By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

A week off going into the playoffs can be a good thing or not so good.

For Stratford, it’s a good thing.

The Eagles completed the regular season atop the GIAA’s MaxPrep ratings and get, as expected, the first week off in the Class AAAA brackets that were set Sunday morning but still not released/posted as of 3 a.m. Monday.

FPD is the third seed and hosts Strong Rock in the second round.

The GIAA puts teams in three classifications during the regular season, and then splits them up for the postseason.

GIAA playoffs
Central Georgia teams
Friday
Class AAA
9. Piedmont at 8. Lakeview
Class AA
10. Heritage at 7. Gatewood
9. Augusta Prep at 8. Windsor
Nov. 7
Class AAAA
Bethlehem Christian/Calvary Christian winner at 1. Stratford
6. Strong Rock at 3. FPD
Class AAA
Lakeview-Piedmont winner at 1. John Milledge
6. Tiftarea at 3. Westfield
Class AA
Windsor-Augusta Prep winner at 1. Brentwood
Gatewood-Heritage winner at 2. Southwest Georgia
5. Trinity Christian at 4. Briarwood
6. Central Fellowship at 3. Southland

Championships
At Mercer
No times listed
Nov. 21
Class AAA, Class A
Nov. 22
Class AAAA, Class AA

🏈🏈🏈

Rankings
(As listed at 5 p.m. on MaxPreps)
AAAA
1. Stratford                   22.3
2. Brookstone              17.4
3. FPD                           17.1
4. Bulloch                     15.2
5. George Walton       13.6
6. Strong Rock             7.7
7. St. Anne-Pacelli      5.5
8. Bethlehem Chr.       2.3
9. Calvary Christian   -1,1
10. Loganville Chr.     -4.4
AAA
1. John Milledge         31,2
2. Deerfield-Windsor 24.5
3. Westfield                 14.2
4. Valwood                   10.7
5. Frederica                 10.4
6. Tiftarea                     3.6
7. Pinewood Christian 1.4
8. Lakeview                 -8.1
9. Piedmont                 -10.3
10. Terrell                    -14.3
AA
1. Brentwood               19.1
2. Southwest Georgia 5.9
3. Southland                 1.8
4. Briarwood                -2.9
5. Trinity Christian     -10.9
6. Central Fellowship -11.9
7. Gatewood                -15.5
8. Windsor                   -23.8
9. Augusta Prep          -29.1
10. Heritage                 -33.8

The region champ that beat both FPD and Stratford is John Milledge, the top seed in Class AAA. So any district – the GIAA labels different classes different things, i.e. district and region – could have two state champs.

Overall, 10 of 15 4A teams advance, 10 of 12 in 3A, all 10 in AA, and all four in A make the playoffs, totaling 34 of 41 teams – 83 percent – of football-playing teams in the playoffs.

The top 10 teams make the 4A, 3A, and 2A playoffs, and playoffs, top eight in AAA and AA, and all four teams classified for the postseason in Class A make the playoffs.

The only GIAA games this week are the two first-round, or “play-in” games – although those teams are in the postseason – in 4A, 3A, and AA, while the four-team A playoff starts on Nov. 7, has a week off, and concludes on Nov. 21.

There are three games on Friday with Central Georgia teams having made the Class AAA and AA playoffs.

Ninth seed Piedmont travels to Lakeview in Class AAA, while No. 7 Gatewood hosts Heritage and Windsor welcomes Augusta Prep in Class AA.

Neither Covenant nor John Hancock made the 8-man field.

John Milledge is off until Nov. 7, to face the Piedmont-Lakeview winner. No. 3 Westfield hosts Tiftarea in the second round.

Defending champ Brentwood has been No. 1 about the entire year, and welcomes the Windsor-Augusta Prep winner in AA’s second round.

Gatewood is No. 7, and hosts Heritage in a first-round game, the winner to travel to the winner of No. 6 Central Fellowship and No. 3 Southland. No. 5 Trinity Christian travels to No. 4 Briarwood

Stratford and FPD wouldn’t mind more time off, especially the Vikings, because of injuries.

Stratford lost standout running back Tyler Stephens for the season to a knee injury early in the 49-3 win over Mount de Sales. That came a few weeks after some staff adjustments.

The Eagles have so far barely blinked. They finished off Mount de Sales 49-3 and topped Class AAAA ninth seed Calvary Christian 34-7 last week.

Freshman Aaron Jefferson, also a starter on defense, went for 119 yards and four touchdowns against MdS and 131 yards against Calvary Christian. Stephens’ year ends with 1,356 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, plus six catches for 121 yards as well as 11 tackles and interception from the secondary

Ironically, Stratford’s first playoff opponent could be Calvary Christian.

FPD has been without quarterback/defensive back Major Simmons since late in the win over Stratford and running back/linebacker Brady McHugh suffered a shoulder-area injury against John Milledge.

The Vikings have lost about a half-dozen starters during the season to several weeks on the sideline. With two out for the year early and two more done later in the season. And, as with pretty much every team, there are others.

Freshman Cash Walker has filled in well for Simmons, going 20 for 29 for 271 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in games against John Milledge and Tattnall.

FPD barely missed a second seed. Its rating of 17.10 was just behind Brookstone’s 17.40.

Mount de Sales finished No. 12 and Tattnall 13 out of 15 in 4A.

Covenant and John Hancock didn’t make the 8-man field of 10.