5A…*Disclaimer: I will be on the play-by-play call for some of the playoff coverage; therefore I will stop just shy of laying out a game by game prediction; that leads to a conflict of interest and breaks an unwritten broadcaster code. Just the same, here are some of the storylines we should expect to see unfold in the 2014 GHSA football playoffs…
Use the pictures as a point of reference and let’s begin in the bottom right corner of the bracket.
The 5A classification, for me is a small race between Creekside, Ware County, Allatoona, and Coffee.

Bottom Right Quad:
Gainesville brings the experience and swagger to beat anyone. Mike Gonzalez has taken over for Deshaun Watson, and has improved seemingly every week. Wanna see a next level linebacker? The Red Elephants feature JD Sosebee, who is one of the hardest hitting young players in the state.

Harris County and Warner Robins will combine for 500-yards on the ground as the Demons rotate three really good backs and HC counters with QB Taquon Marshall and RB Tae Crowder. We so-called experts knew HC was going to be good, but I did not see them taking down Carver, Columbus to win the region title. The folks in Hamilton have been blessed with this squad.

I have grown to know, enjoy, and appreciate the operations and people at the GHSA. I believe, year in and year out, the GHSA gets nearly every decision right. HOWEVER, I absolutely deplore the thought of Allatoona facing Coffee in the second round of the state tournament. If there was a way to combine the region championships with a power ranking; or leave the current format and then seed the teams; or something that does not eliminate what I believe is one of the top title contenders in the second round. Unfortunate that one of these teams will be out that early; but in the end you gotta beat the best teams anyway, so…

Allatoona, with two young men in their backfield to eclipse 1,500 yards each of the last three seasons, has the best backfield combo in 5A. That’s right, I said it. Pull up highlights of Josh Bettistea and Russell Holiman and then come argue. A really good defense, a fundamentally sound quarterback in Conner Larson and a great couching staff. The Bucs are my favorite to come out of a really tough quad.

Coffee is all about Tyree Paulk. I will tell you, I have guys on the street who are telling me the dual threat QB is not healthy; and hasn’t been all year. The Trojans also have a plus defense and can run a bit behind all-state lineman, and future FSU Seminole Cole Minshew. I believe the winner of this second round game reaches the Final Four.

Sleeper: Carver, Atlanta. If they can make up for the loss of Greg Payton, who I don’t believe is returning in 2014, they could make some noise. Aaron Williams is one of the best defenders in the state. They are having a resurgent year, come from a pretty tough region and are playing with house money.

Top Right Quad:
This is the “feel good” portion of the bracket. Drew, Glynn Academy, New Manchester, Salem, and Northside, Columbus are not exactly playoff regulars. And they all win in different ways.
Drew is high octane and is top teams in the state in points scored. New Manchester has a Georgia Tech caliber running back. Salem is scoring, but they have actually played pretty solid defense this year in a region that was so good it forced Clarke Central, Flowery Branch and Loganville out of the playoffs. Then there is Glynn. The Red Terrors are led by former Walton man Rocky Hildago. This wasn’t supposed to be the year they reached the playoffs. Being one year ahead of schedule, expect a loose team coming up from Brunswick.

The favorites, clearly, are Northside, Warner Robins and Creekside. In fact, they should be expected to meet for the right to reach the Final Four.

Northside used a mid-season loss, their first in the region in years to someone other than their arch-rivals, to wake up and return to form. RB Willie Jordan is, reportedly, back to full strength. They are one win away from reaching the ten win mark for a state record seventeenth consecutive year.

Despite the fact that Creekside lost one of the top wide receivers in the state, future Georgia Bulldog Jayson Stanley, early in the year, the Seminoles are still a legit state championship favorite. They have now turned more to the run game. Bricen Terry has turned in multiple 200-yard rushing games behind two offensive linemen headed to major D1 programs (Venzell Boulware-Tennessee and Marquell Harrell-Auburn). Remember, they actually returned MOST of the talent from last year. Which brings up a great point; why does it feel as though they are under the radar? You never want to count out a defending champion, and Creekside has been tested in a region that is better in 2014, than anyone thought it would be.

