We move on to the second round of the 5A GHSA Football Playoffs. Last week, the Hiram Hornets scored the biggest upset in round won as they beat #1 seed Southwest DeKalb. Region 7 advanced 4 teams into the second round. This preview features matchups between Clarke Central-Wayne County, Starr’s Mill-Kell, Riverwood-Dutchtown and Warner Robins-Rome. Please let us know if there are any errors. As always, thanks for reading. Best of luck to all the teams competing this weekend!
The Skinny
The Clarke Central Gladiators advanced to the second round for the third time in four years. The 63 points scored on Saturday was the most that Clarke Central has scored all season. The Gladiators have now won four games in a row and are 6-3 against playoff teams this season. Clarke Central is also undefeated when scoring 28 points or more this season.
Wayne County is in the second round of the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Yellow Jackets last advanced past round two in 2013 when they made it all the way to the semifinals. Wayne County bounced back from their regular season finale loss as their defense held Stockbridge to 3 points. The Yellow Jackets have now beaten five playoff teams this season. We like Clarke Central at home this week by 8.
The Skinny
The Starr’s Mill Panthers advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. Starr’s Mill has now won six consecutive games. The Panthers have held there last two opponents to 14 total points. They are also undefeated when scoring 28 points or more this season.
The Kell Longhorns are in the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year and for the ninth time in ten years. Kell has now won four straight games. However, the 32 points they surrendered to Columbia was the most since they lost to Carrollton back on October 18th. Kell has defeated three playoff teams this season. We like Starr’s Mill to take control of the game on the ground this week and outlast Kell in a close game. Starr’s Mill by 1.
The Skinny
The Riverwood Raiders stayed undefeated by edging Loganville last week. The victory was by the slimmest of margins all season for the Raiders. The Raiders advanced to the second round for the first time since 2001 and for only the second time in school history. The Riverwood defense has not surrendered more than 20 points in a game this season.
The Dutchtown Bulldogs are back into the second round for the second consecutive year and for the third time in school history. The Bulldogs have now won four consecutive games and have also shut out their last three opponents. Dutchtown’s only loss this season was a 5-point setback to Jones County. Dutchtown will be on the road, but we expect their defense to keep Riverwood in check. We like the Bulldogs by 16.
The Skinny
The Warner Robins Demons advanced to the second round for the third consecutive season. The Demons made a run to the finals in the previous two seasons. Warner Robins has won seven consecutive games and are undefeated this season when scoring 24 points or more. The Demons have defeated six playoff teams this season.
The Rome Wolves have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. Rome has now shut out four of their opponents on the season. The Wolves have defeated three playoff teams this season. Rome is undefeated when scoring 21 points or more this season. This is a rematch of one of last year’s semifinals match ups. We think it will be close, but we like Rome in a bit of an upset by 2 on the road.