Top 10 games of Round 1

Records, rankings: Brookwood is 8-2, the No. 4 seed from Region 4-7A and unranked; Colquitt County is 7-0, the No. 1 seed from 1-7A and No. 2.

Last meeting: Colquitt County won 31-14 in the 2017 Class 7A semifinals.

Things to know: This isn’t the matchup that either wanted. Brookwood is a surprisingly low No. 4 seed after being ranked as high as No. 4 in Class 7A during a 6-0 start. The Broncos lost to Newton when QB Dylan Lonergan was injured. The sophomore and four-start recruit has thrown for 2,038 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 76.6 percent of his passes. He went down again early last week against Parkview, but Jack Spyke came off the bench and was 17-of-19 passing for 238 yards and three touchdowns in the comeback win. And that happened with Brookwood’s star receivers, Sam Mbake and Denylon Morrissette, unavailable. They and Lonergan remain questionable this week. Colquitt County has been a mild surprise given that the Packers started their season in COVID quarantine, canceling a couple of early games, but they’ve run the table on the regular season and opened eyes with a 40-10 rout of then-No. 2 Lowndes. The offense has been balanced, averaging 187 yards both rushing and passing. QB Xavier Williams gives Colquitt a rare dual-threat quarterback. He’s thrown for 1,085 yards and rushed for a team-leading 424. Colquitt County has won its first-round game each of the past 11 seasons.

Winner plays: McEachern/Walton winner

Mill Creek at Roswell

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Ray Manus Stadium, Roswell

Records, rankings: Mill Creek is 5-5, the No. 3 seed from Region 8-7A and unranked; Roswell is 7-2, the No. 2 seed from 5-7A and unranked.

Last meeting: Mill Creek won 41-17 in the second round of the 2019 Class 7A playoffs.

Watch the game: On television on Peachtree TV (Atlanta) and online at NFHS Network.

Things to know: Mill Creek opened the season ranked No. 8 but struggled against a schedule of six top-10 teams and stands in danger of its first losing season since 2006. The Maxwell Ratings still consider Mill Creek the No. 13 team in Class 7A and a one-point favorite over Roswell, which the Hawks blew out in the 2019 second round with more than 300 yards rushing. Mill Creek is good defensively, limiting offensive juggernauts Collins Hill, Brookwood and Grayson Hill to 28 points or less, but the offense has been erratic. Sophomore QB Hayden Clark is playing well lately with five TD passes over the past two games. Mill Creek has won five consecutive first-round games. Roswell, under first-year coach Chris Prewett, started the season 6-0 (despite a two-week COVID-19 delay) and got as high as No. 5 in the rankings before consecutive losses to Milton and Alpharetta. Roswell QB Robbie Roper, with 1,859 yards passing with 19 touchdowns, is having a strong season, and the defense typically is sound.

Winner plays: South Forsyth/Norcross winner

Class 6A

Douglas County at Buford

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Tom Riden Stadium, Buford

Records, rankings: Douglas County is 7-3, the No. 4 seed from Region 5-6A and unranked; Buford is 8-1, the No. 1 seed from 8-6A and No. 2.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Buford has been on a 20-year journey climbing up the GHSA’s classifications from Class A and winning at least one championship each step of the way. Now it’s in 6A for the first time and enters postseason as one of the favorites again. Douglas County was in the AJC top 10 for much of the year and in contention for the Region 5 title until losses to Rome and Carrollton in its final two games dropped the Tigers to a No. 4 seed. This game features nine seniors ranked as three-star or better recruits. Buford’s group includes RB Gabe Ervin (No. 60, committed to Nebraska), CB Malik Williams (Nebraska) and S Amari Wansley (Florida Atlantic). Wolves junior RB Victor Venn is also a three-star recruit. Douglas County DE Jonathan Jefferson, a four-star, is the highest-rated player in the game. Jefferson, committed to Georgia, has 64 total tackles, 17 for losses, and 10 sacks. Douglas County QBs Jimmy Inman and Mike Miller have combined for 1,505 yards passing. Kobe Harris is the leading rusher with 913 yards, and Justin Franklin has 651 yards receiving.

Winner plays: Cambridge/Kell winner

Northside (Warner Robins) at Hughes

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Panthers Stadium, Fairburn

Records, rankings: Northside is 4-6, the No. 3 seed from Region 1-6A and unranked; Hughes is 9-1, the No. 2 seed from 4-6A and No. 7.

