Second-round preview: Class A Division I and Division II
Class A Division I
*Mount Pisgah Christian (8-3) at Darlington (11-0): Darlington, ranked No. 6, scored 31 points in the second quarter last week and beat Athens Christian 45-0. Eli Thompson returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown. D’Marion Floyd rushed for 87 yards, giving him 1,206 yards on the season. Darlington is trying to reach the quarterfinals for the fourth time in six seasons and can move to 12-0 for the first time since its 1998 Class A championship team. Mount Pisgah beat Jasper County 45-12 in the first round. Jack Cendoya passed for 241 yards and three touchdowns. He’s thrown for 2,980 yards and rushed for 710 with 43 total touchdowns. Makael Carter has 66 receptions for 1,144 yards and 10 touchdowns. Mount Pisgah can reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. These former Class A Private teams met in a 2020 first-round game with Darlington winning 28-21.
*Heard County (6-5) at Irwin County (9-1): Heard County beat Bryan County 27-16 last week to reach the second round for the third consecutive season. All the scoring took place in the first half. Shaun Swofford passed for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He’s passed for 1,193 yards this season. He’s a sophomore, as is leading rusher Dereon Pearson, who’s run for 695 yards. L.J. Green, who has 621 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, is a junior. Heard County has not made a quarterfinal since winning Class 2A in 2018. Fourth-ranked Irwin County, a state finalist or champion seven of the past eight seasons, beat Jefferson County 42-7 in the first round. Cody Soliday was 6-of-9 passing for 216 yards and four touchdowns, each to a different receiver. Though Irwin County is mostly a running team, Soliday has 71 career TD passes in his three seasons as a starter.
*Social Circle (8-3) at Rabun County (11-0): Social Circle won its first playoff game since 2005 last week by beating Whitefield Academy 10-7 in overtime. Logan Cross threw a 78-yard TD pass to Jude Nelson for 7-0 lead in the second quarter, accounting for a good chunk of the Redskins’ 220 total yards. In overtime, Social Circle forced a turnover, and Preston Guy kicked a 38-yard field goal. Cross has thrown for 2,436 yards and 30 touchdowns this season. Rabun County, ranked No. 3, beat Dade County 46-7 in the first round. Rabun was held to 252 total yards but pulled away with a 23-point fourth quarter, led in part by freshman QB Ty Truelove, who was 6-of-9 passing for 92 yards and two touchdowns. The starter, Keegan Stover, has thrown for 3,052 yards and 36 touchdowns this season. Jaden Gibson leads the state with 1,685 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns. Rabun County has won seven straight second-round playoff games.
*Screven County (9-1) at Swainsboro (10-0): Screven County is 9-1 after a 3-8 season and won its first playoff game since 2017 last week by beating Crawford County 35-28. Screven led 28-0 entering the fourth quarter but didn’t clinch it until converting a fourth-and-5 in the final minute. Crawford County’s Judd Puckett threw for 370 yards in the loss. Screven’s Miyon Fulcher rushed for 102 yards. Screven is a defensive-minded, ball-control team that averages only eight passes per game. Second-ranked Swainsboro has a similar mindset and throws even less (3.3 times per game). In a 47-0 victory over Bacon County, Keshon Deloach had all five of Swainsboro’s receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown. Qin Brown rushed for 111 yards, and Jakari Nobles returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown. Swainsboro reached the semifinals last season in Class 2A.
*Dublin (7-3) at Metter (8-3): Metter beat Dublin 12-0 in a Sept. 16 game by running the ball on 46 of 47 offensive snaps for 296 yards and holding Dublin to 174 total yards. There won’t be much passing in the rematch, as both teams surpassed 400 yards rushing in the first round. Dublin almost had three 100-yard rushers – Demari Foster (157), Kameron Hampton (149) and Jaquarius Evans (99) – in a 55-14 victory over Pelham and finished with 433 rushing yards while 0-for-1 passing. Metter, ranked No. 9, ran for 401 yards in beating Temple 42-6. Antwan Coney rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns, and R.J. Coney ran for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Metter has outscored its opponents 199-6 during a five-game winning streak. Metter reached the semifinals each of the past two seasons. Dublin is hoping to get to the quarterfinals for the first time since winning Class 2A in 2019.
