If you’re having trouble still trying to figure out just which region your favorite high school team will be playing in over the next two years, you’re not alone.
The latest round of reclassification by the Georgia High School Association shook things up around the state more than a protein shake in a blender in the morning.
The GHSA implemented a 3.0 multiplier that applied to every member school in the state, which prompted more movement up, down, and sideways than in just about any other time in its 114-year history. It also initiated an exodus among many of its Class A Private schools to GISA, now known as the GIAA.
The sports staff at AccessWDUN and Friday Game Night, for the first time, reached out to other area and state media to see just who we, and they, think will win region titles in 2022.
Each day until opening night AccessWDUN and Friday Game Night will look at one of the seven GHSA regions in the Northeast Georgia area and share our thoughts on how we think things will shake out. We will work from the largest classification (7A) down to the smallest (Class A).
Voting was comprised by members of AccessWDUN, Athens Banner Herald, Blitz Sports Georgia, Forsyth County News, Friday Game Night, Jackson County Herald, North Georgia Sportslink, Potluck Football, WCON-FM, White County News, and WRWH AM/FM.
The teams with the lowest aggregate vote total were predicted to win region titles.
After reclassification and the defection of dozens of the smaller private schools that made the old Class A Private, the GHSA decided to split its smallest classification into two divisions, one for the larger Class A programs and one for the smaller programs.
Region 8-A was split into two with a Division 1 and a Division 2 region. We will look at each separately in our final prediction story before tonight’s season-openers.
REGION: 8-A (Division 1)
TEAMS: Athens Christian, Commerce, Elbert County, Rabun County
The reclassification and splitting of Class A made this an instant powerhouse region. All four teams will make the playoffs.
Rabun County made the quarterfinals or better seven straight seasons in Class 2A. Commerce had a string of seven straight seasons making the second round or better ended last season. Elbert County is building itself back to the level of three quarterfinal appearances from 2011-15. Athens Christian is coming off its best season since 2016 and garnered its first GHSA playoff win in 2021.
However, it was an easy call for the AccessWDUN and Friday Game Night voters. Rabun received 14 of 15 first place votes. The tough part was second place, where Commerce got one more second place vote to edge out Elbert County. The Eagles were picked fourth.
Rabun County will open region play on the road in The Granite Bowl on Oct. 14 but the key game should be the season-finale at home against Commerce on Oct. 28 with the winner expected to claim the title. The Tigers and Blue Devils will tangle at Tiger Stadium the week before.
REGION: 8-A (Division 2)
TEAMS: Aquinas, Greene County, Lake Oconee Academy, Lincoln County, Towns County, Warren County, Washington-Wilkes
This newly-formed region is another juggernaut. Warren County has advanced to the quarterfinals the past three seasons. Washington-Wilkes won the old 8-A title last year and won 18 games in the region over the past two seasons. Lincoln County finished second and both teams advanced to the second round in 2021.
Aquinas, formally in Class A Private, has made the playoffs 11 consecutive season, including winning the Class A title in 2013, but has not made it out of the first round since 2018.
The only Northeast Georgia-area team in this region, Towns County, which is still looking for its first playoff berth since 2017, could be a darkhorse. The Indians have their biggest roster in history and enough talent and developing depth on both sides of the ball to pull some upsets.
However, the Indians were picked last by the pollvoters. Indians coach Jason Roquemore is anxious to get started and see if they can prove everyone wrong.
“Last year, I think we showed that we can play,” he said. “We were in every game last year, even the ones where we lost until we had a few bad possessions that turned things around. I expect us to be in every game this year. We just need to learn how to win the close games. That’s the next step.”
This was one of the closest votes of the seven regions with Washington-Wilkes edging out Lincoln County for the title. Aquinas was picked third and Greene County fourth. Warren County, which may be in a rebuilding mode, landed fifth.
Washington-Wilkes will play host to Lincoln on Oct. 7, one week after the Tigers travel to Warren County. The Tigers also face back-to-back road games at Aquinas and Towns County.
Lincoln County opens its region schedule at home against Aquinas on Sept. 30 and will travel to Warren County on Oct. 28.
Towns County gets Greene County, Washington-Wilkes, and Warren County at home but also closes out the season on the road in Lincolnton.
