Class 4A 2020 GHSA 2nd Round Playoff Previews – Part 1 of 2

Posted on November 30, 2020 by admin

We are previewing all of the 2020 GHSA playoff games. We now turn our attention to class 4A This will be a four part series. This preview features games between Benedictine – Cairo, Riverdale – Northwest Whitfield, Jefferson – Hapeville Charter and Carver Columbus – Baldwin. 

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Benedictine Cadets survived last week against Troup and advanced to the second round for the ninth straight year. It was the first game in almost a month for Benedictine. They will host the Cairo Syrupmakers who advanced to the second round for the fourth time in five years. Cairo has now won five straight games after starting the season 0-4. Cairo should be able to score points and keep it close, but we don’t believe they can outscore the Cadets. Benedictine by 8.

The Skinny

The Riverdale Raiders advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Riverdale’s defense has allowed one touchdown in their last five games. They will face on offense that is a little more explosive this week when Northwest Whitfield comes calling. The Bruins got a last second touchdown pass from Owen Brooker to advance them to the second round for the first time since 2016. Northwest has now won four consecutive games. We expect Riverdale to be up to the challenge this week. We like the Raiders by 11.

The Skinny

The Jefferson Dragons coasted past Mt. Zion on Saturday to advance to the second round for the eighth time in nine years. Jefferson has outscored their last two opponents 112-0. They will host the Hapeville Charter Hornets who won a defensive battle over Heritage-Catoosa to advance to the second round for the fifth straight season. It was the fourth straight win for the Hornets. Hapeville should put up a little more resistance this week, but Jefferson has too much firepower. Dragons by four touchdowns.

The Skinny

The Carver Columbus Tigers downed Jenkins last week to advance to the second round for the second straight season. They Tigers will host the Baldwin Braves who outlasted Thomas County Central on Saturday. Baldwin advanced to the second round for the fourth straight season. The Braves surrendered their most points all season in the win. Carver Columbus is the most explosive team that Baldwin will face to this point of the season. We believe the Tigers have too much offensively behind Devin Riles and Jaiden Credle. We like Carver by 10. 

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Class 5A 2020 GHSA 2nd Round Playoff Previews – Part 2 of 2

Posted on November 30, 2020 by admin

We continue on with our 2020 GHSA football playoff previews. We are finishing up with our week two 5A previews. This preview features games between Blessed Trinity – Decatur, Warner Robins – Woodward, Jones County – Griffin and New Manchester vs Eastside.  

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Blessed Trinity Titans won handily over Chapel Hill last week advancing them to the second round for the tenth straight season. Blessed Trinity will host the Decatur Bulldogs. Decatur advanced past the first round for the first time since 2003. The young Bulldogs will have to slow down Blessed Trinity running back Justice Haynes if they are going to pull the upset. No one has been able to do that up to this point. We aren’t willing to pick against Haynes, at least not yet. Titans by four touchdowns. 

The Skinny

The Warner Robins Demons began their march for another finals appearance by downing Union Grove 49-7. The Demons have won five straight games and reached the 40-point mark for the third straight game. They will host the Woodward Academy War Eagles on Friday. Woodward Academy advanced to the second round for the twelfth time in thirteen years. The War Eagles have bounced back after a sluggish start to win seven of their last eight. They’ll need to find a way to get Damari Alston going on offense, but we believe Vic Burley and the Warner Robins defense will be up to the task. Warner Robins by 17. 

The Skinny

The Jones County Greyhounds have turned their season around after starting 0-3. Jones County has won eight consecutive games and have  advanced to the second round for the fifth time in seven years. They will host the Griffin Bears who are winners of their last three games. In those three contests Griffin has held the opposition to 16 total points. They are in the second round for the fourth time in the last five years. Griffins defense should hold Jones County at bay for most of the game, but we believe the Greyhounds will score a late touchdown to win it. Jones County by 5. 

The Skinny

The New Manchester Jaguars got their first post season win in school history, but it didn’t come easy against a feisty Hiram team. The Jaguars have now won four straight games. They will host the Eastside Eagles from Covington who were caught in a defensive struggle last week against Southwest DeKalb. Eastside is in the second round for the second time in three years. The Eagles enter the game on a five-game win streak and have only allowed a total of 10 points in those games including three shutouts. There’s an old saying that “defense travels”. We expect Eastside’s to travel this week. Eagles by 8.

