Tift, Tiftarea opponents still active in state football playoffs

Published 11:00 am Friday, November 25, 2022

TIFTON — Sixty-four football teams remain active as the Georgia High School Association state football playoffs enter the quarterfinals later this week. Six of those teams played Tift County this season.

Colquitt County is perhaps the favorite in Class 7A after Buford’s elimination a week ago. The undefeated Packers host North Gwinnett Friday.

In Class 6A, Houston County and Thomas County Central remain. The Yellow Jackets are also undefeated and will meet Roswell in the Rose City. Tift and TCC were knotted at 7 late in the 3rd quarter in their regular season game.

Houston, the team the Blue Devils had the most trouble with this year, are the only No. 4 still active in 6A. Though they’ve spent every game on the road, the Bears keep winning.

And if they keep winning, it could be time for another region showdown. The brackets would match them up with Thomas County Central if both win. Houston has another tall order in front of them, a pack of Red Elephants hailing from Gainesville.

Coffee and Dutchtown play in Class 5A quarterfinals this week.

Coffee goes to Cartersville while Dutchtown will have Mays over for a visit. Dutchtown was another school that Tift was in striking distance of, though the Bulldogs forced 4th quarter turnovers as head coach Noel Dean stepped up the attack while trying to move quickly down the field.

Tift held Thomasville scoreless during the 2nd half of their encounter. Runners-up a year ago, these Bulldogs have now won eight straight games. Carver of Atlanta will make Thomasville a very busy place Friday, with two quarterfinals games located within a few blocks of one another.

Lee County and Northside of Warner Robins were eliminated in the second round of the state tournament last week. Both had won a first round game. The only two Tift opponents to not make state were Gadsden (Fla.) and Veterans.

Tiftarea Academy certainly understands the feeling of seeing one’s opponents do exceptionally well this season.

Three of the of the teams on their schedule are in the GIAA Class AAA semifinals, including the team they defeated this year. Valwood, who fell to Tiftarea 41-40, travels up to John Milledge in the semifinal round. Brookwood and Deerfield-Windsor meet in the other game, guaranteeing that someone the Panthers played will be in the championship game.

Terrell Academy and Frederica Academy played elite eight games. Southland Academy also made the playoffs.

Central Fellowship is the top seed in the Class AA semifinals and is to play Gatewood Friday for a chance at the championship. They nipped Tiftarea in the final minute of their game earlier this year.

Bulloch Academy was the only Tiftarea opponent to miss the state playoffs. Westfield was knocked out in the first round of the AAAA bracket.

Tiftarea’s one GHSA opponent this year, Wilcox County, travels to Schley County in the Class A quarterfinals. The Panthers were the first in Wilcox’s current nine-game winning streak.

A handful of area schools are also still active in the state tournament.

Irwin County is in the elite eight of Class A Division 1, with Mount Pisgah as its next opponent at Buddy Nobles Field. Class a Division II has Early County hosting Bowdon and Clinch County at Johnson County. Dooly County travels to Lincoln County.

Fitzgerald hosts Rockmart in Class 2A and Appling County goes to Callaway. After ending Berrien’s season in the second round, Pierce County travels to Fellowship Christian. In 4A, it’s Cedartown at Bainbridge.