Playoff previews: Pressure heats up for area teams in four titanic quarterfinal battles

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

Posted 6:34PM on Friday 28th November 2014 ( 9 years ago )

If things are starting to look a little like 2012, don't be alarmed. Jefferson, Buford, and Gainesville, which each won state titles in 2012, are still alive in their respective playoffs and face solid chances of advancing to the semifinals next week. And don't discount Commerce, which earned its first playoff win since 2009 last week and is looking for its first semifinal appearance since winning the Class A title in 2000. But while all four teams are riding high, they each face tough tests. Buford and Marist will battle in a clash of titans at Tom Riden Stadium; Jefferson will try deny Blessed Trinity its best-ever playoff run at Memorial Stadium; Gainesville continues its road trip taking on Class AAAAA's biggest surprise in undefeated Allatoona in Acworth; and Commerce will play host to Calhoun County in a game the Tigers are favored to win and at Ray Lamb Stadium, where they are undefeated this season. 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> HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR Nov. 28 CLASS AAAAA What we do know is that five of the top seven offensive teams in AAAAA are still alive so you better bring some offense with you in the quarterfinals. Perhaps the biggest matchup in the classification is Gainesville traveling to Allatoona. The Red Elephants are fourth and the Buccaneers are fifth in offense in AAAAA so one of the top teams will be gone after Friday. ... Three No 3 seeds are still alive, led by surprise Glynn Academy out of Brunswick and Region 3. The Red Terrors are making their first-ever quarterfinals appearance despite allowing more points (308) than any team left in the field. ... Stockbridge, the Region 4 champ, has given up just 13 points in two playoff wins so far, by far the fewest in the field, but will face the top offensive team in AAAAA, Houston County, on Friday. ... Region 2 still has three teams left -- Houston County, Jones County, and Northside-Warner Robins. GAINESVILLE at ALLATOONA -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Buccaneers Stadium, Acworth -- RADIO: 1240 AM -- GAINESVILLE (10-2): No. 2 seed from Region 8-AAAAAA, beat Harris County 49-40 last week in 2nd round -- ALLATOONA (12-0): No. 1 seed from Region 5-AAAAA, beat Coffee County 45-14 last week in 2nd round -- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... Experience looks to be on Gainesville's side. The Red Elephants are looking for their fifth trip to the semifinals in six years. The Buccaneers have never advanced past the quarterfinals. ... This has all the makings of a shootout right from the opening kickoff. Of the eight teams left in AAAAA, only Houston County (530) is scoring at a greater pace than the Red Elephants (498) and Buccaneers (497). But, take out Gainesville's season-opening shutout loss to Grayson and the Red Elephants are averaging 45.2 ppg, a higher clip than Houston County (44.1) over the same time-frame, which would make them the highest-scoring team in AAAAA over the past 11 games. The Buccaneers have allowed just 16 ppg on defense to the Red Elephants' 22 ppg on defense. ... The key for Gainesville may well rest with how its trio of WRs -- Rodney Lackey, Chris Williamson and Messiah Dorsey -- does vs. the Buccaneers secondary. The three have a combined 166 catches for 2,482 yards and 34 TDs on the season. Of course, QB Mikey Gonzalez will have to have a solid game as well. ... A win for the Red Elephants would be their second-highest in school history with only the 2012 title team (14-1) winning more games. A win for Allatoona would give the Buccaneers a new school record for wins in a season. They won 12 in 2011. ... It will be the fifth straight home game for the Buccaneers, who are 8-0 at home this season. The Red Elephants are no slouch on the road, however. They are 9-3 in their last 12 road games with all three losses coming to playoff teams over the past two seasons. ... The winner will play the Northside, Warner Robins-Glynn Academy winner next week in the semifinals. CLASS AAAA Five of the No. 1 seeds are still alive. ... According to Georgia High School Football daily, Buford (87) and Marist (84) have won more playoff games than any other teams remaining in the state playoffs. They trail only Valdosta and Lincoln County all-time. Both have made the semifinals 18 times, so their matchup Friday in Buford would break the tie. ... Cartersville has yielded just one field goal in its first two playoff wins. Sandy Creek is averaging 26 ppg on the season in a huge matchup of perennial semifinalists. ... If Buford and Cartersville both advance it would set up a semifinal battle of the top two offenses and the top defenses in AAAA. MARIST at BUFORD -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Tom Riden Stadium, Buford -- RADIO: 550 AM -- MARIST (11-1): No. 2 seed from Region 6-AAAA, Beat Griffin 31-21 last week in the 2nd round -- BUFORD (12-0): No. 1 seed from Region 8-AAAA, beat Mary Persons 35-14 