High school football predictions

Class AAAAA

The most competitive race is in Region 4, where seven of the eight teams still have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. McEachern (3-0 in the region), North Cobb (3-0) and Pebblebrook (2-1) appear in good shape. That leaves Hillgrove, South Cobb, Harrison and Kennesaw Mountain fighting for one spot. South Cobb’s loss to Harrison last week should open the door for Hillgrove to take the other playoff berth.

Other regions: 1 -- Lowndes, Coffee, Colquitt County, Valdosta; 2 -- East Coweta, Stephenson, M.L. King, Newton; 3 -- Camden County, Jenkins, Windsor Forest, Beach; 5 -- Etowah, Woodstock, Lassiter, Walton; 6 -- West Forsyth, Centennial, Roswell, Milton; 7 -- North Gwinnett, Norcross, Peachtree Ridge, Collins Hill; 8 -- Grayson, South Gwinnett, Brookwood, Dacula.

Class AAAA

Northside-Warner Robins and Thomas County Central play Friday night in what amounts to the championship game in Region 1. Lee County and Hardaway are tied for third place and trying to hold off Houston County and Bainbridge for the other two playoff spots. It won’t be easy, but look for them to do it.

Other regions: 2 -- Brunswick, Ware County, Statesboro, Effingham County; 3 -- Dutchtown, Griffin, Starr's Mill, Whitewater; 4 -- Lovejoy, Creekside, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro, North Clayton; 5 -- Kell, Hiram, Pope, Sprayberry; 6 -- Tucker, Marist, Mays, Southwest DeKalb; 7 -- Chattahoochee, Lambert, South Forsyth, Rome; 8 -- Clarke Central, Flowery Branch, Apalachee, Heritage-Conyers.

Class AAA

Region 4 includes three teams (Sandy Creek, Eastside and Jackson) that won region titles in 2009, so the battle was expected to be for fourth place among the remaining teams. It hasn’t turned out that way. Sandy Creek will breeze into the playoffs and likely be joined there by Henry County, Stockbridge and Eastside.

Other regions: 1 -- Americus-Sumter, Cairo, Worth County, Crisp County; 2 -- Baldwin, Peach County, Perry, Westside-Macon; 3 -- Thomson, Richmond Academy, Washington County, Burke County; 5 -- Grady, St. Pius, Woodward Academy, Columbia; 6 -- Carrollton, Shaw, Troup, LaGrange; 7 -- Ridgeland, Dalton, Allatoona, Cartersville; 8 -- Stephens County, White County, Monroe Area, Gainesville.

Class AA

The most unpredictable region has been 4-AA, where six teams of the nine teams still have a shot at the playoffs. First-place Lamar County and Putnam County figure to make it. Pike County and Southwest-Macon will be the other two if they avoid upsets like last week’s lopsided Pike County loss to Northeast-Macon.

Other regions: 1 -- Thomasville, Cook, Fitzgerald, Brooks County; 2 -- Tattnall County, McIntosh County Academy, Vidalia, Appling County; 3 -- Dublin, Swainsboro, Jefferson County, Laney; 5 -- Carver-Columbus, Callaway, Heard County, Manchester; 6 -- Buford, GAC, Lovett, Westminster; 7 -- Calhoun, Dade County, Rockmart, Pepperell; 8 -- Banks County, North Oconee, Elbert County, Hart County.

Class A

Wesleyan, Holy Innocents’ and Eagle’s Landing Christian should earn their way into the state playoffs with victories in the Region 5-A play-in round. The fourth berth likely will go to the second-place team from the South subregion. Landmark Christian currently has the edge there, but don’t count out First Presbyterian.

Other regions: 1 -- Mitchell County, Seminole County, Miller County, Terrell County; 2 -- Clinch County, Wilcox County, Charlton County, Turner County; 3 -- Savannah Christian, Johnson County, ECI, Savannah Country Day; 4 -- Marion County, Brookstone, Greenville, Hawkinsville; 6 -- Darlington, Trion, Bremen, Bowdon; 7 -- Lincoln County, Wilkinson County, Aquinas, Warren County; 8 -- Commerce, Athens Academy, George Walton Academy, Prince Avenue Christian.

The weekend predictions

Last week: 146-26 (.849); Overall: 917-267 (.774)

Friday

Winner##Loser

Allatoona##Cedartown

Americus-Sumter##Dougherty

Aquinas##Jeff Davis

Armuchee##Model

Athens Academy##Commerce

Athens Christian##Riverside Military

Atkinson Co.##Bacon Co.

Bainbridge##Houston Co.

Baldwin##Howard

Banks Co.##Rabun Co.

Brantley Co.##Long Co.

Bremen##Mount Paran

Brookstone##Pacelli

Brookwood##Shiloh

Brunswick##Wayne Co.

Buford##Avondale

Burke Co.##Cross Creek

Butler##Hephzibah

Cairo##Worth Co.

Calhoun##Gordon Central

Calvary Day##Bryan Co.

Camden Co.##Groves

Carrollton##Shaw

Cartersville##Murray Co.

Carver-Columbus##Callaway

Central Gwinnett##Archer

Chapel Hill##Alexander

Charlton Co.##Telfair Co.

Chattahoochee##Sequoyah

Chattooga##North Murray

Clarke Central##Apalachee

Clinch Co.##Lanier Co.

