GHSA playoff scenario glance: Hancock Central out of the playoff picture for reported ineligible player; plenty still up in the air
The battle for championships, seeding, and just a playoff spot will go down to the final regular-season week in pretty much every region involving Central Georgia teams.
Hancock Central has forfeited several games for using an ineligible player, going from a bubble team with still a chance at the postseason to a team at the bottom of its sub-region in Region 7-A.
Now, Hancock Central will play King’s Ridge of Region 6. Both regions have odd-numbered sub regions, and an agreement for the last-place teams to play.
Sources report Hancock Central used an ineligible player who had previously been enrolled at Baldwin and Washington County. Transfer and roster forms from Hancock Central and Washington County reportedly differed.
Some teams in the region were unaware of the situation until they got an email Saturday from region secretary Jeanie Smith of Lincoln County with the crossover pairings for this week.
This week’s schedule
Class 6A
Houston County (4-5/0-3) at Northside (3-6/0-3)
Class 5A
Warner Robins (8-1/3-0) at Veterans (8-1/3-0)
Jones County (9-0/6-0) at Stockbridge (7-2/4-2)
Class 4A
Mary Persons (4-5/2-2) at Howard (5-4/1-3), Thursday, Ed Defore
Upson-Lee (3-6/1-3) at Spalding (1-8/0-4)
Perry (6-3/4-0) at West Laurens (8-1/4-0)
Cross Creek (2-7/0-3) at Baldwin (3-6/2-1)
Class 3A
Peach County (8-1/5-0) at Westside (6-3/4-1), Ed DeFore
Rutland (2-7/1-0) at Jackson (6-3/4-1)
Class AA
Washington County (6-3/3-2) at Dublin (9-0/5-0)
Bleckley County (7-2/4-1) at Southwest (3-6/1-4), Henderson
East Laurens (1-8/0-5) at Northeast (4-5/2-3), Thompson
Temple (5-4/2-3) at Lamar County (6-3/2-3)
Social Circle (2-7/0-6) at Monticello (2-7/2-4)
Oglrethorpe County at Putnam County (4-5/3-3)
Class A
Central Talbotton (1-8/0-5) at Crawford County (2-7/1-4)
Manchester (7-2/4-1) at Dooly County (4-5/3-2)
Greenville (3-6/1-4) at Hawkinsville (2-7/1-4)
Marion County (7-2/4-1) at Macon County (6-3/4-1)
Taylor County (4-5/2-3) at Pacelli (5-4/2-3)
Aquinas (8-1/5-1) at Mount de Sales (9-0/5-0)
Lincoln County (7-2/5-1) at Tattnall (5-4/3-2)
Washington Wilkes (5-4/4-2) at Stratford (4-5/3-2)
Warren County (6-3/4-2) at FPD (4-5/3-2)
Greene County (2-7/2-4) at Wilkinson County (1-8/1-4)
GMC (3-6/1-5) at Twiggs County (0-9/0-5)
GISA
Bethlehem Christian (1-8) at Trinity Christian (2-7)
John Milledge (9-0/1-0) at Augusta Prep (0-9/0-1)
Pinewood Christian (7-1/4-0) at Westfield (3-7/1-2)
Gatewood (7-2/1-0) at Piedmont (3-5/1-0)
Thomas Jefferson at Brentwood (8-2/4-0)
GAPPS Playoffs
AAA
King's Academy at CFCA
AA
Fullington at Georgia Christian
John Hancock at Griffin Christian
A text seeking confirmation and any information was sent around 12:30 p.m. Sunday to Hancock Central head coach Marleau Blount, who only confirmed the game against King’s Ridge in a reply.
What doesn’t change is that the four Macon teams in the sub-region are all at home Friday for the crossovers:
Mount de Sales hosts Aquinas for the outright Region 7 championship. Tattnall welcomes Lincoln County, Stratford entertains Washington-Wilkes, and Warren County is at FPD.
Greene County travels to Wilkinson County and GMC to Twiggs County.
The top 24 teams in both groups make the playoffs, with the top eight getting a first-round bye and teams 9 through 16 at home for the first round.
