Week 11 matches to watch
Maxwell projection: Academy of Athens by 12
Remarks: These teams met as regional opponents for four seasons from 1992 to 1995 and have not played before or since. The Spartans went 4-0. If Union County wins, they will face Fellowship Christian for the Region 8 title. If Athens Academy wins, they will take the No. 2 seed and the Panthers will hit the road as the top seed. No. 3. The Panthers could also lose to Athens on Friday and then beat Fellowship Christian to tie a 3-way tie for first place, with Fellowship beating Athens, Athens beating Union and Union beating Fellowship… The Panthers edged out East Jackson last week , 21-17, to clinch a playoff berth and extend their playoff appearance streak to five, which is the longest such streak in program history. That topped their four-game streak from 2013 to 2016. They also notched their first winning season since 2019, when they went 10-2 and won the program’s first playoff game. The Panthers last won the region in 1973, when they won the region 8-B the year after winning their only other region title… After losing to Fellowship Christian on October 14, the Spartans trailed Banks County last week 13-7 with 9:49 started in the first quarter, but put up 49 points between then and halftime, shut out the Leopards the rest of the way and won 70-13 .
Berrien’s Rebels in Dodge County Indians
When or: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium at John M. Peacock Field, Eastman
Recordings: Berrien is 5-3, 2-2 in Region 1; Dodge County is 4-5, 3-2.
Last meeting: Dodge County won 24-6 in 1969.
Maxwell projection: Dodge County by 7
Remarks: Between 1957 and 1969, these teams met five times for their only meetings and tied the series 2-2-1. It will be the season finale for the Indians, who are in fourth place but can move up to third with a win and a Cook loss to Fitzgerald on Friday. If the fifth-place Rebels defeat Dodge County, however, they will trade places with the Indians, take fourth place, and the Indians’ streak of consecutive playoff appearances will end at 10… At first, it looked like it would be a lost season. for the Indians after starting 0-2, which turned into 1-5 after losing their first two regional games to Fitzgerald and Worth County. Since then, however, they have won three games in a row. First they beat area bottom eaters Sumter County and Jeff Davis, then last week they were stunned undefeated and No. 3 Cook, 47-37, on the road to salvage their season and keep their playoff hopes alive… If Berrien loses, they’ll be knocked out of the playoffs — even if they were to somehow beat Fitzgerald next week in what would easily be the biggest shock of Georgia high school football’s 2022 season. .
Laney Wildcats vs. Putnam County War Eagles
When or: 7:30 p.m. Friday, War Eagle Stadium, Eatonton
Records, rankings: Laney is 7-1, 4-1 in Region 4; Putnam County is 6-2, 4-1 and No. 9.
Last meeting: Putnam County won 13-6 in 2021.
Watch the game: NFHS Network
Maxwell projection: Putnam County by 7
Remarks: The playoff field for Region 4 is already set, with Thomson, Laney, Putnam County and Washington County making the cut. With first-place Thomson having already beaten the Wildcats and War Eagles, this game should determine second-place and home-court advantage in the first round of the state playoffs, assuming both teams win their finals as scheduled. The loser would take third place, but if the War Eagles lose again in their final against Washington County (3-2 in the league), which has played better the past two weeks, they would fall to fourth place. Laney came within a point of beating Thomson, with the final score 15-14. Thomson beat Putnam County 27-3 last week… The Wildcats have won four straight since losing Thompson and a win here could earn them a spot in the top 10, where they haven’t been since 2012, when they were ranked No.8 for a week… Aside from Thomson, the War Eagles’ only other loss was a 20-0 loss to No. 5 Oconee County of 3A on Sept. 2.
