Three weeks remain in the regular season, and most region championship races are down to a couple or three teams.
History is sure to be made. Denmark, River Ridge, South Atlanta, Lithia Springs, Hancock Central, First Presbyterian and Trinity Christian are favored to win their first region titles. Southeast Bulloch already has won its first since 1994. Richmond Academy is favored to win for the first time since 1976.
Below is a region-by-region summary of how things likely will play out and the historical significance for the likely winners. This report looks only at the most probable region champions, not every mathematical contender.
Included in each region summary are the odds of winning the region title for leading contenders, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. Those odds don’t always consider a particular region’s unique tiebreaker format or games that a region counts as a loss and the GHSA does not because of the GHSA’s position on regular-season games canceled because of COVID-19.
Class 7A
*Region 1: No. 1 Lowndes (6-0, 1-0) is playing at Colquitt County (5-0, 1-0) on Friday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. One or the other has won Region 1 each season since 2014 with Colquitt taking four, Lowndes two. Odds: Lowndes 57.6%, Colquitt 41.9%.
*Region 2: No. 8 Newnan (7-0, 1-0) is playing at No. 6 East Coweta (6-1, 1-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Newnan last won a region title in 2009, East Coweta in 2001. Odds: Newnan 54.4%, East Coweta 44.1%.
*Region 3: North Cobb (6-1, 2-0) is the lone unbeaten team in region play but faces Hillgrove (4-2, 1-1) this week and Marietta (2-5, 1-1) next week. North Cobb last won a region title in 2013. Odds: North Cobb 78.4%, Hillgrove 18.7%.
*Region 4: No. 1 Grayson (7-0, 2-0) is the lone unbeaten in region play but faces Brookwood (6-1, 0-1) this week and Newton (3-3, 1-1) next week. Grayson has won region titles the past two seasons and nine of the last 11. Odds: Grayson 96.6%, Brookwood 2.6%.
*Region 5: No. 5 Roswell (6-0, 2-0) is playing at Milton (5-1, 2-0) on Saturday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. No. 10 Cherokee (7-1, 2-1), having lost to Roswell 35-28, poses a threat if Milton wins. Odds: Roswell 45.1%, Milton 43.7%, Cherokee 10.5%.
*Region 6: Gainesville (5-2, 3-0) is playing at Denmark (3-3, 3-0) on Nov. 13. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Gainesville, playing in the highest class for the first time in 55 years, hasn’t won a region title since 2013. Denmark, a 3-year-old school, has never won a region. Odds: Gainesville 40.0%, Denmark 32.9%, West Forsyth 26.0%.
*Region 7: No. 10 Archer (4-3, 3-0) plays at No. 4 Norcross on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Norcross last won a region title in 2016, Archer in 2017. Odds: Norcross 72.8%, Archer 27.2%.
*Region 8: No. 7 Collins Hill (6-2, 2-0) is the only team without a region loss but faces Mountain View (1-6, 0-1) this week and Mill Creek (3-4, 1-1) next week. Collins Hill last won a region title in 2013. Odds: Collins Hill 92.5%, North Gwinnett 5.7%.
Class 6A
*Region 1: No. 3 Valdosta (3-3, 1-0) plays at No. 1 Lee County (6-1, 1-0) on Nov. 13. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Lee has won region titles the past three seasons. Valdosta last won in 2016. Odds: Lee County 75.0%, Valdosta 24.4%.
*Region 2: No. 5 Richmond Hill (7-1, 4-0) is the only team without a region loss and can clinch with a victory Friday at Glynn Academy (5-3, 3-1). Richmond Hill won its first region title in 23 years last season. Odds: Richmond Hill 97.6%, Glynn Academy 2.4%
*Region 3: Alcovy (1-5, 1-0) plays at Evans (5-2, 2-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Evans is the defending region champion. Alcovy has never won a region title. Odds: Evans 85.3%, Alcovy 14.7%.
