldogs’ first title since winning 3A in 1988 as part of a 15-0 season under coach Mike Hodges. The Bulldogs last played for a championship in 1993, when they finished as 3A runner-ups.

It would be Fitzgerald’s first title appearance since 2016, when they reached the 2A championship for a second year in a row. The program has one title to its name, a 1A title in 1948.

Below are some initial thoughts on the bracket.

Upper-left quadrant

• The Region 3 champion Dodge County Indians have a tough opening-round matchup in No. 4 seed Swainsboro. Maxwell’s projections have the Indians as a 13-point favorite.
• The Lovett Lions are a No. 3 seed from Region 6, but their performance on the field doesn’t reflect their seeding. When DeKalb Schools — which includes 6-2A members Columbia, McNair and Towers — delayed fall sports until October, it meant there wasn’t enough time in the regular season for the region’s nine teams to play each other. So, the region decided to only count each team’s final six region games toward the region standings. That meant Lovett’s wins over South Atlanta and Washington — the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively — didn’t count as a loss for either team. That forced the Lions on the road, where they should handle Pepperell in Round 1 as 9-point favorites.
• The quadrant should come down to Callaway and Thomasville in the quarterfinals, if both teams play to their capabilities. Both are favored to win in the opening round by more than 35 points.

Lower-left quadrant

• I have the Vidalia Indians, champions of Region 2 who entered the rankings at No. 10 in the final poll before champions are crowned, as the team emerging from this quadrant. It’d be the furthest they’ve advanced since reaching the 2A semis in 2003 under Sid Fritts. Indians first-year coach Jason Cameron reached the 3A semis with Jenkins last year and the quarterfinals in the two proceeding years. But the Indians can’t look past the first round, where they’ll face a Bleckley County team that beat them 21-14 on Sept. 25. The Indians are 4-point favorites in the rematch.
• The No. 2 Rabun County Wildcats are 15-point favorites against a tough Haralson County team that nearly won Region 5 — another tough opening-round matchup for a region champion.
• I have Early County winning a playoff game for the first time since 2015 and Washington winning for the first time since 2004.

Upper-right quadrant

• Though it could happen elsewhere, the only instance where I actually have a No. 4 seed beating a No. 1 is in this quadrant, with the Pace Academy Knights beating the Fannin County Rebels. The last time the Knights were in 2A, they won the state title as a No. 4 seed in 2015. They’ve had an up-and-down season, twice canceling against Prince Avenue Christian for non-COVID-19 reasons, then canceling against Washington because of COVID-19. The Rebels are undefeated at 8-0, ranked No. 7 and are 4-point favorites at home.
• I have the Northeast Raiders losing to Toombs County in the opening round, but should they win it would be their first playoff victory since 2002. They’ve never been past the second round since their founding in 1970. The Raiders are 2-point favorites.
• Fitzgerald is my overwhelming favorite to emerge from this quadrant. They’re 9-0 and are favored to beat Oglethorpe County by 45 points in the opening round. Oglethorpe County initially failed to qualify for the playoffs, but were inserted as a No. 4 seed after Laney was forced to forfeit games, as reported by Wynston Wilcox of The Augusta Chronicle.

Lower-right quadrant

• As voice of the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets for WHJD Jim Sewell notes in the podcast, the Jackets’ opening round opponent is coach Lance Helton’s alma mater, Washington County. The Jackets are 2-point favorites and seeking their first playoff win since 1997.
• Should the South Atlanta Hornets beat Chattooga — they’re 21-point favorites — it would be their first playoff win a program that started in 1994. Further, I have them emerging from this quadrant. They’re part of a Region 6 group, along with Washington, Lovett and Pace Academy, that I have as as the only region to make a clean sweep in Round 1.
• This quadrant features just one ranked team — No. 5 Jefferson County, which is just a 7-point favorite over Cook in Round 1. The Warriors have advanced in the playoffs in each of the last seven years, including the semifinals in 2015 and quarterfinals in 2018.

Here is the final rankings release before champions are crowned:

1. (1) Fitzgerald (9-0)

2. (2) Rabun County (9-1)

3. (3) Thomasville (6-4)

4. (4) Lovett (6-2)

5. (5) Jefferson County (7-2)

6. (6) Early County (6-2)

7. (7) Fannin County (8-0)

8. (9) Callaway (7-1)

9. (10) Dodge County (5-3)

10. (NR) Vidalia (7-2)

Out: No. 8 Haralson County

In brief:

• Oglethorpe County, Westside, Banks County, Jeff Davis, Northeast and Washington are the 2A schools on this list of teams in the playoffs this season that didn’t qualify in 2019.
• Here’s Vidalia coach Jason Cameron and players reflecting on the regular season.
• Model lineman Owen Henderson has been invited to participate in the Georgia vs. Florida High School Showcase.
• Fannin County’s Chad Cheatham was recently named coach of the week by Parker Resources. Here’s the team posing as Region 7 champions.
• South Atlanta and Washington are set to host in the opening round but as Atlanta Public School members, no fans are allowed, per APS policy.
• At some point, I’m going to have to stop posting these because it’s becoming repetitive. Former Callaway standout Tank Bigsby is a beast, and he’s proving that as a true freshman at Auburn, week in and week out.
• Heading into the final week of the regular season, the highest-scoring teams in 2A were Rabun County (50.7), Fannin County (41.9), Jefferson County (36.9), Washington (36.1), Putnam County (36), Early County (33.8), Dodge County (33.3), Fitzgerald (33.2), Bleckley County (32.6) and Thomasville (32.4).
• Here are highlights of Callaway’s 41-20 win over Temple on Nov. 14, which came on just three days rest. Charlie Dixon had a big night. The Cavs played three games in 10 days, going 2-1.
• Model’s Joseph Wallace carried his team into the playoffs last Tuesday, rushing for 201 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries in the first half alone in a win over Chattooga. Here’s his final stat line. Here’s his fifth score.
• Gunner Stockton was named Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s offensive player of the week for Week 11.
• This week’s GHSF Daily top performers from 2A are Callaway linebacker LaQuize Gilbert (13 tackles, three for losses); Fannin County defensive end Dalton Ross (5.5 sacks with eight other tackles and one assist); Heard County running back-linebacker Ashton Bonner (185 rushing yards, a touchdown and eight tackles); Monticello running back Shamarian Greene (107 yards on 29 carries and 143 yards in returns); Putnam County running back Cedrion Brundage (157 rushing yards and two touchdowns); Washington County running back Malyk Walker (186 rushing yards and three touchdowns — finished as the state’s leading rusher in the regular season with 2,053 yards and 29 touchdowns on 152 attempts)