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Class 3A Blog: Ranked teams advance past first round; It is ranked vs. ranked in second round
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The best of the best played as they should in the first round of the Class 3A football playoffs and with each of the 10 top-ranked teams surviving through the first round, two meetings between ranked teams highlight the second round.
Cairo (9-2, 5-0) is coming off a 36-7 victory against Liberty County and now the No. 10-ranked Syrupmakers will travel to No. 6 Troup (10-1, 7-1) for the second round. Troup moved past Westover 45-14 in the opening round.
Senior quarterback Garrison Hearst is 121-of-185 passing for 1,606 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 949 yards and 15 touchdowns. Davis Moncus leads receivers with 32 catches for 372 yards and nine of the team’s 24 receiving touchdowns. On the ground, senior Trent Soto and junior Javarris Warner combine for 17 rushing touchdowns.
But arguably the best matchup of the second round might be upset-minded and No. 8-ranked LaGrange (9-2, 6-2) traveling to undefeated and No. 3-ranked North Hall (11-0, 7-0). The Grangers are coming off 48-27 victory against North Clayton. North Hall upended Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 62-26 in the first round.
Junior quarterback Alex Schlieman is 206-of-271 passing for 3,129 yards and 28 touchdowns to nine different receivers. Senior Ty Kemp leads with 52 catches for 819 yards and nine touchdowns while junior Cole Gable has 57 catches for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns. On the ground, North Hall senior Justin Allen has 71 carries for 426 yards and 14 touchdowns, and senior Parker Carlton adds 74 runs for 679 yards and 10 touchdowns.
LaGrange enters the contest led by an experienced senior quarterback in Dylan Barber, who leads the team in rushing with over 600 yards and eight touchdowns. Seniors Julian Jones, Jardon Stringer, Ayden Johnson and Kalvin Snowberger anchor the receivers stall.
Class 3A Second Round Schedule
Harlem at No. 5 Jefferson
No. 10 Cairo at No. 6 Troup
No. 4 Peach County at Jenkins
Oconee County at No. 7 West Laurens
Monroe Area at No. 1 Sandy Creek
Douglass-Atlanta at No. 2 Calhoun
Westside-Augusta at No. 9 Stephenson
No. 8 LaGrange at No. 3 North Hall
