By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com

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The last full scheduled week of the regular season is done in GHSA football, and most playoff questions are answered, but a bunch remain.

Central Georgia teams in Class 5A, 4A, and Class A/Division II have started with preparing for the first round, although the GHSA has yet to update the playoff brackets even though most slots are locked down.

There is speculation, however, that Class 4A may undergo a notable adjustment with a non-Central Georgia team’s potential punishment for using an ineligible player.

Houston County, Perry, Warner Robins (mostly), and Jones County knew their playoff seeds before last Friday, but it was a big night for many teams in Class A/Division I.

Central Georgia has five A/II teams in, with two at home.

With the new power ranking playoff seeding system combined with major scheduling adjustments because of mid-season hurricanes has pushed play into this week in 3A, AA, and Class A Division I. All classifications remain 32-team playoffs.

GIAA pairings set

The GIAA’s change this year involved combining classifications into two for the regular season, AAA and AA, and again splitting up the two back into four for the postseason: AAAA, AAA, AA, and A.

Overall, 10 of 16 4A teams advance, eight of 12 in 3A and AA, and four in A make the playoffs, totaling 30 of 43 teams – 70 percent – of football-playing teams in the playoffs.

The top 10 teams make the 4A playoffs, top eight in AAA and AA, and all four teams classified for the postseason in Class A make the playoffs.

The Class 4A brackets are set, with FPD the only Macon school at home to open. The defending 4A champs are seeded first, with Tattnall fifth and Stratford sixth.

Mount de Sales was eliminated in a play-in game. Tattnall and Straford are on the road in 4A, FPD at home.

Westfield is the top seed in 3A and faces John Milledge.

GIAA pairings
Class 4A
Second round
8. Strong Rock, 5-6, at 1. FPD, 9-1
5. Tattnall, 7-2, at 4. Bethlehem Christian, 10-0
7. St. Anne-Pacelli at No. 2 Bulloch, 9-0
6. Stratford, 7-3 at 3. Brookstone, 6-3
Class 3A
First round
8. John Milledge, 2-8, at 1. Westfield, 8-2

Class AA
First round
8. Central Fellowship, 3-7, at 1. Southwest Georgia, 7-1
5. Trinity Christian, 6-4, at 4. Gatewood, 3-5
7. Rock Springs, 8-2, at 2. Brentwood, 8-1

Howard, Baldwin, and West Laurens are in Region 4-AAA, which has games on Tuesday and Saturday. It’s an Augusta-heavy region, and that area was hit hard by weather, teams going a month without playing.

The region has six teams in the hunt, with two at 5-1, two at 5-2, and two at 3-3.

In the classifications using the power rating system, the top four teams still automatically make the playoffs, but the computers determine seedings, so third seeds have a chance to host.

Class A/Division I’s Central Georgia field is mostly set, officially and unofficially. Still sweating things out: East Laurens, Bleckley County, and Southwest. They’re ranked right next to each other at 43, 44 and 45, appearing to get them all in but clearly on the bubble.

Howard is alive for one of the few at-large spots in Class 3A, but is currently on the outside looking in.

Class AAA has four at-large spots, Class AA has three, and Class A/Division I has 18. Those are the numbers of private school teams in each class that move into the private-school playoffs.

So Howard has to win Tuesday night for Saturday’s game to matter for the Huskies to have a chance to squeeze in. Baldwin and Howard both have two games left, West Laurens only one, on Tuesday against Baldwin in a big one. The Raiders are 5-2 and Braves 5-1 in region play.

Westside has third place in Region 2-AA and may get a first-round home game, based on the rankings.

Dublin, Northeast, Dodge County, and Washington County are in, in that order, in Region 2-A/Division I, with ACE Charter getting an at-large spot, having pretty much dropped from a potential home game with its loss to Washington County.

Lamar County and Jasper County in 4-A/I are in, as well.

The GHSA may update brackets during the week, and is expected to post the full pairings on Sunday.

GHSA

Central Georgia teams

Class 5A

Houston County: 6-4, is the fourth-place team.

Class 4A

Jones County: 8-2, is the third-place team in Region 2

Perry: 7-3, is the first-place team in Region 1

Warner Robins: 7-3, is the third-place team is Ware County loses this week and fourth-place team if Ware County wins

Class 3A (using the playoff ranking system)

Baldwin: 5-3/5: Tuesday vs. West Laurens, 7-2/5-2, Saturday at Richmond Academy, 2-6/2-4
The Braves are in, and are playing for an automatic spot, a home game, and potentially a top seed if they win out (possible) and Harlem loses one (highly doubtful). Wins the tiebreaker over Westside-Augusta. The Braves will be a strong favorite on Saturday.

Howard: 4-4/3-3: Tuesday vs. Aquinas, 4-4/3-3, Saturday at Westside-Augusta, 7-2/5-2
Tuesday night’s game at Thompson is a playoff game, because the winner stays alive and the loser falls out of contention. As of Monday, Aquinas is ranked 10 spots ahead of Howard, which is on the fringe.

Peach County: 9-1
Locked in as the top region seed (and outright Region 1 champ), but is currently No. 4 in the power rankings.

Upson-Lee: 7-3
Locked in as the second-place team, getting a home game.

Class AA (using the playoff ranking system)

Westside: 5-5
Locked in as the third seed, a decent shot at a home game.

Class A Division I (using the playoff ranking system)

ACE Charter: 6-4
Locked in as an at-large team, finishing fifth in Region 4, has a shot at a home game.

Bleckley County: 3-6/2-6, vs. Jefferson County, 0-8/0-7, Tuesday
The Royals, because of the huge number of vacancies in the class, appear in an at-large team. They’re a solid favorite on Tuesday at Senior Night.

Dodge County: 8-2
Locked in at third place, currently seeded seventh overall and at home in first round

Dublin: 10-0
Locked in as the first seed and outright region champ, currently seeded second overall.

East Laurens: 3-6/2-6, vs. Southwest, 3-6/3-5
The loser might be knocked out of at-large consideration. The Falcons are rated higher than the Patriots.

Jasper County: 6-3/3-2, at Utopian Academy, 0-9/0-5
Locked in as the fourth-place team in Region 4, a game left to improve seeding, decent chance at a home game.

Lamar County: 8-2
Locked in at second place and a top-10 overall seed.

Northeast: 8-2
Locked in as the region’s second seed, currently seeded sixth overall.

Putnam County: 5-5
Locked in as the third-place team in Region 4.

Southwest: 3-6/3-5, at East Laurens, 3-6/2-6
The Patriots have to win to have a shot to sneak in.

Washington County: 6-4
Locked in as the fourth seed, decent shot at a home game.

Class A/Division II

Hancock Central: 5-5
Locked in as the third seed.

Hawkinsville: 7-3
Locked in at second if Wilcox County (6-3/4-1) loses Telfair County, 7-2/5-0), third if Wilcox County wins and Wheeler County (6-3/3-2) loses to Treutlen (3-6/2-3), and fourth if Wheeler County wins (Wheeler County wins the tiebreaker with Hawkinsville)

Macon County: 6-4
Locked as the top seed, tying Schley County at 5-1 but winning the tiebreaker.

Taylor County: 7-3
Locked in as the third seed, winning the tiebreaker with Marion County, both at 4-2 in region.

Wilkinson County: 6-4
Locked in as a second seed, losing to Johnson County,which would be the tiebreaker.