Last meeting: Northside won 38-10 in the second round of the 2016 Class 6A playoffs.

Things to know: Both teams are returning to the playoffs after uncharacteristically sub-par seasons in 2019. Northside, a state finalist in 2018, went 3-7 last year and missed the postseason for the first time since 1991. The Eagles improved by only one game this season but are ranked No. 12 in 6A by the computer Maxwell Ratings. Hughes was 2-8 in 2019, tied for the worst record in school history, and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season, but it has bounced back in a big way. The Panthers’ only setback this season was a 26-21 loss to No. 3 Westlake on Oct. 16 in a game that ultimately decided the Region 4 title. Northside gets about two-thirds of its offense from the passing game. Junior QB Elijah Robinson is the leading passer in Region 1. He was 104-of-238 for 1,465 yards and 14 touchdowns in the regular season. Jaylen Cephus has rushed for 421 yards. Hughes averages 197.1 yards rushing and 173.3 passing and is led by QB Xavier Smith, who has passed for 1,022 yards, run for a team-leading 772 yards and had a hand in 19 touchdowns.

Winner plays: Grovetown/Glynn Academy winner

Class 5A

Coffee at Ola

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Mustang Stadium, McDonough

Records, rankings: Coffee is 7-2, the No. 3 seed from Region 1-5A and No. 5; Ola is 9-1, the No. 2 seed from 4-5A and unranked.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Although unranked by the AJC, Ola is No. 10 in the Maxwell Ratings, making this the only first-round matchup in Class 5A between top-10 teams in the computer rankings. Coffee reached the 6A quarterfinals or better for four consecutive seasons before dropping into 5A this year. The Trojans’ only losses have come against No. 3 Ware County and 6A Houston County by a combined 17 points. They won their other seven games by an average of 29.6 points. QB A.J. Wilkerson leads a balanced offense with 1,187 yards passing, 337 yards rushing and a combined 18 touchdowns. A.J. Franklin (428 yards, six TDs) and Brady Skipper (341-3) are the leading rushers. Ola (opened in 2006) is having the best season in its history, surpassing last year’s 7-4 team. The Mustangs lost 38-35 to No. 10 Jones County in the game that decided the Region 4 title. Ola is primarily a running team, led by Micah Bell, who has rushed for 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns on 106 carries. QB Jake Hall has run for 845 yards, passed for 843 and accounted for 24 TDs.

Winner plays: Mundy’s Mill/Starr’s Mill winner

Class 3A

Westminster at Oconee County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Warrior Stadium, Watkinsville

Records, rankings: Westminster is 4-3, the No. 4 seed from Region 5-3A and unranked; Oconee County is 8-0, the No. 1 seed from 8-3A and No. 2.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Westminster is 10-3 in road playoff games since 2014 with a remarkable seven road playoff victories over top-10 teams. Two of the losses were to teams ranked No. 2, as Oconee County currently is. (Those would be 2014 Calhoun and 2017 Peach County). Westminster opened this season with road victories against Pace Academy and St. Pius, both ranked at the time. The Wildcats have lost three times since, including 24-10 to No. 1 Cedar Grove three weeks ago, and injuries have sidelined the team’s starting quarterback and top running back. Westminster’s defense has held the line, and four-star TE Holden Staes has stood out playing two ways with 6.5 tackles for losses and three TD receptions. Oconee County was a 2019 Class 4A finalist and moved down in classification this season and achieved its first uneaten regular season since 2001, but it’s not because of a lighter schedule as the Warriors have beaten four top-10 teams. The team’s main concern was replacing quarterback Max Johnson, now at LSU. Jacob Wright has grown into the role and was 13-of-15 passing for 211 yards and four touchdowns last week against Monroe Area. Oconee County also hangs its hat on defense. The Warriors are allowing 8.9 points per game, fifth-fewest in Class 3A.

Winner plays: Dawson County/Adairsville winner

White County at Rockmart

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Rock, Rockmart

Records, rankings: White County is 7-2, the No. 4 seed from Region 7-3A and unranked; Rockmart is 8-1, the No. 1 seed from 6-3A and No. 7.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: White County beat its region champion, Cherokee Bluff, 48-7 on the road last week and is the region’s best team, according to the Maxwell Ratings, but finished fourth because of narrow midseason losses to Dawson County and North Hall, the latter when preseason all-state QB J.Ben Haynes didn’t play because of injury. Against Cherokee Bluff, Haynes was 14-of-18 passing for 216 yards and four touchdowns, three to Darius Cannon. Silas Mulligan rushed for 207 yards. White County is going for its first playoff victory since 2013. Rockmart has won its fourth consecutive region title after a spell of 29 years without one. Biff Parson is 51-8 in his five seasons at the west Georgia school, and his teams routinely average more than 40 points per game. That’s with a predominantly running offense led by QB Javin Whatley, on pace for a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. Rockmart has won its first-round game each of the past four seasons, all home games, and was the Class 2A runner-up in 2018.

