Class 5A blog: A look at first-round playoff matchups

Union Grove (6-4) at Warner Robins (8-1): No. 2 Warner Robins begins the playoffs with a mission. The Demons have been to the title game for the last three years, but have come up short each time. Warner Robins has an outstanding offensive line – they totaled 550 yards last week against a good Veterans team – and bring an experienced quarterback in Jalen Addie and two excellent backs in Jahlen Rutherford and Malcom Brown. (Brown ran for a season-high 215 yards last week.) Union Grove features quarterback Quinton Griffin, running back Jaylen Blackwell and receiver Dechavion Williams, who last week caught a long touchdown pass and returned a kickoff for a score. Series: These two teams have never met. The winner gets: Winner of Whitewater vs. Woodward Academy.

Dutchtown (7-3) at Ware County (8-1): Ware County quarterback Thomas Castellanos gets plenty of attention – and rightfully so – since he’s thrown for 2,169 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 744 yards and 17 touchdowns. But Dutchtown can’t sleep on running back Cartevious Norton, who had 190 yards from scrimmage in last week’s win over Wayne County. Dutchtown has made its reputation as a defensive team; the Bulldogs have held five opponents to a touchdown or less and have not given up more than 21 points in a single contest. Series: These two teams have never met. The winner gets: Winner of Harris County vs. Creekside.

Coffee (7-2) at Ola (9-1): This should be one of the best games of the first round. No. 6 Coffee has lost only to No. 3 Ware County and 6A power Houston County. The Trojans have an excellent dual-threat quarterback in A.J. Wilkerson (1,187 yards passing, 12 TDs; 337 rushing, six TDs) and a deep stable of backs led by A.J. Franklin (428 yards) and Brady Skipper (341 yards). Anthony Gaskin leads the defense with 84 tackles and seven tackles for loss. Ola quarterback Jake Hall has grown a lot his junior season and has thrown for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 845 yards and 13 touchdowns. Micah Bell has reeled off seven 100-yard games and finished with 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns. Chris Ramos leads the team in tackles and has seven sacks. Series: These two teams have never met. The winner gets: Winner of Mundy’s Mill vs. Starr’s Mill.

Wayne County (3-7) at Jones County (7-3): Quarterback John Alan Richter is the latest quarterback to be developed by Jones County coach Mike Chastain. Richter has thrown for 1,487 yards and 13 touchdowns and Andrew Carner has rushed for 1,097 yards and 21 touchdowns. Maleek Wooten has 39 catches and eight touchdowns and freshman Zion Ragins has 30 catches. Wayne County is probably the best three-win team in the state. The Yellow Jackets have faced seven teams ranked in the top 10 and defeated Hart County and Veterans, the win that ensured their spot in the playoffs. Series: Wayne County leads the series 7-3. Their most recent meetings came in the playoffs. They met in the first round in 2016 and second round in 2017, with Jones County winning both games. The winner gets: Winner of Jonesboro vs. Griffin.

Mundy’s Mill (4-6) at Starr’s Mill (9-1): No. 6 Starr’s Mill remains one of the top running teams in the state. The Panthers have a deep bench of backs – four have run for at least 300 yards – with Devin Barnett (579 yards, seven TDs) and Brandon Mathis (507 yards, three TDs) at the front. Overlooked is the team’s veteran defense, which has four shutouts and allowed more than 14 points only once. Wes Haney and Cole Bishop are both playing at an all-state level. Mundy’s Mill fields a balanced attack. Dajuan Springer has thrown for 1,086 yards and 12 touchdowns and Jaylan Grant leads the team with 546 yards rushing. Series: The series is tied 2-2. Starr’s Mill won the last contest 28-15 in 2015. The winner gets: Winner of Coffee vs. Ola.

Jonesboro (7-2) at Griffin (6-4): Another interesting game features the proficient defense of Jonesboro against the offensive firepower of Griffin. Most of the players on the Jonesboro defense have started for two or three years. Laquavious Williams and defensive backs Ahlik Booker are the senior leaders on the unit. Griffin features plenty of versatility, particularly Jordan Favors, who can beat you as a running back, receiver and return man. Series: This series goes all the way back to 1962 and has been dominated by Griffin, which leads 42-3. Griffin won the most recent meeting 34-9 in 2019. The winner gets: Winner of Jones County vs. Wayne County.

