Class 6A

No. 9 Houston County, 9-2, R1/3, at No. 11 Woodward Academy, 9-2, R3/1
The Bears (2-2 vs. ranked teams) lacked a knockout punch last week after charging out to a 21-3 lead and had to hold on down the stretch. It’ll be harder to do that this week against a team that’s 18-1 at home the past three seasons. QB Antwann Hill leads 6A with 2521 yards, plus a sizzling 30-4 TD/INT ratio. Ricky Johnson leads a quality receiving group with 1,097 yards and 15 scores. Woodward (1-0 vs. ranked teams) is on a defensive roll, allowing only 47 points since mid-September, against a decent schedule, but only lists eight sacks and 10 interceptions on MaxPreps. The War Eagles’ current playoff streak started in 2008, and they have three quarterfinal and three semifinal trips in that span. They’re going for their ninth double-digit win season since then.

Class 5A

No. 6 Ware County, 8-3, R1/2, at No. 8 Warner Robins, 8-3, R2/1
Ware County knows its way to The Mac, having played there against either Northside or Warner Robins in 2015, 2016, and 2018, going 1-3. And these two played in the 2022 championship, a 38-13 Gators win. Ware County head coach Jason Strickland – formerly of Lamar County – is 149-5-1, a 74.8-percent mark. They’ll have to deal with what’s turned out to a normal Warner Robins team of the last several years. Versatile receiver Isiah Canion has 1,057 receiving yards and Judd Anderson passing for 2,454 yards (as per Georgia HS Football Daily; Warner Robins doesn’t post stats). The Demons have won six straight second-round games, including 35-0 over Ware County in 2018.

Teams/schools: Please send postgame information to The Sports Report with names and some details

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Teams/schools: Please send postgame information to The Sports Report with names and some details 〰️

Jones County, 8-3, R2/2, at No. 1 Coffee, 11-0, R1/1, 7 p.m.
Coffee’s stout defense faces 5A’s No. 2 QB in yardage, Devin Edmonds (156-240-8/32, 236.5) as well as the No. 2 receiver in yards, Tyler Stewart (50-1,154/21) and a major multiple threat in Zion Ragins (618 receiving yards, 402 rushing yards). Coffee has given up 54 points, half of those coming in the first two games of the year. The Trojans (2-0 vs. ranked teams) have an 1,100-yard QB in Maurice Hansley and 1,700-yard rusher in Fred Brown. The Greyhounds have one win over a No. 1 team, 45-37 over Northside in 2014.

Class 4A

No. 5T Perry, 9-2, R2/2, at No. 2T Bainbridge, 9-2, 1/1
Bainbridge (5-2 vs. ranked teams) offers a balanced offense, with 205.2 rushing yards and 162.9 passing yards a game, led by Keenan Phillips (184-1,464/22) on the ground and QB Cam Sanders (106-146-5, 1,731/21) through the air. Antavious Murphy has more than half of the catches for 1,025 yards and 16 TDs. Braylon Phillips and Javon Cox team for more than 130 tackles, Phillips with 16 for loss. Perry (1-2 vs. ranked teams) faces a defense that has given up 41 points in October and November. But the Panthers also boast RB Ahmad Gordon, who burst into the lineup early and took over the position, setting – among others – program records in yards and rushing touchdowns. QB Colter Ginn is still recovering from a thumb injury, and his status is unknown. Junior Cullen McDaniel has 634 yards and is completing 71 percent of his passes, but has three more interceptions than touchdowns. e

Class 3A

No. 10T Crisp County, 7-4, R1/2, 7-4, at No. 3 Mary Persons, 10-1, R2/1
This game sets up for a quality holiday dinner: Crisp County athletics director Jimmy Hughes is the father in law of Mary Persons head coach Brian Nelson, who is 0-2 (49-14, 38-7) against the Cougars when the teams were in the same region in 2020-21. The Cougars (2-2 vs. ranked teams) are on a roll with a three-game winning streak of 46-7, 61-22, and 45-20. They’re on their fifth head coach in a decade. Hagan Slimp has more than 1,200 yards passing, and four more TDs than INTs. Mary Persons countered with RB Duke Watson (195-1,627/29), and receivers Ty Dumas, Gavin Martin, and Seth Davis *1,267 yards, 7 TDs) from QB Mac Nelson (84-147-7, 10 INTs, 1,410 yards). The Bulldogs are looking for their first quarterfinal trip since 2018.

Upson-Lee, 8-3, R2/2, at No. 9 Carver-Columbus, 8-3, R1/1
The Knights picked up perhaps the biggest win in program history a week ago when they overcome a three-score fourth-quarter deficit, albeit at home in front of a small crowd. Being on the road may be an advantage in the Knights’ fifth second-round game since starting up in 1992. This year’s team has the third-most points – two points from second – and third-fewest points in team history. The Tigers (1-1 vs ranked teams, the loss to AA Northeast in September) are led by QB Jacobie Hunter (62.5 percent, 1,326 yards, 10-4 TD-INT) and RB Deante Childs (162-1,522/12). Upson-Lee QB Niko Wells had a career night in sparking that comeback, going 25 of 38 for a school-record 346 yards and 3 TDs, adding 51 yards on the ground. Upson-Lee (1-1 vs. ranked teams) will need more balance and fewer defensive mistakes to stay alive.

