2A…*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.

This classification provides us with five, clear-cut, definitive favorites, and then everyone else. GACS, Vidalia, Fitzgerald, Lovett, and Benedictine make up that short list.

Bottom Right Quad:
Fitzgerald versus everyone else. The path would appear to be clear for the Purple Hurricanes to make their run into the Final Four. The Canes feature one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state in senior Gerald Morgan. His stat line is impressive to say the least: 966 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 1,516 rushing yards, 22 rushing touchdowns). Jason Strickland’s bunch is averaging 340-yards per game on the ground. Sophomore running back JD King will reach the 1,000-yard plateau in their first playoff game and will look to add to his nine touchdowns. From the department of the unbelievable, eight of Fitz’s ten opponents are playoff teams. Minuses? They are giving up a good bit of points. Opponents average 20 ppg versus a defense that only averages one sack and one interceptions per game.

When I first started calling high school sports in the early 1990s, Bowdon was one of the stars of 1A football. They will always have talent; no matter what impact the cultural shift, population change and reclassification can inflict upon the program. They should meet Fitzgerald in the Elite Eight. Darnell Holland is the star of the Red Devils offense with 1,613-rushing yards and 24 touchdowns.

Sleeper: History lesson time. Were you aware that for a short time in Georgia history, Louisville was the capitol? It’s true. Since 1900, there have been many high schools in the town. Jefferson County High, in Louisville, has been pleasantly successful in the last decade. Since 2004, the Warriors have won at least seven games in eight of ten seasons. They have four running backs, and a quarterback, that have all eclipsed the 300-yard rushing mark.

Top Right Quad:
I’m angry. Greater Atlanta Christian School and Vidalia were my preseason picks to meet in the state title game at the big dome in Atlanta. Then, I looked at the brackets in August, just before the season kicked off, and realized, they would meet in the Elite Eight. These two squads are awesome.

GACS sports three MAJOR D1 prospects in Senior LB Tyler Cooksey (GA Tech), Senior WR/DB Darius Slayton (Undecided/UGA/Auburn) and Senior RB/DB Micah Abernathy (Tennessee). This team is championship or bust. Six times they have held opponents to seven points or less. For the third consecutive year they have won ten ballgames; and in doing so, the Spartans defeated six playoff teams, and two others that finished within one win of the post-season.

The Vidalia Indians, if possible, have been even more dominant. They held six opponents to six points or less, with five shutouts. They defeated a 4A playoff team, and Benedictine, one of the 2A favorites for the state crown. And they scored 30-plus in each contest, with 40-plus in seven of ten. If that isn’t enough stats for you, here is the stat of the day: the Indians score a touchdown every 4.1 times quarterback Jordan Black either attempts a pass or rushes with the football. He may be the 2A player of the year.

Sleeper: Lamar County. The biggest point going for LC is their first-hand knowledge of playing big games. This senior class has played in 12 playoff games in the previous three years. True, their three biggest stars from those teams are gone, and all at GA Tech, but they left the residue of success. They will need to execute their patented ball-control offense to perfection to eliminate the number one team in the state.

Top Left Quad:
All week long, during our playoff previews, when a quad has been filled with evenly matched teams, I have been careful to say a region COULD be the most wide-open; or it is PERHAPS the most competitive. The reason? This IS the most competitive, balanced, wide-open region in the state this year. Five teams could easily reach the Final Four and a sixth could pull a real upset in round one. So, with so many teams, we’ll do a little quick hitting.

Don’t let Wesleyan’s 6-4 record fool you; the Wolves from Spalding Drive have played a tough schedule and are a team on the rise. With freshman quarterback Banks Ramsey and a really solid defense, allowing just 14 points per game, they could make some noise.