Whitewater (5-5) at Woodward Academy (6-4): Woodward Academy had its six-game winning streak broken last week in the Region 4 title game. The War Eagles have plenty of talented players, among them Damari Alston (1,223 yards, 19 TDs), the most productive runner in Class 5A. Whitewater’s offensive line has been outstanding and last week paved the way for the Wildcats to run for 308 yards and secure the No. 3 spot in the region. Whitewater has a pair of solid backs in juniors Adeoluwa Erinle (423 yards) and Dalton Bonner (487 yards). Series: The series is tied 2-2. Woodward Academy won the last meeting 28-7 in 2015. The winner gets: Winner of Union Grove vs. Warner Robins.

Harris County (6-4) at Creekside (6-2): Creekside is the Region 4 champion. The Seminoles have the ability to run the ball with great effectiveness; Kamauri Davis leads a quartet with 400-plus yards with 908 yards and four touchdowns. The Seminoles need another stellar performance from defensive end Dennard Flowers, who had nine tackles, two sacks and an interception against Woodward Academy in the region title game. Harris County quarterback Cooper Corey has thrown for 1,199 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 462 yards and five touchdowns. K.D. Hutchinson lead the team with 619 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Series: Creekside won the only meeting between the two schools 42-21 in the second round of the 2013 playoffs. The winner gets: Winner of Dutchtown vs. Ware County.

Loganville (5-5) at St. Pius (8-1): No. 8 St. Pius is on an eight-game winning streak. The Golden Lions do what they’ve always done – run the ball with great effectiveness. Coach Paul Standard has a deep stable from which to choose, including Mason Benefield, Luke Jacobellis, Jack Graham and quarterback Dennis O’Shea. Loganville rides the coattails of quarterback Tanner Greene, who has thrown for 1,486 yards and nine touchdowns. Senior safety Brandon Thornton leads the team with 97 tackles. Series: The two teams played a home-and-home series in 2018-19 and St. Pius won both games, including 23-6 last season. The winner gets: Winner of Cartersville vs. Maynard Jackson.

Greenbrier (7-3) at Decatur (6-1): Greenbrier will fling it around the lot with quarterback Brooks Pangle, who leads all Class 5A players with 2,298 yards passing and 28 touchdowns. Brayden Collett has 51 catches for an 18.8-yard average and 17 touchdowns and sophomore Malik Leverett had 53 receptions for 560 yards and seven touchdowns. Decatur brings a more balanced approach. The Bulldogs will run a lot from the I formation and try to engage the running and receiving skills of senior Isaac Dimmock. Quarterback Harrison Hannah and leading rusher Marquis Hood (who ran for 110 yards last week against St. Pius) are a pair of sophomores with a very high ceiling. Series: These two teams have never met. The winner gets: Winner of Chapel Hill vs. Blessed Trinity.

Southwest DeKalb (4-3) at Eastside (8-2): This should be an excellent game. Eastside loves to run the ball and Southwest DeKalb has been very good at stopping it. SWD continues to evolve offensively and last week got 172 yards rushing from Billy Johnson and 103 from Josh Taylor in a blowout of Northview. Eastside’s top runner is Dallas Johnson (1,139 yards, six TDs) and quarterback Dayton Green has stepped up to throw for 787 yards and nine touchdowns. Southwest DeKalb’s top rusher for the year has been James Carswell (386 yards) and the quarterback duo of Sadir Ryan and Sabian Campbell have developed into a workable rotation. Southwest’s defense features the sack-happy Darrionque Finley and Caleb Grant, who both have five. Series: These two teams have never met. The winner gets: Winner of Hiram vs. New Manchester.

