Tigers, Canes to open GHSA state football playoffs at home

Adairsville quarterback Conner Crunkelton will lead the Tigers as they host the Dawson County Tigers Friday in the first round of the Class AAA state playoffs.

Two of the four local high school football teams will begin play in the state playoffs next Friday and both will be hosting games in their respective classification tournaments.

Adairsville and Cartersville will enjoy home games in the opening round as the state playoffs begin across the state on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The other two local teams — Cass (6-4) and Woodland (4-4) — tied for fourth in Region 7-AAAAA but will miss the state playoffs due to a region points differential tie-breaker that gave the state playoff nod and No. 4-seed to Hiram. In Class AAA, the Adairsville Tigers are the No. 2-seed from Region 6-AAA and will host Dawson County, the No. 3-seed from Region 7-AAA. Dawson County, another team of Tigers, slipped to the 3-seed and a 5-5 season record after falling Friday night at North Hall, 34-21. The two No. 1-seeds in the same quadrant of Adairsville’s bracket are 2nd-ranked Oconee County from Region 8-AAA and 3rd-ranked Peach County of Region 2-AAA. The top-ranked team in Class AAA is Cedar Grove, but the Saints will enter the playoffs as a No. 3-seed after forfeiting four games. Cedar Grove self-reported the use of an ineligible player and forfeited four wins. The Saints (now officially 2-4) defeated Sandy Creek Friday to lock down a state playoff berth. The Adairsville-Dawson County winner will advance to a December 4 matchup against the survivor of Westminster-Oconee County.

In Class AAAAA, the Cartersville Hurricanes (8-1 and ranked 4th) will entertain the Jackson-Atlanta Jaguars, a No. 3-seed from Region 6-AAAAA. Jackson (4-6) secured their playoff spot with a 46-24 win this past Friday over Villa Rica. Two No. 1-seeds occupy the same bracket quadrant as Cartersville and Jackson-Atlanta. 8th-ranked St. Pius was the Region 5-AAAAA champion and Creekside — a team the Hurricanes outlasted 21-18 September 25 — won Region 3-AAAAA. The Cartersville-Jackson winner advances to play the Loganville-St. Pius survivor December 4.