Winner plays: Cedar Grove/Monroe Area winner

Class 2A

Bleckley County at Vidalia

When, where: 1 p.m. Saturday, Buck Cravey Field, Vidalia

Records, rankings: Bleckley County is 6-3, the No. 4 seed from Region 3-2A and unranked; Vidalia is 7-2, the No. 1 seed from 2-2A and No. 10.

Last meeting: Bleckley County won 21-14 on Sept. 25.

Things to know: This is a rematch of their September game that Bleckley County won on a 1-yard run by Chuckie Stephens in the fourth quarter that broke a 14-14 tie. Stephens finished with 135 yards on 26 carries, and Jahvon Butler ran for 100 yards on 20 carries. Dominic Sasser threw two TD passes to Jaden Mobley. Those four players have put up the biggest numbers for Bleckley’s offense all season, but the team’s biggest name is OT Amarius Mims. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound senior, who committed to Georgia, is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the state and No. 6 player nationally. The loss was part of Vidalia’s 0-2 start in which it scored just 22 points. The Indians have averaged 34 points per game in the seven games since, all victories. Vidalia is averaging 249.4 yards per game rushing and 102.9 passing, and it all starts with quarterback Bryce Davis. The junior is 55-of-114 passing for 752 yards and six touchdowns and has rushed for a team-leading 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns on 111 carries. Jaedyn Stanley has 754 yards and nine TDs on 133 carries.

Winner plays: Early County/Putnam County winner

Haralson County at Rabun County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Frank Snyder Stadium, Tiger

Records, rankings: Haralson County is 7-2, the No. 4 seed from Region 5-2A and unranked; Rabun County is 9-1, the No. 1 seed from 8-2A and No. 2.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Haralson County, ranked as high as No. 4 after a 6-0 start, was positioned to win its first region title in history last week but was upset at Bremen. That created a three-way tie for second place behind Callaway, which Haralson had beaten the week before, and Haralson ended up being what the Maxwell Ratings consider the best No. 4 seed in Class 2A. Now in search of its first state-playoff victory in history, Haralson will bring a bruising running game that features a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Marc Harris and Clay Hyatt. Rabun County has two 1,000-yard rushers, too, in Lang Windham and Gunner Stockton, but Stockton is more famous as a passer. A five-star quarterback committed to South Carolina, Stockton has thrown for 8,755 yards and 115 touchdowns in his career. Adriel Clark has 52 receptions for 1,144 yards and 23 touchdowns. Rabun County has won six straight first-round games, all at home.

Winner plays: Model/Washington winner

Class A Public

Clinch County at McIntosh County Academy

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Ship, Darien

Records, rankings: Clinch County is 6-3, the No. 3 seed from Region 2-A Public and No. 9; McIntosh County Academy is 6-3, the No. 2 seed from 3-A Public and unranked.

Last meeting: Clinch County won 42-6 in 2017.

Things to know: Perennial state power Clinch County has battled injuries and COVID issues all season and as a result has had an up-and-down year. Clinch beat Region 2 champion Irwin County, lost to sixth-place Charlton County and lost to second-place Brooks County 45-3, but it appears to be gaining strength. Tyler Morehead, a first-team all-state pick last year, has been out most of this season with an injury but returned to full-time duty in the backfield and rushed for 165 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-21 victory over Lanier County last week. McIntosh County Academy, under second-year coach Bradley Warren, is having its best season since the 2016 team finished 10-3 and reached the state final. The Buccaneers run the ball almost exclusively – 283.0 yards rushing per game, 24.2 passing – and senior Trenton Johnson has been the biggest beneficiary. Johnson has 186 carries for 1,467 yards and 21 TDs in eight games. Jareese Campbell (66-514-3), Austin Crosby (40-358-3) and Quan Proctor (22-226-0) have added almost 1,110 more yards.

Winner plays: Montgomery County/Pelham winner

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