Sleeper: Dalton. The Catamounts are only in this first round game because they let a 14-3, mid-fourth quarter lead get away versus Kell. They are balanced offensively and tough on defense. SR LB Nate Mays will be a nice matchup versus Northside, WR.

Top Left Quad:
I have a feeling. At the top, I listed my four favorites. People have asked: Can Ware County be taken down? For some reason, I think the answer is yes. Not that I’m betting on it.

This is a sneaky tough region that is all about mixed opinions and which way you swing in your thought process.

Is Kell overrated or clutch? The Longhorns have won four games in their last possession. One on a hail mary pass, and two others in the last minute. The last two coming in the last two weeks!

Yet, they will have to take out South Paulding. The Spartans are WAY too underrated; mainly because their region is underrated. Really good offense; only one loss-to Allatoona; and a solid defense as well.

Jones County? All they did was beat Warner Robins AND Northside, Warner Robins. They are top ten in points scored and have scored 30+-points in eight of their ten ballgames.

For my money, the winner of Carver, Columbus versus Ware County reaches the Final Four.

In fact, because the CC Tigers didn’t win their region, I think they are a little underestimated. They feature one of the top quarterbacks, and overall players, for 2016, in Juwon Pass. Also, they feature one of the top DE’s in the country in future Bama man Mekhi Brown. Now, the fact that CC has struggled to stop the run is a problem if they do face Ware.

Franklin Stephens Ware County Gators are playing machine like football. Dedrick Mills is one of the top juniors in the state as a two way player. They may have the best defense in the class; check that, they DO have the best defense in the class. QB Xavier Hollimon has taken to Stephens offense well and has made the right decision. Plus, it helps when you have four really good running backs.

Sleeper: the Mays Raiders. They were on the verge of elimination a month ago. They are athletic, dangerous, and feature three major D1 prospects. Natrez Patrick, in my humble opinion, could be a three year starter in the SEC.

Bottom Left Quad:
Balanced, tough, four team quad. Brunswick, or Sequoyah, Lagrange, or Stockbridge are all great stories for making it this far; but I doubt if any can reach the Elite Eight. For many, this will serve as the “blow-up bracket.”

The winner of Alexander versus Stephenson should be an Elite Eight team. Both squads run the ball extremely well.

The Cougars run out one of the top backs in the state, Georgia Tech commit, Mikell Lands-Davis. MLD went for over 2,300-yards in 2013. And wide receiver Issac Zico will be a tough assignment for an opposing secondary.

The Jaguars defense should be up for the challenge. Chauncey Rivers (Georgia), Khalil Ladler (top 25 for 2016), and Javon Barnes (Boston College offer) could all be first team all-state defenders. Meanwhile, they also have their usual lot of offensive stars in Isiah Zuber (Kansas State), Dexter Neal (South Carolina), NeKyle Lundie (Nebraska) and Ivonte Patterson. As you can see, Stephenson is loaded, as usual. Could this FINALLY BE THE YEAR they get their title?

Houston County can outscore anyone in the quad. The Bears lost their two games by a combined five points; and they gave up a last minute touchdown to Northside-Warner Robins, in game ten, in a de-facto region title game. Jake Fromm is THE most underrated QB in the state and the same thing could be said about Kenny Gant at the RB position. In fact, they could win this quad easily.

And so, I think the favorite to win the quad is HC or Lanier.

Lanier is a team that makes me pat myself on the back. I have been on the Longhorns since kickoff last season. They have four really, really good running backs; led by Tario Fuller, a Purdue commit, and Junior Ashton Barnes. Tahj Tolbert won the QB job and has amazing athleticism.

Sleeper: Impossible to pick. If you could look at 10 different brackets, from ten different high school media reporters, you would see ten different scenarios. I’ll say Houston because they are a little less known among the “experts.”