Bold predictions: How will these important high school football region matchups play out?

There's just three weeks remaining in the high school football season.

Just three weeks, I say in absolute shock and disbelief.

The playoffs begin in less than a month. How could they? Didn't the season just begin?

As hard as it is to believe, we've reached the point in the season where every game matters.

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This week, the Athens area has some of its most crucial matchups of the season. Several will determine region playoff spots and could decide outright region champs.

Here's five bold predictions for Week 10 matchups.

Oconee County football gets revenge

The Warriors have had this game circled for a year.

Last season, Monroe Area waltzed into Watkinsville and danced away with a region-winning 17-14 upset.

Now, it's a new season and Oconee County has a new head coach, but the players haven't forgotten what happened last year.

What's funny, however, is how this season's played out.

The two teams have played a pair of the toughest schedules in the state. This will be Oconee County's (4-3, 1-1 Region 8-3A) sixth game this season against a ranked opponent when they've played. It will be the fifth such game for Monroe Area (3-4, 1-1).

Two weeks ago, Monroe Area laid a walloping down on Hebron Christian, which the week before upset the Warriors.

So, it figures this game would be quite the toss up.

But with last year's motivation hanging in the balance, give me the 10th-ranked Warriors to beat the 8th-ranked Purple Hurricanes.

Clarke Central takes advantage of home field

It's not a must win for the Gladiators, but it's a much-needed win.

A win against Eastside (5-2, 2-1 Region 8-5A) on Friday would go a long way toward locking Clarke Central (3-5, 2-2) into the playoffs, and it would fight for seeding in the final week of the regular season against Winder-Barrow.

A loss and it is in a must-win scenario against the Bulldoggs. Of course, there could be chaos in the final week if the three teams are tied and no team owns the clear tiebreak.

We'll cross that bridge in two weeks.

For now, Clarke Central needs a big home win over Eastside, and I think the Glads are in a good spot to pull it off.

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Emotional Jefferson keeps rolling

Last week, Jefferson took care of business at Flowery Branch during an emotional game where it honored teammate Elijah Dewitt, who was shot and killed the prior week.

Now, the Dragons (5-2, 3-0 Region 8-5A) return home for the first time since the tragedy and face No. 4 Loganville (8-0, 4-0).

The game is a de facto region title decider between the region's top two teams, but there will be a lot of motivation for Jefferson inside Memorial Stadium.

Give me the Dragons to win and take control of the region.

Can Commerce pull off another upset?

The Tigers (6-2, 1-0 Region 8-A Division I) are quietly in the middle of a five-game win streak that includes a win two weeks ago at 10th-ranked Social Circle.

After a win last week at Athens Christian, they'll face No. 6 Elbert County (7-1, 0-1) which suffered its first loss of the season last week against No. 3 Rabun County.

This one's important for region seeding, as the region has just four seeds and the Tigers face Rabun County in the final game of their season.

Give me a huge night of rushing, with top running backs on both sidelines, and a Commerce win.

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North Oconee locks up Region 8-4A

With a win, the No. 2 Titans (7-0, 5-0) will have secured consecutive Region 8-4A titles, as they will hold tiebreakers over the only teams that could catch them.

But the final two games are also against teams that it should handle with ease, so, honestly, this week's game against Walnut Grove (6-1, 4-1) is its only challenge until the playoffs.

But a loss to Walnut Grove would give the Warriors an advantage and the path to the region title should they win out.

That shouldn't happen, however, as Walnut Grove just isn't in the same ballpark as the Titans, even though it will get a chance to knock off one of the state's best at home in Walnut Grove.

But it's not happening. The Titans have outscored opponents 10-1 (267-26) in region play this year. They'll win this one big as well.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens, Georgia Week 10 high school football bold predictions