Playoff Preview: GHSA playoffs begin; Deerfield-Windsor, Sherwood need wins to play for championships

The GHSA football playoffs kick off Friday night with several area teams competing, while the GIAA playoffs move to the state semifinal round, where two local schools look to secure a spot in the championship game.

Friday night’s matchups:

Luella (5-5) at No. 6 Westover (9-1)

Luella travels to Albany after finishing 4-2 in Region 5, capping their regular season with a 35-25 win over traditional powerhouse Cedar Grove.

Westover completed its best regular season in school history with a win over Cairo last week and now heads into the playoffs with high hopes. The Patriots’ offensive line, led by Pitt commit Torian Chester and top 2027 prospect Kyson Mallard, was named Georgia’s Offensive Line of the Week. This recognition should further energize Westover’s ground game, featuring Dominique Ball, the state’s leading scorer with 206 points and 1,793 rushing yards.

Westover Head Coach Corey Joyner recognizes the strengths of his team but sees room for improvement in the passing game.

“We will have to improve our passing game and stop their running attack,” Joyner said. “They have three running backs that can start at any high school in Georgia. On defense, they hustle to the ball and hit hard. Don’t be fooled by their record; they’re a pretty good team.”

Kickoff at Hugh Mills Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m.

Habersham Central (4-6) at No. 2 Lee County (10-0)

The No. 2-ranked Lee County Trojans are heavily favored against Habersham Central. Lee County has remained unbeaten through a grueling Class 5A schedule, never trailing in a game all season.

In contrast, Habersham Central has not faced any ranked opponents, finishing 3-3 in Region 8. Their offense, however, is powered by sophomore quarterback Paris Wilbanks, the region’s top passer with 2,158 yards and 22 touchdowns. Junior running back Donovan Warren adds balance to their attack with 872 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

The Raiders’ defense will face a formidable Trojan offense that has racked up 543 points in ten games — the highest in GHSA this season and the fourth-highest in history. Quarterback Weston Bryan has amassed 1,751 passing yards, 952 rushing yards, and a combined 42 touchdowns (18 passing, 24 rushing). Even if the Raiders slow Bryan, Georgia commit Ousmane Kromah is a threat, with 1,003 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 24 receptions for five additional scores.

Kickoff in Leesburg is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Coosa (4-6) at No. 6 Worth County (7-3)

The Coosa Eagles enter the playoffs despite a seventh-place finish in Region 7, Northwest Georgia. Top-ranked Fannin County won the region and defeated Coosa 42-0.

The Eagles’ offense is led by sophomore quarterback Charlie Cannon (1,440 passing yards, 8 TDs) and senior running back Jyshughn Turner (906 rushing yards, 8 TDs).

Worth County boasts one of Class A Division I’s top quarterbacks in Lyndon Worthy, who ranks second statewide with 2,448 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. His go-to receiver, Georgia State commit D’Ontae Fulton, has 54 receptions for 974 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kaden Chester leads Worth County’s ground attack with 872 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Kickoff in Sylvester is set for 7:30 p.m.

Monroe (3-7) at No. 3 Jefferson (7-3)

With the GHSA’s new power-ranking system, Monroe earned a playoff bid as the No. 32-team in Class AAA and gets the opportunity to make the four hour drive and make a big upset against the No. 1-team in the power rankings -Jefferson.

Jefferson is ranked No. 3 by the Georgia High School Football Daily after losing in their final game of the regular season.

The Jefferson Dragons lost 32-30 in overtime in their final game of the season and finished second in Region 8 but is still on top according to the power rankings.

Both Jefferson and Monroe rely heavily on the quarterback, though Jefferson has a plethora of running backs to add to the offense.

The Dragons are led by senior Gavin Markey who has thrown for 1,163 yards and rushed for 939 more.Monroe will counter with senior quarterback Jordan Washington.

Washington has thrown for 2,013 yards and rushed for 828 yards.

Kickoff Friday night in Jefferson is set for 7:30.

No. 4 Deerfield-Windsor (8-3) at No. 1 Westfield (9-2)

These two teams met in Week 3, with Deerfield-Windsor prevailing in a 33-29 thriller. The Knights scored more points against Westfield than any other opponent has this season.

Westfield, hoping to prove that defense wins championships, has allowed no more than one touchdown per game since losing to First Presbyterian. They advanced to the semifinals with a 15-6 victory over Terrell Academy last week.

Deerfield-Windsor, however, will test Westfield’s defense. Against a 9-1 Lakeview team last week, the Knights scored on every first-half possession. Quarterback Lane Sceals threw three touchdown passes, including an 83-yarder to Jake Hatcher on the opening play.

“On offense, we need to be balanced and take care of the football,” said Deerfield-Windsor Head Coach Jake McCrae. “We can’t give them any free possessions.”

In the earlier matchup, senior Cole Jones led Deerfield-Windsor with 240 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Westfield’s offense revolves around senior quarterback Brayden Gay, who has 1,960 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, excluding his performance in the win over Terrell Academy.

The winner of Friday’s game will play the Tiftarea vs. Valwood winner next week at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. Kickoff in Perry is at 7:30 p.m.

No. 3 Harvester Christian (9-1) at No. 2 Sherwood Christian (9-0)

Sherwood Christian Academy remains undefeated and is one game away from the GIAA Class AA 8-man state championship, with Harvester Christian as the last hurdle. An offensive showdown may be on the horizon at Legacy Field.

The Harvester Christian Hawks have scored 40+ points in every game except their lone loss to No. 1-ranked Westminster of Augusta, averaging 50 points per game in their nine wins.

Sherwood, led by junior quarterback Tripp Roberts and senior running back Bill Dunwoody, averages more than 45 points per game and has outscored opponents 413-95. Their only close game was a 40-30 win over Westwood.

Last week, Harvester Christian defeated Westwood 50-20, with all offensive touchdowns scored on the ground except for a defensive pick-six.

The winner will face the Georgia Christian vs. Westminster winner next Thursday at Georgia Southern University. Kickoff at Legacy Field is set for 7:30 p.m.

By Joe Whitfield
Sports EditorJoeWhitfield[email protected]
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