FOOTBALL OUTLOOK: Brentwood begins playoffs; JoCo, Wheeler Co. go for region titles in week 12

The playoffs are here! Well, kind of. 

GHSA members still have a week left to wrap up regular seasons, and make final playoff cases before brackets are set and the state tournament begins next week. 

But postseason play will begin for qualifiers out of the GIAA this Friday as the remainder of the Heart of Georgia completes week 12. 

Second-seeded Brentwood (7-3) kicks off its pursuit of a third-straight AA state championship at home against Southland (4-6), with some renewed confidence after last week’s return of its fearless leader at quarterback in Baylor Cobb, who’s expected to give it a go on an injured knee that had him sidelined for the bulk of October. 

Despite their slow start and rash of recent injuries complicating a potential road back to the top, wins in seven of the last eight games have the Eagles feeling the buzz once again as confidence rises in their chances of making another run. 

A region champion will be crowned in Millen, where No. 1 Johnson County (9-0) faces Jenkins County (5-4) for top honors in 5-A, and can complete a second-straight perfect regular season if its dominant play in the three phases – good for an average victory margin of 41 points – rolls on. 

Wheeler County (5-4, 4-1 region 4-A) will also be playing for its second-straight, in need of just a win at Dooly County (3-6, 2-3 region) to clinch a race that was neck-and-neck between multiple contenders just a week ago. Though the Bulldogs will be a sizable favorite, chaos still looms should they have trouble closing the deal on the road in a league where stranger things have happened this season. 

Locally, a title may also ride indirectly on the outcome of a battle between two of region 3-AAA’s hottest teams in West Laurens (5-4, 4-1 region) and Windsor Forest (5-4, 2-3 region), who both come into The SHU riding two-game win streaks. 

The Raiders rose to 21st in the Post Season Rankings with the results of an open week last Friday, but due to the volume of once- and twice-beatens still above them at the top of the list, a win alone likely won’t provide enough of a boost to get them a first-round home game without an automatic shoo into the top 16 that’s afforded the region champ. 

Needing New Hampstead to hand Harlem a second region loss to make that a possibility, West Laurens will likely sneak a few glances at the out-of-town scoreboard over the course of the night, though it won’t be able to afford not to keep both eyes on its own matchup with the Knights, who have too much speed at the skill positions and size on the lines to overlook. 

East Laurens (3-6, 2-3 region 2-AA) and No. 3 Dublin (8-1, 5-0 region), crosstown rivals who are both secure in their playoff standing going into the season’s final week, will play their 33rd all-time meeting in the Shamrock Bowl. Irish eyes will be on a ninth win needed to maximize chances at securing a top playoff seed in the upcoming bracket, while the Falcons look to make some more noise in a matchup that’s had a good bit of it from their side the past two seasons. 

Whether this edition goes the direction of a Dublin runaway that’s the historical trend, or sees East Laurens continue a season-long pattern of strong performances on the road to put some more pressure on the Irish, will depend on which version of the Falcons shows up. 

In the rest of week 12’s regular-season finales, Montgomery County (4-5, 0-3 region 1-A) plays host to Claxton (5-4, 0-3 region) as both teams look to salvage a win in their last region games; Dodge County (4-5, 2-3 region 2-AA) travels to ACE Charter (5-4, 1-4 region) in desperate need of a victory to break up its three-game slide and perhaps avoid going on the road again in the first round of the playoffs; Treutlen (7-2, 3-2 region 4-A) bids a fond farewell to Bobby Driggers Stadium, its longtime home field, in its final regular-season home game against Wilcox County (0-9, 0-5 region); and Twiggs County (1-8, 0-5 region 5-A) hosts Hancock Central (2-7, 1-4 region) looking to make the best of one last opportunity to pick up an elusive second win.