And then there were eight. As in, eight Augusta-area and CSRA high school football teams still competing for state championships.
That number could potentially get cut in half, depending on how the five teams from Georgia and the three from South Carolina in our coverage area fair Friday night. One lone game — an 8-man football state championship game — will be played on Saturday night.
Here’s a breakdown of each of our remaining team’s state playoff matchups, including our predictions on the action.
Georgia
Class A Div. II
The Game: Macon County (9-2) at Aquinas (9-2)
When: Friday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m. at Greenbrier High School
The Matchup: While on the surface, Aquinas’ 31-27 loss to Washington-Wilkes back on Oct. 20 looked like a potential deflator for the Fightin’ Irish, it seems to actually have provided the opposite effect. Since that loss, Aquinas knocked off previously undefeated Greene County and took down Warren County to claim its region title, giving it a No. 1 seed in the Class A playoffs. Aquinas parlayed that into a 49-28 first-round win over Glascock County last week, and more momentum heading into what will likely be its toughest opponent to date. Macon County’s only losses were to an undefeated Schley County and a solid Manchester squad in non-region play. The Bulldogs boast three ball carriers with over 500 rushing yards, all of them averaging more than seven yards per tote. That will test Aquinas’ defense, but Macon County has a pretty stout defense of its own, surrendering only 14 points per game. Quarterback Jim Franklin has the Irish’s offense humming over the last two games, so this may be a bit of a strength-on-strength matchup — Macon County’s defense vs. Aquinas’ offense.
The Prediction: Aquinas 24, Macon County 21.
The Game: Lincoln County (7-4) at Schley County (10-0)
When: Friday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m.
The Matchup: Lincoln County looked “game” in its 41-0 drubbing of Wilkinson County during last week’s first round action. But Schley County has looked almost unbeatable this season. Averaging 411 total yards of offense per game is more than formidable, but it really starts on the defensive side of the ball for the Wildcats. Schley is surrendering just under two touchdowns per contest. And much of that defensive prowess starts with Schley’s pursuit to the ball behind the line of scrimmage. The Wildcats have five players averaging double figures in tackles for loss, and four defenders are averaging at least 4.5 sacks per game. That pass rush has made life easier for the Wildcats’ secondary, as they’ve picked off 16 passes this season. Seniors Carson Westbrook (6) and Jalewis Solomon (5) have combined for 11 of them. Needless to say, the Red Devils’ offense will have its work cut out for it in this one.
The Prediction: Schley County 34, Lincoln County 14
Class AA
The Game: Laney (8-2-1) at Pierce County (10-1)
When: Friday Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: Ever since Laney’s 28-14 loss to No. 1 Thomson in September, nothing much has gotten in its way — including a Worth County squad that some thought had enough to take down the Wildcats last week in the first round. All Laney did was roll up 413 total yards of offense, including 378 on the ground — quarterback Javaris Harris had 200 of those rushing yards alone — and put up 67 points. That’s been par for the course for Laney in its last seven games, all wins. The Wildcats are averaging 42 points per game and the defense has pitched three shutouts while holding a decently talented Putnam squad to just 6 points. No. 3 Pierce County, though, will be the best team Laney’s seen since Thomson, and the Bears will get Laney in their own raucous home environment. Pierce’s defense has only surrendered two scores three times all season. Two of those times came in back-to-back games against Appling County and Toombs County — the Nos. 2 and 3 ranked teams in the state, respectively. The Bears aren’t dynamic on offense, but their defense more than makes up for that. Meanwhile, Laney hasn’t won a second round playoff game in 10 years.
The Prediction: Laney 17, Pierce County 13
The Game: Toombs County (10-1) at Thomson (10-1)
When: Friday Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: On paper, this “Battle of Bulldogs” and region champs probably couldn’t get anymore evenly matched. Both Thomson and Toombs County come in a region champions and top three squads. Both batch of Bulldogs have just one loss on its record. For Toombs, that’s a 17-14 loss to No. 3 Pierce County on Oct. 13. For Thomson, it was a 14-12 setback to rival Burke County in the season opener. That seems like a long time ago, though. No one — save Laney in a 28-14 win in September — has even remotely challenged the Bulldogs from Thomson. After a 57-29 win at Washington County on Sept. 22, Thomson outscored its next six opponents by a ridiculous combined score of 338-33. That includes a 40-0 shutout of Jeff Davis in round one of the playoffs last week. Toombs County has had some impressive moments, particularly on defense, shutting out four straight opponents in the middle of the season. It’s best win was a 31-28 victory at second ranked Appling County to begin the month of October. The consensus, though, is that the gap between top-ranked Thomson and everyone else is exceedingly wide. This game will test that theory.