*Region 4: No. 4 Lovejoy (7-0, 2-0) plays at No. 6 Westlake (5-1, 2-0) on Nov. 13. Lovejoy last won a region title in 2013. Westlake has won six straight. Odds: Lovejoy 61.5%, Westlake 31.7%.
*Region 5: No. 9 Carrollton (4-1, 4-0) is the only team without a region loss but has three remaining games, two against teams with one region loss. Carrollton won a region title last season. Douglas County (6-1, 3-1), the leading challenger, last won in 2002. Odds: Carrollton 74.3%, Douglas County 12.7%.
*Region 6: Kell (4-2, 4-0) plays at No. 7 Allatoona (6-5, 5-0) on Friday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Kell last won a region title in 2014, Allatoona in 2015. Odds: Allatoona 86.0%, Kell 13.2%.
*Region 7: River Ridge (7-0, 4-0) is the only team without a region loss, though it must contend with Johns Creek (3-3, 3-1) on the road Nov. 13. River Ridge has never won a region title. Odds: River Ridge 90.2%, Creekview 5.1%, Johns Creek 4.6%.
*Region 8: No. 8 Dacula (4-2, 3-0) plays at No. 2 Buford (5-1, 3-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Buford had its streak of region titles ended at 20 last season. Dacula has won four straight region titles. They’re sharing a region for the first time since 1995. Odds: Buford 81.5%, Dacula 18.5%.
Class 5A
*Region 1: No. 2 Warner Robins (6-1, 1-0) is the only team without a region loss, although the Demons' remaining games, including a Nov. 13 date with No. 6 Coffee (6-2, 1-1), are against teams that have been (or still are) ranked. Warner Robins is seeking its fourth consecutive region title. Odds: Warner Robins 83.9%, Ware County 10.5%, Coffee 4.6%.
*Region 2: No. 7 Starr’s Mill (6-1, 3-0) is the only team without a region loss and heavily favored to win each of its remaining three games. Starr’s Mill has won four straight region titles. Odds: Starr’s Mill 99.8%, Whitewater 0.1%.
*Region 3: It’s a tie among Jonesboro (5-0, 3-0), Creekside (3-2, 3-0) and Woodward Academy (3-3, 3-0). Woodward won a region title last season. Jonesboro’s last was in 2015, Creekside’s last in 2018. Odds: Creekside 39.1%, Woodward Academy 35.9%, Jonesboro 25%.
*Region 4: No. 10 Jones County (4-3, 4-0) is the only team without a region loss, and the Maxwell Ratings still consider Ola – which Jones County beat last week – as the next mostly likely to get the title if the Greyhounds slip. Jones County won a region title in 2019, the school’s first in 18 years. Odds: Jones County 74.4%, Ola 19.2%.
*Region 5: Decatur (4-0, 3-0) plays at No. 8 St. Pius (5-1, 3-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Decatur last won a region title in 2004, St. Pius in 2018. Odds: St. Pius 89.8%, Decatur 9.2%.
*Region 6 –There’s a tie (using the loss column) among Chapel Hill (5-3, 3-1), Villa Rica (4-4, 3-1), New Manchester (4-3, 2-1) and Lithia Springs (2-5, 2-1). Only Villa Rica has won a region title, and its most recent occurred in 1998. Odds: Lithia Springs 48.1%, New Manchester 22.0%.
*Region 7: No. 1 Blessed Trinity (3-1, 1-0) and No. 4 Cartersville (6-1, 2-0) are the only unbeaten teams in region play. Their Oct. 30 game was canceled and won’t be made up. Blessed Trinity gets credit for a win for region seeding purposes, and that’s not reflected in the odds, which is an almost certain region title for Blessed Trinity. Odds: Blessed Trinity 67.1%, Cartersville 31.9%.
*Region 8: No. 9 Clarke Central (6-2, 5-0) will clinch its second straight region title by winning one of its next two, and one of those is against winless Johnson of Gainesville. Clarke won a region title in 2019. Odds: Clarke Central 100.0%.
