We turn our attention to the quarterfinal round in Class 7-A GHSA Football Playoffs. There are five #1 seeds still remaining, while three #2 seeds remain. There will be at least one #2 seed in the semifinals. The matchups this week are Marietta-Mill Creek, McEachern-North Gwinnett, Lowndes-Grayson and Parkview-Archer. 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 Marietta Blue Devils defeated last year’s 7A Champion on the road last week to advance to the quarterfinals for the second time in three years. Marietta has now won five straight games. They are averaging 39.5 points per game in the playoffs while the defense is allowing 18.5 points per game. A Marietta win would put them in the semifinals for the first time since 1994.
The Mill Creek Hawks have now reached the quarterfinal round for the fifth time in school history. The Hawks have also won five straight games. Mill Creek is averaging 43 points per game in the playoffs while the defense is allowing 15.5 points per game. Mill Creek is undefeated when scoring 24 points or more this season. The Hawks would advance to the semifinals for the third time in school history and the also the third time in five years. We expect Chancellor Lee Parker and Mill Creek to keep this game close but the Blue Devils are a little deeper. We like Marietta by a touchdown at home.
The Skinny
The McEachern Indians are in the quarterfinals for the fifth time in seven years. The Indians are 12-0 for the first time since 1999. Carlos Del Rio has passed for 1,694 yards and 15-TDs while Jordan Simmons has rushed for 1,016 yards and 15-TDS on the season. Mason Hall and Jamil Burroughs have combined for 17 sacks on the season. The Indians are averaging 44.5 points per game in the playoffs while the defense is allowing 21.5 points per game. A win this week would put the McEachern into the semifinals for the second time in three years.
The North Gwinnett Bulldogs are winners of eleven straight games and are in the quarterfinals for the third consecutive season. In their last four games, the Bulldogs have scored 48+ points each time out. The Bulldogs top offensive performers are quarterback J.R. Martin, (who’s passed for over 1,900 yards), Devin Crosby, (over 1,100 rushing yards), and wide receiver Joshua Downs, (over 920 receiving yards). North Gwinnett is averaging 55.5 points per game during the playoffs while the defense is allowing 12 points per game. We like North Gwinnett on the road this week to beat McEachern by 5.
The Skinny
The Lowndes Vikings are in the quarterfinals for the third time in four years. Lowndes has not scored less than 24 points in a game this season. The Vikings are averaging 41 points per game in the playoffs, while the defense is allowing 11 points per game. Quarterback Jacurri Brown has passed fro 1,066 yards, rushed for 1,150 yards and accounted for 22-total TDs on the season. Running backs Israel Mitchell (741 yards, 7-TDs), Justin Lee (623 yards, 7-TDs) and Gary Osby (623 yards, 16-TDs) along with Brown have helped lead the team to over 3,300 yards rushing on the season. A win this week would advance the Vikings to the semifinals for the second straight season.
The Grayson Rams are back in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season. The Rams have won seven consecutive games. In those seven games, the Rams have not scored less than 30 points in each game. During the playoffs, they are averaging 36.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 10.5 points per game. The return of junior running back Phil Mafah has given the Rams a boost in the backfield to go along with 1,000-yard rusher, Lafayette Gurvin Jr. A win would but the Rams in the semifinals for the third time in five years. The Rams are 0-1 south of the “Gnat Line” this season, but we like them to upset the Vikings this week. Grayson by 2.
The Skinny
The Parkview Panthers scored a big win on Friday knocking off perennial power Colquitt County to advance to the quarterfinals for the second time in three years. The Panthers have now won 10 consecutive games. During the playoffs, the Parkview is averaging 37.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 17.5 per game. While Jordan Williams has passed for over 1,800 yards on the season, expect them to rely heavily on bruising running back Cody Brown to help lead the way this week. A win by Parkview would put them into the semifinals for the first time since 2004.
The Archer Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals for the third straight season. Archer has now won five consecutive games. During that streak, they’ve not scored less than 31 points in a game. In the playoffs, they are averaging 38 points per game while the defense is allowing 21 points per game. An Archer victory would put the Tigers in the semifinals for the second consecutive season. Both teams are playing at a high level, but we like Parkview and Cody Brown to advance this week in a tightly contested game. Panthers by 3.