Second-round preview: Classes A Division II and 3A-A private
Class A Division II
*Bowdon (9-2) at Metter (10-1): This is the only Class A Division II playoff game between top-10 teams. Bowdon, the two-time defending champion but Region 7 runner-up to Manchester, is ranked No. 2. Metter, the Region 3 champion, is No. 9. Bowdon beat Taylor County 49-7 in the first round. Charles Maxell passed for 259 yards, putting him over 2,000 (2,093) for the season. Nathan Bhony ran for 114 yards, giving him exactly 1,000 on the year. Kaiden Prothro had 54 receiving yards, putting him over 1,000 (1,010) on the season. Metter beat Hawkinsville 37-7 last week. Kahne Brown rushed for 144 yards. Michael Ricks went over 1,000 yards rushing (1,033) and passing (1,009) in the game. LB Allen Williams is the Region 3 player of the year. Metter can make the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six seasons. These teams have played once before, with Bowdon winning a Class A semifinal in the Georgia Dome in 2001.
*Clinch County (10-1) at Johnson County (9-2): Clinch County is the road team but heavily favored against an unranked region champion. Clinch is ranked No. 4 but seeded No. 2 behind Brooks County from the classification’s toughest region. Clinch County’s average opponent has been 21 points better than Johnson County’s, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. Clinch County beat Warren County 34-22 in the first round. It was the 500th victory in Clinch history. Aaron Bryant, normally more of a running quarterback, passed for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Kemarrion Johnson had six receptions for 174 yards. Aaron Bryant has rushed for 1,387 yards this season. Johnson County won its third consecutive region title this season despite the graduation of Germivy Tucker, who rushed for 6,928 career yards, breaking Herschel Walker’s school record. Johnson County beat Pelham 16-8 in a first-round defensive slog, leading 212-152 in total yards. Johnson County allows 8.5 points per game, second to Metter for fewest in the classification. Johnson County beat Clinch County in their last meeting 36-21 in the 2022 quarterfinals.
*Irwin County (10-1) at Early County (8-3): Irwin County, ranked No. 5 in the classification but seeded No. 3 in its region, beat the eighth-ranked team, Greene County, 42-7 in the first round and now faces a three-time region champion that is trying to reach the quarterfinals for the third season in a row. These teams played last season in a non-region game, and Irwin won 31-29. This season, Irwin has lost only to Clinch County and has wins over Brooks County and Fitzgerald but came up short on region points differential in games against Clinch and Brooks, thus the gauntlet of road playoff games. Irwin holds the longest active streak of reaching the quarterfinals (11 seasons) of any GHSA school. Irwin averages 42.9 points per game, second to Bowdon in the classification. Shane Marshall, who is committed to Minnesota, has rushed for 1,450 yards. Early County beat Glascock County 52-15 in the first round. Early rushed for 543 yards. Devonis Lee rushed for 145, and Evan Grist rushed for 129, on 19 combined carries. The Bobcats average 279.4 rushing yards with three backs over 500 yards on the season. The team has completed only 21 passes.
*Jenkins County (9-2) at Macon County (7-4): Jenkins County, the Region 3 runner-up to Metter, is in the second round for the second straight season and is trying to advance to a quarterfinal for the first time since its 1960 Class B runner-up finish. The Eagles, ranked No. 10, beat Wheeler County 39-14 in the first round. Kendrick Thomas rushed for 100 yards on 12 carries, and Jenkins forced three turnovers, two returned for touchdowns. Macon County, the unranked Region 6 champion, is trying to reach the quarterfinals for the second straight season, this time under first-year coach Kurt Williams. The Bulldogs beat Greenville 44-14 in the first round. Jakeyveon Parker rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns. These schools have never played each other.
*Miller County (8-3) at Brooks County (7-4): Miller County beat Wilkinson County 50-30 last week for the Pirates’ first playoff victory since 2018. QB J.P. Powell rushed for 261 yards and five touchdowns on 13 carries. Powell has run for 1,019 yards on the season at 11.3 yards per carry. He was 1-for-5 passing in the Wilkinson game. The Pirates had 407 rushing yards as a team, with T.J. Grant adding 105 yards. Brooks County beat Washington-Wilkes 49-7 in the first round. George Lamons, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver that one rival coach calls “The Megatron,” had six receptions for 240 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Burrus was 9-of-11 passing for 298 yards. Chris Cole rushed for 117 yards. Brooks County was a Class A Division I semifinalist last season and won a Class A championship in 2021. All of the Trojans’ losses have been against teams still in the playoffs. Both teams have first-year coaches. Brooks County promoted Josh McFather, who is the son of Miller County’s coach last season, Daniel McFather, who retired. Miller County hired Tom Causey, who has won state titles in Alabama, from Ola. These schools have not met since 1975. Brooks County leads the series 5-1.
