TIFTON — Five teams started, five teams remain in the playoffs from the Tiftarea.
Tiftarea Academy, who defeated Arlington Christian Friday night by a 31-13 score, now find themselves in the Class AA state semifinals this Friday night.
The Panthers, 9-3 overall, will host Memorial Day in Chula.
Memorial Day is currently unbeaten at 11-0.
In the win last Friday over the Eagles, Tiftarea harassed Arlington quarterback Kase Cook all night long. Cook, who had thrown for an average of over 200 yards per game this season, could only muster 154 yards against the Panthers pass defense.
Cook was also picked off twice in the contest, and completed only 33 percent of his passes.
Memorial Day will have to stop a Panther rushing attack that rushed for over 325 yards Friday against Arlington.
But Memorial has been tough against the run, allowing less than 200 yards in each of their last three games, including 195 yards allowed in an overtime win over Brentwood Friday at home.
Cook High, the No. 4 seed out of Region 2-AA, defeated Appling County 25-12 in Baxley last Friday, as 1-AA was swept out of the playoffs by 2-AA.
The Hornets will travel to Lyons Friday to take on the Toombs County Bulldogs.
Toombs (8-3) defeated Southwest Macon 13-0 on the road Friday, while rushing for 395 yards on 58 carries.
Demery Hawkins led the Bulldogs with 210 yards rushing on 28 attempts and a touchdown, while Tory Lamb rushed for 69 yards on only seven attempts.
Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed only 128 yards on the ground to Southwest, and 180 total yards on the night to the Patriots.
Coached by former Tift County assistant Shane Williamson, the Bulldogs switched from the spread offense to the Pro-I after a 2-3 start.
Toombs is 6-0 since the offensive switch while rushing for nearly 2,000 yards in those six games.
Fitzgerald ran around, and through the Charlton defense as the Hurricane built a 39-0 lead early in the second half.
The Hurricane will now take on the Henry County Warhawks in McDonough Friday night.
The Warhawks are 10-1 this season, and are led by quarterback Drew Little. Little, a 6 foot 5, 260 pounder, has thrown for nearly 9,000 yards in his career.
The state record for passing yards in a career is held by Zach Stanford of Metter High, who was coached by Tift County offensive coordinator Keith Gosse.
Stanford threw for 9,062 yards from 2001-2004.
Turner County will face Brookstone in the second round after blasting Terrell County, 43-19 in Ashburn last Friday night.
E.J. Walker rushed for 156 yards on only nine carries, while Kenveyon Newberry was 8-for-13 for 249 yards passing.
Todd Lawson had three catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, and Hiawatha Parker also contributed with 75 yards on three catches in the contest.
Brookstone, from Columbus, is 11-0 on the season after defeating Savannah Country Day by a 28-3 score.
Tift County will head north again this week to take on the undefeated Newnan Cougars.
Tift (8-3) defeated Martin Luther King last Saturday 24-14, in Clarkston to earn a bid into the second round of the Class AAAAA playoffs.
Malcom Dixon ran for 111 yards and a touchdown, and John Tibbetts blocked two punts on the evening as the Devils’ special teams were once again — special.
Tift County wore silver pants on the road for the first time since 2004 to make the night even more special.
Newnan (11-0) is led by quarterback Russell Powell, and running back Keandreas Wynn. Powell has 19 touchdown passes and seven touchdown runs on the season and is 22-2 as a starting quarterback, while Wynn has rushed for nearly 1,100 yards on the season out of the spread offense.
Nine starters returned on defense for the Cougars this season.
The 3-5-3 defense has yielded only 28 points for the season, as Newnan has shut out five straight opponents.
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