Finally, the playoffs are here. But it has already been a busy week for northeast Georgia programs.
Banks County got the first win of the 2016 playoffs on Wednesday when KIPP forfeited its first round meeting with the Leopards. It represented the Leopards' first state playoff win, and it was also the first-ever voluntary playoff forfeit by a team in the history of the Georgia High School Association.
And on Thursday, West Hall knocked off Troup 24-21 on the road in Class AAAA for its first playoff win since 2000. The Spartans now await the Thomson/Americus-Sumter winner in the second round.
On Friday, there are 14 other area teams looking to keep their season going.
Several area teams, such as Mill Creek, Buford, Jefferson, and Rabun County are considered heavy favorites to advance, while others, like Chestatee, which takes on defending state champion Cartersville in Class AAAA, and Winder-Barrow, which faces No. 1 Dalton in Class AAAAAA, will be looking to pull big upsets.
A pair of the more more intriguing matchups involves two of Region 7-AAA's best offenses. Dawson County plays host to Lovett in a battle of ranked teams in Class AAA. Also, Union County, which has the No. 2 offense in Class AAA, will travel to Cedar Grove in what could be a wide-open affair.
For a look at all of the night's playoff action involving area teams, simply scroll down. And be sure to check back with AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night throughout the night for score updates and game stories and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed: @FridayGameNight
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE FOR Nov. 11
(Games listed by largest-to-smallest classification and alphabetical order of visiting team)
CLASS AAAAAAA
There should be some great matchups throughout the entirety of the playoffs in the state’s largest classification. The top 17 offensive teams and the top 16 defensive teams all advanced to the playoffs. ... Lowndes (424, 42.4 ppg) leads the offenses with Roswell (75, 7.5 ppg) leading the defenses. Mill Creek is third in both categories. The Hawks have scored 398 points (39.8 ppg) and yielded just 96 points (9.6 ppg) on the season. ... However, the brackets seem lopsided with defending state champion Colquitt County, Grayson, and Mill Creek all on the same side. Only one will emerge to the Georgia Dome. ... Some interesting first round matchups will have Mountain View traveling to Grayson, North Gwinnett heading to South Gwinnett, and Lambert playing host to Central Gwinnett. Central Gwinnett offers some challenges. The Black Knights have the 5th-worst defense in AAAAAAA but the 6th-best offense. ... A win for North Gwinnett could put them in a favorable draw to the quarterfinals where the Bulldogs could face arch-rival Norcross.
NEWTON at MILL CREEK
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Mill Creek Community Stadium, Hoschton
-- NEWTON (REGION 8, No. 4) (6-3-1): Defeated Rockdale County 36-18 last week
-- MILL CREEK (REGION 6, No. 1) (10-0): Defeated Duluth 56-0 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... The Hawks completed their second straight undefeated regular and have been dominant all season. The Rams had to win their final two games to get into the playoffs. ... It’s a matchup that looks lopsided for Mill Creek. The Rams have allowed more points (262) than they have scored (247) and both of their final two wins came against the 6th and 7th worst defenses in AAAAAAA. Mill Creek has yielded just 96 points (9.6 ppg) all season. ... Mill Creek is 16-2 in its last 18 home games with its two losses to Colquitt County and Grayson in the playoffs.
NORTH GWINNETT at SOUTH GWINNETT
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: South Gwinnett Community Stadium, Snellville
-- NORTH GWINNETT (REGION 6, No. 3) (6-4): Defeated Discovery 43-7 last week
-- SOUTH GWINNETT (REGION 8, No. 2) (7-3): Lost 45-3 to Grayson last week
-- NOTABLE: Series is tied 6-6. The two teams have not met since 2005, a 24-15 North Gwinnett win in Suwanee. ... It will be strength-vs-strength in this one. The Bulldogs are 11th in AAAAAAA in scoring at 33.7 ppg on offense. When they score more than 24 points, they are 6-0. They are 0-4 when scoring 24 or less. ... Despite giving up 45 to Grayson last week, the Comets are still 11th in defense allowing just 17.9 ppg game. ... South Gwinnett is looking for its first playoff win since 2012. North Gwinnett is looking for its first playoff win since advancing to the Class AAAAAA title game in 2013.