*Mitchell County (9-2) at Lincoln County (10-0): Lincoln County hasn’t been undefeated this late in a season since 2011, when Larry Campbell was the coach. The Red Devils were in the semifinals two seasons ago. Ranked No. 6, they beat Charlton County 49-20 in the first round as Kelby Glaze rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Mitchell County beat Hancock Central 47-12 in the first round for the Eagles’ first playoff victory since 2020. Freshman Khalil Murray rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns on three carries. Mitchell County has lost only to Clinch County and Early County, teams that remain in the playoffs. Mitchell County and Lincoln County have played twice, splitting Class 2A quarterfinal games in 1978 and 1979. Mitchell’s 1978 victory ended Lincoln’s 38-game winning streak, which was a state record at the time.
*Trion (9-2) at Telfair Conty (9-2): Telfair County reached the semifinals last season, and this year’s team won the school’s first region title. Telfair beat ECI 22-19 in the first round as Jabari Zanders threw three long TD passes to Bentavius Livingston, one for 77 yards for the winning touchdown midway in the fourth quarter. ECI had two deep drives into Telfair’s red zone after that but came up empty. Trion is in the second round for the fourth straight season but has not advanced further since 2015. Trion, the third-place finisher in Region 7 behind Manchester and Bowdon, beat Schley County 45-40 on the road in the first round. Trion led by 18 earlier in the fourth quarter and wasn’t in serious danger. Logan Stokes rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown, had two receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns and could’ve scored a fourth touchdown but stopped at the 1-yard line so Trion could take a knee. Trion more typically is a passing team as Kade Smith (2,138 yards passing) and Ethan Willingham (1,040 yards receiving) led Class A Division II in their categories through the regular season.
*Wilcox County at Manchester (8-1): No. 1 Manchester, seeking the school’s first state title since the 1990s, beat Marion County 49-6 in the first round. Darrius Favors (119) and Qua Cooper (108) each went over 100 yards rushing. Favors has rushed for 1,321 yards this season. Manchester is allowing 8.4 points per game, mostly while playing without five-star defensive tackle Justus Terry, who hopes to return in the playoffs but hasn’t suited up since August. Wilcox County will be hoping for a low-scoring game such as the one last week, when the Patriots beat McIntosh County Academy 9-0 with a field goal and a special teams touchdown. Wilcox held MCA to 129 total yards. Wilcox County's go-to player is C.J. McAdoo, who has touchdowns rushing, receiving and returning punts and kickoffs. Wilcox has lost four games, all by six points or fewer, one in overtime.
Class 3A-A private
*Savannah Country Day (5-6) at Savannah Christian (9-0): This is a rematch of their Region 3-A Division I game on Oct. 4 that Savannah Christian won 38-7. Savannah Christian’s Zo Small rushed for 100 yards and Kenry Wall had 154 all-purpose yards. They are the team’s top offensive weapons. Smalls has run for 1,255 yards and 19 touchdowns this season, and Wall has 1,000 all-purpose yards. Defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, the consensus No. 4 player nationally who has committed to Georgia, has 49 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 24 tackles for losses. Savannah Christian, a state runner-up last season, had a first-round bye and last played on Nov. 1, a 14-7 victory over Toombs County that decided the region championship. Savannah Country Day, seeded No. 17, beat Mount Vernon 23-17 last week for its first playoff win since 2021. The Hornets made a goal-line stand in the final minute, with Jeremiah Brown intercepting a fourth-down pass in the end zone to secure the win. Isaiah Batten passed for 119 yards and has 1,415 passing yards for the season.
*Whitefield Academy (7-3) at North Cobb Christian (9-1): This is the only game this weekend matching teams that both had byes in the first round. Whitefield Academy lost to Fellowship Christian in the Region 5-A Division I championship game on Nov. 1 and ended up as the No. 9 seed. North Cobb Christian finished second to Rockmart in Region 7-2A and is the No. 8 seed. Whitefield Academy is a run-first team led by Mason Hollingsworth (1,185 yards and 14 touchdowns on 155 carries) and Bryce Duck (555 yards, 10 TDs, 72 carries). The Wolfpack has never reached the quarterfinals. North Cobb Christian is more the passing team. Sophomore Teddy Jarrard is 153-of-208 passing (73.6%) for 2,012 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Eagles are 0-4 in the second round since reaching the quarterfinals in 2018. These schools are about 25 miles apart on opposite ends of Cobb County but have met just three times, with Whitefield Academy winning two of three from 2016 to 2021.
*Providence Christian (3-8) at Prince Avenue Christian (7-3): The game matches a team fresh off its first-ever playoff victory against a two-time defending state champion. Providence Christian, the No. 21 seed, reached the second round for the first time in the program’s 11 full varsity seasons by upsetting 11-point favorite Landmark Christian 27-24. Jake Shapland kicked two field goals, including a 35-yard game-winner. Michael Miller ran for 230 yards and passed for 129. Prince Avenue won the past two state championships in Class A Division I and the 2020 title in Class A Private. The Wolverines are the No. 5 seed and received a bye last week. Unlike past Prince Avenue teams that relied on the arms of Brock Vandagriff and Aaron Philo, this one leans more on the running game. Andrew Beard, a sophomore committed to Georgia, leads the way with 1,451 yards and 15 touchdowns on 165 carries. But the Wolverines remain dangerous through the air, as Ben Musser and Jake Bobo have combined for 1,927 yards and 19 touchdowns passing.
