Class AAAA Second Round Preview

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CLASS AAAA SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

Today, Craig Sager II previews all eight second round matchups in Class AAAA. Check out all of the the second round pairings below and CLICK HERE to access the brackets.

IMPORTANT: Registration deadline for Elite Classic coming soon

If you have received an invitation to play in one of the seven Georgia Elite Classic All-Star Games, you must register by next Friday at 5 p.m. Click here to register if you are a middle school invitee; click here if you are a high school invitee; and click here if you are a Brain Bowl invitee. The Classic is still looking for more players to play in The Brain Bowl, which will feature the top sophomore, junior and senior academic football players from across the state. The Brain Bowl is expected to receive a lot of attention from the top academic FCS conferences, such as the Ivy and Patriot Leagues, as well as top D-III academic conferences, like the NESCAC, NEWMAC and Centennial. Also, schools such as Berry, Centre and Rhodes and other schools from the Southern Athletic Association are expected to be at practices and the games. You can make a request to play in the game by e-mailing Rusty Mansell of 247Sports. You can also click here to submit a nomination for the Brain Bowl.

For more information on the seven All-Star Games, go to GeorgiaEliteClassic.com

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Thursday, November 15, 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

CLASS AAAA PREVIEW

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FOOTBALL SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS

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CLASS 4A SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

By Craig Sager II

There are 16 teams remaining that will be fighting for a spot in the quarterfinals this week, and there are intriguing matchups up and down both sides of the bracket. Here’s a look at what the remaining playoff field will be up against this Friday night.

R4#3 Woodward Academy @ R2#1 Mary Persons

Woodward Academy faces undefeated Mary Persons for a spot in the quarterfinals. The War Eagles have advanced to the quarterfinals in each of the last four seasons, but this Mary Persons team is playing lights out on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs thrashed Richmond Academy 59-0 in the opening round and have their own streak of two straight semifinal appearances riding during this year’s postseason run. Both programs are looking for their first state titles since 1980, when Woodward Academy took Class AAA, and Mary Persons took the Class AA crown.

R7#2 Marist @ R8#1 St. Pius

Marist and St. Pius will meet for the second time this season and 55th time in their history. Marist scored a 35-14 win over the Golden Lions in last year’s state semifinals—a game that marked the first-ever postseason meeting in their storied rivalry. St. Pius defeated Marist 17-0 on Sept. 14 of this season, and has now won 5 of the last 8. Marist owns the all-time series, however, 33-18-3.

R1#3 Columbus @ R3#1 Baldwin

Columbus used a 35-32 win over Salem to advance to the second round for the first time since 1974’s run to the state semifinals. The Blue Devils now face a Baldwin team that has rebounded from its 0-5 start with a six-game winning streak. The last time Baldwin had this type of success was in head coach Jesse Hicks’ first stint at the school. The Braves used a season-high 39 points to defeat Perry in the first round, and have a chance to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since Hicks led the program there in 2008.

R6#2 Ridgeland @ R5#1 Cartersville

A battle-tested Ridgeland team scored an impressive 34-14 win over Flowery Branch in the first round. The win was the program’s first victory over a ranked Class AAAA opponent since the 28-27 win over Marist in the 2012 state semifinals, and snapped their losing streak of six straight to ranked programs. Cartersville used a 34-7 win over Stephens County to advance to the second round—where they were upset by eventual state champion Blessed Trinity 21-17 a year ago. The Purple Hurricanes are 2-0 all-time against Ridgeland, scoring a 42-7 win in 2015 and a 40-6 win in 2014. This will be the first time the teams have met up in the postseason.

R3#2 Burke County @ R4#1 Eastside

Burke County battled past a tough Howard team 28-22 in the first round, and Eastside was a 41-23 winner over Hardaway. Eastside’s victory improved the Eagles record to 11-0—matching the program’s record win total in the process. Junior quarterback Noah Cook continues to play outstanding football, and has led Eastside with 1,795 passing yards and 24 touchdowns with just three interceptions. The team’s 40.3 points per game are a school record, as is the 26.2 average margin of victory they take into this matchup. Running back Taylor Carter provides balance in Eastside’s RPO offense and ran in three touchdowns in the first round win.

R8#2 North Oconee @ R7#1 Blessed Trinity

Defending state champion Blessed Trinity led Northwest Whitfield 39-0 at the half and cruised to a 55-16 first-round victory. U.S. Army All-American and Ohio State-commit Steele Chambers leads the Titans’ backfield, and quarterback Jake Smith is a proven leader at quarterback that tossed three touchdowns to three different targets in the latest victory. Blessed Trinity’s backfield got a big boost this past week as sophomore Jackson Hamilton returned from an injury. Elijah Green was Chambers’ running mate until a Week 3 injury has sidelined him since. Hamilton missed the entire regular season before returning to action last Friday and accounted for 69 rushing yards and two touchdowns. North Oconee has followed a 1-19 stretch the past two seasons and stacked up an impressive 9-2 record after a huge 27-8 win over Sandy Creek in the first round. The North Oconee Titans are led by second-year head coach Tyler Aurandt, who has plenty of experience in big games after previously serving as offensive coordinator and an assistant head coach at Parkview.