CLASS AAAAAA
This classification has been dominated in the rankings by Region 1, with the likes of Valdosta, Northside-Warner Robins, Coffee, Lee County, and Houston County all having been ranked at one point and three of the teams -- Valdosta, Northside, and Houston County -- all holding the No. 1 spot at one point. Region 1 was so tough that Houston County, which features Georgia passing leader and Georgia-commit Jake Fromm, did not make the playoffs. ... Eight of the top 10 defenses made the playoffs, led by Tucker (9.7 ppg) which could face Gainesville in the second round if the Red Elephants advance. ... 12 of the top 13 offenses advanced, paced by Mays (407, 40.7 ppg) which is also in the Red Elephants quadrant. That could put the No. 1 defense (Tucker) vs. the No. 1 offense (Mays) on a collision course in the quarterfinals. ... An Allatoona win over Lanier and a Glynn Academy win over Jonesboro in the first round would also set up a rematch of last year’s Class AAAAA state title game. ... No. 1 Dalton and No. 2 Valdosta would meet in the semifinals if both advance that far.
ALLATOONA at LANIER
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Lanier Community Stadium, Sugar Hill
-- ALLATOONA (REGION 6, No. 3) (5-5): Lost 24-22 to No. 1 Dalton last week
-- LANIER (REGION 8, No. 2) (7-3): Defeated Gainesville 10-3 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... The Buccaneers are better than their record after playing a tough schedule. Two of their losses are to No. 1 teams (Cartersville and Dalton) and all five were to playoff teams. ... Expect a defensive battle, which could play to Lanier’s strength. The Longhorns are 10th in AAAAAA in points allowed (158, 15.8 ppg) and Allatoona is averaging 28 ppg but has not scored more than 22 against any of the top defensive teams it has faced. ... Lanier is averaging just 22.2 ppg while the Buccaneers are yielding 19.6 ppg. ... With a win Lanier could face the 2015 state runner-up and No. 4 Glynn Academy in the second round. If the Longhorns get through that, they could face a rematch with No. 7 Northside-Warner Robins, which handed them a 38-7 drubbing in Week 3, in the quarterfinals.
GAINESVILLE at HARRISON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Bruce Cobleigh Stadium, Kennesaw
-- RADIO: 1240 ESPN Radio
-- GAINESVILLE (REGION 8, No. 3) (5-5): Lost 10-3 to Lanier last week
-- HARRISON (REGION 6, N0. 2) (9-1): Defeated Creekview 42-13 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... It is the first non-winning regular season for Gainesville since 2001. But, three of the Red Elephants’ losses were by a combined 15 points. ... This will be a test for the best playoff streak in Gainesville history. Harrison’s only loss was to No. 1 Dalton, 31-14. The Red Elephants have advanced to the second round or better for eight straight seasons. ... This also could be a defensive battle. The Hoyas are 6th in defense yielding just 13.1 ppg and Gainesville is 13th allowing 16.5 ppg. ... The Gainesville offense should get a boost with the return of QB DJ Irons, who was suspended for the season finale. The Red Elephants had averaged 25.4 ppg the previous four games, their best stretch of the season. ... The Red Elephants also have a tough road with No. 3 Tucker and/or No. 6 Mays both possibly waiting in the next two rounds. ... Four of the top 9 ranked teams in the final poll are in Gainesville’s quadrant.
WINDER-BARROW at DALTON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Bill Chappell Stadium, Dalton
-- WINDER-BARROW (REGION 8, N0. 4) (5-5): Lost 43-13 to Dacula last week
-- DALTON (REGION 6, No. 1) (10-0): Defeated Allatoona 24-22 last week
-- NOTABLE: Dalton leads series 1-0-1. First meeting between the two teams since 1991, a 24-21 Dalton win in Dalton. The two teams tied 0-0 in 1990 in Winder. ... The Catamounts finished the season ranked No. 1 and have been one of the most consistent programs in the state for decades with just one losing season (2011) since 1955. They have won back-to-back region titles and 3 in the last four years. They also are the only unbeaten team left in Class AAAAAA. ... Until last week Dalton’s margin of victory for the season was a whopping 24.1 points. The 22 points was the most allowed in a game this season. ... It looks like a mismatch on paper with the Catamounts 9th in offense (34.6 ppg) and 5th in defense (12.7 ppg). Winder is averaging 23.9 ppg and is in the bottom third in defense yielding 24.9 ppg. ... The Bulldoggs are looking for their first playoff win since 1993.