King (2-5) at Clarke Central (7-2): No. 9 Clarke Central captured its second straight region title. The Gladiators are a dangerous team that has flown under the radar since losing early games to Class 6A No. 2 Buford and Class 3A No. 2 Oconee County. Quarterback William Robinson (1,837 yards passing, 12 TDs), running back William Richardson (578 yards rushing, 12 TDs) and incomparable wide receiver Jairus “Nono” Mack (29 catches, 25.4-yard average) are the nucleus of a balanced and dangerous offense. Mack’s twin brother Jaavan is a standout defensive back and ranks fourth on the team in tackles and has four interceptions. Khyle Cowan leads the Gladiators with 85 total tackles. King got in the playoffs when its final game with Lithonia was COVID cancelled. The Lions’ top players are QB Antravius Slatter, running back Cameron Fearn, and receiver Adon Flukers. King’s defense has created an impressive 13 takeaways. Linebacker Jomel Robinson is third in DeKalb County with 78 total tackles and sophomore Ethan Patterson has 7 ½ sacks. Series: These two teams have never met. The winner gets: Winner of Calhoun vs. Lithia Springs.

Hiram (1-9) at New Manchester (5-3): This is a rematch from the regular-season game that New Manchester won 46-13. New Manchester won the Region 6 title, its first, last week by beating Chapel Hill. Teondre Carter, who has 501 yards and seven touchdowns, was outstanding in the victory; he ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a 78-yard touchdown. Rico Jones has passed for 1,212 yards and 12 touchdowns, with Horatio Fields (42 catches) and Malik Laurent (41 catches) the top targets. Hiram is a young team that emerged from a difficult league made the playoffs for the second straight season. The Hornets have a good sophomore quarterback in Qamar Grant (962 yards) and tough runner in junior Jirah Douglas (800 yards, 10 TDs). Series: New Manchester leads the series 4-1 and has won the last four. The winner gets: Winner of Southwest DeKalb vs. Eastside.

Calhoun (7-3) at Lithia Springs (4-6): No. 7 Calhoun brings one of the most exciting runners in the state in Jerrian Hames, who has rushed for 1,199 yards, the second-most in the classification. The combo of quarterback Christian Lewis and receiver Cole Speer has been tough to stop. Lewis has thrown for 1,875 yards, No. 2 in 5A, and Speer has 982 receiving yards, the best in 5A and fifth in the state. Lithia Springs struggled early against a difficult schedule and lost its first four games. The Lions have been better since and have shown some improved offensive skills, averaging 30.2 points in region competition. Sophomore quarterback Jai’que Hart has thrown for 1,335 yards and 13 touchdowns and senior running back Lydell Daniel (515 yards, five TDs rushing) lead Lithia Springs, which will be hosting a state playoff game for the first time. Series: These two teams have never met. The winner gets: Winner of Clarke Central vs. King.

Maynard Jackson (3-6) at Cartersville (8-1): No. 4 Cartersville is an offensive machine. The Hurricanes have big-time playmakers in receivers Devonte Ross (27 catches, 619 yards, five TDs) and Sam Phillips (51 catches, 656 yards, five TDs) and running back Quante Jennings (611 yards, 13 TDs). Cartersville has evolved into a two-quarterback attack since the arrival of transfer Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, a Florida commit who has thrown for 625 yards and seven touchdowns in four games. Stratton Tripp has thrown for 1,326 yards and 11 touchdowns. Maynard Jackson was counted out after losing its first six games, but the Jaguars closed with three straight wins (the North Springs game was cancelled) and earned a playoff spot. Senior Raveon Moore has thrown for 937 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 502 yards and five touchdowns. Series: These two teams have never met. The winner gets: Winner of Loganville vs. St. Pius.

Chapel Hill (6-4) at Blessed Trinity (6-0): No. 1 Blessed Trinity has been unstoppable on offense, never failing to score fewer than 35 points. The Titans aren’t bad on defense, either; they closed the season with three shutouts. Sophomore Justice Haynes has rushed for 1,170 yards and 16 touchdowns and averaged 195 yards per game. He ran for 354 yards against Calhoun. Chapel Hill lost the Region 6 showdown against Manchester. The Panthers field an experienced offensive line and have run it effectively with seniors Rudolph Paul (682 yards, five TDs) and Michael Perkins (608 yards, three TDs). Series: In their only meeting, Blessed Trinity beat Chapel Hill 33-0 in the first round of the 2016 playoffs. The winner gets: Winner of Greenbrier vs. Decatur.