Big matchups abound this Friday, as teams are starting to jostle for playoff position in the last few weeks of the regular season. Here’s a class-by-class breakdown of all the important games to watch.
CLASS 5A (by Brian Jones)
It’s Week 9 of the GHSA football season and it’s another Friday where top-ranked teams will take on county rivals. No. 7 Harrison and No. 8 Walton are prime examples, as the Hoyas will travel to Powder Springs to take on McEachern, while the Raiders will go up against a new-look Lassiter team. … After Union Grove and Stephenson won key region games last week, they will face each other to determine the top team in Region 2. … It’s unlikely that Brookwood will win another region title, but the Broncos can still capture a high seed for the playoffs. They face Dacula in a very important region contest, as both teams are battling for the No. 2 spot in the region behind No. 6 Grayson. … Down in South Georgia, No. 3 Northside-Warner Robins will host Tift County, which has a chance to grab the No. 2 spot in Region 1 behind No. 1 Lowndes, which takes on Houston County with a chance to win its 22nd consecutive game.
CLASS 4A (by Ricky Dimon)
Friday’s marquee matchup in Class 4A features Marist (6-1, 6-0) and Southwest DeKalb (6-1, 6-0), two top-10 teams and Region 6 rivals. Both squads are riding six-game winning streaks after dropping their respective season openers. … Lurking near the top of that region are the Tucker Tigers (6-1, 5-1) after scoring a huge win over Chamblee last week. Tucker takes on Stone Mountain (3-4, 3-3) in a must-win game for the Pirates’ postseason aspirations. … The classification’s No. 1-ranked team, Westside-Macon (7-0, 5-0), is back in action against Region 1 foe Americus-Sumter following a bye week. Only a monumental upset by the host Panthers (2-3, 3-4) will keep their playoff hopes alive. … Thomas County Central (6-1, 5-0) escaped with a 20-19 win over Harris County last week to tie Westside-Macon atop the region. The Yellow Jackets will have another tough Region 1 battle on their hands this week against Hardaway (5-3, 4-2). … The Mays Raiders (6-1, 3-1) will be trying to bounce back from last Friday’s tough 18-14 loss to Banneker, which put them behind Villa Rica in the Region 5B standings. Mays can more than make up for the setback by defeating Villa Rica (6-1, 4-0) this week. … Rome (7-1, 5-0) is looking to complete its regular season on an eight-game winning streak and finish the year undefeated in region play. It won’t be easy for the Wolves, however, as they host Region 7A rival Dalton (6-1, 3-1).
CLASS 3A (by Fletcher Proctor)
This week could be a very dangerous one for several teams ranked in the top 10 of the Class 3A GPB/Score Prep rankings. Several ranked teams have a big game next week and might fall victim to the infamous trap game, also known as the look-ahead game. No. 8 Carver-Columbus travels to Kendrick this week before visiting No. 2 LaGrange next Thursday. The Grangers shouldn’t be overlooking Columbus, their Friday opponent, either, because the home team would love nothing more than to knock off a highly ranked team. … Corico Hawkins and his Baldwin Braves must watch out for Liberty County and not look ahead to a trip to No. 9 Washington County. … The No.1 Cairo Syrupmakers host a traditionally feisty Perry team. … Blake Sims and the No. 6 Red Elephants of Gainesville return to action against Gilmer. … Finally, Treavor Scales will see his first action since committing to play next season at Harvard when Dunwoody faces McNair.
CLASS 2A (by Corey Mitchell)
There are many big games in Class 2A on Friday, including Blessed Trinity’s visit to Tom Riden Stadium to play Buford. The Titans of Blessed Trinity (6-1 overall, 3-1 Region 6) are in a three-way tie for second place in the region with Greater Atlanta Christian and Westminster, while the Wolves (7-0 overall, 4-0 region) hold down the top position and are on a 22-game winning streak. … Appling Co. and McIntosh Co. Academy battle Friday night for the top spot in Region 2. The teams have identical 7-0 overall records and 4-0 region records. The winner will have the inside track to the region title with two games remaining. … Fitzgerald (7-0, 4-0 region) will play Brooks Co. (6-1, 4-0 region) in the game of the week for Region 1. Fitzgerald would go a long way towards locking up the region crown with another solid performance. … The 6-1 Fighting Irish of Dublin will face a scrappy 4-3 East Laurens team. Dublin should be on upset alert as the Falcons are responsible for the only blemish on region leaders Jefferson County’s record. … Henry County is 6-1, and will try to defend its one-game lead in Region 4 when the Warhawks face 6-1 Northeast Macon. … Region 5 frontrunner Pike County (7-0 overall) will play its homecoming game vs. Jordan this Friday, while second-place Callaway will try to keep pace when it travels to Crawford County (4-4 overall). … The 7-0 Jefferson Dragons are in a tight race in Region 8, with Fannin County and North Oconee hot on their heels in a second-place deadlock. The Dragons will host Rabun County, while Fannin Co. (6-1 overall) will go on the road to face 3-4 Banks Co. and North Oconee will host East Jackson.
CLASS A (by Derek Wiley)
The top 10 of Class A will get by easy this week as most of the top teams play the bottom teams in their regions. But one team could find itself out of the top 10 next week. … No. 1 ranked Emanuel County Institute plays Metter (3-4). State career touchdown record holder Washaun Ealey and the Bulldogs should be able to win their eighth game on the year and remain undefeated. … Second-ranked Wilcox County, third-ranked Clinch County, fourth-ranked Lincoln County, and fifth-ranked Brookstone play teams with a combined record of 3-25. … The best game of the week and a possible upset is between seventh-ranked Athens Academy and Wesleyan. The Spartans and Wolves winner will be in control of Region 8. Athens Academy is undefeated, but Wesleyan is undefeated in Region 8-A play at 4-0. The Wolves have been dominant in the region, outscoring their four opponents 147 to 20. Look for the upset in this match up as the Wolves, behind sophomore running back Kyle Karempelis, continue to improve each week. Just ask Commerce, which the Wolves defeated 33-7 last Friday. The Spartans only beat Commerce 19-13.
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