Here’s which Middle GA high school football teams are still alive in the playoffs

Micah Johnston
·3 min read

With the first round of high school football playoffs wrapped up, several Middle Georgia schools keep playing this week for a shot at the championship.

Here’s a list of teams from Macon and nearby counties that advanced to the second round:

Class 6A

The Houston County Bears survived a tough first-round matchup Friday, beating the North Atlanta Warriors 42-32 to advance to the next stage of postseason play. They’ll face the Woodward Academy War Eagles at 7 p.m. this Friday.

GPB ranked the War Eagles as the No. 10 team in Georgia 6A after they finished 9-2 with a perfect 7-0 record in region play.

5A

Jones County receiver Tyler Stewart (3) outruns defenders four a touchdown during the Greyhounds’ first-round playoff game against Northside-Columbus Friday night.
Jones County receiver Tyler Stewart (3) outruns defenders four a touchdown during the Greyhounds’ first-round playoff game against Northside-Columbus Friday night.

Two of Middle Georgia’s strongest teams won Friday and advanced to the second round of the 5A bracket when Jones County and Warner Robins both blew out their opponents.

The Greyhounds will have to hit the road to face powerhouse Coffee County, while the Demons are one of the few teams with a home game in the second round. They’ll host a strong Ware County team in a rematch of last year’s state title game.

Coffee County enters the game with a perfect 11-0 record and multiple outlets ranking them in the top five of 5A teams. Ware County boasts an 8-3 mark and is looking to repeat as state champion.

4A

The 4A and 2A schools from the Macon and Middle Georgia area had little success Saturday, but the Perry Panthers remained consistent. The Panthers beat a strong Burke County team 35-14 to reach the second round.

Now Perry will travel to Bainbridge for a heavyweight matchup. Both teams placed inside the top 10 on GPB’s 4A rankings this year.

3A

Mary Persons running back Duke Watson (26) carries the ball for the Bulldogs in the first round playoff game against Long County Friday night.
Mary Persons running back Duke Watson (26) carries the ball for the Bulldogs in the first round playoff game against Long County Friday night.

Another classification with two strong Middle Georgia teams, Mary Persons and Upson-Lee both advanced to the second round.

The Bulldogs will host Crisp County Friday night while Upson-Lee will travel to Carver-Columbus for a tough matchup against the 8-3 Tigers.

A-Division I

Bleckley County led the way for Middle Georgia’s A-Division I teams as they dominated in the first round to the tune of a 56-7 win over Claxton. The Royals will host Irwin County in the second round.

Other Middle Georgia teams advancing include Dublin, who won 49-0, along with Swainsboro and Lamar County.

GIAA playoffs

After a quiet first week with most teams on bye, several private schools in Middle Georgia will begin their playoff treks this week.

In the 4A division, FPD earned the top seed and will host Strong Rock while Tattnall travels to Bethlehem Christian Academy as the No. 5 seed. In 3A, John Milledge will look to continue their dominance with a home game against Tiftarea Academy.

FPD defenders surround Stratford punter Nathan Haskell (1) in the end zone after Haskell bobbled the snap. The punt was blocked and recovered for a touchdown by the Vikings.
FPD defenders surround Stratford punter Nathan Haskell (1) in the end zone after Haskell bobbled the snap. The punt was blocked and recovered for a touchdown by the Vikings.

Game times

  • Houston County (9-2) @ Woodward Academy (9-2), 7:30 p.m.

  • Warner Robins (8-3) v.s. Ware County (8-3), 7:30 p.m.

  • Jones County (8-3) @ Coffee County (11-0), 7 p.m.

  • Perry (9-2) @ Bainbridge (9-2), 7:30 p.m.

  • Mary Persons (10-1) v.s. Crisp County (7-4), 7 p.m.

  • Upson-Lee (9-2) @ Carver-Columbus (8-3), 7:30 p.m.

  • Bleckley County (9-2) v.s. Irwin County (6-5), 7:30 p.m.

  • Dublin (9-2) @ Brooks County (6-5), 7:30 p.m.

  • Swainsboro (9-2) @ Lamar County (9-2), 7:30 p.m.

  • Tattnall (4-6) @ Bethlehem Christian (10-0), 7:30 p.m.

  • FPD (6-3-1) v.s. Strong Rock (8-3), 7:30 p.m.

  • John Milledge (10-0) v.s. Tiftarea (3-7-1), 7:30 p.m.

Game times taken from MaxPreps and some school websites. Game times may be updated between publication and gameday.