last week in 2nd round -- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... Buford's current 37-game win streak is tied for the sixth-longest in GHSA history. ... Buford still leads AAAA in both scoring (559 points, 46.5 ppg) and defense (66 points, 5.5 ppg) while Marist is 3rd in defense (108 points, 9.0 ppg) and 4th in offense (429 points, 35.7 ppg). ... The War Eagles gashed Griffin for 268 yards rushing behind Ian Gipson (931 yards), QB Sam Phelts (703) and Griffin King (515). Marist also has two all-state caliber linemen, DE Kenneth Brinson (offer from Georgia Tech) and OT Sage Harden (committed to Georgia). ... Buford will counter with Xavier Gantt, Evyn Cooper, and David Curry. ... Marist is looking for its third straight semifinal appearance. Buford is going for its eighth consecutive semifinal appearance over three different classifications. ... The 14 points allowed last week by Buford was more than their last five games combined. The Wolves have allowed 20 points or more just once while the War Eagles have allowed 2o or points just once as well. ... The winner will play the Sandy Creek-Cartersville winner in the semifinals. CLASS AAA Region 8-AAA has proven its mettle so far with three teams -- Jefferson, Hart County, Elbert County -- advancing to the quarterfinals. ... This is also a classification where you need to bring some offense to the party. Seven of the eight teams left are in the top nine in scoring. However, Jefferson (2nd), Calhoun (3rd), and Blessed Trinity (5th) all are in the top five in defense. ... Only four No. 1 seeds are left and two No. 3s, Westminster and Elbert County, are still alive in the field. The Blue Devils face a huge task, however, traveling to Calhoun, which is No. 2 in offense and No. 3 in defense in AAA. ... The semifinals could see two titanic battles if Jefferson and Washington County win on one side of the bracket and Calhoun and Hart County advance on the other side. BLESSED TRINITY at JEFFERSON -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Jefferson -- RADIO: 102,9 FM -- BLESSED TRINITY (12-0): No. 1 seed from Region 4-AAA, beat Adairsville 42-8 last week in 2nd round -- JEFFERSON (12-0): No. 1 seed from Region 8-AAA, beat Dodge County 27-7 last week in 2nd round -- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... This is the only matchup in the quarterfinals in AAA that pits a pair of undefeated teams. ... Both teams come in among the most potent offensively in AAA. The Dragons average 40.3 ppg while the Titans average 38.8 ppg. But the key may be the defenses. The Titans held Adairsville, which came averaging 44.6 ppg, 2nd in AAA, to just one touchdown last week while the Dragons have allowed just 14 points in two playoff games. ... Blessed Trinity's 12 wins already are the most in school history. They also are seeking their first trip ever to the semifinals. ... Jefferson is making its third straight trip to the quarterfinals. ... Blessed Trinity QB Conor Davis has passed for 1,585 yards, and RB Milton Shelton has rushed for 1,112. ... Jefferson's Evan Shirreffs passed for 220 yards and Sammy Williams ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns last week. ... The winner will plays the Pierce County-Washington County winner in the semifinals. CLASS A It's hard to tell how things will go in this classification. Only three of the top 10 offenses -- Marion County, Irwin County, and Commerce -- are still alive in the quarterfinals while five of the top nine defensive teams are left. However, only one team that scored fewer than 19 points advanced in the first round. ... Commerce has a solid chance to reach its first title game winning it all in 2000 taking on the 14th-seeded Calhoun County and possibly the 10th seed in Dooly County if the Bobcats get by No. 2 seed Irwin County. ... Marion County is the only undefeated left in the Public playoffs but three one-loss teams and one one-loss team, Commerce, make this a very competitive finish. ... Six of the eight games in the first round were won by the higher seed. CALHOUN COUNTY at COMMERCE -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Ray Lamb Stadium, Commerce -- CALHOUN COUNTY (8-3): The 14th seed, beat No. 3 seed Mitchell County 13-12 last week in the first round -- COMMERCE (9-2): The No. 6 seed, beat Clinch County 37-7 last week in the first round -- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... The Tigers appear the clear favorite with an offense that has scored 120 more points and a defense that has given up 50 points less than the Cougars, who earned their first-ever playoff win last week in the biggest upset in Class A. ... The Cougars are 5-1 on the road and are 3-0 in games decided by five-points or less. The Tigers are 6-0 at home this season. ... Commerce will need another big game from its rushing attack. Will Thomas had 162 yards and 4 TDs last week. The rest of the group of Cole Chancey, Caleb Brooks, and Grant Mayberry should offer plenty of challenges for the Cougars. ... The winner will play the Irwin County-Dooly County winner next week in the semifinals.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/11/282339