Class 4A
*Region 1: No. 7 Bainbridge (4-3, 2-0) plays at Thomas County Central (3-3, 2-0) on Nov. 13. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Bainbridge last won a region title in 2015, Thomas Central in 2016. Odds: Bainbridge 88.9%, Thomas Central 10.0%.
*Region 2: No. 3 Carver of Columbus will play Hardaway (6-1, 5-0) on Nov. 13. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Carver won a region title in 2019, but Hardaway’s last was in 1984. Odds: Carver 55.8%, Hardaway 39.0%.
*Region 3: Benedictine is the region champion. The other three teams, all Savannah public schools, are playing intra-district only games, citing COVID-19 concerns, to determine seeds 2-4. It’s Benedictine’s fifth title in six seasons. Odds: Benedictine 100.0%.
*Region 4: No. 10 Baldwin (3-0, 3-0) plays at Perry (3-4, 3-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Baldwin won its last region title in 2018. Perry hasn’t won since 1959. Odds: Perry 58.4%, Baldwin 41.5%.
*Region 5: Riverdale (3-2, 2-0) plays at Luella (6-2, 4-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Riverdale’s last region title came in 1998. Luella has never won a title. Odds: Riverdale 46.2%, Luella 42.3%.
*Region 6: No. 4 Stephenson (4-0, 3-0) plays at No. 1 Marist (5-0, 2-0) on Friday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Marist hasn’t won a region title since 2017. Stephenson won one last year. Odds: Marist 94.0%, Stephenson 5.9%.
*Region 7: No. 9 Cedartown (5-2, 3-0) is the only team without a region loss and can clinch the title with a victory Nov. 13 over Central of Carrollton (4-2, 1-1) Cedartown last won a region title in 2001. Odds: Cedartown 98.3%, Central 1.2%.
*Region 8: No. 2 Jefferson (6-0, 2-0) is the only team without a region loss and is heavily favored in its remaining three games, with a Nov. 13 date with North Oconee (3-5, 3-1) rated the toughest. Jefferson won a region last year. Odds: Jefferson 96.6%, Flowery Branch 3.3%, North Oconee 0.1%.
Class 3A
*Region 1: No. 8 Pierce County (5-1, 1-0) plays at No. 5 Appling County (7-0, 2-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Pierce won a region last year. Appling last won in 2013. Odds: Appling County 72.2%, Pierce County 27.8%.
*Region 2: No. 3 Peach County (5-1, 4-0) plays at Central of Macon (4-2, 4-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play, but Maxwell considers Peach’s victory last week over No. 4 Crisp County (6-1, 3-1) to have been the likely region-title decider. Peach has won four consecutive region titles. Central last won in 1975. Odds: Peach County 93.2%, Crisp County 6.0%, Central 0.8%.
*Region 3: Southeast Bulloch won the region by beating Liberty County last month as the other five teams, all Savannah public schools, are playing intra-district only games, citing COVID-19 concerns, and can be seeded no higher than No. 3. It’s Southeast Bulloch’s first region title since 1994. Odds: Southeast Bulloch 100%.
*Region 4: No. 10 Richmond Academy (7-1, 4-0) is the only team without a region loss, though a home game with Burke County (2-3, 2-1) on Nov. 20 could scramble the race and reintroduce Thomson (6-2, 3-1). Richmond Academy last won a region title in 1976. Odds: Richmond Academy 84.5%, Burke County 15.4%, Thomson 0.1%.
*Region 5: No. 1 Cedar Grove (4-0, 3-0) is the only team without a region loss. The Saints have three remaining region games, most significantly against Sandy Creek (2-3, 1-1) on Nov. 20, but are heavily favored to win out and win their fourth straight title. Odds: Cedar Grove 99.9%, Greater Atlanta Christian 0.1%.
*Region 6: No. 7 Rockmart (6-1, 5-0) is the only team without a region loss. The Yellow Jackets have three remaining region games, most significantly against Adairsville (5-2, 4-1) on Friday, but are heavily favored to win out and take their fourth consecutive region title. Odds: Rockmart 92.3%, Adairsville 6.3%.
