While the state’s top teams are jostling for No. 1 seeds in their respective regions, many unknown and unpublicized battles are raging in the middle of these leagues. Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing fights for final playoff seeds.
5-AAAAA: After a 1-3 start to the season, McEachern is seemingly back from the dead and right in the thick of the playoff hunt after a stunning 48-33 upset over Harrison last week. At 4-3, the Indians are tied with Woodstock, and hold the head-to-head advantage over the Wolverines. At 3-4 in the league are North Cobb and Kennesaw Mountain. McEachern has the easiest route to the playoffs, with Kennesaw Mountain and Cherokee remaining. Woodstock will have to survive a 7-1 East Paulding team in the final week of the regular season to even be in the discussion, and NC and Kennesaw will have to win out.
6-AA: This is precisely what we thought would happen before the season began: Buford, Lovett, Westminster, Greater Atlanta Christian and Blessed Trinity would be fighting for four spots. Buford will be the region’s No. 1, but after that it’s still pretty hazy. GAC has stepped on the gas after a slow start to the season, recovering from an 0-4 start to get to 3-2 in the league. Right there with the Spartans are Lovett and Blessed Trinity, and all teams are 1-1 against the other two. However, Lovett has two games it should win (Avondale, Decatur), while Blessed Trinity has Decatur and Westminster (home), and GAC has Cross Keys and Buford (road). At this point, it looks like Lovett should make the postseason; a tie for the final spot between GAC and Blessed Trinity would favor GAC, which won that head-to-head matchup 31-28.
6-AAAA: The disappointment of Chamblee is the story here, as last year’s Class 3A semifinal participant finds itself at 3-4 in the league with a loss to 4-3 Forsyth Central. Miller Grove, also at 4-3, looks to have the advantage, having already beaten Forsyth Central. Miller Grove will beat Lakeside-DeKalb this Friday, setting up a matchup with Chamblee in the last week of the regular season. Central has North Springs and Tucker, which will likely result in a 1-1 record for the Bulldogs. If (and this is a big “if”) Chamblee goes 2-0 down the stretch with a win over The Grove, and things happen for Forsyth Central as I’ve predicted, it would create a three-way tie for the final spot. However, I think MG takes care of business in the final game, giving the Wolverines their first playoff bid ever.
CLASS 4 FALLOUT
Speaking of Chamblee, the Bulldogs are just one of the casualties among former highly ranked teams in Class 4A. Ranked No. 3 in our poll at one point, Chamblee is just one of a handful of schools that have risen to the top of this year’s most intriguing classification only to suffer multiple losses. Whitewater rose to No. 3 only to lose three times up to this point. Mays rose to No. 2 only to lose back-to-back games to Banneker and Villa Rica. Ware County was everyone’s default preseason No. 1, but now finds itself at 3-5 overall limping into the playoffs. The postseason in this classification should be as interesting as it’s been in years.
Ewalt can be reached at aewalt@scoreatl.com.
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