We turn our attention to the quarterfinal round in Class 4-A GHSA Football Playoffs. There are five #1 seeds still remaining and two #2 seeds remaining. Madison County is the lone “Cinderella” remaining as the #4 seed and will go on the road for the third week in a row to try to keep the magic going. The matchups this week are Sandy Creek-Madison County, Oconee County-Marist, Blessed Trinity-West Laurens and Cartersville-Woodward Academy. 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 Sandy Creek Patriots are in the quarterfinals for the first times since 2014. The Patriots have won five games in a row. The Patriots are outscoring their opponents 98-14 in the playoffs this season. Quarterback Matthew Williams has passed for over 3,000 yards while Brian Branch leads the offense in receiving and is also a ball-hawking DB in the secondary. Ahmad Jackson is also one of the Patriots top receivers. A Sandy Creek win will put them in the semifinals for the first times since 2012.
The Madison County Red Raiders are in the quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Madison County has won three out of their last four games and are the only remaining #4 seed in the Class 4A playoffs. They are averaging 32.5 points per game in the playoffs compared to 18.3 points per game in the regular season. With a win on Friday, the Red Raiders would advance to the semifinals for the first time in school history. We believe the magic runs out for the Red Raiders this week. We like Sandy Creek at home by two touchdowns.
The Skinny
The Oconee County Warriors are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2001. The Warriors have now won 10 straight games. They have not allowed more than 14 points in a game since August. Oconee County is led on offense by quarterback Max Johnson and wide receivers Ben Noland and Jake Johnson. The Warriors are outscoring their opponents 80-21 in two playoff games. A win this week would put them into the semifinals for the first time since 1999.
The Marist War Eagles are in the quarterfinals for the seventh time in eight years. Marist has won back-to-back games after they closed out the regular season with a loss to Blessed Trinity. Quarterback Connor Cigelske has been a one-man wrecking crew on offense for Marist. Last week he racked up 283 total yards of offense and accounted for two-TDs in the win. A win this week by Marist would put them into the semifinals for the third year in a row. We like Marist by a field goal this week on the road.
The Skinny
The Blessed Trinity Titans return to the quarterfinals for the seventh straight year. The Titans have won nine consecutive games coming into this week. They turned in one of their best defensive performances, holding Baldwin to just a field goal last week. With a healthy Elijah Green, the Titans are really rounding into form. The offensive line, anchored by Jackson Filipowicz and Ty Furnish, have helped pave the way for two 1,000-yard rushers, Justice Haynes (1,458 yards, 16-TDs) and Green (1,093 yards, 14-TDs). A win this week would put the Titans in the semifinals for the third year in a row.
The West Laurens Raiders are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. The Raiders have won eight consecutive games coming into this week. The 17 points allowed to North Oconee where the most allowed since mid September. Quarterback A.J. Mathis has passed for over 2,100 yards on the season while Daniel Dorsey, Christian Covey and Shonta Burney Jr. lead the team in rushing. Brent Carr has over 1,200 yards receiving. The defense has recorded 59 sacks on the season led by Spencer Dacus, Daniel Lindo and D’Eryck Jackson. A West Laurens win would put them into the semifinals for the first time in school history. We like the Blessed Trinity at home by 10.
The Skinny
The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes are in the quarterfinals for the sixth time in eight years. The Canes are 12-0 for the second year in a row and for the fourth time in five years. Last week, the Canes recorded their third shutout of the season. They have held all but two of their opponents to 14 points or less. Quarterback Tee Webb has passed for 2,677 yards and 25-TDs while Sam Phillips (47 receptions, 643 yards, 7-TDs) and Devonte Ross (46 receptions, 976 yards, 10-TDs) lead the Canes in receiving. A Cartersville win will put them in the semifinals for the second consecutive season.
The Woodward Academy War Eagles are in the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six years. The War Eagles are 12-0 for the first time since 2015. They also recorded their third shutout of the season last week. Quarterback Mike Wright has thrown for over 2,000 yards this season. Damari Alston leads Woodward in rushing while Ambe Caldwell is the team’s leading receiver. Woodward has not allowed over 20 points in a game this season. Their defense is holding opponents to 6.9 points per game. A win this week would put Woodward into the semifinals for the first time since 2015. We like Cartersville at home by a touchdown.