*Elbert County (10-1) at Prince Avenue Christian (10-0): Elbert County, a 5-5 team in Class 2A last season, has earned its first 10-win season since Mecole Hardman was its quarterback in 2015. That’s also the last time the Blue Devils, now ranked No. 7, made the quarterfinals. They defeated Pepperell 31-7 in the first round. Quan Moss rushed for 177 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries. He’s run for 1,779 yards and 29 touchdowns on the season. Elbert can pass a little, too. Sophomore QB Jayvyn Hickman has thrown for 1,587 yards. But it’s nothing like No. 1-ranked Prince Avenue, the state’s most prolific passing team. Aaron Philo passed for 356 yards and six touchdowns last week in a 47-14 victory over Mount Vernon. Two-way starters Bailey Stockton and Josh Britt each had three TD receptions, and Britt intercepted two passes. The 2021 Class A Private runner-up, Prince Avenue went 10-1 in second-round games the past 11 seasons.
*Bleckley County (9-2) at Lamar County (10-1): These teams have met the past two seasons, with Bleckley County winning 31-12 and 30-0. Bleckley, ranked No. 10, beat 2021 Class A Public champion Brooks County 14-10 in the first round after trailing 10-0. Bleckley led in total yards 214-177 and scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter after Brooks made a bad snap to the punter. Tyler Wilcox forced the distressed punter to fumble, and T.J. Mays ran it to paydirt. Jahvon Butler rushed for 87 yards. He’s run for 1,318 yards on the season. A victory would put Bleckley in its first quarterfinal since 2020. Lamar County beat Claxton 42-21 in the first round and reached 10 victories for the first time since its 2013 Class 2A runner-up team. C.J. Allen rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Allen, who is committed to Georgia as a linebacker, has rushed for 1,436 yards and made a team-leading 77 tackles.
*Trion (9-2) at St. Francis (8-3): Trion beat Commerce 45-21 in the first round. Kade Smith was 11-of-19 passing for 238 yards. Logan Elder rushed for 124 yards. Toby Maddux ran for 91 yards and four touchdowns and had 93 yards receiving. Elder has rushed for 1,279 yards this season, and Maddux has 1,394 yards from scrimmage. They’ve scored 35 touchdowns. A victory would put Trion in its first quarterfinal since 2015. St. Francis, ranked No. 8, led 35-0 in the first half of its 69-7 victory over Oglethorpe County. It was the Knights’ second playoff victory in history. Kevin Maven-Winchester rushed for 142 yards on three carries, putting himself over 1,000 on the season (1,182). Jaiden Jenkins has thrown for 2,471 yards and 21 touchdowns. Six of St. Francis’ 11 leading tacklers are sophomores.
Class A Division II
*Manchester (7-3) at Bowdon (9-1): This is a rematch of the teams’ Aug. 19 season opener, which top-ranked Bowdon won 29-14. Bowdon’s Robert McNeal passed for 144 yards and three touchdowns on just five completions and ran for 109 yards on 11 carries. He has passed for 1,005 yards, run for 956 yards and had a hand in 22 touchdowns this season. McNeal is one of four players on these teams averaging at least 100 yards per game rushing. T.J. Harvison, despite missing three games, is Bowdon’s leading rusher with 1,294 yards and 14 touchdowns. He ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns and McNeal had 107 yards rushing and 71 passing in a 42-14 first-round victory over Aquinas. No. 9 Manchester is led by Quavion Cooper (1,281 yards, 19 touchdowns) and Anthony Bartholomew (1,107, nine). Bartholomew ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-14 victory over Hancock Central last week.
*Telfair County (9-2) at Early County (8-3): Telfair County’s nine wins are tied for second-most in school history, and the Trojans’ 62-37 victory over Emanuel County Institute last week was their second all-time postseason win, first since 1993. Qua Powell ran for 228 yards and six touchdowns on 18 carries, and Antonio Scott had 208 total yards, three touchdowns, five tackles and an interception. Early County opened the season with seven consecutive wins and spent five weeks at No. 1, but the Bobcats entered the playoffs at No. 3 after closing out the regular season with non-region losses to Brooks County, Eufaula (Ala.) and Irwin County. Early bounced back with a 60-19 first-round victory against Turner County. Tycavion Stovall rushed for 343 yards and seven touchdowns on 13 carries, and Charles Williams ran for 198 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. The Bobcats ran for 602 yards as a team.
