Last week’s opening round of the GHSA Football Championship playoffs were as expected…wild and exciting! There were nine, count them...nine games played where an upset was posted at week’s end. Number three-seeded teams beat two seeds, number four-seeded teams defeated one seeds, and that was just in Class AA through Class AAAAAA. One can only imagine what might take place this weekend when Class A Public and Class A Private teams swing into full scale action.

As a refresher course, here are just a few of the shockers from last weekend. Newton topped Valdosta, 27-14. Appling County knocked Peach County from the unbeaten ranks, 14-7. Washington-Wilkes, a number four seed, eliminated Darlington, the region champions of region 7-AA, 21-6. Pace Academy, a number four seed from region 6-AA, topped Bowdon, the region 5-AA title-holder for 2014, 49-28.

This week all classifications, Class A through Class AAAAAA, begin play in the round of sixteen. As was the case last week, look for more upsets in this week’s games as all teams play lights out in an attempt to make the elite eight pairings next week.

Marion County, the defending Class A Public School Champions a year ago, and the number one seeded team in the playoff bracket, swings into action this week at home as they host region 4-A foe Greenville in Buena Vista. Aquinas, the defending Class A Private School Champions from 2013 are seeded second behind Calvary Day School of Savannah, a team they beat in the Georgia Dome finals last year, 27-7. The Irish are at home in Augusta this week and will meet St. Francis of Atlanta. Calvary Day meanwhile is hosting Christian Heritage in Savannah. Other top Class A matchups include: Landmark Christian and Mt. Pisgah Christian, Tattnall Square and Pine Crest Academy in the Private A division and Lincoln County at Charlton County and E.C.I. at Mt. Zion, Carroll in the Public A division.

In Class AA, top-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian School hosts Lamar County, Vidalia plays host to Coosa and defending Class AA champion Lovett travels to Montezuma to meet the Macon County Bulldogs, the region 4-AA champions this year. In Class AAA, top-ranked Washington County is at home to Callaway and surprising Dodge County heads to Jefferson. Appling County makes the long trip to Elbert County, while Cook of Adel goes for their tenth win in a row when they play host to powerful Hart County.
In Class AAAA, defending champion Griffin is at home to host perennial power Marist. Top-ranked Buford welcomes Mary Persons of Forsyth, and Sandy Creek travels to Jesup to play Wayne County. In Class AAAAA, Ware County is at home to meet Mays at Memorial Stadium, Dalton is at Northside-Warner Robins and Coffee goes to Allatoona. Class AAAAAA’s top games find Dacula at Colquitt County, Grayson at Tucker and Lee County traveling to Lawrenceville to meet Archer in the GPB-TV Football Friday game of the week!