The Region 2 championship will be decided on Friday when Jones County travels to The Mac to play Warner Robins. The scenario is what most observers expected in August when the season started, but was far from a certainty when both programs stumbled out of the gate.
Jones County (6-2, 4-0) lost to Northside Warner Robins in the season opener and got blown out by Perry in the third game. Since then the Greyhounds have won five in a row, averaging 46.6 points during that stretch.
Warner Robins (5-3, 4-0) had the same trouble. The Demons lost to Lee County in the opener and got rung up by Valdosta in the third game and by Houston County in the fifth game. Since then they’ve won three straight, including a critical one-point win over then-No. 9 Ola.
One of the interesting subtexts to this showdown involves the quarterback situation, particularly Warner Robins Judd Anderson, a 6-foot-6 senior who has committed to Miami. Anderson started last season at Jones County and was the starter for the Greyhounds when the season began. After leading them to a win over Dacula on Aug. 25 by throwing four touchdown passes, he transferred to Warner Robins on Aug. 28, and led the Demons to a win over Northside on Sept. 1.
The unusual circumstances gave Jones County junior Devin Edmonds a chance to become the full-time starter instead of sharing time with Anderson. Emonds has responded by throwing for 1,662 yards and 19 touchdowns and appears to be the latest product of “Quarterback Whisperer” Mike Chastain, who coached Jake and Dylan Fromm at Warner Robins and John Alan Richter at Jones County. Edmonds threw for 361 yards and six touchdowns in a critical win over Ola.
Here’s a look at the other playoff races in Class 5A.
The first round of the playoffs will feature Region 1 vs. Region 4, Region 2 vs. Region 3, Region 5 vs. Region 8, and Region 6 vs. Region 7. Let the speculation begin.
Region 1: Coffee (8-0, 3-0) will play Ware County (6-2, 3-0) for the region championship next week. Bradwell, Jenkins and Statesboro all have 1-2 region records and will determine the remaining two playoff participants.
Region 2: The other two playoff teams will be either Ola (6-2, 2-2), Dutchtown (3-5, 2-2) or Eagle’s Landing (3-6, 2-3). Dutchtown, which may be the best team in the state with a losing record, hosts Eagle’s Landing this week and finishes the season next Thursday against Ola.
Region 3: Harris County (7-1, 2-0) is in the driver’s seat and will capture the region title if it wins its final two games against Drew and McIntosh. Northside Columbus and McIntosh meet this week, with the loser most likely to be the No. 4 seed.
Region 4: Arabia Mountain (7-1, 3-0) will meet Tucker (5-3, 3-0) for the region title next week. Chamblee (3-5, 1-2) plays at Decatur (3-5, 1-2) on Friday, with the winner most likely earning the No. 3 seed.
Region 5: Creekside (7-1, 5-0) can win the regular-season championship with a victory this week against Tri-Cities (2-6). The Seminoles have already beaten Mays, Chapel Hill and Villa Rica, its three nearest competitors. Mays (4-4, 4-1) can nail down the No. 2 seed and a home game for the first round of the playoffs with a win at Banneker on Friday.
Region 6: Kell (7-1, 4-0) has earned the regular-season championship and will be the No. 1 seed. Greater Atlanta Christian (7-1, 3-1) can guarantee itself a playoff spot with a win over Chattahoochee (3-5, 2-2). Centennial (2-6, 2-2) can remain in the hunt with a win against winless Northview.
Region 7: This week’s game between Cartersville (9-0, 4-0) and Dalton (7-3, 3-1) will determine the regular-season champion. Cartersville is trying to recapture the region title for the third time in five years under coach Conor Foster. Dalton is seeking its first region championship since 2016.
Calhoun (6-3, 2-2) needs a win at Cass (4-5, 1-3) to secure a playoff spot. A loss would leave the Yellow Jackets needing Woodland (2-7) to upset Hiram (7-2).
Region 8: Jefferson (8-0, 4-0) hosts Heritage (3-5, 1-3), while Eastside (6-2, 4-0) plays at Winder-Barrow (4-4, 1-3). If Jefferson and Eastside win, it sets up a winner-take-all showdown for the championship on Nov. 2 in Covington. The other critical game features Loganville (4-5, 2-3) at Flowery Branch (4-4, 2-2), where the winner is in the playoffs.
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