*Wilkinson County (7-4) at Lincoln County (8-2): Wilkinson County won a playoff game for the first time since 2012 when it defeated Macon County 13-7 last week. Wilkinson County trailed 7-0 at halftime, but Jordan Jackson scored touchdowns on a long pass and a short run in the third quarter and the Warriors held on. Lincoln County is a region champion for the first time since 2012 and had a bye in the first round, putting the Red Devils in the second round for the sixth time in seven seasons. Trey Huff, a two-way starter, is 45-of-78 passing for 742 yards and six touchdowns and has rushed for 632 yards and nine TDs. Semaj Jenkins is the team’s leading rusher with 704 yards and 12 touchdowns on 87 carries. Lincoln County won 10 of the 11 previous games in the series, although the teams haven’t met since 2013.
*Dooly County (6-5) at Charlton County (8-2): Dooly County is one of four No. 3 seeds still alive in the Division II field. Christian Heritage, Lanier County and Washington-Wilkes are the others. Dooly County and Charlton County are both in the second round for the first time since 2018. Dooly County defeated Jenkins County 22-21 last week. Jenkins County had taken a 21-14 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but with 20 seconds left, Dooley's Lorenzo Clayton scored on a 4-yard run and two-point conversion at the end of a 75-yard drive for the win. Charlton County, a region champion for the first time since 2009, advanced with a 44-0 victory over Seminole County. Jaylen Lilley ran for 76 yards and three touchdowns, and Jaylen King was 15-of-18 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Lilley has rushed for 1,292 yards and 20 touchdowns on 184 carries this season.
*Clinch County (9-2) at McIntosh County Academy (10-1): This is the only second-round matchup of ranked teams in Division II. No. 6 Clinch County missed the playoffs last year after six consecutive seasons of reaching the semifinals or better, including three state titles. The Panthers defeated Mitchell County 38-15 last week. Keegan Clayton had touchdowns rushing and passing, and Jashaun Raymond returned a fumble for a score. No. 7 McIntosh County Academy, a region champion for the first time since 2008, has won nine straight games since a 22-12 loss to 6A Glynn Academy on Aug. 25. Jareese Campbell rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-13 victory over Wheeler County last week, giving him 939 yards for the season. MCA has run the ball 443 times this season and thrown just 30 passes.
*Christian Heritage (5-6) at Johnson County (11-0): Christian Heritage is in the second round for the third time in four seasons after a 37-6 victory over Greene County. The Lions trailed 6-0 at the end of the first quarter but took control with a 16-point second quarter. Eli Thomason ran for 214 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries, giving him 1,428 yards for the season. Carter Triplett has passed for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns this year. Second-ranked Johnson County beat Chattahoochee County 34-21 to reach the 11-win mark for the first time since 2010. Germivy Tucker rushed for 245 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries, and Jakelvis Whitley ran for 91 yards. Johnson County had 363 yards rushing and attempted just one pass, an incompletion. Tucker has 2,373 yards rushing this season, and his 6,385 career yards broke Herschel Walker’s school record.
*Lanier County (6-5) at Wilcox County (8-3): Lanier County is in the postseason for the first time since 2005, and its 14-13 victory over Miller County last week was the first playoff win in the program’s 26-year history. The Bulldogs stopped a two-point attempt with three minutes left, and B.J. Jones intercepted a pass deep in Lanier County territory in the final minute to secure the victory. Lanier County’s offense is led by Drake Wolford (1,203 yards passing) and Jaylon Calhoun (1,032 yards rushing). No. 10 Wilcox County, a semifinalist last season, advanced with a 35-26 victory over Montgomery County. Dayshawn Lawson rushed for 309 yards on 31 carries and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter after the Patriots had trailed 26-23 at the end of the third. Wilcox County won 10 of the previous 12 meetings with Lanier County.
*Washington-Wilkes (8-3) at Schley County (9-2): Washington-Wilkes defeated Mount Zion 35-14 last week to reach the second round for the seventh time in 11 seasons, but the Tigers are 1-5 in second-round games in that stretch. Desmond Cofer ran for a touchdown and scored on an 83-yard punt return last week. Andrew Meech passed for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman Tamari Curry leads the Tigers in rushing with 814 yards. Schley County was ranked No. 1 until a 1-2 start knocked it down to No. 8. The Wildcats have climbed back to No. 5 after eight consecutive wins. Schley County beat GMC Prep 51-0 last. Jay Kanazawa, Division II's leading passer, threw for 195 yards and four touchdowns, and Malachi Banks ran for 114 yards and two scores. The Wildcats are giving up just 8.6 points per game overall and 4.75 during their winning streak.