Maxwell Ratings’ projected playoff brackets for 3A-A Division I after Week 7
These are the Maxwell Ratings’ projected playoff brackets for classes 3A to A Division I with comments.
Unlike other classes, which are seeded in the traditional format, the GHSA will seed teams in 3A-A Division I using a new points-rating model.
Teams finishing in the top four in region play are guaranteed playoffs berths. Region champions and runners-up are given seeding preference. Teams outside the top four may qualify as at-large teams.
The numbers to the left of the teams are their overall seeds. The numbers in parentheses are their projected finish in region play.
Class 3A
Upson-Lee and Heritage of Ringgold defeated former top-10 teams last week in upsets that earned for them the potential safety net of at-large berths in deep regions in case they don’t finish in the top four. Upson-Lee beat Mary Persons while Heritage toppled Northwest Whitfield. In the GHSA’s traditional seeding format, beating teams that finish ahead in the standings (not saying Mary Persons and Northwest will) becomes useless in tiebreakers. In a points rating system, they continue to count as quality wins.
#32 Monroe (4th) at #1 Jefferson (1st)
#17 Lumpkin County (3rd) at #16 Long County (3rd)
#24 Baldwin (3rd) at #9 LaGrange (2nd)
#25 Adairsville (3rd) at #8 Westover (2nd)
#28 Stephenson (4th) at #5 Douglass (1st)
#21 Southeast Bulloch (4th) at #12 Northwest Whitfield (2nd)
#20 Troup (4th) at #13 North Hall (2nd)
#29 Gilmer (4th) at #4 Peach County (1st)
#30 Heritage-Ringgold (5th) at #3 Harlem (1st)
#19 Mount Zion-Jonesboro (3rd) at #14 Cedar Grove (2nd)
#22 Whitewater (3rd) at #11 Oconee County (2nd)
#27 Upson-Lee (5th) at #6 Calhoun (1st)
#26 Monroe Area (4th) at #7 Westside-Augusta (2nd)
#23 West Laurens (4th) at #10 Jenkins (2nd)
#18 Cairo (3rd) at #15 Cherokee Bluff (3rd)
#31 White County (4th) at #2 Sandy Creek (1st)
Class 2A
Maxwell projects five at-large bids, all fifth-place finishers replacing private teams that exit. The projected ripple effect could give projected third-place finishers Ringgold, Spencer, Westside of Macon and Stephens County home games in the first round, and second-place finishers Callaway and Sumter County could secure home field until the quarterfinals.
#32 Redan (4th) at #1 Morgan County (1st)
#17 Pike County (4th) at #16 Spencer (3rd)
#24 East Jackson (5th) at #9 Appling County (2nd)
#25 Crisp County (3rd) at #8 Callaway (2nd)
#28 Miller Grove (3rd) at #5 Burke County (1st)
#21 Union County (4th) at #12 South Atlanta (2nd)
#20 Laney (3rd) at #13 Ringgold (3rd)
#29 Cook (4th) at #4 Rockmart (1st)
#30 Hardaway (5th) at #3 Carver-Columbus (1st)
#19 Hart County (4th) at #14 Westside-Macon (3rd)
#22 Shaw (4th) at #11 Thomson (2nd)
#27 KIPP Atlanta (5th) at #6 Columbia (1st)
#26 Butler (4th) at #7 Sumter County (2nd)
#23 North Murray (5th) at #10 Hapeville Charter (2nd)
#18 Carver-Atlanta (3rd) at #15 Stephens County (3rd)
#31 Jackson (5th) at #2 Pierce County (1st)
Class A Division I
Interesting to see unranked Temple seeded No. 5 ahead of Toombs County, the unanimous No. 1-ranked team. Coming off a nice victory over Bremen, ending a 17-game losing streak in that series, Temple is now Maxwell’s choice to win Region 6 in a tight race with Darlington and Heard County. Temple has never won a region title. Meanwhile, Toombs, seeded No. 7 here, plays in a region with private-school power Savannah Christian.
#32 Swainsboro (4th) at #1 Fannin County (1st)
#17 ACE Charter (4th) at #16 Worth County (3rd)
#24 Bleckley County (7th) at #9 Rabun County (2nd)
#25 Elbert County (4th) at #8 Fitzgerald (2nd)
#28 Putnam County (4th) at #5 Temple (1st)
#21 Jeff Davis (5th) at #12 Dodge County (3rd)
#20 Vidalia (3rd) at #13 Gordon Lee (3rd)
#29 Armuchee (7th) at #4 Lamar County (1st)
#30 Towers (6th) at #3 Northeast (1st)
#19 Bremen (3rd) at #14 Chattooga (4th)
#22 Washington County (5th) at #11 Heard County (2nd)
#27 Southwest (6th) at #6 Dublin (2nd)
#26 Bacon County (4th) at #7 Toombs County (2nd)
#23 Dade County (5th) at #10 Social Circle (2nd)
#18 Commerce (3rd) at #15 Jasper County (3rd)
#31 Gordon Central (6th) at #2 Thomasville (1st)
Class 3A-A private
There’s so much riding on the Nov. 1 game between second-ranked Hebron Christian (seeded second here) and third-ranked Prince Avenue (seeded 11th). No matter the outcome, a strong title contender is likely to fall to around No. 10 in the seeding. Aquinas and Trinity Christian are better than their dreadful seeds, but their choice to play up in Class 3A makes it tough sledding.
#1 Savannah Christian (1st) - bye
#17 Darlington (4th) at #16 Mount Paran Christian (5th)
#24 Walker (10th) at #9 Whitefield Academy (2nd)
#25 St Francis (11th) at #8 North Cobb Christian (2nd)
#5 Athens Academy (1st) - bye
#21 Providence Christian (5th) at #12 Wesleyan (3rd)
#20 Savannah Country Day (5th) at #13 Landmark Christian (4th)
#4 Fellowship Christian (1st) - bye
#3 Lovett (1st) - bye
#19 Aquinas (6th) at #14 Mount Vernon (6th)
#22 Trinity Christian (8th) at #11 Prince Avenue Christian (2nd)
#6 Calvary Day (1st) - bye
#7 Greater Atlanta Christian (1st) - bye
#23 Mount Pisgah Christian (9th) at #10 Christian Heritage (2nd)
#18 Holy Innocents’ (4th) at #15 King's Ridge Christian (7th)
#2 Hebron Christian (1st) - bye