*Region 7: There’s a tie at the top with Dawson County (4-3, 3-0), North Hall (5-3, 4-0) and No. 9 Cherokee Bluff (7-0, 3-0). The Maxwell Ratings, which value historical performance, probably underestimate the chances of 3-year-old Cherokee Bluff. Dawson County last won a region title in 2015. North Hall last won in 2012. Odds: Dawson County 57.6%, North Hall 22.9%, Cherokee Bluff 19.5%.
*Region 8: No. 2 Oconee County (7-0, 2-0) plays at Monroe Area (6-1, 2-0) on Friday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Oconee won a region last year. Monroe Area won one in 2018. Odds: Oconee County 96.0%, Monroe Area 3.3%, Franklin County 0.5%.
Class 2A
*Region 1: No. 2 Fitzgerald (8-0, 3-0) plays at No. 5 Thomasville (5-3, 3-0) on Friday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Thomasville won this region last year. Fitzgerald last won in 2016. Odds: Fitzgerald 74.1%, Thomasville 25.9%.
*Region 2: Swainsboro (4-3, 2-0) plays at Vidalia (4-2, 2-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Swainsboro last won a region title in 2018. Vidalia last won in 2014. Odds: Vidalia 61.9%, Swainsboro 19.9%, Jeff Davis 9.3%, Toombs County 8.9%.
*Region 3: No. 8 Northeast (5-1, 3-0) is the only team without a region loss, though its game Friday at Dodge County (3-3, 2-1) essentially will settle the issue or force a three-way tie with Bleckley County or Washington County. Northeast last won a region title in 2009. Odds: Northeast 76.5%, Dodge County 12.8%, Bleckley County 9.4%, Washington County 1.2%.
*Region 4: Jefferson County (4-2, 4-0) plays at No. 7 Putnam County (7-0, 4-0) on Friday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Jefferson County won a region title last year. Putnam last won in 2010. Odds: Putnam County 61.8%, Jefferson County 38.1%.
*Region 5: No. 1 Callaway (5-0, 1-0) plays at No. 4 Haralson County on Tuesday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Haralson has never won a region title. Callaway won last year. Odds: Callaway 57.3%, Haralson County 38.1%.
*Region 6: This region elected to count only the final six region games in picking its seeds. That means Lovett’s Oct. 2 victory over South Atlanta is thrown out, and South Atlanta (4-3, 4-1 officially, but 3-0 in the eyes of the region) will be the champion if it wins out. The Hornets' toughest game is probably the Nov. 20 date with Columbia (3-1, 3-1). South Atlanta has never won a region title. Odds: Not calculated under region rules.
*Region 7: Fannin County (6-0, 3-0) is the only team without a region loss, and none of its three remaining opponents has a winning record. Fannin’s last region title was 2007. Odds: Fannin County 99.7%, Pepperell 0.1%.
*Region 8: No. 3 Rabun County (7-1, 1-0) plays at Elbert County (2-4, 1-0) on Friday. Rabun has won six straight region titles. Elbert last won in 2013. Odds: Rabun County 95.4%, Elbert County 4.5%.
Class A Private
*Region 1: First Presbyterian (4-3, 2-0) is the only team without a region loss, and its game with Stratford Academy (4-2, 1-1) is probably the most significant of the remaining three. First Presbyterian has never won a region title. Odds: First Presbyterian 61.9%, Stratford Academy 25.7%.
*Region 2: Region play among the three teams hasn’t begun. Eagle’s Landing Christian is the five-time state champion. Odds: ELCA 94.7%, Whitefield Academy 5.3%, Landmark Christian 0.0%.
