PLAYOFF PREVIEWS: Area teams shoot for quarterfinal berths

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

Posted 7:23PM on Friday, November 21, 2014

After a stunning opening round of the state football playoffs, only six teams in northeast Georgia remain standing. But while the quantity of teams has greatly diminished, the quality of those left more than makes up for the losses. Gainesville -- the 2012 Class AAAAA state champion -- is still alive, while Buford -- which has won six state titles in the last seven years -- and Stephens County are still alive in Class AAAA. Jefferson -- the 2012 Class AA state champion -- is still standing in Class AAA. Rabun County, the Region 8-AA champ, survived a first round scare, and Commerce, the No. 6 seed in Class A Public, will see its first playoff action of the season. However, all six face stiff challenges to get into the quarterfinals. Rabun County may face the toughest of all, playing host to Benedictine of Savannah, the highest scoring team in Class AA. But the Wildcats are 13-1 at home over the past two seasons, and the Cadets face a nearly six-hour ride to the north Georgia mountains. Gainesville faces a long road trip of its own to Harris County in Class AAAAA but the Red Elephants know the way. They knocked off the Tigers on the road in 2012 on the way to the state title. Jefferson will also have experience behind it when it plays host to Dodge County. The Dragons are looking for their third consecutive trip to the quarterfinals. In Class A, Commerce opens its 2014 playoffs against Clinch County. The Tigers are looking to advance past the first round for the first time since 2009. Buford and Stephens County face tough second round games against Mary Persons and West Laurens, respectively, but both have the firepower to advance to the quarterfinals. For a look at all of the night's contests involving area teams, simply scroll down. And be sure to check back with Access North Georgia and our <a href="http://www.accessnorthga.com/s15-football-central.php">Friday Game Night</a> page throughout the night for score updates and game stories and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed <a href="https://twitter.com/">@FridayGameNight</a> SECOND ROUND STATE PLAYOFF MATCH-UPS, NOV. 21 CLASS AAAAA CLASS AAAAA NOTES Things stayed pretty much true to form for the top seeds -- despite Lanier, the Region 8-AAAAA champ, falling. The Longhorns were the only No. 1 seed to go down in the first round. The upsets occurred with four No. 2 seeds getting knocked off. But Gainesville, the No. 2 seed from 8-AAAAA, was able to advance holding off Creekview. Drew, the No. 2 scoring team in AAAAA, was beaten by Glynn Academy, 35-34, on a late score. Glynn Academy came in ranked 28th in scoring at 27 ppg. ... It is still an offense-oriented classification, however, as 12 of the top 13 scoring teams are still alive. ... One of the more intriguing matchups, however, will have the top two defensive teams -- Ware County and Mays -- squaring off in Waycross. Another fun matchup will have Stephenson and Stockbridge meeting in Stockbridge. Both teams are in the top 11 in both offense and defense in AAAAA. ... Sequoyah was the only No. 4 seed to break through but the ride may end Friday against the top scoring team in AAAAA, traveling to Houston County (48.7 ppg). Sequoyah is ranked 48th in defense (26.7 ppg) in AAAAA. ... Allatoona, with the third-ranked offense (45.2 ppg) will play host to Coffee County and the fourth-rated defense (15.3 ppg) in another interesting matchup. ... Regions 2, 3, 6, and 7 proved to be the dominant regions with three teams from each of those regions advancing. GAINESVILLE at HARRIS COUNTY -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Hamilton -- RADIO: 1240 AM -- GAINESVILLE (9-2): No. 2 seed from Region 8-AAAAA; beat Creekview 42-37 last week in first round -- HARRIS COUNTY (9-2): No. 1 seed from Region 1-AAAAA; beat Warner Robins 33-31 last week in the first round -- NOTABLE: Gainesville won the only meeting between two schools, 64-13, in 2012 quarterfinals. ... Don't expect a blowout this season, as both teams come in a little more evenly matched. ... The Tigers are tough at home, going 10-2 in their last 12 home games, with one of the losses to Gainesville. The Red Elephants know how to win on the road in the playoffs. They were 3-0 away from City Park in their 2012 championship season. ... Gainesville Sr. RB Michael Byrd has been on fire of late with four consecutive 100-yard games -- including a career-high 226 in last week's win -- and will be a key for the Red Elephants. ... GHS is looking for its fourth straight trip to the quarterfinals. Harris County has advanced to the quarterfinals just once, losing to the Red Elephants in 2012. ... One more win for the Tigers would be a new school record for wins in a season. They also won 9 games last year. ... The winner will play the Allatoona-Coffee County winner in the quarterfinals. CLASS AAAA CLASS AAAA NOTES Regions 2 and 8 proved to be the early winners, pushing three teams each into the second round. And the two regions will have a pair of huge match-ups in the second round. Buford, the No. 1 seed from 8-AAAA, will play host to Mary Persons, the No. 2 seed from 2-AAAA, while Stephens County, the No. 3 seed from 8-AAAA, will travel to 2-AAAA No. 1 seed West Laurens. ... All eight No. 1 seeds advanced to the second round in AAAA, the only classification to have that happen, and six No. 2 seeds advanced, which