Northeast Georgia area teams went 5-1 last week in the second round of the Georgia High School Association playoffs. Only North Hall, who had a late-game collapse against LaGrange, failed to advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round.
Three of the five teams — Buford, Jackson County, and Jefferson — will be at home. Gainesville and Rabun County are hitting the road.
Once again, there are some monster matchups this week.
Perhaps at the top of the list was Gainesville heading to No. 1-ranked Hughes in southwest Atlanta in Class 5A. The two teams last met in the 2022 Class 6A championship game, a 35-28 Hughes win.
However, the GHSA postponed that game indefinitely after appealing Gainesville’s court win for an injunction on the suspension of 38 players in the wake of a third-quarter fight between the Red Elephants and Brunswick in the second round.
Meanwhile, Jackson County, after knocking off defending state champion Milton last week, now gets another perennial playoff stalwart in Rome in Hoschton.
Buford takes on Douglas County in Class 6A in a rematch of a game earlier this season, a 34-26 Wolves’ win.
No. 1 overall seed Jefferson also is at home against Cairo in Class 3A. The Dragons are looking for their third straight semifinals appearance as they try to also get back to the state title game for a second consecutive season.
Rabun County hits the road for the first time in the 2025 playoffs, heading to Pepperell over by Rome. The Wildcats are looking for their third first semifinal berth since 2020.
With that, here are the GAMES2WATCH on Friday in the quarterfinal round of the GHSA playoffs.
CLASS 6A
Douglas County at Buford
Records: Tigers (9-3, Region 2, Seed 2); Mascot (12-0, R8, S1)
Last week: Douglas County beat North Cobb, 30-24 in OT; Buford beat Newton, 31-14
Radio: WDUN AM 550
Time: 7:30 p.m., Phillip Beard Stadium, Buford
Statisticals: This is the third meeting between the two teams in just over a year, the second this season. Buford won 34-26 on Sept. 12 and the Wolves are 3-0 all-time vs. the Tigers. On paper, Buford has been dominant on both sides of the ball, averaging 47.0 ppg (565 points) and giving up just 115 points (9.58 ppg). Since their win over Douglas County, the Wolves defense has given up just 41 total points (5.12 ppg) over the past 8 games. The Tigers are only averaging 29.2 ppg on offense and giving up 20.5 ppg, but they are 6-3 vs. playoff teams in 2025. The Tigers offense, which scored just 135 points (22.5 ppg) over their first 6 games, has really caught fire over the last half of the season, averaging 37.3 ppg (224 points) in their last 6 games. Both teams have improved since then. Tigers’ Sr. QB Mike Johnson (Utah commit, 2,131 yards, 10 TD, 2 INT passing; 71-478 yards, 10 TD rushing) is a dangerous dual-threat talent. Sr. RB Zamarcus Lindley (1,026 yards, 14 TD) and Sr. RB Rah’keith Kelly (405 yards, 7 TD rushing; 24-421 yards, 2 TD receiving) are a dynamic 1-2 punch out of the backfield. Sr. WR Aaron Gregory (Texas A&M commit, 68-1,161 yards, 3 TD) is as good as any in the state. The Buford defense has not been tested since the two teams met back in September. Sr. CB Ty Green (41 tkl, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FF) and Sr. DB Nassir McCoy (21 tkl, 4 TFL, 1 PD, 1 FR, 1 FF) will be tasked with trying to cover Gregory. Sr. DL Bryce Perry-Wright (Texas A&M commit) leads the unit in every category (82 tkl, 15 TFL, 5 sacks, 19 QB hurries) and Sr. Deion Miller (80 tkl, 7 TFL) is a force at linebacker.
Why watch it: It’s the Elite 8 of arguably the toughest high school league in the nation to win. And, nearly a dozen Power 4 players will be on the field at some point. At this point, every team left is capable of winning the state title. The first game this year saw Buford jump out to a quick lead and then have to hold off a Douglas County rally in the second half. It’s hard to beat a team twice in a season, much less three times in just over a calendar year. Douglas County is looking for its 3rd straight Final 4 appearance, which would be a program first. However, they have not made it to a championship game since winning the Class 2A title in 1964. The Wolves are looking for their 2nd straight semifinals but have not made it to a title game since winning Class 6A in 2021.
Next: Walton vs. Valdosta winner in the semifinals
CLASS 5A
Rome at Jackson County
Records: Wolves (10-2, R5, S1); Panthers (11-1, R8, S1)
Last week: Rome beat Houston County, 38-28; Jackson County beat Milton, 24-19
Time: 7:30 p.m., Panther Stadium, Hoschton
Statisticals: First-ever meeting between the two programs. Every day is new territory for the Panthers, who backed up their first-ever postseason win two weeks ago with their biggest win in program history last week, for now. The Wolves are no strangers to deep playoff runs. This is the 6th time in the last 10 years they have made the quarterfinals, winning back-to-back 5A state titles in 2015 & 2016. They have won 10 straight coming into this one, however, 5 of those wins came vs. teams that finished .500 or worse. Their 2 losses were to Creekside (4A) and Carrollton (6A) who both are into the Elite in the respective classifications. The Panthers also have won 10 straight and their only loss was to Jefferson (3A), who is also into the Elite 8. They are 7-1 against teams that made the playoffs in 2025.
