It seems as if the regular season Prep Football competition began just a couple of weeks ago; but we are now at the final week of the schedule, and with that comes bracketology. Yes football fans it is now time to take a look at who’s in the second season of play, and who is already looking ahead to filling out next year’s regular season schedules.

Several teams have already punched their tickets to the second-season playoffs, but other teams are preparing for this week’s important games, which will get them a spot in those playoff brackets.

The 2017 Prep Football season has been one that most football fans will long remember. A season that contained two Hurricanes, which adversely affected almost every team in the State of Georgia, and a season where there were some of the most thrilling games played in many years.

Lowndes and Colquitt County put an exclamation point on their final regular season games in Region 1-7A. The Vikings and Packers went to double overtime, and when the smoke had cleared at the jam-packed Concrete Palace in Valdosta, Lowndes had captured the victory and the Region Title, 51-45. 

The Vikings of Coach Randy McPherson completed their regular season slate at, 10-0, while Rush Propst’s Colquitt County Packers finished at, 7-3. Region 1-7A members Tift County and Camden County will finish their regular season play this week, while the Vikings and Packers remount and reload for statewide competition in two weeks.

Other top games saw Coffee, 6-2, on the season, down defending 6A Champion Valdosta, 37-14, to set up a showdown with highly-ranked Lee County, 8-1, in Leesburg Friday night for the Region 1-6A, Title. Northside-Warner Robins topped neighborhood rival Houston County, 17-14, and now takes the week off in preparation for the playoffs next weekend.

Other games of note last week saw Wayne County clinch the Region 2-5A Title with a 28-14 win over Ware County at Jaycee Stadium in Jesup. The Yellow Jackets, 7-1, on the season, wrap up their regular season this week against Statesboro, but have already claimed the region crown.   

In Class 4A, Burke County and Thomson played a playoff type regular season game in Waynesboro this past Friday night. A capacity crowd watched as the two region rivals settled the Region Championship. The home standing Bears of Eric Parker topped Rob Ridings’ Bulldogs, 27-24.

Both teams now prepare for the five-week dash to the Class 4A Title at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Burke County is the top seed from Region 3-4A, while Thomson is the number two team from that region.

There are many top games on tap for this, the final week of the regular season, some with playoff positions at stake.

Greater Atlanta Christian, 8-1, is at Dawson County, 7-2, while Morgan County, 8-1, one of the surprise teams in the state this season, is at Jackson County, 5-4. Jeff Davis of Hazlehurst, 5-3, on the campaign, is at top-ranked Benedictine Military, 9-0, in Class AA. In a battle of unbeaten teams, Jefferson County, 9-0, on the season is at Screven County, 8-0, in a Region 3AA title game.

Thomasville, 9-0, hosts old rival Fitzgerald, 4-5, while Brooks County, 8-1, is at Berrien, 4-5, in Region 1-AA. Class A’s top games find Prince Avenue Christian, 9-0, at Athens Academy, 9-0, battling for the Region 8-A crown, and Calvary Day, 8-1, is at ECI, also 8-1, for the Region 3-A Championship. In the mid-state, Stratford Academy, 9-0, hosts Aquinas, 6-3, in Macon.

This week it’s bracketology week on Football Friday’s in Georgia, Inside Edition. It all begins this Friday night at 7PM. The week’s bracket edition of the show has been expanded to 11PM, as we set up the playoff brackets for the second season which begins next week across the state.

Join Jon Nelson, Matt Stewart, Sam Crenshaw, Nikky Williams and me as we get you set for the second season of Prep Football action and wrap up the 2017 regular season.

Don’t miss it…