How The Tickets Were Punched

We started with 405 teams playing football just the other day…
(It was the other day, wasn’t it?…)

Now, we’re down to the 192 in the six classes that have survived the first two tests of their season and they now head toward (or tumble toward) their final exam…

Otherwise known as the 2013 playoffs…

So, let’s look at how folks got there and got their tickets punched…

We caught up with Veterans High head coach David Bruce on the “All-Access Pass” last week as they had clinched their very first region title… and I mean “Ever” as they knocked off Mary Persons…

But the sign of a team, and how they are preparing for the third season… is how they work in Game 10… the Warhawks were going up against Baldwin and Veterans was going for their 7th straight win on the season…

Here’s Frank and Ben with the details…

((HT: 13WMAZ))

One team that Tommy Palmer has been telling all of us to keep an eye on has been Wayne County. The Yellow Jackets have put up a lot of numbers in a region where you have had to put up a lot of numbers to survive and advance…
This week, they really had to put up a lot of numbers against a team that does the same thing- the Burke County Bears…

And the game wasn’t decided until the last guy had their offense on the field…

Here’s Kevin and Andrew from “Operation Football Live” with those highlights- and you’ll see ARC, Liberty, and Warner Robins before you get there…
((HT: WRDW-TV Augusta))

Over in west Georgia, one of the funkiest regions in play was Region 1-5A… If Thomas County Central won, the region was theirs. If Harris County won, Lee County won, and it created a three-way tiebreaker- then it went to points allowed among the three teams, but only if TCC gave up less than 30 points…

Got all that…??? Thought so…

Here’s what went down in Hamilton…
Friend of GPB, Dave Platta, has that result along with the fate of Spencer, Kendrick, Troup, Pacelli, and Carver-Columbus…

((HT: WTVM-TV))

WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather

On the other coast, another one of the teams in double-A that GPB has kept an eye on is the Benedictine Cadets. They had the chance to get ready for the third season with a game against MCA…

Frank and Stefanie have their highlights along with another look at Wayne and Bryan, a lot of single-A action, and Ware County with Effingham as the Gators prepare for the third season as a one seed…

((HT: The Coastal Source))

So, faithful reader and listener…

What has you all fired up for the sprint to the finish…???

Let me know below all these words that are typed, friend us on Facebook at GPB Sports, or check us out on Twitter @GPBSports… and, as I like this to be a two-way conversation, I’ll put your responses in next week’s words…

The last regular season “Football Fridays in Georgia” podcast is underneath us all as well… This time, Tommy Palmer and I talk bracketology…

Cool stuff…

Our brackets are going to be up Tuesday here at GPB Sports, because there are (believe it or not) mini-games that have to be played to set up some seedings. Tommy calls them goat-ropings, so I’ll go with that…

This week’s round 1 matchup for the playoffs is Peachtree Ridge at Lassiter-two high-powered offenses with speedy defenses…

“All-Access Pass” starts at 7 and the game is a little after 7:30… so join Mark, Claire, Grace, Trey, Kelin, and moi for all you need to know all playoffs long…

Let me know what you think about Game 11 and beyond…
Strap yourself in, the ride is gonna be awesome…

Play it safe, everyone… I’ll talk to you soon…