Why watch it: Something will have to give. This will be the best offense Jackson County has seen all year. The Wolves (549 points, 45.74 ppg) have scored 31 or more in every game during their win streak, including 47 or more 7 times, and 59 or more 4 times. The Panthers are yielding just 10.75 ppg and no team has scored more than 26 (Dacula) on them all season. The Panthers defense has piled 73 TFL, 19 sacks, 73 QB hurries, and has forced 22 turnovers, including 12 fumbles. So. LB Noah Bade and DL Deacon Wiley and Slade Swierczek produced a half-dozen TFLs last week against the bigger Eagles. Seven different players have INTs this season. The special teams unit has blocked 8 kicks this season.
Next: Hughes vs. Gainesville winner in the semifinals
CLASS 3A
Cairo at Jefferson
Records: Syrupmakers (10-2, No. 8 seed); Dragons (11-1, No. 1 seed)
Last week: Cairo beat Troup, 28-20; Jefferson beat Harlem, 49-14
Radio: WDUN 102.9 FM
Time: 7:30 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Jefferson
Statisticals: The Dragons won the only meeting between the two programs back in 2016, 17-13 in the Class 4A quarterfinals. The Syrupmakers are having their best season since 2018 and are into their first Elite 8 since then. However, they have not gotten past the quarterfinals since 2011. Jefferson is looking for its 3rd consecutive Final 4 and 4th since 2020. Cairo is as hot as any team in 3A, having won 10 straight, including three straight wins over top 10 teams. Their 2 losses were to 5A No. 1-ranked Thomas County Central and to Class A D1 No. 3 Thomasville. Both teams were ranked in the top 10 in the final AccessWDUN/Friday Game Night poll. Jefferson is 7-1 (North Oconee) vs. ranked teams at Memorial Stadium under coach Travis Noland. Fr. RB CJ Hays (102-768 yards, 7 TD) is having a breakout season but has been nursing a hip injury. The Dragons defense has been led by brothers Dylan Berardinelli (Jr. LB, 96 tkl, 9 TFL, 1 INT) and Jacob Berardinelli (Jr. CB, 87 tkl, 3 TFL, 3 PD) and Sr. LB Pinkard (65 tkl, 14 TFL, 6 sacks, 2 INT, 2 PD). Sr. DB Chance Payne (Minnesota commit, 33 tkl, 4 TFL, 3 INT, 4 PD) is a near lockdown corner in the secondary.
Why watch it: Something will have to give in this one as well. Jefferson is 7-1 (North Oconee) vs. ranked teams at Memorial Stadium under coach Travis Noland. The Syrupmakers have won 4 straight vs. ranked teams in 2025. The Dragons defense has been a wall this season, giving up more than 19 just once (North Oconee). Cairo is averaging 34.4 ppg over its past 5 games. Jefferson is 3-0 in its last 3 quarterfinal appearances.
Next: Jenkins-West Laurens winner in the semifinals
CLASS A D1
Rabun County at Pepperell
Records: Wildcats (10-2, No. 15 seed); Dragons (8-4, No. 10 seed)
Last week: Rabun County beat Berrien, 35-0; Pepperell beat Jasper County, 28-17
Time: 7:30 p.m., Dragon Stadium, Lindale
Statisticals: First-ever meeting between the two programs. And, they are the two lowest seeds left in the Class A D1 bracket. It’s a battle of new power brokers vs. old power brokers. This is the 10th Elite 8 for the Wildcats in the last 11 years. However, they are just 2-8 all-time in quarterfinals matchups, going back to their first Elite 8 showing in 1998 under Sonny Smart. The Dragons were a regular deep-run playoff team in the 90s, winning the 1990 Class 2A state title with two more Final 4 appearances. But this is just the 4th time into the quarterfinals since 1998, and the first since 2016. They are one of the more improved teams in the state after just a 2-8 finish last season. Offense is the difference this year for the Dragons, who nearly doubled their scoring output (381, 31.75 ppg) from last year. They are 7-1 since a 1-3 start, with their only loss coming to No. 1 overall seed Heard County (47-28). But Pepperell is just 3-3 at home this season. Rabun County is 4-1 on the road, including wins at Bremen, Dalton, and Elbert County — all playoff teams.
Why watch it: Both programs are the only two of the eight teams left in the bracket that did not make at least a run to the 2nd round in 2024. The winner will be the lowest seed left. The Wildcats are the 3rd-highest scoring team in the Class A D1 playoffs (91, 45.5 ppg) and the Dragons (23.5 ppg) are the lowest-ranking defense left in the bracket. Rabun County is at full strength for this year’s postseason and are showing why they were among several preseason teams considered serious title contenders. QB Ty Truelove is playing at his 2023 level (1,804 yards, 19 TD, 1 INT passing; 573 yards, 7 TD rushing) and RB Reid Giles (1,278 yards, 20 TD rushing; 733 yards, 4 TD receiving) is having a monster season, leading the team in rushing and receiving. Reed Lafevers (22-320 yards, 6 TD) has been a huge element in the playoffs with 3 TD catches in the first two rounds. The Dragons allowed 133 points (33.25 ppg) in their 4 losses
Next: Worth County vs. Gordon Lee winner in the semifinals
GHSA 2nd ROUND PLAYOFFS, NOV. 21
CLASS 6A
Douglas County (Region 2, Seed 2) at Buford (R8, S1), 7:30 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Gainesville (R7, S2) at Hughes (R3, S1), 7:30 p.m. (postponed indefinitely)
Rome (R7, S3) at Jackson County (R8, S1), 7:30 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Cairo (8) at Jefferson (1), 7:30 p.m.
CLASS A D1
Rabun County (15) at Pepperell (10), 7:30 p.m.
The post Games2Watch: Buford, Jackson Co., Jefferson at home in Elite 8 appeared first on AccessWdun.
