By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Just as the temperatures outside warm up a little bit, the sprint toward the high school football postseason and region title hopes heats up.

In many locker rooms, there’s plenty of sweating going on. In many others, the suspense regards where a team will finish and if there’s a home playoff game on the horizon.

This week
🏈 Breaking down the GHSA, GIAA playoff picture
🏈 Central Georgia state composite rankings
🏈 Central Georgia rankings
🏈 Monday Morning Quarterback: Sit down for more Palooza on the Plains; surprises, Loughdmouthings
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Last week
🏈 Roundup : West Laurens, Lamar County stay perfect; Thrillers with Baldwin, Mary Persons, Westfield; Streak-breakers for Westside, Hawkinsville, John Milledge outlasts FPD, CFCA rollsp
🏈 Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
🏈 Maxwell Predictions
🏈 Who’s going to win this week’s games
🏈 Central Georgia state composite rankings
🏈 Central Georgia rankings
🏈 Monday Morning Quarterback: Notes, reviews, Loughdmouthings
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

This may be the final year of rankings for the GHSA playoffs for selected classification and the old top-4 for others.

But rankings determine the field for Classes AAA, AA, and A/Division I, with the top four in 5A, 4A, and A/II making it.

At this point, there are locks for the postseason (under both formats): Houston County, Perry, Jones County, Peach County, West Laurens, Bleckley County, Dodge County, Dublin, Northeast, Jasper County, Lamar County, Taylor County, GMC Prep.

Almost locks/highly probable: Mary Persons, Upson-Lee, ACE, Putnam County.

On the good side of the bubble: East Laurens, Hawkinsville, Wilkinson County, Macon County

Middle of the bubble: Westside, Crawford County

Needs wins and help: Warner Robins, Baldwin, Southwest, Washington County, Hancock Central.

And it’ll change for the bubble teams on Friday night, and then next week. Most area teams have three games left.

The regular top-four format is in place for 5A, 4A, and A/II, with rankings the format for AAA, AA, and A/Division I.

Analysis

Region 2-5A
Houston County          2-0    7-0
Thomas Co. Central    2-0    7-0
Lee County                  1-1    5-2
Coffee                          1-1    3-4

It’s going to be quite the throwdowns, with only Thomas County Central considered the lone gimme as the clear favorite for first in the region.

After that, who knows?

The region title likely comes down to Houston County’s visit to Thomas County Central on Oct. 24.

Not that it’s safe to count out Lee County, which has had a week to adjust to John Flath taking over for Dean Fabrizio, who suddenly went on a leave of absence that has concluded in time for an off week followed by a visit by Veterans.

The intensity for Houston County will be strong, with Coffee, Thomas County Central, and Lee County to finish the regular season. That finale could be for second and a home game, something new for the Bears.

Region 1-4A
Benedictine        2-0    4-2
Perry                   2-0    4-3
Ware County    1-1    6-1
Wayne County   1-1    1-6
Warner Robins 0-2    3-4

The only lock is Benedictine. There’s not much difference between Perry and Ware County, who play on Oct. 17, pretty much for second place and a home game.

Warner Robins having lost to Wayne County is currently on the outside looking in, losing the tiebreaker after losing to the Yellow Jackets.

One-win Wayne County still has two better teams to play, and New Hampstead, while the question-mark Demons have New Hampstead, Ware County, and Perry. A loss to New Hampstead on Friday ends Warner Robins’ hopes.

Perry hosts Warner Robins in Game 10, with the Demons perhaps playing spoiler.

Region 2-4A
Jones County is the lone area rep in the 10-team Henry County-heavy region.

There’s one 6-1 team, four 5-2 teams, one 3-4 and two 2-5 teams. So mathematically, nine teams have a shot, albeit slim.

Locust Grove is the lock.

The Greyhounds are 2-1 against two of the other 4-2 teams, and they’re an unofficial lock. If they beat ELCA and Eagle’s Landing, they might play Locust Grove for the top seed.

As even as the region is, and that Jones County tends to be stronger than most of the region, the Greyhounds are in with a good chance to host with a 2-1 finish.

Region 1-AAA
Peach County is in, and is a very safe bet to win its second straight region title and go undefeated in 1-3A play for the second straight year. That’ll be good enough for at least one home playoff game.

Region 2-AAA
Sandy Creek                 5-0    7-0
Troup                            4-0    7-0
LaGrange                    5-1    7-1
Upson-Lee                   2-3    4-3
Mary Persons              2-3    4-3
Whitewater                  2-3    3-4

The finale with Mary Persons hosting Whitewater will be big, and could be for the final playoff spot. Or not.

The Bulldogs first have Spalding and Sandy Creek, with Spalding (2-6/2-4) a must-win scenario, before Whitewater, which has Sandy Creek and Fayette County (0-5/0-7).

Upson-Lee can’t afford a slipup against either Fayette County or Trinity Christian (2-6/1-5) with LaGrange as the final opponent.

The Knights and Bulldogs are in the same boat of taking care of business: go 2-1 – as expected, on paper – and get an 11th game, but neither can afford to be upset.

The current PSR have Mary Persons, Upson-Lee, and Whitewater in the field in the bottom five.

