Top-five teams went 40-0 in the first round of the playoffs last week, but the top 10’s other half suffered 11 casualties, including four region champions and one team ranked No. 1 just three weeks ago. That latter would be Jefferson, the most conspicuous team eliminated.
Meanwhile, five schools won GHSA state-playoff games for the first time. They were Athens Christian, Haralson County, Kennesaw Mountain, Lithia Springs and Luella.
Achieving the most startling first-round results were Hapeville Charter, Dawson County and Warren County.
Hapeville, a Class 4A team ranked No. 7 in preseason but discounted after a 1-5 start, beat No. 6 Jefferson 12-10 for the Hornets’ fifth consecutive win. Jefferson, the 2020 state runner-up and preseason No. 1, lost two of its final three games. Hapeville was a 28-point underdog, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings.
Dawson County, an unranked Class 3A team, beat No. 7 Sandy Creek 36-27. Sandy Creek was coming off a victory against then-No. 1 Cedar Grove and was a 15-point favorite. Dawson County (7-4) has won first-round games each of the past seasons.
MORE: Warriors, Jefferson fall in round 1 as Rabun and Stephens advance
In Class A-Public, Warren County was a 31-point underdog against No. 7 Chattahoochee County but dominated 42-7. Warren has reached the quarterfinals the past two seasons, each while unranked.
In Class 6A, an unusual event occurred when two No. 4 seeds beat each other’s region champion. Region 5’s fourth seed, Douglas County, beat Region 7 champion Riverwood 24-17, while Region 7’s fourth seed, Johns Creek, beat Region 5 champion Rome 31-27. The last time that happened was in 2008.
The two other teams that beat region champions were Stephens County (over No. 9 Rockmart in Class 3A) and Manchester (over No. 9 Georgia Military in Class A-Public).
Games between top-10 teams accounted for the other ranked teams that lost:
No. 9 Walton beat No. 6 Colquitt County 41-17 in Class 7A.
No. 7 Carrollton beat No. 10 Creekview 47-28 in 6A.
No. 5 Creekside beat No. 7 Coffee 36-27 in 5A.
No. 4 Fitzgerald beat No. 9 Dodge County 15-6 in 2A.
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