CLASS AAAAA
Only one team -- Stockbridge -- finished the season unbeaten. Three of the top 4 ranked teams to end the season -- Buford, Carrollton, Grady -- are on the same side of the bracket. Buford and Carrollton could meet in the quarterfinals. ... This could be a classification that sees quite a few high scores. The top 15 offenses teams advanced and all are averaging 30 or more points. ... Buford is the top defensive team allowing 12.4 ppg. Loganville, the No. 2 seed from 8-AAAAA, has an interesting draw taking on Riverwood and could have a favorable possible matchup with Ware County in the second round. The Red Devils, who are 4th in defense (12.8 ppg) also could face the No. 2 offense in Rome (443, 44.3 ppg) in the quarterfinals.
NORTH SPRINGS at BUFORD
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Tom Riden Stadium, Buford
-- NORTH SPRINGS (REGION 6, No. 4) (6-4): Defeated Lithia Springs 49-0 last week
-- BUFORD (REGION 8, No. 1) (9-1): Defeated Flowery Branch 49-13 last week
-- NOTABLE: Series tied 2-2. The two teams have not met since 1983, a 14-12 North Springs win in Sandy Springs. ... It is an historic season for North Springs, which qualified for its first playoffs since 1998 and just the second time since 1981. ... The Spartans have been in playoff mode for nearly a month having to win their final two games to get into the playoffs. ... Offense is the key for the Spartans. In their 6 wins they have averaged 39.8 ppg. They have scored just 49 total points in their 4 losses. They will find the points tough to come by against the Wolves, who have allowed the fewest points in AAAAA (124, 12.4 ppg). ... The Buford offense is 3rd in scoring (412, 41.2 ppg) and North Springs is yielding 22.1 ppg on defense. ... Buford has not lost a first round game since 1997.
CLASS AAAA
There could be some monster quarterfinal and semifinal matchups if things hold to form. Cartersville and Woodward Academy (Nos. 1 and 3) and Jefferson and Cairo (Nos. 4 and 6) would all meet in the quarterfinals leaving two teams short of the semifinals. Thomson (No. 2) and Jefferson could face a rematch in the semifinals. ... It’s a fairly balanced bracket with 5 ranked teams on each half. No. 6 Cairo and No. 10 Marist could meet in the second round and No. 1 Cartersville and No. 9 Burke County also could meet in the second round.
CHESTATEE at CARTERSVILLE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Weinman Stadium, Cartersville
-- RADIO: 102.9 FM
-- CHESTATEE (REGION 7, No. 4) (4-6): Bye last week, lost 43-14 to Marist two weeks ago
-- CARTERSVILLE (REGION 5, No. 1) (10-0): Defeated Troup 68-0 last week
-- NOTABLE: Cartersville leads series 1-0. The Hurricanes won 49-14 in the first round of the 2006 playoffs. ... The War Eagles will get the first crack to try and knock off the nation’s top junior QB recruit in Trevor Lawrence (9th in passing, 2,432 yards) and the top-ranked Hurricanes, who also are the defending AAAA state champion. ... It won’t be easy. Cartersville is 2nd in AAAA in scoring (461, 46.1 ppg) and 2nd in defense (71, 7.1 ppg). Chestatee has shown the ability to score (23.8 ppg) but is the 4th-worst defense (345, 34.5 ppg) in AAAA and the only team in the bottom 13 in defense to make the playoffs. The War Eagles have won just one playoff game (Grady, 2013) in their history. ... Last week’s blowout win for Cartersville was the largest margin of victory in school history and a school-record 25th straight win. ... Lawrence isn’t the only top offensive player in the state in this one. Chestatee has three players among the state leaders. QB Storm Yarbrough has passed for 1,575 yards; RB Nick Lyles is 25th in rushing with 1,252 yards; and WR Baylee Camp is 16th in receiving with 871 yards.
