Here's a look at five things we learned from the second round of the high school football state playoffs...
1. If the first round was a disappointment, the second was redemptive
Frankly, we were shocked (and still are) that so many northeast Georgia programs lost in the first round of the state playoffs -- just six of 15 teams playing won. But if anyone doubted the strength of football in this area, the second round showed that there is more than enough quality in northeast Georgia in 2016. Not only did five of the seven teams competing march on, three of them did so with relative ease. Buford, Mill Creek and Rabun County cruised into the quarterfinals -- the Wolves ripped Jones County by 30 points; the Hawks dominated Cherokee by 35 points; and the Wildcats bowled over Vidalia by 35 points. And while Jefferson rolled up just 136 yards of offense, the Dragons' suffocating defense ensured there was no chance of an upset by allowing West Laurens just 70 yards in a 21-0 win. Commerce too bared its defensive fangs, holding one of the most explosive offenses in Class A in relative check while pushing past Taylor County 35-20. There are now northeast Georgia programs amongst the "Elite Eight" in five of the state's eight playoff classifications -- the exact same number as last year. And we believe all five have good chances to move on to the semifinals. A down year? As last Friday showed, no way.
2. Commerce lines of scrimmage are elite
We already knew that the Tigers offensive line of Levi Pate, Cade Overstreet, Cade Ridley, Garrett Ash, and Carson Hall were pretty darn good -- this is a group after all that has paved the way for a rushing attack averaging a shade over 344 yards per game, as well as 7.48 yards per carry. Yes there are stellar backs behind them in Cole Chancey, Will Thomas and Lane Sorrow, but the line has been both consistent and impressive in clearing a path for those backs -- and showed that they are more than ready for prime time on Friday by helping the Tigers rush for 402 yards on 49 carries against a playoff opponent. What we did not know -- at least not to the extent it showed on Friday -- was how good Commerce's defensive line is as well. The Tigers limited a previously dominant Taylor County rushing attack, and the state's third leading rusher in Lyn-J Dixon. And while the Vikings still put up numbers, including 101 yards for Dixon, there were very few game-changing plays -- the 20-plus yard runs that football statisticians say generally swing outcomes. Dixon, who came in averaging almost 190 yards per game, and his offensive line could not dominate Commerce and put the Tigers on the back foot. That was due in large part to a Commerce defensive front that could not be bullied.
3. Christian Turner takes his turn to step to the fore
For decades now Buford football has made its offensive hay with a grinding, offensive-line-punishing-fullback-in-your-face rushing attack that batters opponents into submission. And they most often do it with multiple backs carrying the load. That has somewhat been the case again this season, yet Anthony Grant had developed into the feature back. Coming into Friday's game against Jones County, Grant had carried the ball more than twice as much as any other back (145 attempts) and for twice as many yards (1,239) as fellow Wolves Turner and Derrian Brown. And yet, as Turner showed on Friday, he is more than ready to step up and provide the style of play that can help elevate Buford to another championship push. Grant still made a big impact (21 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD), but it was Turner that broke the Greyhounds' spririt, rushing 15 times for 100 yards and 4 scores, doing so while dragging defender after defender with him. Jones County did all it could to bring Turner to the ground, and it took plenty. And that had a huge impact as the game wore on, helping the Wolves to sprint away from a 14-6 first quarter scoreline with four straight touchdowns -- two from Turner. Make no mistake, Buford's offensive bread-and-butter is still its offensive line and dominant blocking. But its running backs can also dominate, and they have at least two ready to do so in the postseason.
4. Wildcats are ready for top five showdown
It's crazy to think that there were questions about Rabun County heading into this season. But after graduating so many standouts from what had previously been the Wildcats' best four-year stint in program history it was also fair to wonder if the current team was set for a step back. Now it's fair to wonder if Rabun can continue its march all the way to the Georgia Dome. From the way the fourth-ranked Wildcats performed on Friday night, hammering a strong Vidalia program 42-7, it's clear that this group is both hungry and able. Remember, Vidalia only fell to top-ranked Benedictine 27-6 earlier this season, so the Indians were no pushover and boasted the top inside linebacker recruit in the state in Nate McBride -- who also got plenty of offensive touches on Friday. And yet Rabun claimed a comfortable win to match the program's deepest march into the state playoffs. Awaiting is the No. 2-ranked team in Class AA in Fitzgerald -- and a 281-mile road trip. And yet it would not surprise us at all to see Rabun make a successful voyage south. When you have a defense that can play like Rabun's, relying on a stout front seven -- which will face a stern test against a Purple Hurricane offense that averages almost 300 rush yards per game -- and a quarterback like Bailey Fisher, anything is possible. Fisher's dual-threat capability makes Rabun a threat on every down, and the junior is obviously feeling it this postseason. He accounted for all six Wildcats touchdowns on Friday, while piling up 365 total yards (248 yards passing, 117 yards rushing). He also completed 20 of 24 pass attempts. That's efficiency with a capital E, and we cannot to wait to see just what he can pull off this week.
5. Class A seeding actually very accurate
For all of the head scratching and waiting around to see just how the GHSA would seed its Class A teams for the playoffs, we have to give the organization credit. They got it almost perfect. In Class A Private the seedings played out just as they should have, with all top eight teams moving on to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the Class A Public seedings have seen just one party crasher, as Greene County -- a No. 14 seed -- made the "Elite Eight." The Tigers -- coached by former University of Georgia standout Robert Edwards -- knocked off third-seeded Pelham, 55-40, to make the third round. There are still plenty of things to question and wonder about within the structure of high school athletics in this state, but the Class A power ratings are not one of them -- at least not this season.
SECOND ROUND STATE PLAYOFF SCORES, NOV. 18
CLASS AAAAAAA
Mill Creek 56, Cherokee 21
CLASS AAAAA
Buford 56, Jones County 26
CLASS AAAA
Jefferson 21, West Laurens 0
Thomson 42, West Hall 14
CLASS AA
Benedictine 49, Banks County 0
Rabun County 42, ​Vidalia 7
CLASS A
Commerce 35, Taylor County 20
STATE QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE, NOV. 25
CLASS AAAAAAA
Mill Creek at McEachern*
CLASS AAAAA
Carrollton at Buford
CLASS AAAA
Jefferson at Cairo*
CLASS AA
Rabun County at Fitzgerald*
CLASS A PUBLIC
Commerce at Clinch County
* - Site determined via coin flip