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Class 5A 2020 GHSA 2nd Round Playoff Previews – Part 1 of 2

Posted on November 30, 2020 by admin

We continue to preview the 2020 GHSA football playoff games. Next up we take a look at the second round of Class 5A. This will be a four part series. This preview features games between Creekside – Ware County, St. Pius – Cartersville, Clarke-Central – Calhoun, and Starr’s Mill – Coffee. 

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Creekside Seminoles have advanced to the second round for the third consecutive year. They have also won seven consecutive games. The Seminoles have not advanced past the second round since they won the state title in 2013. Their opponent will be the Ware County Gators. Ware County shut out Dutchtown last week and finds themselves in the 2nd round for the 14th straight season. A win by Ware County would push them to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016. Not many people have been able to slow down Ware’s Thomas Castellanos. Creekside has the defense to slow them down, but we aren’t positive they can shut him down completely. We like the visiting Gators by 4.

The Skinny

The St. Pius Lions defeated Loganville handily last week to advance to the second round for the 13th time in 15 years. The Lions will need another big game from quarterback Dennis O’Shea if they are going to upend visiting Cartersville. The Purple Hurricanes advanced to the 2nd round for the ninth straight season. Since losing to Cherokee, Cartersville has won all of their games in convincing fashion. If St. Pius can control the clock, they could make things very interesting. Cartersville’s defense seems to be a little too stingy to allow that to happen. We like the Canes by 11 on the road.

The Skinny

The Clark Central Gladiators extended their win streak to seven and have now advanced to the second round for the fourth time in five years. During this stretch, the Gladiators have scored at least 28 points or more. They will host the Calhoun Yellow Jackets. Calhoun has advanced to the second round for the 20th consecutive season. The Jackets bounces back from a regular season ending loss to Cartersville. Calhoun has a potent offense behind Jerrian Hames and Christian Lewis. They will be tested by the Clarke Central secondary led by Tyreon Millsap and Jaavan Mack. We like Calhoun again this week, but by a much closer margin. Jackets by 7. 

The Skinny

The Starr’s Mill Panthers had their largest point production of the season this past Friday running away Mundy’s Mill to appear in the second round for the fifth time in six years. Starr’s Mill has now won nine consecutive games and will host the Coffee Trojans. Coffee is making their seventh straight 2nd round appearance. The Trojans have won three straight games and going on the read last week did not seem to faze Coffee at all. This week however, Starr’s Mill presents a more difficult challenge. We believe the Starr’s Mill offense can really ground out enough yards on the ground to hold Coffee at Bay. We like the Panthers by 8. 

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Class 6A 2020 GHSA 2nd Round Playoff Previews – Part 2 of 2

Posted on November 29, 2020 by admin

We are previewing all of the 2020 GHSA playoff games. Next up is Class 6A. This will be a two-part series. This preview features games between River Ridge – Rome, Lee County – Brunswick, Westlake – Richmond Hill and Allatoona – Dacula. 

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The River Ridge Knights won their first playoff game in school history in dramatic fashion. The Knights are in uncharted territory at this point in the season. Their opponent will be the Rome Wolves. Rome is in the 2nd round for the sixth consecutive year. The Wolves have turned to freshmen quarterback Reece Fountain lately, and he’s responded well. Rome is facing a very confident River Ridge team this week. The Knights feature Class 6A’s leading rusher in Amehre Morrison. If they can slow him down, then Rome should be in this game late. River Ridge seems to have plenty of momentum coming into this week, but we aren’t sure if they’ve played a team as physical as Rome. We like the Wolves by three in a nail biter.

The Skinny

The Lee County Trojans are in the second round of the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Lee County flexed their muscle again against Tucker last week and will host the Brunswick Pirates on Friday. Brunswick advanced to the second round for the second straight season. The Pirates have held their last three opponents to a total of 18 points. Unfortunately for them, Lee County has scored 90 points in their last two games. We like the Trojans by no less than three touchdowns this Friday.