R3#3 Thomson @ R1#1 Cairo

Thomson has reached the quarterfinals three straight years, but stopping Cairo with a defense that has allowed 27.91 ppg is going to be a tough task this Friday. The Bulldogs scored a 34-28 win over Upson-Lee in the first round, in large part to the heroics of senior Damekus Taylor, who took a staggering 35 carries for 259 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Cairo’s defense is giving up just 10 ppg, and stopping Taylor will be the priority. The Syrupmakers coasted to a 44-0 win over Henry County in the first round, and are 1-1 all-time against Thomson, with this marking the first meeting between the programs since 2001.

R5#2 Troup @ R6#1 Pickens

After posting the worst performance of his career in Troup’s 43-10 loss to Cartersville in the season finale, junior quarterback Kobe Hudson was outstanding in the Tigers' 42-28 first-round win over Oconee County. The four-star Auburn commit accounted for 225 passing yards and a touchdown, while racking up 108 rushing yards off 19 carries. Hudson is committed to Auburn as a wide receiver, and his athleticism makes him a dangerous dual-threat. Pickens is 11-0 and fresh off its first-ever playoff win—a brilliant 42-0 victory over White County last Friday. Five different runners accounted for the team’s five rushing touchdowns in the win, and junior quarterback C.J. Streicher had another efficient passing performance. The Pickens offense averages more than 300 rushing yards per game, and 48 of the team’s 70 touchdowns this season have come on the ground. If Pickens can keep clicking offensively, then it could be a long night for a Troup defense that has taken steps back in recent weeks following a promising start to the season.

2018 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE PLAYOFFS

SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS

Friday, Nov. 15

CLASS AAAAAAA

R1#2 Lowndes @ R2#1 Westlake

R7#2 Norcross @ R8#1 Grayson

R4#2 Walton @ R3#1 Hillgrove

R6#2 Mill Creek @ R5#1 Milton

At Large Tift County @ R2#3 East Coweta

R8#2 Archer @ R7#1 Parkview

R3#3 McEachern @ R1#1 Colquitt County

R5#2 West Forsyth @ R6#1 North Gwinnett

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAAAAAA BRACKETS

CLASS AAAAAA

R1#2 Valdosta @ R2#1 Glynn Academy

R6#3 Allatoona @ R8#1 Dacula

R2#4 Bradwell Institute @ R1#3 Northside-Warner Robins

R6#2 Sequoyah @ R5#1 Creekside

R1#4 Coffee @ R2#3 Richmond Hill

R6#4 Harrison @ R8#2 Lanier

R2#2 Effingham County @ R1#1 Lee County

R8#3 Habersham Central @ R6#1 Creekview

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAAAAA BRACKETS

CLASS AAAAA

R1#2 Bainbridge @ R2#1 Wayne County

R7#2 Kell @ R8#1 Buford

R2#4 New Hampstead @ R4#2 Stockbridge

R8#4 Loganville @ R7#3 Carrollton

R3#2 Griffin @ R4#1 Dutchtown

R8#2 Cedar Shoals @ R7#1 Rome

R2#2 Ware County @ R1#1 Warner Robins

R7#4 East Paulding @ R8#3 Clarke Central

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAAAA BRACKETS

CLASS AAAA

R4#3 Woodward Academy @ R2#1 Mary Persons

R7#2 Marist @ R8#1 St. Pius

R1#3 Columbus @ R3#1 Baldwin

R6#2 Ridgeland @ R5#1 Cartersville

R3#2 Burke County @ R4#1 Eastside

R8#2 North Oconee @ R7#1 Blessed Trinity

R3#3 Thomson @ R1#1 Cairo

R5#2 Troup @ R6#1 Pickens

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAAA BRACKETS

CLASS AAA

R4#3 Jackson @ R2#1 Pierce County

R7#2 Dawson County @ R8#1 Monroe Area

R4#2 Westside-Macon @ R3#1 Benedictine

R7#3 North Hall @ R5#1 Cedar Grove

R2#3 Liberty County @ R4#1 Peach County

R5#3 Westminster @ R7#1 Greater Atlanta Christian

R4#4 Pike County @ R3#3 Jenkins

R5#2 Lovett @ R6#1 Calhoun

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAA BRACKETS

CLASS AA

R1#2 Fitzgerald @ R2#1 Swainsboro

R7#2 Chattooga @ R8#1 Rabun County

R1#3 Thomasville @ R3#1 Dublin

R6#2 Douglass @ R5#1 Heard County

R3#2 Dodge County @ R4#1 Jefferson County

R5#3 Bremen @ R7#1 Rockmart

R3#3 Washington County @ R1#1 Brooks County

R5#2 Callaway @ R6#1 Hapeville Charter

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AA BRACKETS

Class A-Private

#24 Holy Innocents' @ #8 Calvary Day

#16 Mount Vernon @ #1 Athens Academy

#21 Brookstone @ #5 North Cobb Christian

#13 Wesleyan @ #4 Prince Avenue Christian

#23 Riverside Military @ #7 Fellowship Christian

#18 Hebron Christian @ #2 Savannah Christian

#11 Aquinas @ #6 Darlington

#14 Trinity Christian @ #3 Eagle's Landing Christian

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS A-PRIVATE BRACKETS

Class A-Public

#9 Commerce @ #8 Mitchell County

#16 Miller County @ #1 Irwin County

#12 Chattahoochee County @ #5 Greene County

#13 Emanuel County Institute @ #4 Pelham

#10 Trion @ #7 Schley County

#18 Montgomery County @ #2 Marion County

#11 Chartlon County @ #6 Clinch County

#14 Dooly County @ #3 Mt. Zion

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS A-PUBLIC BRACKETS

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