The fun really starts this week as the GSHA playoffs roll into the third round.

Here are five exceptional quarterfinal matches, where it takes only three more victories to win a state championship.

Collins Hill at Grayson: This Class 6A contest is a rematch from the season opener, when Collins Hill came from behind to claim a 20-19 victory. No. 6 Grayson (11-1) has not since and is out for revenge. No. 5 Collins Hill (11-1) has lost only to mighty Buford. Grayson leads the series 6-4 and defeated the Eagles in the 2020 state championship game.

North Gwinnett at Buford: The two neighboring schools haven’t played since 1999, about the time North Gwinnett began the grow and Buford was still a small school. Now they meet in the Class 6A quarterfinals, both as region champions with Buford earning the home date thanks to the GHSA’s universal coin flip. No. 2 Buford is 11-1 and has won 11 straight since losing to Milton (No. 3 nationally) in the season opener. No. 3 North Gwinnett (12-0) hasn’t carried an unbeaten record this far into the year since 2017, when the Bulldogs won the state championship. Buford leads the series 22-5-1

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Thomas County Central at Hughes: These Class 5A teams are accustomed to big-time football games. No. 3 Thomas County (11-1) beat Woodward Academy to win the Class 4A title last year. The Yellow Jackets have lost only to No. 2-ranked Lee County, a setback which cost them the Region 2 championship and forced them to go on the road for the third round. No. 4 Hughes (11-1) is the Region 3 champion. The Panthers won the Class 6A championship in 2023 by beating Gainesville in the championship. The team’s only loss this season came against non-conference rival Douglas County This will be the first meeting between the two teams. This is the featured game on this week’s edition of Football Fridays in Georgia.

Cartersville at North Oconee: This is the marquee game in Class 4A and features two undefeated teams – the only such matchup in the third round -- No. 2 Cartersville (12-0) and No. 3 North Oconee (12-0). Cartersville has reached the quarterfinal round for the 10th time in 13 seasons. North Oconee is in the third round for the fourth straight year. This will be the first meeting between the teams.  

Manchester at Lincoln County: Another battle of two region champions as No. 1 Manchester travels to No. 4 Lincoln County. Manchester (9-1) has won nine in a row since its season-opening loss to Harris County. Lincoln County (11-0) has not been undefeated this late into the season since 2011, when the Red Devils fell in the quarterfinals. The teams have met only once, with Manchester winning 6-3 in the 1997 Class A semifinals at the Georgia Dome.