The opening round of the statewide Prep Football playoffs is history, and those winners from round one are now the Sweet Sixteen; not exactly a term that would be considered proper terminology for the remaining High School Football teams that continue to challenge for a Prep Title here in 2017. I’m sure all of the teams are happy to be a part of this the second round of play and are preparing now to move into next week’s third round, or the Elite Eight group of teams.

There were few surprises in the opening round of play as most favored teams were able to win and move forward. There were some outstanding games played and a wild card (or team 32 in the 7A bracket) the Marietta Blue Devils, topped Westlake, the top seed from Region 2-7A, 34-7. In Class 6A, Northside-Warner Robins and Brunswick played a classic playoff game on Saturday night and the mid-state Eagles topped the Pirates, 24-21, on the coast with a late score.

Other games of note saw, top-ranked Lowndes, Tucker, Rome, Cartersville, Cedar Grove, and Benedictine Military, all advance to the round of sixteen in their respective classifications, 7A through 2-A, with big wins in round one. Class A’s top team, Eagles Landing Christian Academy, drew a first round bye, and will meet Savannah Christian Prep in their first playoff action this week.

In the second round of play this weekend, there are some dandy matchups in all classifications. In Class 7A, it’s Mill Creek at Archer in a rematch of the Tigers 16-13 win earlier in the year, and Grayson meets North Gwinnett. The GPB-TV game of the week features Colquitt County at undefeated Walton, and the winner of that offensive-minded showdown meets the winner of Mill Creek and Archer in the next round of play.

Class 6A has a few classic showdowns as well. Northside-Warner Robins travels to play Tucker, Mays hosts Centennial, and Coffee, who beat Effingham County 52-32 last week, plays at Evans, who downed Drew, 69-32. Offense is the key word in this game in Metro Augusta this week.

In Class 5A, it’s upstart Eagles Landing at Warner Robins, Jones County at Wayne County, SW DeKalb at top-ranked Rome and Bainbridge on the road at Starr’s Mill

Class 4A features Cedartown at Marist, Blessed Trinity at Cartersville, Jefferson at Ridgeland and the Syrupmakers of Cairo on the road at powerful Burke County in Waynesboro. Last year’s 4A runner up, the Thomson Bulldogs travel to play at Americus-Sumter. 

Round two for Class 3A is loaded with top games this weekend. Top-ranked Cedar Grove hosts Dawson County, Peach County hosts Pierce County, Monroe Area is at perennial power Calhoun and Cook of Adel makes the long trip to Savannah to take on the undefeated Jenkins Warriors. Greater Atlanta Christian hosts Lovett and East Hall meets Westminster in Atlanta.

Class 2A’s top team, the unbeaten Benedictine Cadets, host once-beaten Jefferson County in a shootout at Savannah State Stadium in Savannah, while number-two ranked Screven County hosts Toombs County in Sylvania. Rabun County hosts Best Academy, Hapeville Charter welcomes Elbert County and Brooks County heads to Eastman to meet the undefeated Dodge County Indians.

Both divisions of Class A, Public and Private, swing into full action this week as the eight Region winners in each division, now meet the survivors from week one’s round of play.  

Irwin County takes on Lincoln County in Ocilla, Clinch County plays Dooly County in Homerville and Macon County hosts Pelham in Montezuma in key games in Class A Public play.

 In Class A Private, Calvary Day School of Savannah meets Wesleyan, Darlington is at Aquinas in Augusta, and First Presbyterian of Macon is on the road at Athens Academy.

The Football Friday Night game of the week on GPB-TV kicks off the action at 7PM with the All Access Pass, and then it’s the Colquitt County Packers and the Walton Raiders this Friday night. This is a battle of two, high-scoring, Top Ten Teams, and should be a classic playoff game.

Don’t miss it!   We’ll see you Friday night…