Class 5A blog: Region championship races coming into focus

There are several key region games across the classification in the waning weeks of the regular season which will impact playoff seedings. Some programs have a clear-cut path to the league title: win this week. Others have to piece together consecutive victories in the final two weeks to either capture a title or force a league-specific tie-breaker.

In Region 2, No. 3 Houston County and top-ranked Thomas County Central will meet Friday, with a league title on the line for TCC. The Yellow Jackets are looking for their third in the past four years, while Houston County is seeking its first since 2015. It will also be one of the last undefeated matchups in the state, with both teams at 8-0. Houston County has a bit tougher road to a championship, needing wins over TCC and No. 9 Lee County in the final week of the season to win it outright, while TCC just needs a win over Houston County to clinch the region.

In Region 5, Rome and New Manchester will face off this Friday for the region title. No. 10 Rome leads the series 3-0, is currently on a 30-game region winning streak and has won four straight region titles. On the other hand, New Manchester is having one of, if not the, best seasons in school history. The team’s seven wins are already the second-most in school history and only one behind last year’s eight. A win on Friday would give them their first region title since 2020 and only the second in school history.

In Region 7, No. 7 Roswell will head to City Park to face No. 4 Gainesville. The Red Elephants have already beaten No. 5 Milton this season, 28-16, the largest victory in a generation for the program. Roswell is 7-1 under first-year head coach Jonathan Thompson. The game will be another revenge opportunity for the Red Elephants after losing 48-45 last season. Gainesville is looking for the program’s 34th region title and third in the past four years. Roswell is seeking its third in four years and the program’s 16th overall.

In Region 8, Habersham Central will head to Jefferson to face No. 8 Jackson County for the region crown on the 31st. Jackson County is currently having the best season in school history. Its seven wins are only one shy of the school record. The Panthers are looking for their first-ever region title. Raiders coach Benji Harrison will be traveling back to Jackson County, where he began his head coaching career from 2012 to 2014. The Raiders are looking for their first region title since 2007. Coach Harrison is in his best three-year stretch as head coach, having made the playoffs in all three seasons, and the team’s six wins are already tied for the most since that 2007 campaign.

Class 5A Top 10 schedule

No. 1 Thomas County Central will host No. 3 Houston County.

No. 2 Hughes travels to Morrow.

No. 4 Gainesville hosts No. 7 Roswell.

No. 5 Milton heads to Johns Creek.

No. 6 Sequoyah hosts Pope.

No. 8 Jackson County hosts Loganville.

No. 9 Lee County hosts Northside-Warner Robins.

No. 10 Rome hosts New Manchester

‍