High school football playoffs are here. These Middle GA schools play in round one
High school football playoffs kick off Friday to begin the gauntlet run to the championship games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta this winter, and several Middle Georgia schools will be in the hunt for a first-round win.
GHSA split the first round of games into two slates this year, with most games still happening on Friday but class 2A and 4A games scheduled for Saturday. Four teams from each region in each classification earned a playoff bid, with the seedings determined by region rankings, as always.
Here’s a look at the Middle Georgia area teams and their matchups in the first round of the postseason.
6A
Middle Georgia’s only two 6A teams both made the playoffs, with Houston County finishing second in their region and Northside finishing fourth. Both teams drew tough opponents in the first round.
The 7-2 Bears will travel up Interstate 75 to face the North Atlanta Warriors, who finished 9-1 and lost only to powerhouse Marist this season.
It will be a tough test to start the postseason, but star quarterback AJ Hill could very well be up to the task. Houston County started the season as one of the hottest teams in the state, but stumbled in region play. Their high-powered offense keeps them very much in the mix for a long playoff run.
Northside finished 4-6 and fourth in Region 1, but could be stronger than their record. They played Warner Robins close early in the season and snagged impressive wins against Jones County and Peach County. The Eagles will face Marist, another 9-1 team that GPB ranked as the seventh-best team in 6A, according to their website.
5A
Two of Middle Georgia’s strongest teams reside in the 5A classification and earned home playoff games to start the tournament. Warner Robins will face McIntosh at McConnell-Talbert Stadium and second-seeded Jones County takes on Northside-Columbus in Gray.
The 7-3 Demons are as hot as anyone entering the playoffs, winning their last five straight games on the way to a region title. Many expect dominance at this point, as Warner Robins has appeared in each of the last six state title games dating back to 2017, including back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.
Jones County was almost as hot as Warner Robins at one point this season. Their roll was only slowed by the Demons themselves, who beat the Greyhounds to win the region and halt a five-game Jones County winning streak earlier this year.
The Greyhounds still earned the second seed and will host the Northside-Columbus Patriots, who finished the year 6-4 after a tough schedule against teams like Northgate and Harris County.
4A
Perry, Westside and Baldwin will all represent Middle Georgia in the playoffs this year, but only the Panthers were able to secure a home game in the opening round.
Even with the second seed, Perry draws a tough first-round matchup against the Burke County Bears, a 9-1 squad with wins over Thomson and Wayne County. If quarterback Colter Ginn has not fully recovered from a hand injury that sidelined him late in the season, it could be a close game.
Westside and Baldwin both hit the road for their first round matchups. The Seminoles play New Hampstead, a 5-4 Savannah team that will likely play above their record. The Braves scored an unlucky draw, as they must face an undefeated Benedictine.
3A
Mary Persons leads the way in 3A this postseason, entering the playoffs with a 9-1 record and a region title under their belt. They host 6-4 Long County in Forsyth Friday night in what should be a first-round win behind star running back Duke Watson
Upson-Lee finished second in the region and earned a home game in the first round. They’ll play 7-3 Savannah Country Day to start the playoffs.
Peach County is the only Middle Georgia 3A team to hit the road in the first round, facing another strong coastal team, 8-2 Savannah Christian. The Trojans could be better than their record, as they improved late after a cold start to the season.
2A
Northeast played solid football all year to win Macon’s 2A region, but the Raiders got unlucky when the brackets were drawn up. They’ll host 8-2 Appling County, considered one of the strongest teams in 2A, at Thompson Stadium Saturday night. They’ll have to play without their immensely talented running back Nick Woodford, who is out with a torn ACL.
The other local 2A teams to make the playoffs, ACE and Southwest, will travel for their first round games. The Gryphons, still searching for their first playoff win, face a 9-1 Pierce County team that dominated all year aside from a loss to Appling County. The Patriots hit the road to take on another 9-1 team, Toombs County, in a tough game.
A-Divisions 1 and 2
Bleckley County enter the postseason as one of the premier teams in their class, placing in the top five of GPB’s rankings for A-1 for much of the season. They earn an easier home matchup against 2-8 Claxton.
Dublin finished not far behind at 8-2 and will host 4-6 Screven County. Wilkinson County of Division 2 will also host a home game. 1-9 Crawford County, who got a playoff bid due to the size of the region, will go on the road and play 5-5 Brooks County.
Here’s a list of game times for this weekend’s action.
Friday games
Houston County @ North Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Northside @ Marist, 7:30 p.m.
Warner Robins vs McIntosh, 7:30 p.m.
Jones County vs Northside-Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
Mary Persons vs Long County, 7:30 p.m.
Upson-Lee vs Savannah Country Day, 7:30 p.m.
Bleckley County vs Claxton, 7:30 p.m.
Dublin vs Screven County, 7:30 p.m.
Crawford County @ Brooks County, 7:30 p.m.
Wilkinson County vs Lincoln County, 6 p.m.
Stratford vs Strong Rock, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Perry vs Burke County, 4 p.m.
Westside @ New Hampstead, 7:30 p.m.
Baldwin @ Benedictine, 6 p.m.
Northeast vs Appling County, 7:30 p.m.
ACE @ Pierce County, 6:30 p.m.
Southwest @ Toombs County, 7:30 p.m.