HERITAGE-CATOOSA at STEPHENS COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: The Reservation, Toccoa
-- HERITAGE-CATOOSA (REGION 6 NO. 3) (7-3): Defeated Pickens 48-35 last week
-- STEPHENS COUNTY (REGION 8, No. 2) (8-2): Defeated North Oconee 35-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... Experience could be a key factor for the Indians. Stephens is making its 20th appearance in the last 21 years while Heritage-Catoosa is making its first-ever playoff appearance. ... Heritage also is one win from a school-record 8 wins. The Generals won 7 in 2011 but did not make the playoffs. ... The key matchup will be the Generals offense, which is 7th in the state averaging 37.1 ppg vs. the Indians defense, which is 11th allowing just 14.2 ppg. ... The Indians offense is led by dual-threat QB Jackson Bell, who has 871 yards passing and 364 yards rushing.
PICKENS at JEFFERSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Jefferson
-- PICKENS (REGION 6, No. 4) (5-5): Lost 48-35 to Heritage-Catoosa last week
-- JEFFERSON (REGION 8, No. 1) (9-1): Defeated Oconee County 31-7 last week
-- NOTABLE: Series is tied 2-2. The two teams have not met since 1989, a 17-6 Pickens win in Jasper. ... Jefferson is making its sixth straight playoff appearance and ninth in the last 10 seasons. It is the third straight trip to playoffs for Pickens, who has yet to win a playoff game in program history (0-8). ... Jefferson should be a heavy favorite, especially at home. Jefferson is 8th in AAAA in scoring (33 ppg) while Pickens is in the bottom 16 in defense allowing 24.7 ppg on the season. Pickens is 11th in scoring (31.1 ppg) but Jefferson is 6th in defense yielding just 11.9 ppg. ... The key will the three-headed ground attack monster of Colby Wood, Colby Clark, and Zack Boobas for Jefferson. The trio has 2,196 yards and 34 touchdowns rushing combined. Pickens has 38 TDs as a team in 2016. ... Pickens did hold North Hall’s wing-T to just 268 yards rushing in a close loss earlier in the season. ... Jefferson is looking for its fifth-straight first round win in the playoffs.
CLASS AAA
Crisp County is the only unbeaten team left in AAA and could face either No. 8 Lovett or No. 10 Dawson County in the second round. ... This may be the most offensive of all the classifications. The top 13 offensive teams all advanced and the top 11 are averaging over 35 points a game. Region 7-AAA figures to play a role with three of the top 11 offenses in Union County, Greater Atlanta Christian, and Dawson County advancing. ... Lovett at Dawson County is the only first round meeting between ranked teams. Add in Crisp County, and three ranked teams are in 1/8th of the bracket and two will be out by the second round. ... An interesting possible quarterfinal could have No. 1 GAC taking on No. 5 Liberty County. Those two teams have combined to score 802 points during the regular season. ... Savannah is the only AAA team to give up less than 100 points (80, 8.0 ppg) and could face No. 3 Westminster (37.0 ppg) in the second round. ... Only Dougherty County (301) has allowed more points than Union County (292) of the playoff teams left.
JACKSON COUNTY at NORTH MURRAY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Chatsworth
-- JACKSON COUNTY (REGION 8, No. 3) (3-7): Lost 33-14 to Morgan County last week
-- NORTH MURRAY (REGION 6, No. 2) (7-3): Defeated Adairsville 28-21 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... It's the first trip back to the playoffs for the Panthers since 2013 and they are still looking for their first-ever playoff win. It is the first-ever playoff game for the Mountaineers, who began region play in 2010. ... The Mountaineers will be a tough challenge. They are 8th in scoring (37.2 ppg) while the Panthers have allowed 27.3 ppg on defense. ... Jackson County has lost two straight and North Murray closed the season with three straight victories.
LOVETT at DAWSON COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Dawsonville
-- RADIO: northgeorgiasportslink.com
-- LOVETT (REGION 5, No. 3) (7-3): Defeated McNair 35-13 last week
-- DAWSON COUNTY (REGION 7, No. 2) (7-2): Lost 42-7 to No. 1 GAC last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... It is the only first round matchup of ranked teams in the final AAA poll. ... The Tigers had their worst offensive game last week since last year’s playoff loss to Blessed Trinity. But, they are still averaging 39.1 ppg behind QB Coey Watson. They will need to get back to their early ways but the Lions are 8th in defense allowing just 15.8 ppg. However, against other spread attacks, including GAC, the Lions have allowed 59 points (29.5 ppg) in two losses. ... Dawson County is looking for their second straight trip to the Sweet 16. Lovett is looking for its 11th Sweet 16 appearance in 12 seasons. ... The Tigers defense could be the key. Dawson is giving up just 17.8 ppg while the Lovett offense (29.3 ppg) is 20th in scoring in AAA. ... The winner could get Crisp County, which is the only unbeaten team left in AAA. ... Dawson County is 8-2 in its last 10 home games. Lovett is 3-4 in its last 7 road games, including playoffs.
