Second-round preview: Classes 6A and 5A

Class 6A

*Collins Hill (10-1) at Colquitt County (8-3): This is the first meeting between these teams. Colquitt County can make the quarterfinals for the 14th time in 16 seasons. Collins Hill last made the quarterfinals during its 2021 state-championship season. Collins Hill is known for defenders Deuce Geralds and Katrell Webb, both major Division I prospects. They have 49 tackles for losses between them. In a 35-14 victory over Westlake in the first round, Cameron Jones rushed for 142 yards, making him just the second 100-yard rusher this season for the Eagles. Makyree Cross passed for 161 yards. Colquitt County beat Wheeler 48-20 in the first round and led 43-6 at halftime. Day’shawn Brown rushed for 101 yards, giving the sophomore 1,224 for the season.

*Norcross (8-3) at Grayson (10-1): These Gwinnett County schools have met five previous times in the playoffs with Grayson winning four, most recently in the 2020 semifinals. Grayson is trying to make the quarterfinals for the seventh straight season. No other team in the highest class has a quarterfinal streak of more than two. Grayson beat Pebblebrook 56-12 in the first round after leading 39-0 at halftime. It was the Rams’ 10th consecutive victory after an opening loss to Collins Hill. Grayson is led by Travis Burgess, who has thrown for 1,296 yards and rushed for 350 yards, and linebacker Tyler Atkinson, a five-star junior who has 22 tackles for losses. Norcross beat Lambert 37-27 to reach the second round for the seventh straight season. The Blue Devils are 1-5 in those second-round games. Against Lambert, Dillon Mohammed passed for 261 yards and rushed for 162. Jahsaun Clarke had five receptions for 152 yards. Clarke has 1,463 all-purpose yards as a receiver, running back, quarterback and return man.

*Douglas County (9-2) at North Cobb (11-0): Douglas County, ranked No. 4 but seeded second in its region behind No. 1 Carrollton, is the only Class 6A team to face top-10 opponents two rounds in a row. The Tigers beat No. 10 Mill Creek 27-18 last week. D.J. Bordeaux passed for 316 yards. James Johnson, one of three major Division I receivers on Douglas County’s roster, had seven receptions for 104 yards. Zamarcus Lindley, a 1,000-yard rusher, was limited to six carries for 18 yards. North Cobb, ranked No. 7, beat Camden County 28-7 in the first round. Camden led in total yards 314-292, but North Cobb forced a couple of turnovers and led 28-0 by the third quarter. Zach Belyeu rushed for 77 yards, putting him at 1,038 on the season, and scored two touchdowns. Nick Grimstead went over 1,500 passing yards and 600 rushing yards for the season. North Cobb is trying to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016. Douglas County made the semifinals last season one classification from the top.

*Archer (4-7) at West Forsyth (8-3): Both teams defeated higher-seeded opponents in the first round. Archer beat Region 3 champion Harrison 46-42. Jordan Do threw a 37-yard TD pass to Tyree Begne with 13 seconds left. Do was 27-of-32 passing for 405 yards and five touchdowns, two each to Begne and Ethan Campbell. Do, a junior, also rushed for 127 yards. Harrison was unranked but entered 9-1. West Forsyth beat No. 2 seed Brookwood 24-10. West Forsyth had not won a playoff game since 2020, also the last time the Wolverines were in the quarterfinals. Foster Orris rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns, one a 14-yarder that gave West Forsyth a 21-10 lead in the fourth quarter. West Forsyth held Brookwood, with 2,000-yard rusher Brayden Tyson, to 125 rushing yards. West Forsyth has played Archer once, winning 21-7 in 2022.

*Peachtree Ridge (6-5) at Hillgrove (10-1): This is the first meeting between these schools. Hillgrove can make its first quarterfinal since 2018. Peachtree Ridge can make its first since 2009. Peachtree Ridge beat Region 6 champion North Atlanta 43-27 in the first round while putting up 599 total yards. Darnell Kelly passed for 182 yards and rushed for 149. Sedric Addison rushed for 101 yards. Bryce Green rushed for 90 and scored three touchdowns. Rhari Thomas had 148 yards from scrimmage. Hillgrove, more of a defensive team, allowing 11.1 points per game, beat South Gwinnett 35-14. That was the Hawks’ first playoff victory since 2018, also the last time Hillgrove won 10 games in a season. Caleb Walters scored Hillgrove’s five touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter that broke open a competitive game. He rushed for 129 yards on 28 carries.