As for the power rankings updated Sunday morning (which can change before Monday’s general release, and don’t include an update of the Hancock Central situation:
No. 13 Mount de Sales, No. 21 Stratford, No. 24 Tattnall (tied with Walker), and No. 27 FPD in the private rankings. .No. 16 Macon County (tied with McIntosh County Academy), No. 23 Dooly County, No. 26 Taylor County, and No. 29 Hancock Central.
Macon County can slip into home-game range with a win Friday over No. 6 Marion County in crossover play. Dooly County can solidify its status with an upset over No. 9 Manchester, and Taylor County needs a win over No. 23 (private) Pacelli and a little help to slide in.
Check back for updates and adjustments, as well as tiebreaker clarifications for regions.
Region 1-6A
Lee County is the top seed, clinches title with a win at Coffee.
Valdosta is 3-1 and done, Coffee is 2-1 and faces Lee County. Valdosta wins a tiebreaker with Coffee.
Northside and Houston County play for the final spot.
Region 1-5A
Warner Robins and Veterans play for the outright championship.
Bainbridge is 1-2, Harris County 1-3, and Thomas County Central 0-3. Harris County’s regular season is done. Bainbridge plays Thomas County Central, and there could be a three-way tie for third/fourth.
Region 4-5A
Jones County is the top seed, can earn the outright championship with a win over Stockbridge or a Dutchtown loss to Locust Grove.
Dutchtown is 5-1, Stockbridge 4-2, Ola and Union Grove 3-3.
Region 2-4A
Perry visits West Laurens for the outright region championship.
Mary Persons is 2-2, Howard and Upson-Lee are 1-3, and Spalding is 0-4. Howard hosts Mary Persons on Thursday, and Upson-Lee is at Spalding. A Howard and Upson-Lee win puts those two in a tie with Mary Persons, three teams for two spots. If Spalding and Mary Persons win, then Howard, Upson-Lee, and Spalding are tied for the fourth spot.
This region will be updated over the weekend with tiebreaker scenarios.
Region 3-4A
Burke County is 3-1, and Thomson, and Baldwin are tied at 2-1, and all three have qualified for the playoffs.
Burke County beating Thomson on Friday, and Richmond Academy eliminated Cross Creek. So Burke County, Thomson, Baldwin and Richmond Academy are in.
Baldwin hosts Cross Creek (2-7/0-3) and Thomson welcomes Richmond Academy (4-4/1-2) next week, which is a for-seeding night. Baldwin wins tiebreakers with Burke County and Richmond Academy.
Region 4-3A
The four playoff teams are Peach County, Jackson, Westside, and Central, in that order.
Peach County wins the title outright with a win over Westside, which would force a three-way tie at 5-1 with the upset.
Central is fourth, thanks to Thursday’s win over Rutland.
Region 3-AA
Dublin is the top seed and clinches the title outright with a win over Washington County, and Bleckley County is locked in at No. 2.
After that?
Northeast’s upset of Washington County all but guarantees a three-way tie for the final two spots, barring the Golden Hawks knocking off Dublin and Northeast falling to East Laurens.
Dodge County’s regular season is done, so if form and conventional wisdom holds true and Northeast wins and Washington County loses, there’s a three-way tie for third.
Northeast beat Washington County, which beat Dodge County, which beat Northeast. As per this region’s rules, that means a mini-playoff, like what took place in 2017 at West Laurens with Southwest, Washington County, and Bleckley County, with the Royals being the odd team out.
Region 5-AA
Callaway is the region champ, and is done with the regular season.
Bremen and Heard County are tied for second at 4-1, and they play Friday to settle that score.
And that’s the case with Lamar County and Temple, tied at 2-3. That final playoff spot will be decided in Barnesville.
Region 8-AA
Rabun County and Union County are tied at 6-0, and they’ll decide it on the field Friday.
Elbert County (4-2) clinched third with its rout of Putnam County, which is 3-3 and a game ahead of Monticello and Banks County by a game.
Depending on Friday’s action, there could be a three-way tie with Putnam County, Monticello, and Banks County.
But Putnam County has beaten both Monticello and Banks County, so regardless of what happens Friday that would lead to a three-way tie, the Bulldogs are in at No. 4.