The first round of the GHSA football playoffs begin this weekend throughout the state. Here are five of the most compelling first-round games in the three largest classifications.

FFIG111524

Valdosta at Walton: Valdosta (8-2) is the No. 3 seed from Region 1. The Wildcats won their first seven games before losing to Richmond Hill, then finishing the season with a 30-10 loss to rival Lowndes in the “Winnersville Classic.”  Walton (7-3) is the No. 2 team from Region 5. The Raiders finished the season by winning their final four games after losing to eventual region champion North Cobb on Sept. 20. Walton’s other losses came against Class 5A No. 5 Roswell and Norcross.

This will be the second meeting between the schools. They played in the state quarterfinals in 2004, with Walton winning 17-14 in Valdosta.

Mill Creek at Douglas County: In another featured Class 6A first-round game, No. 10 Mill Creek (7-3) travels to play No. 4 Douglas County (8-2). Mill Creek’s losses came to No. 2 Buford, No. 3 North Gwinnett and No. 7 Collins Hill. Douglas County lost to No. 2 Buford and No. 1 Carrollton. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Houston County at Clarke Central: This interesting Class 5A contest features Houston (6-4), the No. 4 seed from Region 2, against Clarke Central (8-2), which won the Region 8 championship, its first since 2021. Houston County leads the series 2-0, but the teams haven’t played since 2001.

Warner Robins at Marist: This is the featured game in Class 4A and includes two of the state’s iconic programs who have never played each other. No. 1-ranked Marist is 10-0 and won its fifth straight region championship. Warner Robins (7-3) has been in and out of the rankings all season. The Demons have lost to Class 5A No. 2 Lee County and two teams from their own region – No. 10 Benedictine and No. 9 Ware County.

Starr’s Mill vs. Mays: Starr’s Mill (9-1) won its first nine games, but a loss to Central Carroll in the season finale dropped the Panthers to a No. 3 seed in Region 3 and went them on the road for the playoffs. Mays (8-2) has lost only to Class 5A No. 4 Hughes and Class 4A No. 8 Creekside. The two teams have never played.