The Skinny

The Westlake Lions advanced to the second round of the playoffs  for the fifth time in seven years. In their last five games, Westlake has scored no less than 42 points and during that same stretch have only surrendered 41 total points. They will host the Richmond Hill Wildcats who are in the second round for the third straight season. Richmond hill has outscored their last two opponents by a score of 111-7. The scoreboard operator might be busy at Westlake on Friday. Two running backs to keep an eye on this week, Ashaud Roberson of Richmond Hill and Zina Mulbah of Westlake. It’s hard to pick against the Lions at home. We like Westlake by a touchdown.

The Skinny

The Allatoona Buccaneers advanced to the second round for the seventh consecutive season. Allatoona recorded their fourth shutout win of the season. They will host the Dacula Falcons this Friday who got back on track by defeating Alexander last week to advance to their fifth straight second round playoff appearance. Dacula will look for another big game from Kaleb Edwards and Kyle Efford to advance past Allatoona. The Bucs have been playing pretty good defense all season and we look for them to rise to the occasion again this week. We don’t anticipate a blowout here, Allatoona by 6. 

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Class 6A 2020 GHSA 2nd Round Playoff Previews – Part 1 of 2

Posted on November 29, 2020 by admin

We are previewing the 2020 GHSA playoff games. Next up is Class 6A. This will be a two-part series. This preview features games between Evans – Valdosta, Carrollton – Sprayberry, Buford – Cambridge and Glynn Academy – Hughes. 

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Evans Knights advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the second time in four years. The Knights won big over Statesboro and are the only team from Region 3 remaining in the playoffs. They will host perennial power Valdosta who advanced to the second round for the fifth time in six years. Valdosta has advanced to the quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons. Valdosta looks to be a little more battle tested. We like the Wildcats again this week by two touchdowns on the road.  

The Skinny

The Carrollton Trojans are in the second round of the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. The past five seasons, Carrollton has made it to the quarterfinals. They will host the Sparyberry Yellow Jackets who advanced to the second round of the playoffs for only the third time in school history. Sprayberry got a big game on the ground last week from Isaiah Abbey to lead the way to victory. They will need another impressive performance from Abbey and the defense if they are going to get past Carrollton. We believe the Trojans are too explosive on offense. Carrollton by 17.

The Skinny

The Buford Wolves Wolves advanced to the second round for the 22nd consecutive season. The Wolves recorded their second straight shutout and have only allowed a total of 30 points in their last nine games. Their opponent will be the Cambridge Bears who scored their first playoff win in school history with a mild upset over Kell last week. Cambridge will need another big performance from Phillip Michael Collins to help keep their season alive. We believe that Gabe Ervin and Victor Venn will be too much for the Cambridge defense to contain. Buford by four touchdowns.

The Skinny

The Glynn Academy Red Terrors have advanced to the second round for the seventh straight season. Glynn Academy had little trouble with Grovetown last week. Now they will host the Langston Hughes Panthers. Langston Hughes is in the second round for the first time since 2016. The Panthers have now matched the program mark for wins in a season. Hughes defense should help keep this game close, but the long road trip and Glynn Academy’s defense should do in the young Panthers. Glynn Academy by 4.

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Class 7A 2020 GHSA 2nd Round Playoff Previews – Part 2 of 2

Posted on November 29, 2020 by admin

We continue previewing the 2020 GHSA football playoff games. First up is Class 7A. This will be a two-part series. This preview features games between Norcross – Roswell, Colquitt County – Walton, Grayson – Harrison and West Forsyth – North Gwinnett.  

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Norcross Blue Devils are in the second round of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. They Blue Devils will face Roswell who is making their second straight second round appearance. It should be a fun duel between quarterbacks Mason Kaplan of Norcross and Roswell’s Robbie Roper. Both teams have exciting receivers to watch as well including Marquis Willis and Michael Fitzgerald for Roswell and Trey Goodman and Lawson Luckie for Norcross. We wouldn’t be shocked by a high scoring game in the 30s. We like Norcross by 6. 

The Skinny

Colquitt County left little doubt that they are one of the favorites in the Class 7A tournament with their resounding win last week. They advanced to the second week of the playoffs for the 12th straight year. Their opponent this week are the Walton Raiders who won big as well in Week-1. Walton advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the fourth straight season. It will be interesting to see if quarterbacks Zak Rozsman and Jeremy Hecklinksi will have the same success this week against the Packers defense who is only allowing 9.6 points per game. We like Colquitt County by 17 this week. 