Region 4-AAA
West Laurens               5-0    7-0
Westside -Augusta    5-0    7-0
Harlem                          4-1    6-1
Aquinas                       3-2    5-2
Richmond Academy   3-3    3-5
Hephzibah                   2-4    3-5
Baldwin                        2-3    3-4

West Laurens is in and will host at least one home game, regardless of the results of the region title battle on Oct. 31 against visiting Westside-Augusta, although the Patriots have Harlem and Baldwin before that while the Raiders have Hephzibah and Aquinas.

West Laurens is going for its first region title and home playoff game since 2019, first perfect regular season and least its first one-loss regular season.

Baldwin is currently barely on the outside, but so are Richmond Academy and Hephzibath. A loss Friday to Aquinas all but ends Baldwin’s hopes, unless it upsets Westside on the road a week later.

Howard needs to go 3-0 just to get close to the bubble.

Region 2-AA
Westside is currently No. 30 of 32, which puts the Seminoles in, but that’s shaky, with them needing o beat Rutland (0-7/0-3) and Jackson (3-4/2-0) to stay put. A 1-1 finish puts them squarely on the line.

Region 2-A/Division I
Bleckley County          5-1    6-1
Dodge County            5-1    6-1
Dublin                          5-1    5-2
Northeast                     5-1    5-2
ACE Charter                3-3    4-3
East Laurens               3-3    3-4
Washington County   2-4    2-5
Southwest                    1-5    2-5

Another coin-flipping region, starting this week with Bleckley-Dublin, ACE-Southwest, and East Laurens-Washington County.

And next week: Bleckley County-ACE, Northeast-Dodge County, Washington County-Southwest.

Yeah. Again, and this year is more crunched than last year up top, with four teams playing for a region title and the highest seed possible.

Those four are currently ranked from seventh to 13th in the PSR.

East Laurens (26th) had a huge game with Washington County (31st) this week, followed by Jefferson County and Northeast.

Washington County has Southwest and ACE left, and Southwest gets ACE and Washington County before Jefferson County.

Every game matters for the Falcons, Golden Hawks, and Patriots, their and the other teams ranked 25-35.

Central (0-7/0-6) and Jefferson County (1-6/1-5) are out of the playoff picture.

The region is a lock for five teams and will probably get six with an outside shot at seven.

Region 4-A/Division I
Jasper County              3-0    7-0
Lamar County              3-0    7-0
Social Circle                3-0    5-2
Putnam County           3-1    5-3
          This is a huge Friday night, with Social Circle at Jasper County and Lamar County visiting Putnam County.

And next week, Putnam County welcomes Jasper County and Social Circle entertains Lamar County.

In two weeks, it’s Jasper County at Lamar County, perhaps for a region title and perfect regular season.

All four are in, and all four are playing for home games. Putnam County is 18th and Social Circle 14th, with No. 16 getting the last home game.

Region 4-A/Division II
Hawkinsville is 1-2 and tied with Dooly County for fourth, behind 3-0 Wheeler County and Treutlen and 3-1 Wilcox County.

The Red Devils (5-2 overall) still have winless Montgomery County, co-leader Treutlen and Dooly County (1-5 overall) left.

Odds are that finale with Dooly County will be for the fourth spot, but Hawkinsville is capable of knocking off Treutlen and joining the battle for third place.

Region 5-A/Division II
Johnson County          3-0    8-0
GMC Prep                    3-0    4-4
Wilkinson County       2-1    2-6
Glascock County        1-2    2-6
Hancock Central         0-3    2-6
          GMC’s win over Glascock County all but clinches a spot, most likely as third or fourth, with Wilkinson County a favorite to get second.

Hancock Central will be favored in its final three games, against GMC, Twiggs County, and Glascock County.

Region 6-A/Division II
Taylor County             3-0    5-2
Schley County             3-1    4-4
Macon County             2-1    2-5
Crawford County        2-2    4-4
Chattahoochee Co.     2-2    3-4

Flip coins each week the rest of the way.

Taylor County could play Macon County on Oct. 31 with a chance to win the region title, or for the final playoff spot. Those two teams and Schley County are alive for the top seed.

The schedule favors Schley County to take first, although Taylor County wins that tiebreaker. The Vikings’ final three opponents are Chattahoochee County, Crawford County, and Macon County, all losable games.

The current standings may be quite different than the final standings.

GIAA

Making the GIAA postseason doesn’t take much, with 10 of 15 Class AAAA teams and 10 of 12 Class AAA teams making the postseason, after competing in districts/regions combining teams from both classes, rendering a district/region title basically meaningless except for bragging rights.

All but one Class AA team advances.

The “first round” in 4A and 3A is two games, 7 vs. 10 and 8 vs. 9, with the “second round” pitting 4 vs. 5 and 3 vs. 6, and the winners at No. 1 and No. 2top stix teams getting a bye

The GIAA uses mostly MaxPreps ratings.

In Class 4A, Stratford and FPD are in, and Mount de Sales needs a win and some losses to squeeze in.

In Class 3A, John Milledge and Westfield are in, with Piedmont on the bubble.

In Class AA, defending champ Brentwood is a lock, along with, well, Trinity Christian, CFCA, and Gatewood, and Windsor probably in.

This year’s championships are currently set for Mercer, on Nov. 21 and 22.