The high school football regular season is less than a month old, and we’ve already learned a lot.
We know that North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridge and McEachern are really good. We know that M.L. King can score a lot of points -- win or lose. And we know that Meadowcreek’s losing streak, which reached 21 last week at the hands of Wheeler, is likely to go on for a while.
But we’ll find out a lot more in region play, which begins Friday night for three of the six metro Atlanta regions in Class AAAAA. Here’s a look at those regions and some early playoff projections:
- Region 2-AAAAA: Most of these teams don't begin region play until next week, but M.L. King and Westlake meet Friday night in a game that is especially important to Westlake. Stephenson, Newnan and M.L. King appear to be the strength of the region, so the real race will be for fourth place. Newton appears capable of taking that final playoff spot, but don't count out East Coweta or Westlake.
- Region 4-AAAAA: With its two most difficult games complete and a 2-1 record in hand, McEachern should roll through its region. The Indians' biggest challenge likely will come from Hillgrove, which is one of six 3-0 teams in Class AAAAA, but the only one that is not ranked in the top 10. The rest of the region has not distinguished itself, but give North Cobb and Harrison a slight edge over South Cobb and Pebblebrook for the other two playoff spots.
- Region 7-AAAAA: No. 2 North Gwinnett, No. 3 Peachtree Ridge, No. 8 Norcross and Collins Hill clearly are the teams to beat for the four playoff berths. Mill Creek would need an upset to break into the top four, and we'll find out a lot about the Hawks during a three-game stretch in October when they play Collins Hill, North Gwinnett and Peachtree Ridge in consecutive weeks.
These metro Atlanta Class AAAAA regions either already have begun league play or haven’t started:
- Region 5-AAAAA: Region play doesn't begin until next week, so there's one final week of tuneups before the games that really count. Etowah, Walton and Woodstock are the strength of the region, and Cherokee and Wheeler aren't likely to challenge. The leaves Lassiter and Marietta to battle for the fourth playoff spot, and the winner of their game Oct. 22 at Marietta likely gets that berth.
- Region 6-AAAAA: This region, which also begins league play next week, is the most wide open in Class AAAAA and the most difficult to predict. Alpharetta and West Forsyth are the only teams with a winning record and should be in the hunt at the end. Roswell is 0-3 against a rough schedule -- and could fall to 0-4 Friday night with a loss to Walton -- but is likely to be a big factor. That still leaves an opportunity for anyone that steps up out of the other teams -- Centennial, Milton, North Forsyth and Northview.
- Region 8-AAAAA: Dacula pulled off the biggest surprise in the first week of region play when it beat Brookwood last week, but both teams should finish in the top four. They likely will be joined in the playoffs by South Gwinnett and Grayson. Keep an eye on Berkmar, and never count out Parkview, which is 0-2, but has close losses against ranked teams Stephenson and Norcross.
The weekend predictions
Last week: 130-40 (.765); Overall: 371-147 (.716)
Friday
Winner##Loser
Adairsville##East Hall
Alcovy##Union Grove
Alpharetta##Marietta
Apalachee##Salem
Aquinas##Hancock Central
Baldwin##West Laurens
Banks Co.##Athens Christian
Banneker##Mundy’s Mill
Benedictine##Savannah
Bleckley Co.##East Laurens
Blessed Trinity##Avondale
Bowdon##Mt. Zion-Carroll
Brantley Co.##Appling Co.
Brookstone##Chattahoochee Co.
Brookwood##Archer
Buford##Therrell
Butler##Harlem
Calhoun##Chattooga
Callaway##Haralson Co.
Calvary Day##Jeff Davis
Camden Co.##Windsor Forest
Carrollton##Woodland-Stockbridge
Cartersville##Ringgold
Carver-Atlanta##Douglass
Carver-Columbus##LaGrange
Cedar Grove##Stone Mountain
Centennial##Wheeler
Charlton Co.##Irwin Co.
Chattahoochee##Creekview
Chestatee##Dawson Co.
Clarke Central##Habersham Central
Clarkston##South Atlanta
Clinch Co.##Bacon Co.
Coffee##Fitzgerald
Colquitt Co.##Warner Robins
Cook##Crisp Co.
Creekside##Mt. Zion-Jonesboro
Cross Creek##Grovetown
Dade Co.##Armuchee
Dalton##Allatoona
Darlington##Bremen
Decatur##Jackson-Atlanta
Douglas Co.##Chapel Hill
Dutchtown##Ola
East Jackson##Jackson Co.
