Normally this would be a Georgia High School football review/preview, but do you REALLY want me to look back when the playoffs begin this week?
You DO?
OK, fine.
Kudos to Hutson Mason and Lassiter for winning the Trojans first Region title and finishing with the first 10-0 season in school history. Mason threw for 4 TDs and ran for another (nearly hurting himself in the process) and now has 39 TDs on the season (The record is 47. I'm thinking three games?)
Hats off to North Gwinnett for the Bulldogs first 10-0 season and first region title in 52 years. CJ Uzomah has done what Mike Tamburo never could, win the Region title. The Bulldogs are the most surprising team IMHO because of the loss of the QB/TB combo (Tyler Jarry) and having to switch Uzomah from WR to QB, but they still win the title and my neighborhood school took home the region title. Good for them.
Parkview will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993, but this is positive week, so let's move on. Good for you guys South Gwinnett, getting that No.2 seed. and Bravo to Grayson for yet another 10-0 season.
Don't worry, we'll have awards at the end of the blog along with predictions. But for now, let's take a look at the Bracket and breakdown the matchups.
Class AAAAA
I like Northside (DON'T CALL US WARNER Robbins!) to win its first two games with ease. McEachern should knock out Brookwood thanks to Rajaan Bennett and I think Peachtree Ridge takes out Kell before falling in a GREAT second round contest to the Indians. I have NWR to come out of that region thanks to the hard running of Shaq O'Neal and the defense being better than McEachern's.
Newnan/MLK should be a great 2nd round matchup and I have Grayson outdistancing Marietta then facing Roswell because I wasn't impressed with Collins Hill. They are TOO one-dimensional. I know I said Charles Perkins would take them to at least the second round, but I don't think they get by Roswell. I think Perkins gets his yardage and two scores, but Roswell takes the game. I feel like John Kerry ie the Flipflopper. Grayson should take out the Hornets and then Newnan (wow, Alec Ogletree v Ean Pemberton) to advance to the final four.
North Gwinnett should cruise in the first two rounds, especially since they'll face Dacula after the Dacs upset Woodstock in the first round. Camden/Lowndes in the second round will be a great game for south Georgia and I won't have to watch. Yippee! Lowndes's defense will end CJ Uzomah's season as I think Lowndes will make it to the championship game. I know Lowndes cannot throw, but they can run and play defense. They are too good right now.
In the bottom right portion of the bracket, Lassiter will meet South Gwinnett in the second round and the more well-rounded South Gwinnett Comets will knock out Hutson Mason. Yep, I said it. SoGwin was the only team to really challenge Grayson and I just think they are too good for the pass-happy Trojans. Meanwhile Stephenson will make it thru the first and second round. (I'm not picking a winner in the Westlake/Colquitt Co game because I'll be there calling the game for GPB!) Stephenson uses its defense (maybe the best in Class AAAAA?) to shut down the Comets and advance to the final four.
In the semis, Lowndes and Grayson will prevail and Mickey Conn's boys get a title with a 14-13 win in the Dome.
Class AAAA (Spoiler...I LIKE SOUTHWEST DEKALB!)
The matchups in the first round that really intrigue me include Dalton hosting defending champion Tucker, 7-3 Chamblee @ 10-0 Hiram, Starr's Mill @ Apalachee and Loganville @ Sandy Creek.
The Catamounts had a 50th straight winning season (WOW, Thanks to Josh Cole no doubt. They don't want to let No.1 down!) but they will face Tucker, considered a sleeper by some to repeat. Let me say that NO THEY WON'T, but I do think they beat Dalton. Sorry JCole.
Chamblee lost to each REAL team it played this season so I have to go with Hiram. Apalachee should win its first ever home playoff game.
Loganville and Sandy Creek. Storm Johnson against Rajion Neal. WOW. Expect much running from those two? I think Johnson outrushes him, but I think Neal's team will win. That isn't a knock on Neal. Not by a long shot. I think his team is so diverse that they won't need him to go for 240+ yards. They can "settle" for 175 + 3TDs and a few from the QB to easily advance.