Come back around 8 p.m. for Central Georgia's only live scoreboard

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Come back around 8 p.m. for Central Georgia's only live scoreboard 〰️

Class A/Division I

Irwin County, R1/2, at No. 3T Bleckley County, 9-2, R2/1
The Royals get one of the state’s most playoff-tested programs in the Indians, who haven’t been stopped this early in the playoffs since 2012. Since then, they have two state titles and have finished second five times, to go with two semifinal trips. In that span, the Royals have made the state playoffs eight times, and gotten past the second round twice, including last year’s trip to the quarterfinals. The run-first Indians (1-3 vs. ranked teams) lost 26-0 to Swainsboro, a team Bleckley County beat 21-20. Joshua Stanley has 1,029 rushing yards and 16 TDs for the Royals, and QB Kam Everett has completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 1,354 yards.

No. 6 Dublin, 9-2, R2/2, at No. 11 Brooks County, 6-5, R1-1
Two of the state’s winningest coaches go at it. Roger Holmes is 193-72-1 at Dublin with nine region titles and two state championships in 22 seasons. Maurice Freeman is 194-64 in 20 seasons at Brooks County, 248-116 overall at Brooks County, Southwest, and Brunswick, with six region and two state championships. The programs have split the four meetings, Brooks County winning 41-7 in the second round of 2020’s playoffs, a year after Dublin’s 42-32 win in the Class AA state championship. The Trojans (1-4 vs. ranked teams) have won five straight, giving up 26 points in those games. The Irish (1-1 vs. ranked teams) are on a five-game winning streak as well, winning by 44, 49, 63, 21, and 49, with two shutouts. Xavier Bostic is 19 yards from 1,000 for the year. He, Kameron Hampton and QB Micah O’Neal have teamed for 35 rushing touchdowns.

No. 8 Swainsboro, 9-2, R2/3, at No. 9 Lamar County, 9-2, R4/1
The visiting Tigers have not had a good few weeks season against Central Georgia teams, losing 21-20 to Bleckley County and then 41-20 to Dublin to end the regular season. They beat Washington County 46-6 and Dodge County 11-7 early in the season. The defending state runner-up (1-1 vs. ranked teams) went 13-1 last year. Lamar County (2-1 vs. ranked teams) is rolling, with eight straight wins, only two by two scores or less. The Trojans gave up seven points in a five-game stretch with four shutouts. There are likely to be as many flags thrown as passes between two teams who travel 86.4 percent and 96.3 percent of the time by ground.

Class A/Division II

No. 5 Macon County, 9-2, R6/3, at No. 7 Aquinas, 9-2, R8/1
The Bulldogs run a lot, the Irish pass a lot. Aquinas (1-0 vs. ranked teams) broke a first-round slump by beating playoff newbie Glascock County last week. Aquinas won the Class A title in 2013, sandwiched by a quarterfinal trip and runner-up finish. Macon County (1-2 vs. ranked teams) has to slow down QB Jim Franklin (162-244-7/29, 2,422 yards) first and foremost. The Bulldogs average 230.5 yards a game on the ground and have 37 rushing touchdowns, led by 10 from sophomore Tyler Stephens.

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GIAA
Class 4A

No. 5 Tattnall, 4-6, at No. 4 Bethlehem Christian, 10-0
The Knights of head coach Bruce Lane (Monroe Academy, John Milledge, Westfield) have three shutouts and allowed double-digit points only once (excluding a game against homeschool Georgia Force). RB Joshua Adams has 1,492 yards and 24 TDs. Tattnall’s Antone Johnson counters with 1,567 yards and 22 scores. Neither team is much on throwing. The Trojans enter with little momentum, losing 29-26 to FPD and 45-21 to John Milledge.

No. 9 Strong Rock, 8-3 at No. 1 FPD, 6-3-1
FPD is as healthy as it’s been in a good while, led by QB Jakhari Williams (1,409 yards and 16 TDs passing, 505 yards and 9 TDs rushing) as well as RB Harrison Aulds (906 yards, 9 TDs) and receiver Carter Hays (24-425, 7 TDs). Brady Lincoln and Kip Cawley lead the defense (defensive stats aren’t updated). Strong Rock got past Stratford by nine in what was a two-point game until very late. The other losses are to GHSA Class A Whitefield Academy 36-14 and defending 4A champ St. Anne-Pacelli 30-0.

Class 3A

Tiftarea, 3-7-1, at No. 1 John Milledge, 10-0
The Trojans are winning by an average of 26.8 points a game, 12 points less than a year ago, but that hasn’t matter much amid another undefeated regular season, their sixth in a row. JMA has a nation’s best 60-game winning streak going, and faces a team led by head coach Erik Soliday, who has been a head coach for 35 seasons and is 222-173-3.

Class AA

No. 6 Brentwood, 5-5, at No. 3 Briarwood, 7-3
The 2019 champs lead the series with Briarwood 25-14-1, but lost 35-27 in the regular-season meeting, ending a seven-game win streak in the rivalry.

No. 5 SW Georgia, 7-3, at No. 4 Central Fellowship, 7-2-1
The defending state champs face a team on a seven-game winning streak, with two shutouts in its last four games. The two played back on Aug. 25, Central Fellowship ekeing out a 20-18 win at home. The Lancers have won four straight to follow a two-game losing streak.

No. 8 Piedmont, 3-8, at No. 1 Edmund Burke, 9-1
Piedmont is off a 37-0 win over Trinity Christian. The Spartans lost 44-22 to Briarwood in the regular-season finale, almost doubling their points-allowed total. Edmund Burke leads the series 9-4, with four straight wins.

No. 7 Augusta Prep, 3-9, at No. 2 Gatewood, 8-2
The Gators followed a loss to Edmund Burke with wins of 36-18 and 42-14, and are outscoring opponents by 15 points. They had little trouble with Augusta Prep to open September, rolling to a 62-6 win.

8-man
Saturday
At Strong Rock
State Championship
No. 2 Windsor vs. No. 1 Westminster