High school football: Mays makes the quarterfinals

Etowah (10-2) vs. Newton (7-3)

Hillgrove (9-3) vs. Archer (9-3)

McEachern (9-3) vs. Tucker (10-2)

Milton (11-1) vs. Colquitt Co. (12-0)

Class AAAAA

Mays (10-2) vs. Jones Co. (10-2)

Stockbridge (10-2) vs. Sequoyah/Houston Co. winner

Glynn Academy (9-3) vs. Northside-Warner Robins (11-1)

Allatoona (12-0) vs. Gainesville (10-2)

Class AAAA

Sandy Creek (11-1) vs. Cartersville (11-1)

Marist (11-1) vs. Buford (12-0)

St. Pius (10-2) vs. West Laurens (9-3)

Woodward Academy (10-2) vs. North Oconee (9-3)

Class AAA

Washington Co. (12-0) vs. Pierce Co. (10-2)

Blessed Trinity (12-0) vs. Jefferson (12-0)

Calhoun (12-0) vs. Elbert Co. (9-3)

Westminster (11-1) vs. Hart Co. (11-1)

Class AA

Heard Co. (7-5) vs. Brooks Co. (9-3)

Lovett (9-3) vs. Benedictine (10-2)

Greater Atl. Christian (12-0) vs. Vidalia (12-0)

Pace Academy (7-5) vs. Fitzgerald (11-1)

Second round

Class A-Private

Calvary Day (11-0) vs. Mount Pisgah Christian (8-3)

Eagle’s Landing Christian (5-6) vs. Prince Ave. Christian (9-2)

Mount Paran Chrisitan (11-0) vs. Savannah Christian (10-1)

Tattnall Square (10-1) vs. Aquinas (11-0)

Class A-Public

Marion Co. (11-0) vs. Mount Zion-Carroll (8-3)

Charlton Co. (10-1) vs. Hawkinsville (10-1)

Calhoun Co. (8-3) vs. Commerce (9-2)

Dooly Co. (8-3) vs. Irwin Co. (9-1-1)

Mays football coach Corey Jarvis is a graduate of old Harper High School in Atlanta and grew up only a few miles from the Atlanta school that now employs him. So his players did not have to be reminded Friday night about what they had accomplished.

Mays’ 21-18 victory at No. 1-ranked Ware County put Mays in the state quarterfinals for the first time since the school opened in 1981, when Mays essentially took the place of old Southwest High. It is rareified air for an Atlanta city school.

“Our kids know the history. I can tell you that,’’ Jarvis said. “We talk about it all the time. They know the last Atlanta public school to win a state champion was Southwest (in 1973), which is now considered as Mays. They know that Brown was the last city team to make a championship game in 1991. That was my senior season. We want to bring a state title back to Atlanta.’’

Mays also became the first Atlanta city school to beat a No. 1-ranked team since Douglass defeated Southwest DeKalb in 1995. That has been accomplished by a city school only eight times dating to the 1950s.

Mays was ranked No. 10 in preseason, so it’s not a shock that the Raiders have made it this far, even if it is a first. Defensive end Natrez Patrick (committed to Georgia) and tackle Dallas Warmack (Alabama) are four-star recruits and several others are Division I prospects.

In Friday’s game, quarterback Asania Aderhold was 11-of-14 passing for 178 yards and completed touchdown passes to Tyshawn Brown and Randrecous Davis.

With the victory, Mays earned a home game Friday at Lakewood Stadium against Jones County, another school that has never been in the quarterfinals until now.

Other teams in the quarters for the first time are Etowah (Class AAAAAA), North Oconee (AAAA), Pace Academy (AA), Calhoun County (A) and Mount Zion (A).

The third round reveal several paths for schools such as Mays to make more history.

The Mays-Jones County winner will play the winner of the Stockbridge-Houston County game. The survivor will be playing in its first-ever state final.

The same scenario exists in AAAAAA, where the top half of the draw is comprised of teams that have never made a state final — Etowah, Milton, Hillgrove and Archer.

Woodward Academy, which faces quarterfinal newcomer North Oconee, can make the semifinals for the first time since its state championship season of 1980.

Westminster can make the semifinals for the first time since its state championship season of 1978. Westminster’s opponent is Hart County, which has not made a semifinal since 1999.

Even a Class AA showdown between No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian and No. 2 Vidalia may open a door to history. GAC has never won a state title. Vidalia hasn’t won one since 1969.

But it’s still only the quarters. Each team is three victories from a state title.

“Our kids know that it was a big ball game last week, but they also know it’s not over and there are a lot of good football teams still out there,’’ Jarvis said. “Football is a game of matchups. Some teams match up better with some teams than others. You just have to go play every Friday night and see what happens.’’