The GHSA semifinals are upon us, and in some cases, there are surprises.

          And sometimes not.

          From Class 2A-7A, there are only three No. 2 seeds and one No. 3 seed in the semifinals. Speaking for third seeds throughout the state is non-third-seed-like Colquitt County, which advanced 12-7 over nationally-ranked Archer on four field goals.

          In Class A private, three of the top five are left, while in Class A publics, it’s Nos. 2, 3, 5, and 8.

          Not all semifinals are destined to be as close as semifinals are expected to be.

          In last year’s 14 semifinals, only five were decided by 14 points or less. In this year’s quarterfinals, three Central Georgia games were routs, three were one-possession losses.

          And some quarterfinal margins were massive: ELCA by 55,  Rome by 49, Greater Atlanta Christian by 37.

          The three semifinals involving Central Georgia teams? On paper, very close.

          Blessed Trinity has scored seven more points than Mary Persons and given up eight fewer points.

          Greater Atlanta Christian has four more points than Peach County, which has allowed 14 fewer points.

          The bigger gaps are in Class 5A, and yet they balance out a bit. Warner Robins has outscored Carver-Atlanta by 54 points, but Carver has given up 69 fewer points, a difference of 15.

          And there is a version of the “six degrees of separation” game with the three Central Georgia semifinalists and their opponents. Or connections/familiarity.

          Peach County has played both Warner Robins and Mary Persons this season, losing on a buzzer-beating field goal to Warner Robins and easing away in the second half to top Mary Persons.

          Mary Persons and Warner Robins, on the other hand, have played only once, in 1955. That was four years before Dan Pitts took over and put a stamp on Mary Persons’ program, and 18 years before Robert Davis took over at Warner Robins and did the same.

          Peach County and Greater Atlanta Christian both played Westminster and rolled, the Trojans 45-15 last week and the Spartans 41-7 in late August. Blessed Trinity, Mary Persons’ opponent, opened the season with a 28-0 win over Westminster.

          Among Blessed Trinity’s wins this year was 31-7 over Hart County, led by former Mary Persons head coach Rance Gillespie.

          Then there are the differences.

          Peach County head coach Chad Campbell has led the Trojans for 10-plus years and Brian Nelson is in his sixth year at Mary Persons, while Mike Chastain – who was once an assistant at Peach County – is in his second year at Warner Robins.

          Of the three head coaches, Chastain had the worst first season by far – 3-8 last year, to 10-3 for Nelson and 8-3 for Campbell – and is having the best second season at 13-0, topping Campbell’s 8-3 and Nelson’s 10-2.

          Two of the three head coaches are area alums, Chastain from Northside and Campbell from Hawkinsville.

          Peach County has won three state titles and Warner Robins one since Mary Persons was last in a championship game, which was back in 1993 when the Bulldogs lost 24-21 to Greene County in the finale. That was 13 years after Mary Persons beat Duluth 34-6 for the Class AA state championship.

          Mary Persons’ next win, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association website, will be its 600th, the most of the three remaining area teams.

          The Bulldogs are 599-256-9 in their 81st season, while the Demons are 506-225-11 65 seasons and the Trojans 388-170-6 in 48.