The GHSA Playoffs get under way on Friday night. The past few seasons, we have attempted to preview every playoff game. This season we are taking a bit of a different approach. We will give you our overall thoughts on each classification and then preview two of the top games for each classification. For our Class 4A – GHSA Playoff Preview we highlight the Troup vs. Spalding and Mays vs. Flowery Branch games.
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Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com
Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com
Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)
Tale of the Tape
Defending Champion: Marist
Current No. 1: Carver-Columbus (TFR)/ Marist (GHSFD)
Best 1st Round Game: Spalding vs. Troup
Longest Playoff Drought: Spalding 2017
Week 1 Upset Alert: Mays, Northwest Whitfield, Troup, Luella, Jenkins
Final Four Predictions: Jefferson, Cedartown, Benedictine, North Oconee
Sleeper: Flowery Branch
Our pick for state champion in Class AAAA is the Jefferson Dragons. A lot of that is based on the assumption that both Malaki Starks and Sammy Brown are healthy for the Dragons. If the seeds hold in the first round, the Dragons will get a stiff test from Carver Columbus and Jaden Credle. We really believe the winner of that game will hoist the trophy in the end. Last year the Dragons got the best of Carver in the quarterfinals up in Jefferson. Expect for the Tigers to be ready for a dose of revenge. Benedictine has been on of the hottest teams as of late entering the playoffs. The Cadets have a potential quarterfinal matchup with Marist. Another hot team entering the playoffs is Region 8 champ North Oconee. We like the Titans chances of making a run to the semifinals.
Other potential matchups down the line include Cedartown-Perry and Cedartown-Jefferson. One team not getting a whole lot of respect is the Bainbridge Bearcats. They are the No. 1 seed from Region-1 and have won a state title within the last four years. Our sleeper is Flowery Branch. The Falcons may be the best No. 3 seed in this bracket.
The Skinny
The Troup Tigers are in the post season for the sixth consecutive season. Troup has won 6 out of their last 7 games on the field, (and 7 of their last 8 including the forfeit win over Jordan last week). The Tigers are averaging 30.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 19.2 points per game. Since taking over as head coach in 2015, coach Tanner Glisson’s teams have averaged less than 30 points per game only twice. The Tigers are averaging a whopping 434 yards of total offense per game, with 132.9 coming through the air and 301.4 per game on the ground. Sophomore running backs Javari Fannin and T.J. Mitchell lead the fast break offense in rushing, while Dwartney Wortham is the team’s leading receiver. The Tigers have defeated three playoff teams this season.
The Spalding Jaguars are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Jaguars won their last two games of the season. Spalding did beat region champ Perry back on October first, but faltered against Baldwin three weeks ago. The Jaguars are averaging 29.5 points per game and allowing 20.4. Quarterback Joe Braswell has thrown for 1,276 yards and 10-TDs while Nazir Berry has rushed for 1,010 yards and 16-TDs. Berry, Jaque Miller, and Jordan Jester have combined to catch 71 passes for 1,210 yards and 6-TDs. Spalding has defeated four playoff teams this season.
This Spalding team is tough to figure out. We know that it’s not a team to be taken lightly in the playoffs. Troup has not advanced past the first round since 2018. We believe they advance this week on the strength of the sophomore tandem at running back. Tigers by 9.
The Skinny
The Mays Raiders have only missed the post-season four times since 2002. Their three wins this season tie their lowest win total during that span. Mays enters the playoffs dropping their last two games. They area averaging 15.7 points per game while the defense is allowing 33.5 points per game. Most of those points were yielded against top-10 ranked Marist and other playoff teams from higher classifications. The Raiders are an intriguing team, because they have talented players all over the field. Quarterback Quintavius Johnson is tough to bring down in the backfield and is a dual threat quarterback. He has two capable receivers in Saulamon Evans and Jaqurion Wiggles. Almonte Duncan is one of the team’s leaders on defense.
The Flowery Branch Falcons are in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. The Falcons are winners of their last four games and are averaging 31.4 points per game while allowing 16.6. They have defeated three playoff teams this season. The Falcons do most of their damage on the ground, averaging just over 200 yards per game rushing while passing for just under 130 yards per game. Statistical leaders for the Falcons through 9 games are quarterback David Renaud (1,156 yards, 10-TDs), running back Myles Ivey (859 yards, 9-TDs) and receivers Jaheim Haynes (26 receptions, 391 yards, 2-TDs) and Connor Larson (29 receptions, 347 yards, 2-TDs).
While Mays’ record doesn’t intimidate anyone, we believe that this is a team that can be competitive in the first round of the playoffs. However, the Falcons are battle tested and because they have a propensity to score more points than the Raiders, we like Flowery Branch by 13.