As I sat here trying to come up with an opening paragraph for the 7A preview, it was a struggle. I found myself continually thinking about the incredible slate of non-region matchups we have lined up in the first four weeks of the season. Plus, I kept coming back to the question of who would fall into the race for the at-large playoff spot. And then it hit me. The two are connected. One of the best storylines we will have in 2017 is the race for the #32-seed. Some traditional powerhouse teams will be down just a bit. On the other side, it is clear many teams who have been down as of late, are going to be better. In Week Zero alone, we get these three matchups that will help decide the at-large race: North Cobb at Cherokee, Woodstock at West Forsyth and North Gwinnett vs Walton. So, with the advent of the #32-seed, these out of region matchups serve like college football’s big time early season matchups. They could be de-facto elimination ballgames.

Predicted Playoff Field:

REGION 1…Playoff Teams: Colquitt County, Lowndes, Tift County

REGION 2…Playoff Teams: Westlake, East Coweta, Newnan, Wheeler

REGION 3…Playoff Teams: Hillgrove, McEachern, Marietta, North Cobb

REGION 4…Playoff Teams: Roswell, Lassiter, Woodstock, Etowah

REGION 5…Playoff Teams: South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Milton, Lambert

REGION 6…Playoff Teams: Mill Creek, North Gwinnett, Mountain View, Peachtree Ridge

REGION 7…Playoff Teams: Brookwood, Parkview, Norcross, Central Gwinnett

REGION 8…Playoff Teams: Grayson, South Gwinnett, Newton, Archer

BATTLE FOR THE #32-SEED: North Paulding, Camden County, Walton, Collins Hill, North Forsyth

The Favorite (s)…

Grayson was so loaded in 2016 they could afford to lose as much major talent as any high school team in modern times, perhaps ever, and still be the favorites to repeat as state champions in 2017. The champs will return six defensive players who could be special. Junior linebacker’s Owen Pappoe and Kevin Harris are, according to the 247Sports Composite Georgia rankings, in the top-13 of overall players in the state for 2019. Junior defensive tackle Tru Thompson and junior defensive back Kenyatta Watson II are both Florida State commits. Senior’s Ryan Taylor and Solomon Egbe are top-200 players in the state for 2018.

Still, there are questions. They will need to replace a three-year starter at quarterback (Chase Brice), three of the most dynamic players in the state over the last four years (Jamyest Williams, DeAngelo Gibbs and Breon Dixon) and a legendary head coach (Jeff Herron).

Next is Colquitt County; the ever-present contender. Last year proved that more than ever. Last season, after the 0-4 start (three of the losses were one-possession ballgames), Rush’s Bunch won eight straight (only one of which was decided by less than 21-points) before losing to Grayson in the quarters. I wonder if last season’s second half for the Pack was a precursor of things to come.

The Contender (s)…

The Packers will find stiff competition from within their region if Lowndes does what they are capable of in 2017. Senior quarterback Michael Barrett will have the inside track to be player of the year in the region because of his 2016 performance: 132-of-213 (62%), 2,753 yards and 27 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,170 yards and 21 scores. The Vikings did lose a good bit of talent, like everyone in 2017, but they return one key piece at every level.

The “most uncertain team of the preseason” label belongs to the two-time state runner-up. On the one hand, Roswell lost a crop of talent that is staggering. On the other hand, North Carolina prep star Cordell Littlejohn has transferred in to take over behind center. How quickly will it come together for new head coach Matt Kemper?

Somewhere in a fantasy land, a Gwinnett high school football fan is dreaming of a final four featuring neighbors Grayson, Brookwood, South Gwinnett and Parkview. With the probable finish of each team in its respective region, the talent returning to each program in 2017 and the way the brackets are laid out by the GHSA, that dream of a Stone Mountain Freeway-Scenic Highway Showdown in the semifinals may not be far-fetched.

In Snellville, Brookwood should have the best offense in the state with 10 of 11 starters returning from 2016. Senior’s Matthew Hill, Angelo DiSpigna and Dante Black form quite the triumvirate. There is no reason to believe this offense couldn’t reach the 500-point plateau. The real question is: can they be consistent on defense?

On the flip side, the Broncos next door neighbor South Gwinnett will feature four defenders ranked in the 247Sports top-88 overall players in the state for 2018; including defensive linemen Robert Cooper (FSU) and Justin Mascoll (Clemson). The real question is: can they be consistent on offense?

First, I tell my friend, Parkview is going to be pretty good this season. The Panthers return four of their top six offensive weapons. To which he responds, “Yes, but they lost the quarterback.” I then quickly asked, “How dangerous would they be if he was back for one more season?” He says without hesitation, “Top five in the state. They may score more than Brookwood.” How about we replace him with former Peachtree Ridge signal-caller Fred Payton, who transferred into Lilburn during the off-season? “Oh”, he says.

The Challenger (s)…

Newton has the potential to surprise. They underachieved in 2016 and lost one of the best wide receivers (Jeremiah Holloman-UGA) and linebackers (Jaquan Henderson-GA Tech) in the state. However, Myron Middlebrooks is back under center and he is joined by a class of players that will have a chip on their shoulders. Clemson commit Darnell Jeffries is back on the defensive line. Senior defensive backs Elija Godwin and Jaison Taylor are two of the top secondary men in the state. Factor in three returning offensive linemen in front of senior running back Nuru Tinch, and the Rams could be the surprise team of 2017.

“This was the year. We were so close. We would have been champs!” My friend’s voice was steadily rising with anger after each staccato-like comment. The anger was palpable. And he could be right. Last season, Mill Creek fielded that team we always talk about, the “oh so close” team. They and Roswell will share each other’s pain. Make no mistake they will be in the mix again, but a third consecutive semifinal will be hard to reach. This will also be the team we mark as “it isn’t as important who is back because the level of talent graduated, is so much larger.”

McEachern and Hillgrove. Like the Gwinnett powers mentioned above, these two are forever linked, and will most likely be right next to each other all season on our 680 FNF rankings. This season McEachern should take a slight step back while Hillgrove will take a slight step up. Their matchup in the season finale will once again determine the region champion. Don’t be surprised to see the Indians run a little more behind junior back Paris Brown. And don’t be surprised to see the Hawks put up 40-plus points six times this year.

Tift County has a chance to be one of the big storylines of 2017. The Blue Devils return one of the state’s great quarterback to wide receiver combos in Griffin Collier and Rashod Bateman. Collier had one of the best “quiet” seasons of the campaign; including a six-touchdown performance versus Thunder Ridge of Colorado. The highest rated player in Blue and White is senior linebacker Andrew Johnson. The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Oregon commit, is one of the top 50 players in the state.

My sleeper of the year? The Marietta Blue Devils. They received three major transfers (senior wide receiver Christian Ford from Roswell, sophomore athlete Arik Gilbert and sophomore athlete Dawson Ellington from Woodward Academy) and have a crop of talented players coming back. By the way, when we say sleeper, in this case we mean the Blue Devils get back to the postseason and possibly win a game.