*Mount Paran Christian (8-3) at Calvary Day (9-1): Mount Paran, pegged by the computer Maxwell Ratings as a nine-point underdog last week, beat Greater Atlanta Christian 32-29 for its first playoff victory since 2019. The Eagles, seeded 13th, led throughout but didn’t secure the win until running the final 8:40 off the clock after GAC had cut the lead to three. QB Andrew Overton ran for three touchdowns, including an 80-yarder on the Eagles' opening possession. He is the leading rusher (972 yards in the regular season) in the team’s triple-option offense. Calvary Day, the No. 4 seed, was the champion of 10-team Region 3-3A for the Cavaliers' fourth consecutive region title. They have reached at least the quarterfinals nine times in the past 11 seasons. Their best-known player is Thomas Blackshear, a consensus four-star wide receiver who has committed to Georgia. Blackshear has 847 yards and 13 touchdowns receiving. Sophomore quarterback James Mobley is 116-of-150 passing (77.3%) for 2,138 yards and 28 touchdowns.
*Aquinas (7-4) at Athens Academy (10-0): This is a rematch of their season-opening, non-region game on Aug. 16 that Athens Academy won 45-22. Athens Academy’s Hampton Johnson was 11-of-14 passing for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Keyon Standifer had 86 yards receiving, 71 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Standifer led Class A Division I in receiving yards in the regular season with 1,222. The Spartans, who are seeded No. 3 and received a bye last week, are trying to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019. Aquinas finished fifth in nine-team Region 4-3A and enter as the No. 14 seed. The Fighting Irish advanced with a 30-23 victory over Holy Innocents’ last week. Jim Franklin was 11-of-14 passing for 173 yards and rushed for 66 yards, and Eli Hutchinson ran for 120 yards. Franklin has passed for 1,941 yards and 16 touchdowns this season in a balanced offense. Aquinas hasn’t reached the quarterfinals since its 2015 team finished as state runner-up.
*Lovett (9-2) at Hebron Christian (8-2): Lovett, the third-place team in Region 5-2A and No. 11 seed in the playoffs, survived a scare from Class 3A Trinity Christian last week and escaped with a 38-35 victory to reach the second round for the fifth consecutive season. Lovett took a 38-28 lead late in the third quarter and held on. Kalil Townes ran for 222 yards on 17 carries, and Quinn Carroll was 6-for-9 passing for 130 yards. The Lions have lost eight consecutive second-round games since their last quarterfinal appearance in 2014. Sixth-seeded Hebron Christian received a bye last week and will have waited three weeks to bounce back from its 34-31 loss to Prince Avenue Christian in the game that decided the Region 8-2A title. The Lions are led by Devon Caldwell (1,023 yards rushing), Thomas Stallworth (1,673 yards passing) and Jarvis Mathurin (759 yards receiving). Hebron Christian is seeking its first quarterfinal appearance since 2019.
*Wesleyan (9-2) at Christian Heritage (8-2): No. 10 seed Wesleyan beat Mount Pisgah Christian 41-21 last week to reach the second round for the ninth time in 10 seasons. Ben Brown passed for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and Grayson McCollum ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Brown was the Class A Division I passing leader during the regular season and now has 2,638 yards with 38 touchdowns. The Wolves reached the Class 3A quarterfinals last year. Christian Heritage is the No. 7 seed and received a bye last week after finishing in second place in Region 7-A Division I behind Fannin County. They are the only two of the region’s seven playoff teams that are still alive. The Lions are led by senior quarterback Carter Triplett, who has passed for 2,320 yards and 27 touchdowns and run for a team-best 804 yards and 12 TDs. Christian Heritage is seeking its first quarterfinal appearance since 2015.
*King’s Ridge Christian (8-3) at Fellowship Christian (8-2): This is a rematch of their Region 5-A Division I game on Sept. 20 that Fellowship Christian won 45-7. Fellowship’s C.J. Givers rushed for 132 yards on 10 carries, and Jonathan Granby was 5-of-6 passing for 85 yards and rushed for 72 yards. Fellowship went on to win the region title, earn the No. 2 seed for the playoffs and get a first-round bye. The Paladins are one win from their seventh consecutive quarterfinal appearance. King’s Ridge is enjoying the best season in the program’s 17-year history. The Tigers’ eight victories are three more than the previous best, and their 35-0 victory over Darlington last week was their first win in the playoffs. Chase Fister ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns, and Austin Drye had 72 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers ran for 322 yards on 48 carries while attempting just one pass, which was completed for 10 yards. King’s Ridge is seeded No. 15.