Collins Hill##Mill Creek

Columbus##Haralson Co.

Cook##Brooks Co.

Creekside##Riverdale

Creekview##Cass

Crisp Co.##Westover

Dacula##South Gwinnett

Dade Co.##Sonoraville

Dalton##Ringgold

Darlington##Bowdon

Dawson Co.##Union Co.

Dodge Co.##East Laurens

Dooly Co.##Schley Co.

Duluth##Meadowcreek

Dutchtown##Alcovy

ELCA##Landmark Christian

Early Co.##Berrien

East Coweta##Westlake

Eastside##Stockbridge

Effingham Co.##Greenbrier

Elbert Co.##Jefferson

Etowah##Marietta

Fayette Co.##Upson-Lee

Fannin Co.##East Hall

First Presbyterian##SW Atlanta Christian

Flowery Branch##Heritage-Conyers

Forest Park##Mundy’s Mill

Franklin Co.##Chestatee

Gainesville##Monroe Area

George Walton##Cross Keys

Gilmer##Pickens

Glascock Co.##Georgia Military

Glynn Academy##Richmond Hill

Gordon Lee##Mt. Zion-Carroll

Grady##North Springs

Grayson##Parkview

Greater Atlanta Christian##Clarkston

Greene Co.##Crawford Co.

Greenville##Taylor Co.

Griffin##Union Grove

Grovetown##Josey

Harrison##Campbell

Hart Co.##Oglethorpe Co.

Hawkinsville##Macon Co.

Heard Co.##Kendrick

Hillgrove##North Cobb

Hiram##East Paulding

Holy Innocents’##Fellowship Christian

Jefferson Co.##Southeast Bulloch

Jenkins##Bradwell Institute

Jenkins Co.##Portal

Johnson-Gainesville##Walnut Grove

Johnson Co.##Treutlen

Jones Co.##Woodland-Stockbridge

King’s Ridge##Pinecrest Academy

LaFayette##Heritage-Catoosa

Lakeside-Evans##South Effingham

Lakeview Academy##N. Cobb Christian

Lamar Co.##Southwest-Macon

Lambert##Woodland-Cartersville

Laney##Bleckley Co.

Lassiter##Wheeler

Lee Co.##Hardaway

Lincoln Co.##Washington-Wilkes

Lithia Springs##Paulding Co.

Lithonia##Douglass

Loganville##Winder-Barrow

Lovejoy##Jonesboro

Lovett##Blessed Trinity

Lowndes##Colquitt Co.

Manchester##Spencer

Marion Co.##Central-Talbotton

Marist##Dunwoody

Mays##Carver-Atlanta

McEachern##Pebblebrook

McIntosh Co. Academy##Vidalia

Miller Co.##Calhoun Co.

Milton##Northview

Montgomery Co.##Wheeler Co.

Newnan##Luella

North Clayton##Mt. Zion-Jonesboro

North Gwinnett##Mountain View

North Hall##Lumpkin Co.

North Oconee##East Jackson

North Paulding##Osborne

Northgate##Harris Co.

Northside-W. Robins##Thomas Co. Central

Northwest Whitfield##Forsyth Central

Oconee Co.##West Hall

Our Lady of Mercy##Strong Rock

Pace Academy##Mount Pisgah

Peach Co.##Mary Persons

Peachtree Ridge##Norcross

Pepperell##Adairsville

Perry##Rutland

Pike Co.##Morgan Co.

Pope##Sprayberry

Prince Avenue##Social Circle

Putnam Co.##Monticello

Richmond Academy##Harlem

Ridgeland##Southeast Whitfield

Rockdale Co.##Madison Co.

Rockmart##Coosa

Roswell##Alpharetta

St. Pius##Druid Hills

Salem##Cedar Shoals

Sandy Creek##Jackson

Savannah Christian##Metter

Savannah Country Day##Claxton

Seminole Co.##Stewart Co.

South Atlanta##Jackson-Atlanta

South Cobb##Kennesaw Mountain

South Forsyth##Rome

South Paulding##Chapel Hill

Southwest DeKalb##Redan

Statesboro##Evans

Stephenson##Hughes

Swainsboro##Dublin

Tattnall Co.##Appling Co.

Temple##Jordan

Terrell Co.##Pelham

Thomasville##Fitzgerald

Thomson##Westside-Augusta

Toombs Co.##Pierce Co.

Towns Co.##River Ridge

Tri-Cities##Morrow

Trion##Walker

Troup##Central-Carroll

Tucker##Miller Grove

Valdosta##Coffee

Walton##Cherokee

Ware Co.##Liberty Co.

Warner Robins##Northside-Columbus

Warren Co.##Hancock Central

Washington Co.##Glenn Hills

West Forsyth##North Forsyth

West Laurens##Central-Macon

Westminster##Therrell

Westside-Macon##Veterans

White Co.##Stephens Co.

Whitewater##McIntosh

Wilcox Co.##Turner Co.

Wilkinson Co.##Twiggs Co.

Woodward Academy##Cedar Grove

Saturday

Arabia Mountain##McNair

Beach##Savannah

Columbia##Towers

Lakeside-DeKalb##Chamblee

M.L. King##Newton

Mitchell Co.##Randolph-Clay

Washington##North Atlanta