The Skinny

The Grayson Rams recorded their second consecutive shutout as they advanced to the second round for the seventh straight season. Grayson will meet the Harrison Hoyas, who upset Newnan in Week-1. Harrison won the Class 6A state title in 2019, but entered last week’s game with only three regular season wins after being decimated by graduation. In any event, Harrison will need a little more magic if they are going to knock of Phil Mafah and the Grayson Rams. We like Grayson by four touchdowns.

The Skinny

West Forsyth advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the second time in three years. The Wolverines will host the North Gwinnett Bulldogs this week. North Gwinnett advanced to the second round for the fourth straight season. We’ve talked to a few coaches about the Bulldogs and the consensus is that they’re defense is one of the best in the state. That and some of their results on the field are enough to convince us they get past West Forsyth. We like the Bulldogs by 10. 

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Class 7A 2020 GHSA 2nd Round Playoff Previews – Part 1 of 2

Posted on November 29, 2020 by admin

We continue with our 2020 GHSA football playoff previews. First up is the Class 7A second round. This will be a two-part series. This preview features games between North Cobb – Lowndes, Milton – Archer, Collins Hill – Denmark and East Coweta – Parkview. 

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The North Cob Warriors are back in the second round for the first time since 2016. The Warriors will get a visit from South Georgia power, Lowndes on Friday night. It’s the first meeting between the two teams. It will be interesting to see if North Cobb QB Malachi Singleton can outduel Lowndes QB Jacurri Brown. Whatever was ailing Lowndes in the three previous weeks seems to have been cured this past Friday. We like the Vikings on the road this week by 10.

The Skinny

Milton has advanced to the second round for the fourth consecutive season. This week, they will host the Archer Tigers who are in the second round for the seventh time in eight years. Archer’s strength has been their secondary. It should be fun to watch them match up against Milton Quarterback Devin Farrell and wide receivers Adam Freas and Debron Gattling. Nevertheless, we believe the x-factor for Milton on offense is Jordan McDonald. If Archer can keep him in check, we like their chances. That’s easier said than done. We like Milton by two touchdowns. 

The Skinny

Collins Hill left little doubt on Friday night that they are in playoff form. The Eagles advanced to the second round for the first time since 2015. Their opponent this week is the Denmark Danes, who won their first playoff game in the school’s brief three-year history. This game features two of the top quarterbacks in the state in Sam Horn for Collins Hill and Aaron McLaughlin for Denmark. Collins Hill also has Travis Hunter, one of the top wide receivers and defensive backs in the country. It could be a long night for Denmark if they can’t keep Hunter under wraps. We like Collins Hill by 16.

The Skinny

East Coweta survived a scare from Marietta on Friday night and advanced to the second round for the third consecutive year. They will get a visit this Friday night from the Parkview Panthers who survived their own scare from visiting Camden County last week. All eyes should be on the running backs in this game. East Coweta’s Trey Bowles and Jayden Bolton and Parkview’s Cody Brown and Ty Curtis should put on a great show this Friday night. We expect this game to go down to the wire, but like East Coweta by a field goal, perhaps in overtime.

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Class 2A 2020 GHSA Playoff Previews – Part 4 of 4

Posted on November 27, 2020 by admin

We are previewing all of the 2020 GHSA playoff games. We now turn our attention to class 2A This will be a four part series. This preview features games between Jeff Davis – Washington County, Jefferson County – Cook, Elbert County – Bremen, and South Atlanta – Chattooga. 

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share.

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets are the No. 2 seed from Region 2. The Yellow Jackets are in the post season for the third time in four years. They have grounded out almost 3,000 yards rushing as a team and are led by Aahiyus Allen (854 yards and 6-TDs) and Austin Wood  (610 yards and 5-TDs). Freshman Carter Mullis leads the team with 57 total tackles. The Jeff Davis secondary has intercepted 14 passes this season. They’ve won three straight games coming into the playoffs and are averaging 29.7 points per game while allowing 15.8 points per game and have defeated four playoff teams this season.

