A lot of the football talk this offseason focused on realignment.
In college, a major reshuffling of the conferences appeared imminent. The end result, for now at least, was less dramatic. Nebraska to the Big Ten. Colorado and Utah to the Pac-10. Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada to the Mountain West. Not exactly the game-changing scenario that many had envisioned.
In high schools, however, the GHSA’s biennial reclassification produced some major shakeups. Defending Class AAAA champion Sandy Creek dropped to AAA. Northside-Warner Robins, the runner-up in Class AAAAA last year, moved to AAAA. Charlton County dropped from AA to A and then earned the No. 1 spot in the preseason rankings. And traditional powers Warner Robins, Westside-Macon, Dalton and Carver-Columbus each dropped a classification.
The reshuffling should make for some fascinating matchups this season, especially in the playoffs.
But those teams have their big games down the road. We kick off the season by looking at a few of the teams that stayed put in this round of reclassification.
- Tucker at Southwest DeKalb (Hallford Stadium): Region 6-AAAA doesn't waste any time getting to its big games. Tucker and Marist always meet within the first couple of weeks of the season, as they will do again this year when they play at Marist next week, and the game usually has a big impact on the final region standings. This year, Tucker tunes up for the Marist game by meeting defending 6-AAAA champion Southwest DeKalb, which beat the Tigers 26-0 last season. Both teams lost a lot of talent from last year, but both have a lot coming back, as usual. Tucker may have just a bit more, so look for the Tigers to avenge last year's loss.
- Stephenson at Parkview: Parkview missed the playoffs last season for the first time in 16 years, and getting back there this season will be no easy task coming out of a region that includes Brookwood, Dacula, Grayson and South Gwinnett. The Panthers could make a major statement with a victory tonight against the sixth-ranked Jaguars, but look for Stephenson to walk away from the Big Orange Jungle with a big victory.
- Buford at Gainesville: My number-one rule is that I don't pick against Buford. Not against the Saints, not against Alabama, not even against a good Gainesville team that is ranked No. 10 in Class AAA. In the past decade, Buford compiled a record of 139-7 (including 44-1 in the past three seasons) and an even more amazing 97-3 mark in the regular season. No reason to go against those odds, tonight or any other time in the foreseeable future.
- Elsewhere: Roswell, ranked No. 8 in Class AAAAA, will spoil the head coaching debut of Collins Hill's Kevin Reach. ... Newnan will extend the state's longest current regular-season winning streak to 29 games by beating LaGrange. ... Savannah has lost 23 consecutive games, and it could get ugly when the Blue Jackets lose to two-time defending state champion Camden County. ... Last year, I slammed Clarke Central in the season-opening predictions, but the Gladiators proved me wrong by reaching the AAAA championship game. Look for Clarke Central to keep it rolling tonight against Athens-rival Cedar Shoals.
The weekend predictions
Friday
Winner##Loser
Apalachee##Habersham Central
Appling Co.##Dodge Co.
Armuchee##Trion
Athens Academy##SW Atlanta Christian
Avondale##Druid Hills
Bacon Co.##Jeff Davis
Bainbridge##Early Co.
Baldwin##Burke Co.
Banks Co.##Social Circle
Berrien##Southwest-Macon
Blessed Trinity##Benedictine
Bradwell Institute##Glynn Academy
Bremen##Howard
Brookstone##Macon Co.
Brunswick##Statesboro
Bryan Co.##Long Co.
Buford##Gainesville
Cairo##Drew
Calhoun##Dalton
Calvary Day##Montgomery Co.
Camden Co.##Savannah
Carver-Columbus##Spencer
Cass##Woodland-Cartersville
Centennial##Campbell
Central Gwinnett##Mountain View
Chamblee##Carver-Atlanta
Charlton Co.##Brantley Co.
Chattahoochee Co.##Marion Co.
Chattooga##LaFayette
Clarke Central##Cedar Shoals
Clinch Co.##Pierce Co.
Creekside##Morrow
Creekview##Sequoyah
Crisp Co.##Turner Co.
Cross Creek##Josey
Dacula##Mill Creek
Dade Co.##Gordon Lee
Darlington##Sonoraville
Decatur##North Springs
Duluth##Archer
Dutchtown##Stockbridge
East Coweta##Chapel Hill
East Paulding##South Paulding
Eastside##Alcovy
Effingham Co.##Screven Co.
ECI##Swainsboro
Etowah##Berkmar
Evans##Richmond Academy
Fannin Co.##Gilmer
Fayette Co.##Woodland-Stockbridge
Fellowship Christ.##Lakeview Academy
Fitzgerald##Worth Co.
