The three northeast Georgia area teams still remaining in the 2018 Georgia High School Association football playoffs, which is now in the quarterfinal round -- Buford, Rabun County, and Commerce -- all are ready to continue a recent trend. And few should be surprised, at least based on the last half-dozen years.
Buford (Class 5A), Rabun County (2A), and Commerce (Class A Public) all are in action Friday in the respective Elite 8 rounds looking to continue their current playoff runs in what is perhaps the best seven-year run ever for area teams as a whole.
Buford takes on Bainbridge at Tom Riden Stadium, Rabun County plays host to Fitzgerald at Frank Snyder Stadium, and Commerce travels to Irwin County.
The current seven-year run for area teams began with the magical season of 2012 which saw Gainesville (5A), Buford and North Hall in Class 3A, and Jefferson (2A) all reach the semifinals with the Red Elephants, Wolves, and Dragons all bringing home titles, the most hardware collected in one season by area teams in the history of the sport. In the years following, at least two teams each season have advanced to the semifinals.
Three teams in 2017 advanced to the semifinals in our coverage area: North Gwinnett in Class 7A, Buford in Class 5A, and Rabun County in Class 2A. Two reached the finals in North Gwinnett and Rabun County with the Bulldogs winning the title in an instant classic over Colquitt County.
In 2016 Mill Creek (7A), Buford (5A), Jefferson (4A), all made the semifinals with only Buford making it to the finals.
In 2015, Mill Creek (6A), Buford (4A), Commerce (Class A Public) made it to the semifinals with only Buford, again, reaching the championship game.
In 2014, only Buford (4A) and Commerce (Class A Public) made the semifinals with the Wolves beating St. Pius in the finals.
In 2013, North Gwinnett (6A) advanced to the semifinals before falling to region rival Norcross in the finals. Gainesville (5A) in Deshaun Watson’s final season advanced to the semifinals. Buford (3A) advanced to the semifinals on the way to another title with a win over Washington County in the finals.
In all, 18 teams advanced to the semifinals, 10 reached the finals, and six total titles by four different teams were collected over the past six seasons. Does the current run of at least two teams into the semifinals bode well for the power trio of area teams still left on Friday?
(Click here for a breakdown of the three games involving area teams.)
Buford and Rabun County are favored at home while the Tigers face a daunting task against the No. 1 seed after a 240-mile-plus trek to south Georgia. Odds are area teams can keep the streak alive.
We’ll find out soon enough.
