There was one 1-4 upset (and another close shave) and five 2-3 upsets in Round One. Everything else went to form. Here’s a look (all the first round results may be found here):
No. 4 Manchester smothers No. 1 Georgia Military
Region 7 No. 1 Georgia Military College’s dream season came to an end as Region 5 No. 4 Manchester used two big plays and a punishing ground game to outlast the Bulldogs, 20-8. Georgia Military (10-1) returned an interception for a touchdown on Manchester’s opening drive and a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. Manchester took a 14-6 lead into halftime, thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run by QB Cam Long and a 34-yard touchdown pass from Long to Zyjuan Gray. Georgia Military trimmed the lead to 14-8, picking up a safety in the third quarter, but Tre Dunlap’s 77-yard pick six in the final period sealed the deal for the Cougars.
No. 1 Pelham survives with 3-0 win over No. 4 Screven County
Region 1 No. 1 Pelham’s offensive struggles this season almost caught up with the Hornets, but their defense prevented Region 3 No. 4 Screven County from pulling the upset. Pelham yielded just 73 yards of total offense to the Gamecocks, and junior Came’ron Daniels’ 28-yard field goal in the first quarter was all the Hornets would need. It was the seventh time in 11 games that Pelham has failed to score more than 20 points.
Athens Christian shocks St. Francis
Region 8 No. 3 Athens Christian celebrated its first playoff victory since joining the GHSA in 2000 and won a playoff game for the first time in 30 years with a 42-39 win over Region 6 No. 2 St. Francis. Junior QB/DB Navy Curry’s 70-yard pick six with seconds to go in the third quarter proved to be the difference. Senior RB/LB Johne’ss Davis ran 17 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns, while senior ATH Jakoris Smith had two catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Two missed PATs by St. Francis doomed the Knights.
Brookstone rallies late to edge Whitefield Academy
Region 4 No. 3 Brookstone rallied from a 10-0 deficit and defeated Region 2 No. 2 Whitefield Academy, 14-10. It was the second time this season the Cougars edged the Wolfpack, as they won 29-28 on Sept. 24. The Cougars scored on a Taft Middleton touchdown pass to Walter Blanchard with 7:15 left to make it a 10-7 lead. Brookstone forced a three-and-out and once the Cougars got the ball back, they converted a 4th and 7 before Blanchard ran in the game-winning score with just 27 seconds left. On the ensuing squib kick, Whitefield Academy mishandled it and Brookstone recovered to seal the victory.
Mount Vernon clips Mount Paran
Junior RB/DB Liam O’Toole led Region 5 No. 3 Mount Vernon to a 14-7 win over Region 7 No. 2 Mount Paran. Trailing 7-0, O’Toole scored on an 11-yard run to pull Mount Vernon even with the Eagles, and then his 47-yard touchdown run with 10:36 left in the game sealed it. It was the second win for the Mustangs over Mount Paran this season as they dominated the Eagles 35-14 on Sept. 3.
McIntosh County Academy throttles Mitchell County
After playing to a 6-6 tie with Region 1 No. 2 Mitchell County after one quarter, Region 3 No. 3 McIntosh County Academy scored 26 unanswered points to claim the Buccaneers’ first playoff victory since 2016.
Turner County surges past Dublin
Region 2 No. 3 Turner County trailed 36-22 at the end of the third quarter but outscored Region 4 No. 2 Dublin 16-0 in the fourth to give the Titans their second first round playoff victory in the last 10 seasons, 38-36. Ke’aarin Dawsey’s 27-yard touchdown run tied the game at 36-36 with four minutes left and Elijah Stephens’s 2-point conversion provided the winning margin.
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