Region rematches, toss-ups headline first round of GHSA playoffs

First rounds of playoff football tend to be a mixed bag of games pitting fringe teams against the highly favored, and a select few quality matchups between intermediate seeds who are closest together in the middle of the pack. 

The Heart of Georgia’s 2026 postseason draw, as in most years, will have some of each on this weekend’s schedule, though an unusually healthy number of them fall in that toss-up category, where the difference between opponents will be fairly minimal. 

Area teams, for the most part, wound up in a reasonable position with respect to their statewide standing in the GHSA Post Season Ranking System, which with the exception of region championships, was the only consideration in placement of each classification’s 32 qualifiers. 

In terms of travel, only Washington and Dodge counties face trips exceeding 90 minutes from home. The only major gripe with seeding likely belongs to Dublin, which was inexplicably overtaken by a Bleckley County team it defeated head-to-head in the top four of the AA hierarchy. 

Three out of nine games on the week’s slate will feature region rematches, and four of those will bring together seeds in the teens and low 20s for games without an overwhelmingly heavy favorite. 

Among the most evenly handicapped are West Laurens (16) and Westover (17), whose game at The SHU along with 15 others in AAAA was moved to 7 p.m. Saturday on account of sparse GHSA officiating crews, and Treutlen (17) and Wheeler County (16), in a runback of their exciting region battle in week 8. 

The hometown Raiders, back home in search of a fourth-straight win, go up against a well-rounded team with a tough, physical streak and sporty collection of athletes that might be better than its record or seeding, as Albany’s Patriots were on track to be hosting a playoff game before falling flat in their final two regular-season games against Dougherty and Spencer. 

West Laurens will need to correct some habitual mistakes and end its recent struggles defending fourth downs, but its chances of pulling out what promises to be a close one will depend more than anything on solving the challenge of finishing the game as well as it starts. 

The 4-A rival Vikings and Bulldogs boast two of the hottest ground attacks in Class A football entering the tournament, and combined to run for over 500 yards when Wheeler County got the last word (hinging on a late red zone stop) to win 28-16 in the regular season. 

Which team’s defense can come up big in the same situations will decide a winner in round 2. 

These will have more long-shot chances, but look for just as much of the unpredictable from two underdogs in similar matchups of battle-tested teams, as Dodge County (18) heads south to challenge former region rival Berrien (15) and Montgomery County (22) looks for some redemption after a 14-13 loss to ECI (11) three weeks ago. 

A deep playoff roadmap for the midstate’s favorites begins at home. 

Dublin (4) will see Vidalia (29) for a second time, and only two weeks removed from their regular-season meeting at Buck Cravey Field, and the first of back-to-back 550-plus yard rushing efforts for the Irish to complete the regular season that was pretty one-sided. 

East Laurens (28) will visit the Pinelands for the first time since 2020 to battle a once-beaten Jeff Davis (5) squad that deserves mention along with Bleckley and Dublin as one of the state’s top contenders. 

The Falcons proved in recent matchups against the former two that they’ve got the tools to put up a few points against a D giving up less than 10 per game. But they’ll need some answers for slowing down the run they couldn’t find in either of those if they hope to put the Jackets on upset alert.

In the remainder of Friday’s action, a rested Bleckley County (3) will welcome Jefferson County (30) to Cochran, Johnson County (2) returns to Herschel Walker Field to open with Greene County (31) and Washington County (29) goes to Northwest Georgia to take on twice-beaten Rockmart (4).

Top playoff games featuring surrounding Middle Georgia schools will include road trips for Houston County’s entire GHSA contingent, sending Houston County to Marietta’s Kell, Northside to Lee County, Veterans to defending state champion Thomas County Central, Perry to Cartersville and Warner Robins to Jefferson. 

Former region rivals Baldwin and Harlem will meet up in Milledgeville, Howard will host Calhoun and Mary Persons will battle North Clayton in several of AAAA’s most intriguing first-round battles. 

Top AA matchups will have Fitzgerald hosting Rabun County, Swainsboro welcoming Screven County. 

Telfair County travels to top-rated Randolph Clay and Hawkinsville will go on the road for a rematch of a close regular-season loss to Schley County in Class A. 

Defending GIAA state champs Stratford and John Milledge Academy host challengers Pacelli and Tiftarea, looking to earn a chance to repeat, while Westfield battles a strong Athens Christian team in hopes of getting back to the finals for the first time since its 2014 state title run. 

Full playoff brackets…

GHSA: A / AA / AAA / AAAA / AAAAA / AAAAAA / AAAAAAA / Private | GIAA: All