We turn our attention to the quarterfinal round in Class 3-A GHSA Football Playoffs. There are seven #1 seeds still remaining while Hart County is the only #2 seed still alive. The matchups this week are Jenkins-North Murray, Crisp County-Jefferson, Greater Atlanta Christian-Hart County and Cedar Grove-Peach COunty. As always, please let us know if there are any errors. Thanks for reading and best of luck to all the teams competing this Friday night.
The Skinny
The Jenkins Warriors are in the quarterfinals for the third consecutive season. The Warriors have won ten straight games. They have not allowed more than 9 points in a game during that streak. Quarterback Patrick Blake has passed for over 1,600 yards and 21-TDs while Damozzio Harris has rushed for 1,460 yards and 25-TDs. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Warriors are outscoring opponents 83-9. On the season, the Jenkins is only allowing 7 points per game. A win this week would put Jenkins in the semifinals for the firs time since 1966.
The North Murray Mountaineers are in the quarterfinals for the first time in school history. They are also winners of their last ten games. During that stretch, the Mountaineers have not allowed more than 21 points in a game. During the regular season, North Murray allowed 14.7 points per game, which is right in line with their playoff defense, (14 ppg). A win this week would put North Murray into the semifinals for the first time in school history. We like Jenkins this week by two touchdowns.
The Skinny
The Crisp County Cougars are in the quarterfinals for the second time in four years. The Cougars have now won six consecutive games and in those six games they are allowing only 5 points per game. In the playoffs, the Cougars are outscoring opponents 87-3. The Crisp County offense is powered by running back Marquise Palmer and quarterback A.J. Lofton. The duo has combined for over 2,100 rushing yards and 25-TDs. A win by the Cougars would put them into the semifinals for the second time in four years.
The Jefferson Dragons are in the quarterfinals for the sixth time in eight years. The Dragons have won ten straight entering play this Friday. Jefferson has not given up more than 23 points in a game this season. Their defense is allowing 9.7 points per game. (That number is up to 12 points per game in the playoffs.) Quarterback Colby Clark has gone over the 1,000-yard mark in rushing for Jefferson. The Dragons have done most of their work on the ground this season averaging over 325 yards rushing per game. A Jefferson win would put them into the semifinals for the first time since 2016. We like the Cougars at home by a field goal this week.
The Skinny
The Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans are in the quarterfinals for the sixth time in eight years. The Spartans have won eleven games in a row and also recorded their second shutout of the season. Spartans quarterback Jackson Hardy has passed for 2,369 yards and 26-TDs while Tyler Bride has rushed for 1,152 yards and 15-TDs. Linebacker Choe Bryant Strother leads the team in total tackles with 83. A win this week would put the Spartans into the semifinals for the sixth time in seven years.
The Hart County Bulldogs are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. The Bulldogs outlasted Pierce County last week to notch their fifth consecutive win. Albeit an overtime game, the 29 points Hart County surrendered where the most this season in a game. A win this week would put the Bulldogs into the semifinals for the first time since 1999. We like the Spartans this week at home by 8.
The Skinny
The Cedar Grove Saints are in the quarterfinals for the fifth season in a row. Cedar Grove has won eight games in a row and is the defending 3A State Champion. The Saints defense has buckled down during that stretch, not allowing over 17 points in a game and notching four shutouts. The Saints defense has forced 31 turnovers on the season. Isaiah Ratcliffe leads the team with 129 tackles. On offense, Chavon Wright now leads DeKalb County in rushing with 1,486 yards and 19-TDs on the season while junior quarterback Austin Smith has thrown for 1,259 yards and 16-TDs. A Cedar Grove win would put them in the semifinals for the fifth consecutive season.
The Peach County Trojans are back in the quarterfinals for the fourth year in a row. The Trojans are winners of their last nine games. Peach County has put up some big numbers this season, scoring over 50 points four times. The Trojans have yet to surrender a score in the playoffs, outscoring their first two opponents 54-0. During the regular season, Jaydon Gibson threw for 1,762 yards and 20-TDs while Noah Whittington and Tijah Woolfolk combined for over 1,400 yards. Sergio Allen led the defense in total tackles during the regular season while Jaqualin McGhee led the team in sacks. A Peach County win would put them in the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. For those that don’t know, this game is a rematch of the 2018 title game that ended in dramatic fashion. We believe it will be close, but we like Peach to outlast Cedar Grove by 6 on the road.