The past three weeks have been tough ones for those teams which have now advanced to the Semi-final round of the GHSA Prep Football playoffs. The good news; there are still thirty-two teams remaining in the hunt for a Georgia Dome Trophy in eight classifications, Class A through Class AAAAAAA. The bad news; all of the remaining teams playing this week are championship caliber teams. Two teams will head to the Georgia Dome in each classification, and two teams will stay at home after this week’s play.

August football practice seems a distant memory now for most squads as we head into the first week in December. Prep teams are into week four of a five week second season and their assignments get tougher each week. There are no easy routes to the Dome from where the teams are now.

The quarterfinals were as exciting as ever, featuring games with missed field goals at the buzzer, converted field goals late in the game, and a three overtime thriller. There were a few one-sided wins last week, but the remaining teams must put those games in the rearview mirror and focus on this week’s task at hand.

Metro Atlanta landed four teams in this week’s new Class AAAAAAA semi-final round. Roswell will meet Westlake in one of the matchups and Mill Creek travels to Grayson in the other game. Roswell eliminated North Cobb; Westlake took out Lowndes, Mill Creek defeated McEachern and Grayson eliminated two-time defending champion Colquitt County.

In Class AAAAAA Region One flexed its muscle and will send two teams to the semi-final round of play, Region Champion Valdosta and runner up Northside-Warner Robins. To advance to next week’s finals, the Wildcats and Eagles will have to capture road wins this week. Valdosta makes the long trip to Dalton, while Northside heads to Tucker.

Class AAAAA has a couple of interesting games slated for this weekend as well. Stockbridge meets Rome on the road and perennial power Buford hosts Kell. In Class AAAA, Mary Persons travels to top-ranked Cartersville and number two ranked Thomson makes their second trip of the year to Jefferson in the other game in that division.

In Class AAA, powerful Peach County hosts Greater Atlanta Christian, while unbeaten Crisp County, on a roll and 13-0 on the season after finishing 3-7 a year ago, plays host to Cedar Grove in Cordele. In Class AA, Callaway heads to Savannah to take on top-ranked Benedictine Military and Hapeville Charter, one of the remaining surprising teams in 2016, heads to play at number two-ranked Fitzgerald.

Class A Public division will showcase Emanuel County Institute at Macon County in Montezuma, and McIntosh County Academy at defending Champion Clinch County in Homerville. In Class A Private, it’s Tattnall Square of Macon at Eagles Landing Christian Academy and Fellowship Christian at Prince Avenue Christian.

There are great semi-final games slated all across the state this weekend!