NORTH HALL at WESTMINSTER
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Alfred E. Thompson Stadium, Atlanta
-- NORTH HALL (REGION 7, No. 4) (6-4): Bye last week, defeated East Hall 68-42 two weeks ago
-- WESTMINSTER (REGION 5, No. 1) (8-2): Defeated Stone Mountain 43-12 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... Look for both teams to try and control the game with their ground attacks and two of the state’s best running backs. North Hall is averaging just under 300 yards a game on the ground, paced by Kyle Bacus, who is 4th in the state in rushing with 1,554 yards and 14 TDs. ... The Wildcats will counter with Zay Malcome, who is 12th in the state in rushing with for 1,357 yards and 17 touchdowns on 159 carries (8.5 yards per carry). He has 16 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown. He has returned two kickoffs and one interception for touchdowns. ... The North Hall defense will have to find a way to slow down the Wildcats. Westminster has won eight straight and is averaging 42.1 ppg in that span. The Trojans are allowing 27.3 ppg on the season but have yielded 36.8 ppg over their last five games (2-3).
UNION COUNTY at CEDAR GROVE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Panthersville, Ellenwood
-- UNION COUNTY (REGION 7, No. 3) (8-2): Defeated Lumpkin County 35-13 last week
-- CEDAR GROVE (REGION 5, No. 2) (8-2): Defeated Redan 47-7 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... Union County is still looking for its first-ever playoff win. ... It may go down to who has the ball last in this one. Union County is 2nd in AAA averaging 40.6 ppg while the Saints are 6th in scoring at 38.6 ppg. ... The Panthers defense will be the key. They have allowed the 2nd most points of any team left (292, 29.2 ppg) while the Saints defense has allowed just 114 points (11.4 ppg) on the season. ... The Panthers will earn their way through the playoffs. The Saints finished 6th in the final poll and the winner will probably get No. 9 Jenkins County. If Union can get through that, they could see No. 7 Calhoun, the 2014 AAA state champion, in the quarterfinals.
CLASS AA
Banks County became the first team to advance to the 2nd round in the playoffs after getting a forfeit win over KIPP on Wednesday. The Leopards now will await the winner of No. 1 Benedictine-Glenn Hills. ... Region 8-AA champ Rabun County is one of three unbeaten teams (Benedictine and Callaway) in the AA playoffs. ... This also is a lopsided bracket with 6 of the final top 10 teams on one side, including four in one quadrant with Rabun County. ... Rabun County (430, 47.7 ppg) comes into the playoffs with the highest scoring offense in AA and the stingiest defense (61, 6.7 ppg). Fitzgerald scored 439 points (43.9 ppg) but played one more game. ... An interesting possible quarterfinal matchup could have No. 1 Benedictine and No. 6 Pepperell. Both teams are tied for 2nd best defense allowing just 81 points (8.1 ppg). ... Rabun County and Fitzgerald could meet in the quarterfinals in a battle of the top two offenses. ... There is one first round matchup of ranked teams when Fitzgerald plays host to Dublin. ... Banks County and B.E.S.T. both have allowed the most points of any teams left (262, 26.2 ppg).
B.E.S.T at RABUN COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Frank Snyder Stadium, Tiger
-- B.E.S.T (REGION 6, No. 4) (2-8): Bye last week, lost 28-27 to South Atlanta two weeks ago
-- RABUN COUNTY (REGION 8, NO. 1) (9-0): Defeated Monticello 55-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... This could be over by halftime. The Wildcats are the highest scoring team in AA (47.7 ppg) and the Eagles have allowed the most points of any team left in the AA playoffs. ... B.E.S.T. is making its second trip to the playoffs in its five seasons. The Eagles are still looking for their first playoff win. ... Rabun County is looking for its third straight trip to the second round. The Wildcats have a chance to set a school-record in consecutive wins if they can advance to the semifinals. The won 11 straight in 2015.