The Washington County Golden Hawks are the No. 3 seed from Region 3. Since 1996 they’ve only missed the playoffs one time. The Golden Hawks have won three of their last four games and have defeated three playoff teams this season. They are averaging 30.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 16.9 points per game. We anticipate that the final score in this game will be in the twenties and like the Yellow Jackets by three at home. 

The Skinny

The Jefferson County Warriors are the Region 4 Champion. Jefferson County is in the playoffs for the nineteenth straight season. Jefferson has done most of their damage on the ground. Quarterback Aquauvious Hunter and running backs Izaiah Gaines and Kobe Heggs have combined to rush for 1,412 yards and 17-TDs. Mike Murray leads the team with 25 receptions for 422 yards. Ja’quine Gilmore leads the team in total tackles while Nick Jordan leads the defense in sacks. The Warriors have won seven consecutive games coming into the playoffs. They are averaging 35.8 points per game while allowing 15.6. Jefferson County has defeated three playoff teams. 

The Cook Hornets are the No. 4 seed from Region 1. Cook is in the playoffs for the twenty-first straight season. Cook won five of their first seven games before dropping back-to-back games to Thomasville and Early County. The Hornets are averaging 24.5 points per game while allowing the same amount. They have defeated two playoff teams this season. Cook has shown the ability to put plenty of points on the board, but we questions whether their defense can stop the Warriors ground game. We like Jefferson County by 18 this week. 

The Skinny

The Elbert County Blue Devils are the No. 2 seed from Region 8. Elbert County is in the postseason for the for the eleventh time in twelve years. The Blue Devils have won two of their last three coming into the playoffs. All three wins have been against teams that are in the playoffs. They are averaging 18.7 points per game while allowing 29.1 points. 

The Bremen Blue Devils are the No. 3 seed from Region 5. The Blue Devils have only missed the playoffs three times since 1996. Bremen has defeated five playoff teams this year. They are averaging 26.4 points per game while allowing 21.7 this season. They have won three of their last five games. Bremen has proved they can play with some of the top teams in Class 2A this season. We like the Bremen Blue Devils on the road in impressive fashion. Bremen by 4 touchdowns. 

The Skinny

The South Atlanta Hornets are the Region 6 Champions. They claimed their first region title in school history and are in the post-season for the fourth consecutive year. Because of the tie-break rules used in Region 6, South Atlanta was not penalized for their loss to Lovett. The Hornets have won their last five games coming into the playoffs. They area averaging 18.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 20.4 points. South Atlanta has defeated two playoff teams this season.

The Chattooga Indians are the No. 4 seed from Region 4. The Indians are in the post season for the seventh consecutive season. Chattooga quarterback Cash Allen has thrown for 1,403 yards and 10-TDs while LeShaun Lester has rushed for 963 yards and 14-TDs. Freshman Nic Hester has caught 51 passes for 572 yards and 5-TDs. Linebacker Devin Heroch leads the team with 89 total tackles. Chattooga has not defeated a playoff team this season. They are averaging 18.9 points per game while the defense is allowing 29.7. We believe the Indians can keep this game close in the first half, but do like South Atlanta in a game that might be a little closer than some think. South Atlanta by 10. 

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Class 2A 2020 GHSA Playoff Previews – Part 3 of 4

Posted on November 27, 2020 by admin

We are previewing all of the 2020 GHSA playoff games. We now turn our attention to class 2A This will be a four part series. This preview features games between Heard County – Union County, Fannin County – Pace Academy, Northeast – Toombs County and Fitzgerald – Oglethorpe County. 

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share.

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Heard County Braves are the No. 2 seed from Region 5. The Braves are in the post season for the twentieth time in twenty-one seasons. Heard County Quarterback Maurice Fench has thrown from 1,119 yards and 11 TDs while Ashton Bonner has rushed for 763 yards and 9-TDs to help pace the offense. Meanwhile, Chief Borders leads the team in tackles with 54. Heard County has won two of their last three games entering the playoffs. The Braves are averaging 24.5 points per game while allowing 25.5. Heard County has defeated six playoff teams this season. Interestingly enough, all but one of their opponents is in the playoffs this season.