*Valdosta (9-2) at Carrollton (11-0): This is a rematch of a 2023 second-round game that Carrollton won 45-28. Carrollton led 38-7 in the third quarter. Valdosta finished ahead in total yards 429-384, with Todd Robinson passing for 131 and rushing for 167. Robinson, who is committed to Georgia as a defensive back, is now a senior. In last week’s 35-27 victory over Walton, he was 27-of-40 passing for career highs of 414 yards and five touchdowns. But he has severely limited his running game in recent weeks because of an injury. Carrollton beat Dacula 46-7 in the first round. Julian Lewis was 23-of-26 passing for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Kiyun Cofer had seven receptions for 101 yards. Lewis has thrown for 2,842 yards and 40 touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes. On Sunday, it was reported that Lewis, an AJC Super 11 pick, had decommitted from Southern Cal, and Colorado, Indiana and possibly Georgia are viewed as potential new landing spots.

*Newton (7-4) at North Gwinnett (11-0): Newton beat McEachern 30-29 on Saturday, becoming the sixth and final Class 6A team to win on the road in the first round. Deron Benson threw a 55-yard TD pass to Zach Harden for a 30-29 lead, and McEachern missed a 37-yard field goal on its final drive. Zion Johnson rushed for 244 yards, putting him over 2,000 (2,078) for the season. One of the state’s fastest backs, he is committed to Cincinnati. The victory broke a seven-game losing streak in first-round games for the Rams. North Gwinnett won in the first round for the eighth straight season by beating Denmark 45-7. Ryan Hall was 16-of-21 passing for 183 yards and two touchdowns. The Georgia Tech baseball commit has thrown for 5,547 yards and rushed for 1,965 with 85 total touchdowns in his career. These teams have played twice, each winning once while region rivals in 1998-99.

*Lowndes (10-1) at Buford (10-1): These are two of the state’s most widely known football programs, but they’ve never played each other as this is Buford’s third season in the highest classification, where Lowndes has been a regular for decades. Buford, ranked No. 2, beat East Coweta 57-9 in the first round, though the score was 14-9 until the final minute of the first half. Dayton Raiola passed for 227 yards. Justin Baker rushed for 98 yards. The victory gave Buford 10 wins for the 26th straight season, a state record. Buford has reached the quarterfinals every season but once this century. The exception was 2022, when beaten by Walton. Lowndes, ranked No. 9, is a 10-game winner again after rare back-to-back losing seasons. Lowndes beat North Paulding 35-17 in the first round. Sophomore QB Jayce Johnson was 10-of-12 passing for 195 yards and rushed for 60 yards. Marvis Parrish, the Region 1 co-player of the year with Valdosta's Todd Robinson, had 93 yards rushing and 55 receiving. Lowndes was in the quarterfinals as recently as 2021.

Class 5A

*Coffee (9-2) at Brunswick (10-1): Coffee, the Class 5A champion last year, was one of only three Class 5A teams to win on the road last week (the others were Dutchtown and Houston County) when it beat Jackson County 31-7. Coffee led 24-7 at halftime and added the final touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. Tyrese Woodgett rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 1,268 yards and 14 touchdowns for the season. The Trojans had 326 rushing yards on 42 carries. Brunswick led Villa Rica 27-0 at halftime last week and went on to win 43-13 for its 10th consecutive victory since starting the season with a 51-41 loss to Class 6A Camden County. William Heck rushed for 142 yards against Villa Rica, giving him 1,411 on the season. Grant Moore passed for 272 yards, giving him 2,191. The Pirates have lost eight straight second-round games.

*Sequoyah (10-1) at Woodward Academy (8-3): This game matches the team that pulled off the biggest upset of the first round, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings, against a team that avoided an even bigger one. Sequoyah, a 13-point underdog, took a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter against sixth-ranked Gainesville but needed two touchdowns in the final six minutes to win 38-28. A touchdown run by Will Rajecki, who rushed for 216 yards in the game (1,072 in the regular season), helped put the game away. No. 10 Woodward Academy trailed 32-point underdog Lovejoy 20-7 late in the third quarter but got two touchdown passes from Landon Walker, including the game-winning 4-yarder to Josiah Abdullah with 17 seconds left in the game. Walker passed for 245 yards and three touchdowns and ran for nine yards, accounting for all but six of the War Eagles’ 260 total yards.

*Thomas County Central (10-1) at Rome (8-2): These teams were heavily favored last week and cruised through the first round, and both are trying to reach the quarterfinals for the third straight season. Thomas County Central, the 2023 Class 6A champion, built a 56-0 lead in the first half and cruised to a 70-6 victory over 43-point underdog Winder-Barrow. It was the fifth game of the season scoring 60 or more points for the Yellow Jackets, who are averaging 51.55 per game. Christian “Deuce” Lawrence, who rushed for 1,075 yards in the regular season, scored on runs of 42 and 95 yards. Rome, a 26-point favorite, led 42-3 at halftime in its 49-17 victory over Glynn Academy. Aiden McPherson was 8-of-12 passing for 230 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 59 yards and two TDs. LB/RB Jaedon Harmon, who is committed to Tennessee, scored three touchdowns. The Wolves outgained Glynn Academy 437-135. Rome has won eight straight games since opening the season with losses to top-ranked teams Carrollton and Toombs County.

