Region 3-AA playoff like the season: close and surprising as blocked PAT in second OT ends a season

          Life for most teams in GHSA Region 3-AA was pretty snug on Friday nights, and that was the case Monday in the three-way playoff with Washington County, Southwest and Bleckley County at West Laurens.

          The team with the best record will be staying home, and two others play on.

          Southwest edged Washington County 6-3 with a walkoff touchdown pass, and then Washington County blocked a point-after kick to beat Bleckley County 10-9 in double overtime on Royals' head coach Von Lassiter's birthday.

          So Southwest earns the third seed and Washington County the fourth seed. The Patriots travel to Jefferson County and the Golden Hawks to Screven County, both on Saturday. Assorted written and broadcast reports have flipped the pairings.

          Region 4 champ Screven County is 9-0 and Jefferson County is 9-1. Jefferson County has scored 492 points and given up 182. Screven County was No. 3 and Jefferson County No. 6 in last week’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution polls, and Nos. 2 and 6 in the Georgia Sports Writers Association poll.

          Southwest is 5-4 and Washington County 4-5, while Bleckley County’s season ends at 6-4. All three were 3-3 in region play, behind champ Dodge County and runner-up Dublin.

          The Golden Hawks advance for the 26th time in 27 years and for the 10th straight year, while the Patriots are in the postseason for the second straight year for the first time in program history.

          In the Region 8-AA playoff, Monticello took the fourth seed and Banks County the third while Putnam County was eliminated.