The Union County Panthers are the No. 3 seed from Region 8. Union County is in the post season for the seventh time in eight years. Keyton Chitwood and Kaston Hemphill have helped lead the way for the Panthers offensively this season. Union County has not defeated a playoff team this year and comes into this week winning only one of their last four games and did not score more than 14 in any of those contests. They are averaging 17.4 points per game while allowing 23.4. Those numbers tend to tell us that Heard County should be favored. We happen to like them by four touchdowns this week. 

The Skinny

The Fannin County Rebels are the Region 7 Champions. The Rebels are in the post season for the third straight year. Fannin County also went undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 1995 and claimed only their third region title in school history. Quarterback Luke Holloway has thrown for 1,595 yards and 24-TDs and also rushed for 565 yards and 7-TDs. Caleb Postell has also added 413 yards and 4 TDs rushing. Jalen Ingram and Cohutta Hyde have combined to catch 52 passes for 1,051 yards and 21-TDs. Micah O’Neal leads the Rebels defense with 79 total tackles while Dalton Ross has recorded 8.5 sacks. Fannin is averaging 43.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 10.3. They’ve defeated five playoff teams this season. 

The Pace Academy Knights are the No. 4 seed from Region 6. Pace Academy is in the playoffs for the seventh straight season. However in the previous four years, they have not made it out of the first round. Quarterback M.J. Morris spearheads the Knights offensive attack alongside Deuce Jordan in the backfield. Pace has defeated two playoff teams this season and come into this week winners of their last three ballgames. They are averaging 30.1 points per game while allowing 10.7. Pace is not your conventional No. 4 seed and we expect for them to be able to go toe-to-toe with Fannin County. We believe M.J. Morris will outduel Luke Holloway and help Pace with the upset. Knights by 6.

The Skinny

The Northeast Macon Raiders are the No. 2 seed from Region 3. Northeast is in the playoffs for the second time in three years. Quarterback Trayvion Solomon has thrown for 1,797 yards and 19-TDs. While Kalik Evans has rushed for 762 yards and 8-TDs to pace the offense. Northeast has won four of their last five games and are averaging 28.1 points per game on offense while the defense is allowing 22 points per game. Northeast has defeated two playoff teams this season.

The Toombs County Bulldogs are the No. 3 seed from Region 2. The Bulldogs are in the playoffs for the fifth straight season. They are led by running back Derrick Mincey (889 yards, 16-TDs) and quarterback Chandler Lynn (645 rushing yards, 845 passing yards, 14 Total TDs). Tank Morris leads the team in total tackles while Brannon Usher has recorded 22 tackles for loss. The Bulldogs have won their last two games entering the postseason. They are averaging 31.7 points per game while allowing 19.1. They have defeated four playoff teams this season. We believe Toombs will have just enough on defense to hold Northeast at bay. We like the Bulldogs by a touchdown. 

The Skinny

The Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes are the Region 1 Champions. Fitzgerald is in the playoffs for the 21st straight season. They went undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 2009. Fitzgerald is averaging 33.2 points per game in offense while the defense is allowing 11.8 points per game. The Canes have defeated seven playoff teams this season. 

The Oglethorpe County Patriots are the No. 4 seed from Region 4 and are in the playoffs for the first time since 1998. The Patriots are averaging 13.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 23.5 points. They have not defeated a playoff team this season. In their three wins they are averaging 32.3 points per game, however in their three losses they are only averaging 5.5 points per game. The Patriots will be overmatched against Fitzgerald. We like the Canes by six touchdowns. 

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Class 2A 2020 GHSA Playoff Previews – Part 2 of 4

Posted on November 27, 2020 by admin

We are previewing all of the 2020 GHSA playoff games. We now turn our attention to class 2A This will be a four part series. This preview features games between Washington – Model, Rabun County – Haralson County, Putnam County – Early County, and Vidlia – Bleckley County. 

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share.

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Washington Bulldogs are the No. 2 seed from Region 6. Washington is in the playoffs for the second time in three years. Quarterback Monye Jones has thrown for 1,303 yards and 22-TDs while running backs Armani Tookes and Niejay Gaston have combined for 989 yards and 10-TDs. Tookes and Ronnie West have also combined for 45 receptions and 930 receiving yards and 16-TDs. Maurice Edwards leads the team in total tackles while Montavious Ferguson leads the team in sacks. Taj Moore has also intercepted five passes this season. Washington enters the post-season on a six-game win streak. They are averaging 37.1 points per game while allowing 10.6. They’ve also shut out their last three opponents. 

