Welcome to the quarterfinals, everyone...

And with it, we still have our share of chalk. But, at the same time, we have some interesting storylines about the “angry” seeds Hannah and I talk about -- and all points in between...

Telfair

Telfair County returned from Portal with a two-point victory.

First stop is McRae to check in on Telfair County and head coach Matt Burleson. It’s back-to-back nine-win seasons for the Trojans and the first time they’ve been in the quarterfinals since 1993 when they lost in the quarters to Johnson County to finish 12-1.

They had to go on the road in Round 2 for a 90-minute drive to take on Portal. Here’s your highlights as a part of the “Friday Night Frenzy” on WJCL-TV. (They’re right at the halfway point of the show.)

I caught up with coach Burleson on his way to an early practice -- in the rain -- and he and his players would have rather done that than practice dry in the gym. Macon County is on the way.

“It’s been outstanding,” Burleson tells me. “From 2012, when we first got here, the kids, the coaching staff, the community, and the administration have all been very...”

It took him a minute to find the right word...

“...humbling... to experience this for the kids. It’s so exciting right now.”

The Trojans had to grind out a first down with Portal using their three timeouts to secure the win and Burleson made a point to tip his hat to his offensive line.

Telfair

The Telfair County fans came out to support their team on the road in the second round.

“Portal is a very well-coached team and their defense is outstanding. At this point of the season, it is survive and advance.”

Macon County comes all the way from Montezuma Friday night. They’re the sixth-ranked team in the GPB poll in Class A-Division II, but they’re an angry No. 3 seed after traveling to Dalton and Augusta before this week’s work. The top three seeds from Region 6 are all part of the discussion still.  

“They’re very well-coached, too,” Burleson admits. “Coach (Dexter) Copeland is a great offensive mind. They’re similar to (Region 4 champ) Dooly County where they have playmakers on the edge that you have to account for at all times. We have to play a clean game without turnovers. We have to be sound in the kicking game. It’ll be difficult since they’re not a typical No. 3 seed being ranked as well.

“Everybody here is excited about it. I mean, they’ve only done this one other time in school history. Some folks who watch us now may not even remember that or were really young when it happened the first time. There were a lot of folks that made the 90-minute drive last week and the people here are always supportive when it comes to extracurricular activities at Telfair County. It’s a close-knit community, for sure.”

And the team will just add layers if they need to stay warm this week at practice trying to keep things as normal as possible. There won’t be any indoor practice time...      

Cass poster

Cass and Jenkins made it through as two of the four No. 4 seeds that were remaining through Round 2. We told you about Coach Welch and all his Jenkins team is accomplishing this postseason, but the Colonels and head coach Steve Gates were one play away from not even being in the postseason -- period -- and have now made it to take a trip to Douglas and take on Coffee, the No. 3 team in the GPB Class 5A rankings.

Here’s the highlights of the Cass win over Mays in Round 2, thanks to FOX5 Atlanta. (They're in the last four minutes or so of the segment.)

I caught up with coach Gates after his trip to Costco to get snacks for the bus ride down and I asked him how it feels to be in the quarters...

“It’s not about me,” Gates tells me out of the blocks. “It’s about fun experiences for my players. Yes, the goal here is to win, but it’s also about having them experience the same things I did when I was in high school -- win or lose. If you make the right choices along the way and give maximum effort and attitude, things like this can happen for you. You may not remember a non-region game you won or your record at the time, but you’ll remember going to Coffee to take on a 12-0 team that’s top-ranked in the state.”

Cass football

Devin Henderson intercepted two passes for Cass in the second-round win over Mays.

Credit: Cass High School Facebook

I’ll maintain that, all season long, Region 7-5A was one of the toughest regions in their class -- and in the state. It always looked like five teams for four spots -- and Calhoun was the team that didn’t make the postseason. All of that region’s teams won their first-round playoff games this year as well.  

“We happened to fall as a No. 4 seed,” Gates continues. “I told my principal before region play, we could be 0-4 against the ‘Big 4’ or we could be 4-0. It’s just how this region is. And we had to win over Calhoun to get in. Cartersville’s first three wins were all one-score games and we swept the region we played in the opening round of the playoffs for the second year in a row.”

How close are the margins in the region? Had Calhoun beaten Dalton on the next-to-last week of the regular season (another one-score game where Dalton almost fumbled late), Cass would be at home. “God has us here for a reason,” he says.

Gates also gives a lot of credit to the current strength and conditioning coach Bobby Hughes for the successes on campus. Yes, Gates’ predecessor ... Bobby Hughes...

“Coach Hughes built a tough, hard-nosed, blue-collar football program in his time as head coach. He built the toughness and is an old-school coach. Me? I’m the new age guy. I know kids are looking for the flashy helmets and that kind of thing. But I was fortunate to build off his foundation.

“And here’s the thing ... He comes in here every day and asks, ‘What can I do to help?’ How many former coaches do that? All he wants is for Cass to do well.”

I asked Gates about Coffee and he tells me they remind him of Cartersville. “They’ll hit you square in the mouth,” he says. But having a non-region schedule like the one Gates schedules sets you up for a game like this one. He started at Rome and Rockmart and played Drew, Adairsville, and King to go into Season 2 at 3-2.  

“I could schedule us to where we would be 9-1 or 8-2, but that doesn’t help us for the playoffs. My principal and I were talking about it and I didn’t even get to finish my sentence about it getting next season ready. We will schedule the toughest we can find. That’s our philosophy around here.”

That will set the Colonels up for the trip to Jardine this weekend to see if they continue on in the 5A bracket...

We’ll have all of it for you as we get to the semifinals this Friday!

Play it safe, everyone... We’ll see you soon!