Class 3A blog: Four regions battle for top playoff seeds on final weekend

There’s a good bit to anticipate during the last week of the regular season. Four classes have determined the top playoff seeds. Four haven’t.

Regions 1, 3, 7 and 8 have crowned Thomasville, Calvary Day, Dawson County and Stephens County, respectively, and champions in Regions 2, 4, 5 and 6 will come down to Friday’s play.

• The biggest matchup is No. 4 Carver-Atlanta (6-2, 1-1) against top-ranked Cedar Grove (6-2, 2-0). The two programs, located about 8 miles from each other, played for the state championship in 2021, with Cedar Grove winning the title. If Cedar Grove wins Friday, it’s the Region 5 champion. If Carver wins, there will be a tiebreaker scenario with Sandy Creek. Elliott Colson, leader of the Cedar Grove offense, has passed for 1,837 yards and 20 touchdowns. Carver’s Bryce Bowens, DeAndre Buchannon and Zykeek Mender are key players for the Panthers.
• In Region 2: Peach County (6-3, 3-0) has dominated region play through the years and wants another after missing out on the league’s championship last season, the first time since 2015. Familiar-foe Jackson awaits. The Red Devils (5-4, 2-1) are playing for the program’s first title since 2015, when it beat Peach County 3-2 to gain the No. 1 seed.
• In Region 4: Harlem is 8-1 and eyeing its first region title since 1974 under head coach Carl Brooks. Mark Boiter took over the program in 2020 and went 2-8 in his first season, 5-6 last year. Morgan County (7-2, 4-0) is eyeing its 11th region title, but first since 2017, and first under head coach Clint Jenkins.
• In Region 6: Adairsville will host Coahulla Creek for the title. Adairsville last captured a region title in 2001. That was before Calhoun’s run of North Georgia dominance, led by head coach Hal Lamb, in whic the Yellow Jackets won 18 region titles in a row. Coahulla Creek began playing football in 2011 and has never won its region.

Class 3A top-10 Schedule for Week 11

1. (1) Cedar Grove (6-2) vs. Carver-Atlanta.

2. (2) Calvary Day (8-0) vs. Beach.

3. (3) Sandy Creek (7-2) vs. Douglass.

4. (4) Carver-Atlanta (6-2) vs. Cedar Grove.

5. (5) Peach County (6-3) vs. Jackson.

6. (6) Thomasville (7-3) regular season complete.

7. (7) Stephens County (8-1) vs. Hebron Christian.

8. (10) Carver-Columbus (7-2) regular season complete.