Eastside##Jackson
Effingham Co.##Savannah Christian
Elbert Co.##Oglethorpe Co.
ECI##Treutlen
Etowah##North Forsyth
First Presbyterian##Strong Rock
Flowery Branch##Cedar Shoals
Franklin Co.##Walnut Grove
Gainesville##North Hall
George Walton##Hebron Christian
Georgia Military##Baconton Charter
Gordon Central##Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe
Gordon Lee##Walker
Grady##Druid Hills
Grayson##Berkmar
GAC##Westminster
Greene Co.##Northeast-Macon
Greenville##Schley Co.
Harrison##Pebblebrook
Hawkinsville##Marion Co.
Heard Co.##Coosa
Hephzibah##Richmond Academy
Heritage-Conyers##Rockdale Co.
Hillgrove##South Cobb
Hiram##Osborne
Houston Co.##Americus-Sumter
Jefferson##Hart Co.
Jefferson Co.##Laney
Johns Creek##Woodland-Cartersville
Johnson Co.##Portal
Jonesboro##Forest Park
Kell##East Paulding
King’s Ridge##Fellowship Christian
LaFayette##Murray Co.
Landmark Christian##Our Lady of Mercy
Lassiter##Milton
Lincoln Co.##Greenbrier
Lithia Springs##Alexander
Lithonia##Dunwoody
Locust Grove##Eagle’s Landing
Loganville##Madison Co.
Lovejoy##Morrow
Lowndes##Burke Co.
M.L. King##Westlake
Manchester##Shaw
Marist##Southwest DeKalb
Mary Persons##Howard
Mays##Miller Grove
McEachern##Campbell
McIntosh Co. Academy##Long Co.
Mill Creek##Mountain View
Model##River Ridge
Morgan Co.##Lamar Co.
Monroe##Brooks Co.
Monroe Area##Lumpkin Co.
Mt. Pisgah##Pinecrest Academy
Newnan##Woodstock
Newton##Northview
Norcross##Duluth
North Cobb##Kennesaw Mtn.
North Cobb Christian##Cross Keys
North Gwinnett##Collins Hill
North Oconee##Rabun Co.
Northgate##Fayette Co.
Northside-Columbus##Columbus
Northside-Warner Robins##Lakeside-Evans
Parkview##Shiloh
Peach Co.##Central-Macon
Peachtree Ridge##Meadowcreek
Pelham##Stewart Co.
Pepperell##Central-Carroll
Perry##Veterans
Pickens##Heritage-Catoosa
Pike Co.##Crawford Co.
Prince Avenue##Glascock Co.
Putnam Co.##Southwest-Macon
Randolph-Clay##Albany
Redan##Lakeside-DeKalb
Ridgeland##Gilmer
Rome##Forsyth Central
St. Pius##North Springs
Sandy Creek##Drew
Schley Co.##Central-Talbotton
Seminole Co.##Calhoun Co.
Sequoyah##Cass
Sonoraville##North Murray
South Effingham##Richmond Hill
South Forsyth##Lambert
South Gwinnett##Central Gwinnett
Southeast Bulloch##Screven Co.
Southeast Whitfield##Cedartown
Sprayberry##North Paulding
Spencer##Terrell Co.
Starr’s Mill##Upson-Lee
Statesboro##Liberty Co.
Stephens Co.##West Hall
Stockbridge##Spalding
Swainsboro##Dodge Co.
Tattnall Co.##Pierce Co.
Taylor Co.##Pacelli
Thomas Co. Central##Cairo
Thomson##Washington Co.
Tift Co.##Worth Co.
Toombs Co.##Claxton
Tri-Cites##Riverdale
Trion##Mt. Paran Christian
Tucker##Chamblee
Turner Co.##Telfair Co.
Valdosta##Brunswick
Vidalia##Metter
Villa Rica##South Paulding
Walton##Roswell
Washington-Wilkes##Commerce
Wesleyan##Holy Innocents’
West Forsyth##Rockmart
Westover##Early Co.
Westside-Augusta##Glenn Hills
Westside-Macon##Rutland
Wheeler Co.##Jenkins Co.
White Co.##Oconee Co.
Whitefield Academy##SW Atl. Christian
Whitewater##Harris Co.
Wilcox Co.##Lanier Co.
Saturday
Columbia##McNair
East Coweta##Troup
Johnson-Savannah##Bradwell Institute
North Atlanta##Riverwood
Towers##Arabia Mountain
Wilkinson Co.##Dougherty
*Games involving out-of-state teams not included
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