The Model Blue Devils are the No. 3 seed from Region 7. Model is in the playoffs for the second year in a row and the seventh time in nine years. Model has won their last two games entering the post season. They have defeated two playoff teams this season. They are averaging 22.5 points per game while allowing 16.5. We like Washington this week by 16. 

The Skinny

The Rabun County Wildcats are the Region 8 Champions. They are making their 9th consecutive playoff appearance and won their seventh straight region title. The Wildcats are led by quarterback Gunner Stockton. The junior has thrown for 2,365 yards and 38 TDs. In 211 pass attempts, he has only thrown one interception and is completing 71% of his passes. He’s also rushed for 1,046 yards and 19-TDs. Sophomore Lang Windham has also rushed for 1,136 yards and 10-TDs. Adriel Clark is Stockton’s favorite target. He’s caught 52 passes for 1,144 yards and 23-TDs. Will Turpin leads the defense with 91 total tackles while Sutton Jones has intercepted four passes in the secondary. The Wildcats have won seven consecutive games and are averaging 50.7 points per game while allowing 17.3. The Wildcats have defeated five playoff teams this season.

The Haralson County Rebels are the No. 4 seed from Region 5. The Rebels are in the playoffs for the third straight season. Haralson County started out the year red hot, winning six straight games, but have lost two of their last three. The Rebels are led on offense by Clay Hyatt and Marc Harris. They’ve helped to power the Rebels to 29.6 points per game on offense. The defense is allowing 14.7 points per game. Haralson County possible has the most difficult first round matchup in Class 2A. We just don’t see how the slow down Stockton and Rabun County. We like the Wildcats by 20. 

The Skinny

The Putnam County War Eagles are the No. 2 seed from Region 4. They are making their second straight playoff appearance. Putnam County won nine regular season games for the first time since 1994. Th War Eagles defeated four playoff teams this season. They are averaging 35.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 10 points per game. 

The Early County Bobcats are the No. 3 seed from Region 1. Early County is making their third straight playoff appearance. The Bobcats will rely on the ground game this week as they’ve done all season. Ladarius Ceaser leads the team with 970 yards and 9-TDs while Jay Ealey and Bra’veaon George have combined for 920 yards and 16-TDs. All told, the Bobcats have rushed for 2,097 as a team. Brian Hanks leads the team in total tackles and sacks. Early County has won their last three games and has defeated three playoff teams this season. The Bobcats are averaging 33.7 points per game while allowing 24.6. This game should be nip and tuck. We like Early County and their ability to control the clock on the ground. Bobcats by 6.

The Skinny

The Vidalia Indians are the Region 1 Champions. The Indians are in the playoffs for the eleventh time in twelve years. Vidalia is on a seven-game win streak coming into the playoffs. Quarterback Bryce Davis his thrown for 752 yards and 6-TDs and also rushed for 1,121 yards and 11-TDs. Jaedyn Stanley has also rushed for 754 yards and 9-TDs while Josh Mincey has caught 12 passes for 303 yards and 5-TDs. Jaylin Burns leads the defense with 61 total tackles. Vidalia is averaging 28.8 points per game while the defense is allowing 18.3. The Indians have defeated five playoff teams this season. 

The Bleckley County Royals are the No. 4 seed from Region 3. The Royals are in the post-season for the second straight year. Bleckley County had won five straight games before dropping back-to-back games to close out the regular season. Quarterback Dominic Sasser has thrown for 1,241 yards and 17-TDs. Jaden Mobley has been his top receiver with 29 receptions for 526 yards while Jahvon Butler and Chuckie Stephens have combined to rush for 1,259 yards and 16-TDs. Bleckley County is averaging 32.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 21.3. The Royals have defeated four playoff teams this season, including Vidalia back in September. Despite beating Vidalia earlier, we are going to go with Vidalia this week to exact a measure of revenge. It won’t be a cake walk, but we like the Indians by 4. 

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