Flowery Branch##Madison Co.
George Walton##Pinecrest Academy
Georgia Military##Strong Rock
Gordon Central##Model
Grady##McNair
GAC##Columbia
Greenville##Dooly Co.
Griffin##Spalding
Harris Co.##Hardaway
Harrison##West Forsyth
Hart Co.##Franklin Co.
Hawkinsville##Central-Talbotton
Henry Co.##Ola
Hephzibah##Greene Co.
Heritage-Catoosa##North Murray
Hillgrove##Sprayberry
Hiram##Douglas Co.
Holy Innocents’##Riverwood
Houston Co.##Perry
Jackson##Mary Persons
Jefferson##Commerce
Jenkins Co.##Metter
Johnson-Gainesville##Jackson Co.
Johnson-Savannah##Richmond Hill
Jones Co.##Luella
Kendrick##Randolph-Clay
Kennesaw Mountain##Allatoona
King’s Ridge##St. Francis
Lakeside-Evans##Glenn Hills
Lamar Co.##Bleckley Co.
Landmark Christian##Aquinas
Lanier Co.##Calhoun Co.
Lee Co.##Baconton Charter
Liberty Co.##Americus-Sumter
Lithia Springs##Haralson Co.
Lithonia##Redan
Lovejoy##Mundy’s Mill
Lowndes##Pebblebrook
Manchester##Columbus
Marietta##South Cobb
Marist##Douglass
McIntosh##Pike Co.
McIntosh Co. Academy.##Savannah Christian
Miller Grove##Lakeside-Atlanta
Milton##Cherokee
Monroe##Terrell Co.
Monroe Area##Monticello
Morgan Co.##Walnut Grove
Mt. Paran##Pace Academy
Mt. Pisgah##Cross Keys
Mt. Zion-Carroll##N. Cobb Christian
Murray Co.##Southeast Whitfield
Newnan##LaGrange
North Atlanta##South Atlanta
North Clayton##Riverdale
North Cobb##Alpharetta
North Oconee##Arabia Mountain
Northgate##Alexander
Northside-Columbus##Jordan
Northside-Warner Robins##Union Grove
Northview##Meadowcreek
Northwest Whitfield##Lambert
Oglethorpe Co.##Athens Christian
Osborne##Hughes
Our Lady of Mercy##Temple
Pacelli##Schley Co.
Paulding Co.##North Paulding
Pepperell##Cartersville
Pickens##Dawson Co.
Pope##Wheeler
Portal##Southeast Bulloch
Prince Ave. Christian##Hebron Christian
Putnam Co.##Hancock Central
Ridgeland##Adairsville
Ringgold#Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe
Riverside Military##Lumpkin Co.
Rockdale Co.##Winder-Barrow
Rockmart##Cedartown
Rome##Johns Creek
Roswell##Collins Hill
Rutland##Eagle’s Landing
St. Pius##Westminster
Salem##Heritage-Conyers
Sandy Creek##Whitewater
Sav. Country Day##Atkinson Co.
South Forsyth##Forsyth Central
Starr’s Mill##Coosa
Stephens Co.##Elbert Co.
Stephenson##Parkview
Tattnall Co.##Claxton
Telfair Co.##Wheeler Co.
Therrell##Clarkston
Thomas Co. Central##Thomasville
Thomson##Washington-Wilkes
Tift Co.##Locust Grove
Towers##Central-Macon
Tri-Cities##Jonesboro
Troup##Callaway
Tucker##Southwest DeKalb
Union Co.##Towns Co.
Valdosta##Brooks Co.
Vidalia##Treutlen
Villa Rica##Central-Carroll
Ware Co.##Coffee
Warner Robins##Peach Co.
Warren Co.##Glascock Co.
Washington Co.##Jefferson Co.
Wesleyan##Seminole Co.
West Hall##East Hall
West Laurens##East Laurens
Westlake##Washington
Westover##Mitchell Co.
Westside-Augusta##Butler
Westside-Macon##Stone Mountain
White Co.##East Jackson
Whitefield Academy##Walker
Wilcox Co.##Miller Co.
Wilkinson Co.##Johnson Co.
Windsor Forest##Wayne Co.
Woodstock##North Forsyth
Woodward Academy##Upson-Lee
Saturday
Banneker##Forest Park
Cedar Grove##Veterans
Dougherty##Albany
Mays##Dunwoody
Shiloh##Newton
South Effingham##Jenkins
Note: Games involving out-of-state teams not included
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