*Roswell (9-2) at Hughes (10-1): This is one of three Class 5A second-round games between top-10 teams. The others are Coffee-Brunswick and Thomas County Central-Rome. Roswell advanced to the second round for the sixth consecutive season with a 41-31 victory over River Ridge. The Hornets led 41-17 in the fourth quarter before giving up two late touchdowns. Trey Smith passed for 268 yards and four touchdowns, putting him at 2,185 and 21 for the season. He also has run for 820 yards and 17 TDs. Hughes is the second round for the fifth straight year after beating Dunwoody 58-35. It was the second-highest point total of the season for the Panthers, who are averaging 48.82 points per game while allowing just 11.5. Christian Langford, the Region 3 player of the year, was 9-of-12 passing for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He has 2,364 passing yards, 335 rushing yards and 34 combined touchdowns for the season.

*Newnan (9-2) at Sprayberry (10-1): Both teams ended long stretches of playoff frustration with their first-round victories. Newnan beat Tri-Cities 42-0 for its first playoff win since 2015, ending a five-game postseason losing streak. The Cougars scored on their first six possessions of the game, five in the first half. Leading rusher Jaylon Teagle had two short touchdown runs in the first quarter, and Brodie Campbell threw two touchdown passes. Newnan held Tri-Cities to 157 total yards. Sprayberry, which began playing football in 1956, picked up just the second state-playoff victory in its history when it defeated Lanier 27-14 last week. The Yellow Jackets’ previous playoff win came against Creekview in the 2020 first round. Sprayberry led Lanier 24-7 midway through the second quarter and held on. Rayshawn Simpkins rushed for 157 yards on 15 carries and scored on a 32-yard run, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.

*East Paulding (10-1) at Lee County (11-0): East Paulding won a playoff game for the first time since 2018 and reached the 10-win mark for the first time since 2012 when it beat Effingham County 51-14 last week. The Raiders led 30-0 at halftime and coasted home. East Paulding is led by running back Javen Park (1,143 rushing yards in the regular season) and Chantz Bouknight (1,073 passing yards). The Raiders’ only loss was against Rome, 27-7 on Sept. 13, in the game that ultimately decided the Region 5 championship. Region 2 champion Lee County reached the second round for the ninth consecutive season with a 47-7 victory over Habersham Central. The Trojans led 40-0 at halftime. Weston Bryan was 11-of-14 passing for 233 yards, ran for 66 yards on three carries and accounted for five touchdowns while playing only the first half. Ousmane Kromah rushed for 65 yards.

*Dutchtown (7-4) at Milton (11-0): Dutchtown recorded the other first-round upset in Class 5A when it defeated 11-point favorite Decatur by a surprisingly lopsided 48-14 score. Michael Johnson passed for 235 yards, ran for 107 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. Shane McKoy ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Dutchtown, which moved up in classification this year, is in the second round for the fifth time in seven seasons. The Bulldogs face a monumental task this week against a Milton team that is ranked in the top four in six national polls. The Eagles, champions in Class 7A last year, extended their winning streak to a school-record 21 games with a 42-7 victory over Woodstock. Luke Nickel (committed to Miami) passed for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and T.J. Lester (Eastern Kentucky) ran for 118 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Milton reached at least the quarterfinals five of the past six seasons.

*Houston County (7-4) at Lakeside, Evans (10-1): Houston County is the only No. 4 seed remaining in Class 5A after beating Clarke Central 69-48 in the highest scoring first-round game in any classification. It was the Bears’ third consecutive first-round road victory, and it contributed to Region 2’s four-game sweep of Clarke Central’s Region 8. Houston County trailed 15-14 at halftime but outscored the Gladiators 55-33 in the second half. Antwann Hill (committed to Memphis) threw his 117th career touchdown pass, breaking the school record held by Jake Fromm. Isaiah Mitchell had 13 receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for two touchdowns and threw a TD pass. Lakeside won a state playoff game for the second time in school history, first since 2009, with a 40-7 victory over New Manchester, outscoring the Jaguars 30-0 in the second half. Brandon Grissom ran for 110 yards and three touchdowns, and Ty Jones rushed for 100 yards and one TD. Both are 1,000-yard rushers for the season, Jones with 1,197 and Grissom with 1,004.