should make for some powerhouse matchups as we move deeper into the playoffs. ... If Buford is to win a third consecutive title the Wolves -- who lead AAAA in both offense and defense -- face the possibility of playing the other top three offenses in Griffin (No. 2) and Cartersville (No. 3) in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds (if they all make it through). Cartersville is No. 2 in total defense in AAAA. ... Stephens County's side of the bracket feature shootouts, with four of the top 10 and three of the top eight offensive units still alive. Only Cairo (fifth) and Woodward Academy (sixth) are in the top 14 in defense on that side of the bracket. The Indians (No. 3 seed) are the only non-No. 1 or No. 2 seed left on their half of the bracket. West Laurens is 16th in offense and 28th in defense in AAAA. The Indians are 8th in offense and 30th in defense. MARY PERSONS at BUFORD -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Tom Riden Stadium, Buford -- RADIO: AM 550 -- MARY PERSONS (9-2): No. 2 seed from Region 2-AAAA, beat Westover 14-0 last week in the first round -- BUFORD (11-0): No. 1 seed from Region 8-AAAA, beat Southeast Whitfield 63-0 last week in the first round -- NOTABLE: This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. ... The Wolves will need to be focused and not be looking ahead to a possible match-up with powerhouse Griffin next week. The Bulldogs have been stout on defense over the past two months, allowing just 55 total points (6.8 ppg) in their last eight games, with eight shutouts and holding six opponents to 7 points or less. They are led by Sr. DE Demarcus Davis and Sr. LB Quendarious Allen. But, Buford is the No. 1 offensive team in AAAA, scoring a ridiculous 47.6 ppg on the season. ... The Bulldogs are looking for their second quarterfinal appearance in the last three years. Buford has advanced to the quarterfinals in 14 consecutive seasons. ... The winner will play the Marist-Griffin winner in the quarterfinals. STEPHENS COUNTY at WEST LAURENS -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Horseshoe Stadium, Dexter (outside Dublin) -- STEPHENS COUNTY (8-3): No. 3 seed from Region 8-AAAA, beat Pickens 42-14 last week in the first round -- WEST LAURENS (8-3): No. 1 seed from Region 2-AAAA, beat Bainbridge 23-17 in OT last week in the first round -- NOTABLE: This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. ... The Indians snapped a two-game losing streak to end the regular season last week and have some momentum going into the second round. It was the first playoff win for the Raiders since 1996. A win for the Indians would put them in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2005. ... Expect a shootout. Stephens County is averaging 32.4 ppg while West Laurens is averaging 27.3 ppg. The Indians are 8-1 when scoring 28 or more points. The Raiders are 0-3 when scoring less than 21 points. ... The Indians' side of the bracket is wide open with Buford, Griffin, Cartersville, and Sandy Creek all on the other half. Only Woodward Academy and North Oconee are in the top 15 in both offense and defense on the Indians' side of the bracket. ... The winner will play the Eastside-St. Pius winner in the quarterfinals. CLASS AAA CLASS AAA NOTES No matter how you look at it, this classification is still loaded going into the second round. Nine of the top 10 offensive teams and 12 of the top 15 defensive teams are still alive. Washington County, the highest scoring team in the state in all classifications, is averaging an unimaginable 54.1 ppg (596 total points). To put that in perspective, Jefferson is averaging a whopping 41.5 ppg but is just fourth in AAA in scoring. ... Regions 1 and 8 demonstrated their power, sweeping into the second round. The two regions will square up in three match-ups on Friday. Region 4 had three teams advance. ... The Dragons and Central-Carroll are the only two teams left, however, in the top 5 in both scoring and defense. Jefferson is the No. 2 team remaining in defense, allowing just 8.9 ppg. Peach was No. 1 but was upset last week in the first round. Central-Carroll is the top unit still standing, yielding just 8.2 ppg. ... The Dragons, who won the Class AA title in 2012, face a tough road if they want to return to the championship game. If they get by Dodge County on Friday, they will take on the Adairsville-Blessed Trinity winner in the quarterfinals. Both are in the top six in offense, and the Titans are third in defense behind Jefferson. If they get past that, a possible semifinal match-up with Washington County looms. DODGE COUNTY at JEFFERSON -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Jefferson -- RADIO: 102.9 FM -- DODGE COUNTY (9-2): No. 3 seed from Region 1, beat Westside-Macon 14-3 last week in the first round. -- JEFFERSON (11-0): No. 1 seed from region 8-AAA, beat Franklin County 38-7 last week in the first round. -- NOTABLE: This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. ... Playoff experience should heavily favor Jefferson. The Dragons are looking for their third consecutive trip to the quarterfinals and first in Class AAA. The Indians have not advanced past the second round since 1999. ... It has the makings for a mismatch with the Dragons sitting in the top 4 in both offense and defense in AAA and the Indians offense ranked just 21st and the defense 15th in AAA. ... Dodge County's success rides with its defense. The Indians are 9-1 when yielding just 20 points or less. They held Region 1-AAA champ Cook County to just 13 points in a 3-point loss. Jefferson's lowest output of the season is 21 points against Hart County. The Dragons have scored 34 or more points nine times this season. ... The winner will play the Blessed Trinity-Adairsville winner in the quarterfinals. CLASS AA CLASS AA NOTES The only region to really show dominance was Region 6, moving three teams into the second round. Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 all split, with two teams apiece advancing. ... It is a very defensive-oriented classification with 13 of the top 21 defensive teams still alive. Region 8-AA champ Rabun County is yielding just 18.9 ppg but ranks just 21st in AA in defense. GAC leads AA, allowing just 9.2 ppg. ... Vidalia and Benedictine are the only teams in the top 5 in both offense and defense. Benedictine leads AA in scoring at 45.6 ppg. ... Six No. 1 seeds and seven No. 2 seeds advanced to the second round, making for some powerful matchups. Macon County, which is seventh in offense and sixth in defense, plays host to the defending Class AA champion Lovett, which put up 56 points on Bremen in the first round. The winner of that game will get the Rabun County-Benedictine winner in the quarterfinals. Model and Fitzgerald battle in Fitzgerald. Model is third in defense, yielding just 11.6 ppg while Fitzgerald is third in scoring at 41.7 ppg. Something will give there. Vidalia and GAC are on a collision course for the quarterfinals, matching two of the best defenses against two of the best offenses in AA. BENEDICTINE at RABUN COUNTY -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Frank Snyder Stadium, Tiger -- BENEDICTINE (9-2): No. 2 seed from Region 2-AA, beat Thomasville 35-0 last week in the first round. -- RABUN COUNTY (9-2): No. 1 seed from Region 8-AA, beat Chattooga 24-20 last week in the first round. -- NOTABLE: This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. ... The Wildcats face their most daunting challenge of the season since their season-opener against Jefferson. The Cadets lead Class AA in scoring at 45.6 ppg and are fifth in defense, yielding just 12.1 ppg. Benedictine's only losses have been to Region 2 champ Vidalia and No. 1-ranked GAC, which are the top defensive teams in Class AA. The Cadets have scored 34 or more points in the other nine games (50.7 ppg) and scored 44 or more points six times this season. ... However, Rabun County is nearly unbeatable at home. The Wildcats are 13-1 in their last 14 games at Frank Snyder Stadium, with their only loss to 2013 Class A semifinalist Mount Pisgah. Benedictine is 9-2 in its last 11 road games. ... The Wildcats own the third-longest current win streak in Class AA at eight games, with only undefeated GAC and Vidalia boasting longer streaks. ... The key for Rabun County may be the play of Charlie Woerner, who leads the team in rushing, receiving and tackling. The Wildcats, who are averaging 29. 1 ppg, will need to find ways to get Woerner, a junior, the ball in all phases of the game. ... The Cadets have yielded more than 24 points just once all season. ... The winner will play the Lovett-Macon County winner in the quarterfinals. CLASS A CLASS A NOTES While the rest of the classifications are into their second week, Class A opens its playoffs this week. Commerce is the only team from northeast Georgia to make the 16-team Class A Public field. The Tigers are the No. 6 seed in what appears to be a very defensive-oriented bracket. Seven of the top eight defensive teams in the field have allowed 17 ppg or fewer. Hawkinsville is the top defensive team in all of Class A, yielding just 6.3 ppg on the season. Commerce is eighth at 17.6 ppg. ... Marion County, the defending Class A Public state champion, is the top overall seed and the only team in the field in the top 5 in both offense and defense. Commerce is fourth in offense. Emanuel County Institute is the top offensive team scoring 37.9 ppg. ... Emanuel, the 2007 Class A state champ, and Marion County could meet in the quarterfinals. Hawkinsville and Marion County would meet in the semifinals if both advance that far. Commerce and Calhoun County, the No. 2 rated defense in the field, could meet in the quarterfinals. CLINCH COUNTY at COMMERCE -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Ray Lamb Stadium, Commerce -- CLINCH COUNTY (6-4): No. 11 seed in Class A Public field; beat Telfair County 53-20 two weeks ago. -- COMMERCE (8-2): No. 6 seed in Class A Public field; beat Lakeview Academy 55-28 two weeks ago. -- NOTABLE: This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. ... Only three teams enter the Class A Public playoffs with more wins than the Tigers -- Marion County, Hawkinsville, and Charlton County. Marion County, Charlton County, and Commerce are the only teams ranked in the top eight in both offense and defense in the field. ... But the Tigers are just 1-2 vs. teams to make the playoffs in any classification. However, their two losses were Jefferson, a Class AAA heavyweight, and Prince Avenue, the No. 4 seed in the Class A Private field. ... The match-up is a favorable one for Commerce, which has the fourth best offense in the field at 33.5 ppg. Clinch County has allowed the second-most points of any team in the field at 242 (24.2 ppg). The Panthers are averaging 31.9 ppg, but the Tigers are allowing just 17.6 ppg, eighth-best in the field. ... The Tigers are looking to advance past the first round for the first time since 2009.

Jeff Hart Sports Reporter