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 Class 7A or preview highlight features Colquitt vs. Walton and Marietta vs. Tift County.
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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
Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)
Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com
Tale of the Tape
Defending Champion: Grayson
Current No. 1: Collins Hill (TFR & GHSFD)
Best 1st Round Game – Colquitt County vs. Walton
Longest Playoff Drought: Duluth (1986)
Week 1 Upset Alert: Mill Creek; Colquitt County; Pebblebrook; Grayson
Final Four Predictions: Milton; Brookwood; North Cobb; Collins Hill
Sleeper: Archer
The Skinny
Collins Hill is our favorite to win the AAAAAAA title this season, (even without All-State athlete Travis Hunter). The Eagles face potential matchups with perennial power Lowndes in the quarterfinals. North Cobb and Milton have been hanging around the top 5 all season long and we expect them to cruise through to the quarterfinals. It’s hard to believe we have Archer as a sleeper as a No. 1 seed, but the Tigers have won six straight games and have only yielded one touchdown during that stretch. Other potential big time matchups in Class 7-A include Milton vs. Mill Creek and Colquitt County vs Brookwood in the quarterfinals and perhaps a Collins Hill vs North Cobb semifinal.
We have four teams on upset alert this week as outlined above. While we aren’t predicting an outright upset, we see those games where the lower seed could get a win over the home team. Much will be determined over the next 5 weeks. It should be an exciting ride.
The Skinny
The Colquitt County Packers ended the season winning seven of their last eight games. They are in the post season for the 13th consecutive season. They’ve won at least one game in the playoffs during that stretch including two state titles. The Packers are averaging 38.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 23.1. Quarterback Neko Fann has stepped in at quarterback and thrown for 1,824 yards and 27-TDs on the season. He’s completing 62% of his passes and is just a sophomore. Charlie Pace joins Fann in the backfield and has rushed for 1,122 yards and 12-TDs. Receivers Ny Carr and the aforementioned Pace have combined to catch 61 passes for 19-TDs. Linebackers Ricky Yates and Pershaun Fann lead the team in total tackles. The Colquitt defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 22 times while forcing 22 turnovers.
The Walton Raiders looked to be primed to host a first round playoff game before they were derailed by Marietta last week. Expect the Raiders to continue to platoon Jeremy Hecklinski and Zak Roszman at quarterback. Prior to last week’s game, the duo had combined to throw for 1,721 yards and 16-TDs. They’ve completed 67% of their passes. Sutton Smith is tops on the team in rushing with 562 yards and 11-TDs through their first 8 games. Mustafa Hefner leads the team in receiving through that span as well with 18 receptions for 389 yards and 5-TDs. This is the 5th consecutive playoff appearance for the Raiders.
Walton is a dangerous team that can score in all three phases of the game. It should be a good matchup watching Marcus Allen for Walton defend against Ny Carr. The long trip to Moultrie might be the difference in the game. That and the fact the Neko Fann has really settled in at quarterback. We like the Packers by 10.
The Skinny
The Marietta Blue Devils are in the post season for the fifth consecutive season. They enter the playoffs winners of three out of their last four games. The Blue Devils have defeated five playoff teams this season. Quarterback Tyler Hughes has thrown for 2,910 yards and 37-TDs while completing 65% of his passes. Hughes also leads the Devils in rushing with 506 yards and 6-TDs. His top receivers are tight-end Camden Overton (58 receptions, 842 yards, 7-TDs), Kamryn Perry (51 receptions, 894 yards, 15-TDs) and Christian Mathis (44 receptions, 779 yards, 10-TDs). Carlos Cervantes leads the team with 102 total tackles. Marietta has sacked opposing quarterbacks 28 times. They are averaging 34.7 points per game while the defense is allowing 21.5.
The Tift County Blue Devils are the No. 3 seed from Region-1 and will be the third team from Region-1 that Marietta has faced this season. The Blue Devils come limping into the playoffs winners of only one of their last four games. Tift County has defeated four playoff teams this season. They are averaging 17.7 points per game while allowing 16.1. Only two of Tift County’s victories have come over teams with a winning record. While they aren’t scoring points in bunches, Tyre West has been wreaking havoc all season along the defensive line.
Marietta will be playing in the friendly confines Northcutt Stadium and they’ve shown a propensity for putting up plenty of points. We believe Tift can make it close for a half, but Marietta is just too explosive this week. Blue Devils by 16.