Last week’s second round of the GHSA’s five-week prep football championship run produced still more upsets, and several of the teams many felt had a chance to punch their ticket to the Georgia Dome finals on December 12 and 13 fell to inspired opponents who will continue to play their way toward a football title in 2014.

Here are a few of the surprising results from a week ago: Mays 21 Ware County 18, Glynn Academy 31 Creekside 21, Lovett 42 Macon County 8, Heard County 28 Screven County 8, Hart County 7 Cook of Adel 0, Etowah 23 Westlake 6, and Marist 31 Griffin 21. It has indeed been an interesting first two weeks of state football playoffs. When one checks the elite eight brackets this week, there are some teams missing which football fans across the state were certain would be playing Thanksgiving week.

Even though some of the top-ranked teams in each classification have fallen by the wayside, there are still some great matchups this weekend. In Class A, Mount Zion (Carroll) travels to Buena Vista to meet top-ranked Class A power Marion County, the defending Class A public school champions from 2013. Aquinas, the 2013 Class A private school title holders, host Tattnall Square of Macon, in Augusta. It is the second meeting of these two powers in less than a month. The Irish topped the Trojans 49-21 in their earlier meeting.

In a battle of unbeaten teams in Norcross, Greater Atlanta Christian School 12-0, hosts the Vidalia Indians, also 12-0 on the season. These two Class AA teams were ranked one and two in the regular season’s final Georgia Sportswriters poll. Another top game in Class AA, finds defending champion Lovett traveling to Savannah to meet Benedictine Military at T.A. Wright Stadium. Ironically, these two teams were ranked at number’s three and four in the final regular season rankings. The Lions and Cadets both come into the Friday night’s game with identical 10-2 records.

Class AAA has some terrific games on tap this week. Top-ranked Washington County plays host to Pierce County at The House of Pain in Sandersville, Blessed Trinity is at Jefferson in a battle of unbeaten teams, Elbert County travels to Calhoun and Westminster heads to Hartwell to meet Hart County. Washington County, Calhoun, Jefferson and Blessed Trinity are all 12-0, but Hart County 11-1, Westminster 11-1, Pierce County 10-2, and Elbert County 9-3, are all top-notch teams.

Class AAAA’s top matchup finds Marist at Buford. The undefeated Wolves 12-0, have hardly been challenged all season long as they pursue yet another trophy to go with last year’s class AAA title hardware. However, this week’s task will be a tough test as Marist is 11-1 on the season, with their lone loss, 10-9, suffered at the hands of St. Pius X another member of the elite eight Class AAAA bracket. St. Pius X 10-2, welcomes West Laurens 9-3.

In Class AAAAA its Jones County at Mays, Houston County at Stockbridge, Glynn Academy at Northside of Warner Robins and Gainesville travels to Acworth to meet Allatoona. Class AAAAAA third round games find Newton at Etowah, Hillgrove at Archer, Milton at Colquitt County and McEachern at Tucker in the GPB-TV Friday night game of the week.

Happy Thanksgiving…