*Region 3: No. 9 Savannah Christian (7-1, 1-0) plays Savannah Country Day (3-3, 1-0) on Nov. 11. Savannah Country Day won a region title in 2019. Savannah Christian last won in 2018. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Aquinas (7-1, 0-1), beaten last week by SCD, remains a threat. Odds: Savannah Christian 75.5%, Aquinas 13.4%, SCD 7.3%.
*Region 4: Region play among the four teams hasn’t begun. No. 8 Trinity Christian (5-2) has never won a GHSA region title. Odds: Trinity Christian 85.6%, Pacelli 10.7%, Brookstone 3.8%, Heritage (Newnan) 0.0%.
*Region 5: No. 5 Wesleyan (5-2, 1-0), Holy Innocents' (3-4, 1-0) and Mount Vernon Presbyterian (5-3, 2-0) are the teams without region losses. No. 5 Wesleyan (5-2), the favorite, last won a region title in 2009. Odds: Wesleyan 65.0%, Holy Innocents' 20.5%.
*Region 6: Mount Pisgah Christian (4-3, 1-0) plays at No. 3 Fellowship Christian (7-0, 2-0) on Friday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Fellowship won a region last year. Mount Pisgah last won in 2013. Odds: Fellowship Christian 98.4%, Mount Pisgah Christian 1.6%.
*Region 7: No. 7 North Cobb Christian (6-1, 1-0) plays at No. 6 Christian Heritage (6-1, 2-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Neither has won a region title. Odds: Christian Heritage 61.4%, North Cobb Christian 35.0%.
*Region 8: No. 1 Prince Avenue Christian (7-1, 2-0) will clinch the region title if No. 4 Athens Academy (6-1, 0-1) beats Athens Christian (4-3, 0-1) on Friday. Prince Avenue last won a region title in 2016. Odds: Prince Avenue Christian 99.9%, George Walton Academy 0.1%.
Class A Public
*Region 1: No. 7 Pelham (3-1, 3-0) is the only team without a region loss and heavily favored to win out and win its first title since 2018. Odds: Pelham 99.4%, Seminole County 0.4%.
*Region 2: No. 1 Irwin County (5-2, 3-0) is the only team without a region loss but has three games against one-loss teams remaining, most notably at Clinch County (4-2, 2-1) on Nov. 13. Irwin won region and state titles last year. Odds: Irwin County 93.0%, Turner County 3.8%, Clinch County 1.8%.
*Region 3: No. 1 Metter (7-0, 4-0) is the only team without a region loss and heavily favored to win out. Metter won a Class 2A region last year. Odds: Metter 99.9%, McIntosh County Academy 0.1%.
*Region 4: No. 5 Dublin (6-1, 5-0) is the only team without a region loss. Its biggest hurdle comes Friday at Johnson County (6-1, 4-1). Dublin won region and state titles in Class 2A last year. Odds: Dublin 91.0%, Johnson County 7.5%.
*Region 5: No. 9 Chattahoochee County (6-0, 4-0) plays at No. 6 Macon County (6-1, 5-0) on Nov. 20. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Chattahoochee County has never won a region title. Macon County last won in 2016. Odds: Macon County 57.4%, Chattahoochee County 42.6%.
*Region 6: B.E.S.T. Academy (3-2, 1-0) plays at Bowdon (3-4, 2-0) on Thursday. They’re the only teams unbeaten in region play. Bowdon last won in 2014. B.E.S.T. has never won. Odds: Bowdon 86.3%, B.E.S.T. Academy 6.5%.
*Region 7: Hancock Central (3-0, 2-0) is the only team without a region loss and has games scheduled with three teams with combined records of 3-16. Hancock has never won a region title. Odds: Hancock Central 99.3%, Wilkinson County 0.6%.
*Region 8: No. 4 Commerce (6-1, 2-0), No. 8 Washington-Wilkes (5-0, 1-0) and Lincoln County (4-2, 1-0) are the unbeaten teams in region play. These programs have won 67 region crowns through history, but none since Washington-Wilkes' title in 2013. Odds: Washington-Wilkes 52.4%, Commerce 44.9%, Lincoln County 2.7%.
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