Region 1-AAAAA is sometimes called the SEC of Georgia high school football. It’s certainly been an eventful season.
File photo by Cecil Copeland
J'Colby Taylor, Warner Robins
On Oct. 2, Lowndes, ranked as high as No. 2 in one national poll, was upset by Northside of Warner Robins. A week later, Lowndes took it out on rival Valdosta, winning 57-15, prompting Valdosta to fire its coach, Rick Tomberlin. Valdosta allowed Tomberlin to finish the season.
In the latest drama, Warner Robins defeated its crosstown rival, region frontrunner Northside, which had been ranked No. 24 in the MaxPreps’ Xcellent 25. Warner Robins hadn’t beaten Northside in five seasons and trailed 20-0 in the fourth quarter. Warner Robins tied the game on Maurice Dudley’s 47-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Jackson on a fourth-and-long play with less than two minutes left. After an excessive-celebration penalty, Kyle Floyd made a 35-yard extra point for the lead.
"Good things happen when you keep playing," Warner Robins coach Brian Way told his players, according to the Macon Telegraph.
Yet the victory might mean little in the final region standings. Warner Robins (6-3) probably will need a second straight major upset, against Lowndes, or the Demons merely will be the best team in the state not to make the playoffs.That's because Valdosta – the team that fired its coach – has a win over Warner Robins and is in line for the fourth playoff spot. Meanwhile, Northside can regroup and win the championship if it defeats Colquitt County (8-1) this week. Colquitt is coached by Rush Propst, formerly of Hoover, Ala. Propst has turned around a program that was 2-8 the season before he arrived. That's probably the most intriguing among 40 region races in Georgia.
In 22 of them, the champion has been decided entering the final week of the regular season. Four teams from each region make the 32-team state playoff field. Here's a look at how each region and their champions are shaping up:
Class AAAAA
1: Northside (8-1) of Warner Robins, a Middle Georgia powerhouse, still wins the title with a victory over Colquitt County (8-1). Lowndes (8-1), the South Georgia team many believe is still the state’s best, would win the region with a victory over Warner Robins if Colquitt upsets Northside.
2: Stephenson of DeKalb County in metro Atlanta clinched its seven region title this decade last week. Stephenson (9-0) has five major Division I-A recruits, including 1,000-yard rusher Raymond Sanders, who has committed to Kentucky.
3: Camden County from the Georgia coast clinched its eighth straight title last week. Camden (7-2) is the defending state champion.
4: Newnan (9-0) from southside metro Atlanta clinched its fourth straight title last week. This is the team with star recruit Alec Ogletree, a safety who has committed to Georgia.
5: McEachern (9-0) of Cobb County in metro Atlanta has clinched its first region title since 1999. This team is led by 1,000-yard rusher Rajaan Bennett.
6: Roswell and Lassiter, both 9-0, play for the title this week. Lassiter is led by quarterback Hutson Mason, who threw for a state record 545 yards in a game earlier this season. Both are northside metro Atlanta teams.
7: North Gwinnett (9-0) and Peachtree Ridge (8-1) of Gwinnett County in metro Atlanta play for the title this week. North Gwinnett is the team that defeated Alabama champion Prattville in its opener. Peachtree Ridge was the 2008 Georgia runner-up.
8: Grayson (9-0), also a Gwinnett school, has clinched its second straight title. Grayson has four major Division I-A recruits on defense and is ranked No. 11 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25.
Class AAAA
1: Thomas County Central (8-1) of South Georgia clinched the title last week with a 27-18 upset victory over previously unbeaten Westside of Macon. It's Thomas Central's third title in four seasons but first under second-year coach Bill Shaver, the promoted assistant who replaced five-time state champ Ed Pilcher.
2: Ware County (5-4) of South Georgia will clinch the title under first-year coach Ed Dudley with victory over Effingham County (2-7).
3: Lakeside (8-1), an Augusta-area school, will win its first title in history this week with victory over Josey (1-8).
4: Griffin (9-0) has clinched the title. Griffin is ranked No. 1 in AAAA in most polls.
5: Sandy Creek (8-1) and Banneker (7-2), two southside metro Atlanta schools, will decide it this week. Sandy Creek, the favorite, is the school that graduated Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. Its star now is Rajion Neal, a running back who has committed to Mississippi State.
6: Southwest DeKalb (8-1) of DeKalb County in metro Atlanta, clinched the title with a win last week over defending state champion Tucker. Southwest DeKalb is led by Georgia commit Ken Malcome, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards.