The Prediction: Thomson 42, Toombs County 27
GIAA (8-man)
The Game: Windsor Academy (9-2) at Westminster Schools of Augusta (10-1)
When: Saturday Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m. at Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove.
The Matchup: Westminster is having a season unlike it anything its had, at least since the 2019 campaign where the Wildcats finished 9-1 and took home the Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA) 8-man football state crown. Now, GIAA supremacy is on the line once again when Westminster faces Windsor Academy out of Macon Saturday. Westminster’s junior quarterback Levi Murphey will look to continue his stellar play with everything at stake. The 5-foot-11 signal caller has thrown for 2,613 yards and a whopping 35 touchdowns while completing 71 percent of his passes and throwing only one interception. He’s also rushed for 354 yards and has nine rushing scores to his credit. He’s got three receivers to throw to who have over 400 receiving yards, and a senior tailback in Caleb Franks who’s averaging almost nine yards per carry. The Wildcats should have opportunities to move the ball against what has largely been a bend-but-don’t-break Windsor defense.
The Prediction: Westminster 35, Windsor 17
South Carolina
Class AAAA
The Game: Westside (11-1) at Midland Valley (12-0)
When: Friday Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: Look for Westside’s passing attack to test Midland Valley in a way the Mustangs perhaps haven’t been tested since its Aug. 25 win against Thurmond. Here’s why — Westside presents the most sophisticated passing game the Mustangs have seen this year. Six-foot-3 senior Cutter Woods is a 3-star pro-style quarterback prospect with offers from Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Miami-Ohio, Appalachian State, James Madison, Charlotte, Liberty and Coastal Carolina with interest from several other Power 5 schools. And for good reason — he’s completed 71 percent of his passes for 3,086 yards, 32 touchdowns and just six interceptions. His favorite receiving target, Joshua Williams, has received some Division I interest as well with his 49 catches and 1,060 receiving yards.
He leads the team with 14 touchdown grabs. But diversity is what makes Westside’s offense so potent. Five of Woods’ receivers have 20-plus catches, which means he knows how to spread it around. Plus, the Rams balance their potent passing game with a rushing attack that also averages north of 200 yards a game. Senior Marco Evans (993 rushing yards) and junior Sharode Richardson (839 rushing yards) are a pair of tailbacks who can take it the distance any time they touch it. Richardson averages 12 yards per carry and has a 99-yard touchdown run to his credit. And with Valley’s defense showing a propensity for giving up yards and points in chunks lately, while boasting its own high octane offense, it could be a long night for the scoreboard.
The Prediction: Midland Valley 45, Westside 42.
Class AA
The Game: Silver Bluff (9-3) at Abbeyville (11-1)
When: Friday Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: The Bulldogs encountered a bit of a skid during the homestretch of the regular season with back-to-back losses to Saluda and Thurmond in mid-October, but have seemingly found new life in the postseason with wins opening round wins against Mid-Carolina and a stout Fairfield Central team. Abbeville, on the other hand, saw its lone loss come to Westside on Sept. 8. Since then, the Panthers have dominated. Silver Bluff will play this one on the road where it has been surprisingly good, posting a 5-2 mark, so the hostile environment shouldn’t phase the Bulldogs, although Abbeyville’s solid defense may prove to be another story.
The Prediction: Abbeyville 27, Silver Bluff 21
The Game: Strom Thurmond (10-2) at Gray Collegiate (13-3)
When: Friday Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: With its six straight region championships and a 2021 Class AA state title to its credit, few teams in South Carolina have been as dominate over the last five or six years as Gray Collegiate. If you think its 13-3 record is a bit strange, it’s because the War Eagles have five wins by forfeit on its schedule due to teams protesting a competitive advantage that comes with collegiate being a public charter school. Collegiate worked to make up those games where it could. As a result, Collegiate has had to play a bit of a national schedule, competing against the likes of Clearwater Academy in Florida as well as the vaunted IMG Academy and St. John’s College out of Washington, D.C.. Its two playoff games against Pelion and Chesnee have been routs — 62-0 and 62-14 respectively. It will arguably present Thurmond with its most daunting challenge of the season.
The Prediction: Gray Collegiate 35, Thurmond 24.
