Class 3A Blog: Top-ranked Sandy Creek, No. 2 Calhoun on collision course to the quarterfinals as playoffs open Friday

(Photo - Jason Getz / AJC: Calhoun defensive back Jake Jordan (33) intercepts a pass intended for Jefferson wide receiver Dalton Dye (17) during the second half in the GHSA Class 3A State Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Wednesday, December 18, 2024, in Atlanta. Calhoun won 20-7.)

If we glance at the Class 3A football playoff bracket as four, quadrant-based mini-playoffs, the potential quarterfinals and even semifinals matchups become a bit clearer.

Top-ranked Sandy Creek and defending-champion No. 2 Calhoun each open the playoffs in the top-right quadrant and that seeding could result in the state championship-caliber matchup in the quarterfinals that will knock out one of the best teams in the playoffs.

Sandy Creek will begin its trek toward a fifth title with a rematch of the controversial 2022 3A Championship game against Cedar Grove, which helped usher in the replay-age of the GHSA. If it moves past Cedar Grove, the Patriots will then need to win against Pickens or Monroe Area to advance to the quarterfinals. Five-time champion Calhoun opens against Lumpkin County and faces either Gilmer or upset-minded Douglass-Atlanta in the second round.

In the bottom-right quadrant there are three ranked teams -- No. 9 Stephenson, No. 8 LaGrange and No. 3 North Hall – which could face highly-favored Sandy Creek or Calhoun in the semifinals. Stephenson opens against Richmond Academy and could face Long County/Westside-Augusta in the second round. North Hall opens against Mt. Zion-Jonesboro and would face either LaGrange or North Clayton in the second round.

Three ranked teams – No. 5 and 2024 runners-up Jefferson, No. 6 Troup and No. 10 Cairo – will open the postseason in the top-left quadrant. Jefferson’s path to the quarterfinals would go through Dougherty in the opening round and either Harlem or Heritage-Catoosa in the second round. The Troup-Cairo second-round matchup seems destined. Troup plays Westover and Cairo faces Liberty County in the first round.

Peach County (No. 4) and West Laurens (No. 7) are the only ranked teams in the bottom-left quadrant and could meet in the quarterfinals if Peach beats Cherokee Bluff and Whitewater/Jenkins and West Laurens defeated Beach and Oconee County/Northwest Whitfield.

Class 3A First Round Playoffs Schedule (Includes pre-playoff team rankings)

(Top-left quadrant)

#32 Dougherty at #1 (No. 5) Jefferson

#17 Harlem at #16 Heritage-Ringgold

#24 Westover at #9 (No. 6) Troup

#25 Liberty County at #8 (No. 10) Cairo

(Bottom-left quadrant)

#28 Whitewater at #5 Jenkins

#21 Cherokee Bluff at #12 (No. 4) Peach County

#20 Oconee County at #13 Northwest Whitfield

#29 Beach at #4 (No. 7) West Laurens

(Top-right quadrant)

#30 Cedar Grove at #3 (No. 1) Sandy Creek

#19 Pickens at #14 Monroe Area

#22 Gilmer at #11 Douglass

#27 Lumpkin County at #6 (No. 2) Calhoun

(Bottom-right quadrant)

#26 Richmond Academy at #7 (No. 9) Stephenson

#23 Long County at #10 Westside-Augusta

#18 North Clayton at #15 (No. 8) LaGrange

#31 Mount Zion-Jonesboro at #2 (No. 3) North Hall

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