7: Hiram (9-0) and Dalton (7-2) play for it this week. Hiram, from Paulding County, seeks its first region title ever. Both are northwest Georgia teams.
8: Apalachee (9-0) of Barrow County northwest of Atlanta has clinched its first title in history.
Class AAA
1: Peach County (9-0) of Middle Georgia clinched last week. Peach won Georgia state titles in 2005 and 2006 but has been quiet since, until now.
2: Carver (8-1) of Columbus clinched last week with a 27-7 victory over state power LaGrange, as Isaiah Crowell – considered the top junior running back in the state – rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Carver has three players who have committed to ACC schools.
3: Baldwin, a Macon-area school, clinched last week with a 27-7 victory over previously unbeaten Washington County as Altovise Harris rushed for 167 yards.
4: Jackson clinched its fourth title in seven seasons last week with a 28-23 victory over Woodward Academy. Neiron Ball, who has committed to Florida, caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in the final two minutes for the winning touchdown.
5: St. Pius (9-0) and Dunwoody (6-3) play for it this week. St. Pius, a private Catholic school, has not won a region title since 1968. These are DeKalb County schools.
6: Carrollton (9-0) and Ridgeland (8-1) play for it this week. Ridgeland beat Carrollton for the title in 2008, but Carrollton is favored to turn the tables. These are Northwest Georgia teams.
7: Gainesville (9-0) can clinch this week with a victory over Flowery Branch (7-2). Gainesville's quarterback Blake Sims has committed to Alabama. Flowery Branch quarterback Connor Shaw has committed to South Carolina. Gainesville is ranked No. 1 in several polls. These are Hall County schools in Northeast Georgia.
8: Eastside (7-2) of Covington, a metro school east of Atlanta, has successfully defended its title.
Class AA
1: Fitzgerald (9-0) and Thomasville (7-2) play for it this week in South Georgia. They've won 36 region titles between them. Thomasville's losses are to teams in higher classifications.
2: Charlton County (8-0-1), a state power that borders Florida, will clinch with a victory over McIntosh County Academy (7-2) this week. Charlton won state titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
3: Jefferson County (9-0), an Augusta-area school, clinched the title last week. This is the team with Georgia Tech-committed quarterback B.J. Bostic.
4: Northeast (7-2) of Macon can clinch its first title in history with a victory over Greene County (5-4).
5: Callaway (7-2), a West Georgia school, has repeated as champion.
6: Lovett (8-1), an Atlanta private school, will get the No. 1 seed with a victory over Decatur (5-4). Two-time defending state champion Buford (8-1) and Westminster (6-3) will share the title but be seeded No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, due to dubious tiebreakers if there is a three-way tie.
7: Calhoun (9-0) and Armuchee (7-2) of Northwest Georgia will play for it this week. Calhoun is the team with top-rated receiver Da'Rick Rogers (committed to Georgia) and quarterback Nash Nance (Vanderbilt). Calhoun is ranked No. 1 in several polls.
8: Jefferson (9-0) and East Jackson (9-0), county rivals in Northeast Georgia, will play for it this week. Jefferson is the defending champ, while East Jackson, a three-year-old school, has never won a region title.
Class A
1: Miller County (8-1) and Clinch County (7-2) will play for it this week in a South Georgia showdown. Miller beat Clinch 7-0 earlier this season.
2: Twiggs County (8-1), a Macon-area school, has clinched its first title since 2002.
3: Savannah Christian (9-0) can clinch its first region title since 1997 with a victory over Jenkins County (4-5). Savannah Christian is ranked No. 2 in most polls.
4: Greenville (9-0) of West Georgia has clinched its first title since 1992.
5: Holy Innocents (9-1), a north metro Atlanta private school, has clinched its first region title in history.
6: Darlington (6-3), a private school from Rome in Northwest Georgia, has clinched its first title since 2001. This was a team that many wrote off after Vandy commit Nance Nash transferred to Calhoun.
7: Lincoln County (8-1), a state power on the South Carolina border, clinched its sixth straight title with a 10-6 victory last week over Wilkinson County.
8: Wesleyan (10-0), a private school in Gwinnett County, has won its second straight region title. Wesleyan is the defending state champion and ranked No. 1 in every poll.
Todd Holcomb is the editor of Georgia High School Football Daily, a free email newsletter. To subscribe, click here.