That Wolves defense, versus Heard County’s Duranta Dunson, is a must see matchup. Dunson, who missed four games this year with a broken clavicle, turned in one of the great playoff performances in state playoff history last year. In a second round, 61-57 loss to Jefferson, he rushed for 463 yards and five touchdowns. In the 2014 season opener versus Fitzgerald, a 2A title favorite, Dunson went for 230 yards and 2 scores; while totaling 14 tackles and a forced fumble from the safety position.

Screven County has been a really nice surprise. We knew the Gamecocks were going to be pretty good, but a region championship was not expected. The guys from Sylvania have turned in some staggering rushing numbers. SIX players have over 200-yards rushing. As a team, they have totaled 2,400-yards and 35 touchdowns on the ground.

Brooks County was insanely talented the last two years, and lost their two leaders. Gone are two-time all-staters Malkolm Parrish and Deric Herring. But what those guys left behind is a wealth of experience for a group of seniors that, over the last four years, has won 40 games entering these playoffs. Plus, they are, at the very least, just as talented as any team in this quad. For my money, they are the slight favorites to take the quad and make the Final Four.

Whisper, whisper, whisper. That was the type of talk you heard in regards to the Darlington Tigers, and their jump up in classification, from 1A to 2A. They have responded. The naysayers have witnessed the Romans post a 9-1 record and win their region title. The school with arguably the greatest campus in the state (seriously, look it up) is led by RB/DB Trey Edge. Tommy Atha’s number one weapon has just shy of 1,500-rushing yards and has scored touchdowns nearly every way possible.

Sleeper: Washington-Wilkes. Like Brooks County, the Tigers lost three, veteran, all-state leaders from 2013. This team is still dangerous and could absolutely beat Darlington. In fact, they are deeper and more athletic than their first round opponent. The problem is that they have been inconsistent. They were only 2-4 versus playoff teams; yet were only outscored in those contests by a 115-112 margin.

Bottom Left Quad:
This is an awesome region for historians. Many will predict this as a blow-up bracket; and I could see that. Although, somehow, some way, I think we get the big matchup.

Thomasville could be described almost exactly like Washington-Wilkes above.

Dublin, who is down in historical terms, has been a tough little club in 2014.

I cannot wait to see Rabun County’s Charlie Woerner, perhaps THE top two-way star in our state, versus the defense of Benedictine. The nephew of former Georgia great Scott Woerner plays RB/WR/CB/S. His stat line is amazing: 145 rushes/ 1117 yards/ 8 Ypc/ six 100 yard rushing games/ 10 rushing Td’s/ 29 rec/ 516 yards/ 18 Ypc/ 5 Td’s/ 95 Tackles/ 2 TFL/ 1 Int/ 9 Passes Defended/ 1 Blocked FG. Meanwhile, if Lee Shaw ran for mayor in the city of Tiger, he’d win. Coach Shaw returned home and has won two less games in his three years (22), than the program won in the DECADE prior (24).

The matchup people will fill into their brackets, simply because they WANT to see it, is Benedictine versus Lovett in the Elite Eight. Again, I think it will happen.

Benedictine has one of the top QB to WR combos in the state with Stevie Powers to Brad Stewart. The Cadets played both GACS and Vidalia during the regular season and both were great, close ballgames. They did lose both contests (24-21 and 35-28), but they led late in both ballgames and there is no question they are capable of winning a rematch and the state title.

The defending state champs are playing their best football of the year. After a slow start, dictated by graduation, the Lions have lost only to GACS (14-7) since September 5th. With all the talent they lost, they still have nine high-level, major impact, returning starters from last year’s squad. Senior quarterback Willie Candler (Passing: 1261/16/5/60%; rushing: 530/10) returns to lead a balanced offense that can truly adapt to the opposing teams weakness. Yes, they lost one of the best players in the state, Grant Haley, to Penn State; but they actually return their next six most productive offensive weapons.

Sleeper: Macon County is the most underrated team in 2A. The Bulldogs have only two losses, by a total of 12-points. And if they face Lovett, their defense, allowing 12-ppg, could give the Lions run game fits.