On to the bracket...Sandy Creek beats Loganville then Tucker and stomps TCC to make it to the F4.
I see Griffin taking care of biznas in the first two rounds, then beating Marist (who will upset Apalachee. Sorry Coach Davis) to make it to the semis.
Hiram has a cakewalk to the semis as the only "real" competition comes in the form of Westside-Macon and we all know that WS-M isn't much of a playoff team...
Finally, Southwest DeKalb beats North Clayton for the final final four spot.
SW-D beats Hiram then faces Griffin in an exciting game at the Dome....where it wins 27-14.
In Class AAA,
Peach Co is looking for a third state title in the last five years, first since 2006. St. Pius was 10-0 for the first time in school history and won its first region title. Cole Moon is a beast. Gainesville is averaging 47 ppg while giving up just 6 points. Defending champion Cairo is 7-3, Flowery Branch averages 42 ppg but is just 7-3 with three bad losses. Carver...always dangerous, especially with Isaiah Crowell. Let's go to the brackets...
Peach Co has the pool of death as it would have to face Waco potentially in the second round while St, Pius and North Hall will slug it out and the survivor will face Peach Co in the Elite 8. I think Peach Co beats St. Pius in the quarters.
I actually have LaGrange going on a run, beating Jackson in the second round then taking out the Creekside/Carrollton winner (sorry Eastside). Yeppers, LaGrange going to the final four.
Gainesville's side of the bracket has tough names but they are names only. Baldwin and Cairo are in their quadrant, but I think the Red Elephants take out Dunwoody (big whoop) and then likely Baldwin in the Elite8. Blake Sims should be ready to go in the F4.
I'm taking Flowery Branch to upset Ridgeland in the first round, then the Falcons taking out Hart Co. FloBranch would then likely fall to Carver Columbus because Devin Burns is a pretty good high school athlete playing QB, where you STICK your best athlete on the high school gridiron. Burns and Crowell will make for an exciting game against Flo Branch then again against Gainesville.
Look for the Red Elephants to win the defacto state title game over Carver in a great game. Gainesville just has too much offense for Carver to keep up with. Then Gainesville likely starts slow but eventually knocks out Peach Co 31-12 in the state title game.
In Class AA, I'm expecting a final four of Lovett, Buford, Calhoun and Fitzgerald. That Jefferson/Buford second round game will be great, as will the Lovett/Charlton Co game in the Elite8. I think Calhoun takes out Buford in the state title game as Nash Nance is just a better Carkhuff, who beat the Wolves once this season. Buford pulls out a little magic to get past Fitzgerald in the Semis, but the magic runs out for BooFord in the Dome.
In Class A, Wesleyan. We don't even have to look at the brackets.
Awards....
Class AAAAA
PoY Ean Pemberton, Grayson
CoY Mickey Conn, Grayson
Class AAAA
PoY Clarence Jackson, North Clayton
CoY Steven Devoursney, Griffin
Class AAA
PoY Blake Sims, Gainesville
CoY Paul Standard, St. Pius X
Class AA
PoY Nash Nance, Calhoun
CoY Mike Muschamp, Lovett
Class A
PoY Kyle Karempelis, Wesleyan
CoY Franklin Pridgen, Wesleyan
Most surprising team: North Gwinnett (for all of the right reasons)
Most disappointing team: Norcross
Underrated: Lassiter
Overrated: Wesleyan (do it against AA, where you should be) (Buford was a close second. MOVE TO AAA boys!)
Best game of the year: Lovett beats Buford
Best team in 2010: Carver Columbus or Lowndes
Top ten overall entering playoffs...
10. Wesleyan
9. Newnan
8. Griffin
7. Calhoun
6. Lowndes
5. Carver Columbus
4. Gainesville
3. Stephenson
2. Grayson
1. Southwest DeKalb
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