Despite being ranked second in the state, the Region 8-AAAAAA co-champion Grayson Rams will open the GHSA state playoffs on GPB and on the road against one of the hottest teams in the state, the Mill Creek Hawks. The March to the Georgia Dome will include five straight weeks of GHSA playoffs, concluding with seven state championship games December 12 and 13, all on GPB.

Grayson is back in the state playoffs after missing out in 2013 with a 4-6 record. The 2011 state champs, who had gone 70-11 in the six seasons prior to last year’s disappointment, finished the regular season 9-1 and co-champions in Region 8-AAAAAA along with Archer and Dacula with 7-1 region records. The Rams nine wins included a 42-0 shutout of South Gwinnett on GPB October 3rd.

It is the Rams' 6th region title in the last 13 seasons under Head Coach Mickey Conn (15th season, 123-46) and 10th all-time playoff appearance. Because Grayson beat Archer, Archer beat Dacula and Dacula beat Grayson, playoff seeding was decided by a coin toss. Archer won the #1 seed, Dacula #2 and Grayson #3 despite being ranked in the state’s top five virtually the entire season.

Meantime, Mill Creek has been on a roll since losing to North Gwinnett 51-41 September 26. The Hawks have won five straight since that loss by a combined score of 233-28, including a 51-0 rout of Collins Hill October 24 on GPB. Mill Creek followed that victory with a stunning 30-0 shutout at two-time defending state champion Norcross a week later.

The Hawks finished the regular season 7-3 and Region 7-AAAAAA co-champions with North Gwinnett at 6-1. This is the first region championship in Mill Creek’s 11-year program history, all of which has been under Head Coach Shannon Jarvis (60-57). Because the Bulldogs won the head-to-head meeting versus Mill Creek during the regular season, the Hawks enter the state playoffs as the No. 2 seed out of Region 7.

Like Grayson, Mill Creek missed out on the state playoffs in 2013 and are back in the postseason after reaching the quarterfinals in 2012 for the second time in program history. This will be the Hawks fourth all-time playoff appearance and the first-ever meeting between the two Gwinnett County programs. The winner of this game will advance to the second round to play the winner of the Tift County at Tucker first round playoff game.

Recruiting players to watch for Mill Creek: Auburn commit Kaleb Kim who is a 247 Sports Composite 4-star and #27 ranked OT in the nation; 3-star RB Johnathan Hawkins who’s five offers include Auburn, Arkansas, N.C. State and Penn State; 3-star QB Daniel David who is committed to App State; 3-star OG Josh Fannin who is committed to Middle Tennessee and LB Tyler Voyles who is committed to Furman.

Home to the top high school football recruit in the nation in the 2012 season when DE Robert Nkemdiche signed with Ole Miss, Grayson is once again loaded with future college talent. Players to watch include 3-star DE Justin Young who is committed to Georgia; and the 247 Sports Composite rankings #18 ILB, 3-star Daniel Fennell whose 20 offers include Texas A&M, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Duke, Louisville and Missouri.

The Rams also boast 3-star OLB Mohamed Barry who has re-opened his recruitment after previously committing to Wisconsin. Barry’s 11 offers include Kansas State which he just visited earlier this month. Grayson also has 3-star safety Jordan Hayes who is committed to Duke and junior DE Mykelle McDaniel is rated as the #20 DE in the Class of 2016 by the 247 Sports Composite rankings and announced this month that Georgia is his favorite among his seven offers.

It will be another great GPB Football Friday in Georgia live from Mill Creek Community Stadium in Hoschton. It all starts at 7:00 p.m. with our GPB All Access Pass show hosted by Mark Harmon and Claire Simms and then join me, Larry Smith, Jon Nelson and Grace Olson on the game call starting at 7:30 pm. It’ll be fun. Be sure to tune in.