Teams advancing for the first time in more than 10 years were Richmond Academy (last won in 2009), Gordon Lee (2007), Pacelli (2006), Hancock Central (2006), Upson-Lee (2005), Decatur (2003), Northeast (2002), Riverdale (2001), Jeff Davis (1997), Fannin County (1995) and Central of Macon (1975).

*Lowndes (8-1) at North Cobb (10-1): This game, to be televised by GPB, features two of the state’s best dual-threat quarterbacks. North Cobb’s Malachi Singleton, a sophomore with reported offers from Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, was 14-of-17 passing for 215 yards in a 35-6 victory over Pebblebrook last week. Lowndes’ Jacurri Brown, a junior four-star recruit, was 7-of-11 passing for 178 yards and rushed for 75 yards in a 42-0 victory over Newton last week. Lowndes, under new coach Jamey DuBose, is coming off a 2019 runner-up finish and seeking its fifth consecutive 10-win season. North Cobb has won 10 games and advanced a round in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

*Archer (7-4) at Milton (10-0): Archer is one of only two Class 7A teams (North Gwinnett is the other) that have a chance to make the Class 7A quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season. Milton is 40-9 during that time with a state title in 2018. Archer beat Gainesville 21-14 last week after Vashaun Stockmann threw a 31-yard TD pass to D.J. Moore with 59 seconds left to break a 14-14 tie. Archer also scored on Stockmann’s 54-yard run and Wilgen Larame’s short return of a blocked punt. Milton beat Peachtree Ridge 45-14. Jordan McDonald, a 1,000-yard rusher, was held to 65 yards, but Devin Farrell was 17-of-22 passing for 217 yards. Jack Nickel, a tight end committed to Notre Dame, had three receptions for 76 yards and returned a fumble 7 yards for a touchdown.

*Denmark (6-4) at Collins Hill (9-2): Denmark, which opened in 2018 in Forsyth County, won its first playoff game last week, beating Discovery 63-0. Collins Hill also won easily, beating Alpharetta 42-7. Both teams have major Division I prospects at quarterback. Denmark’s Aaron McLaughlin, committed to N.C. State, was 18-of-26 passing for 231 yards and five touchdowns against Discovery. Horn, rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 pro-style QB prospect among juniors, was 18-of-28 passing for 286 yards and six touchdowns against Alpharetta. Four of the TD passes went to Travis Hunter, a five-star prospect committed to Florida State as a cornerback. The victory was Collins Hill’s first in the playoffs since 2015, also the last time Collins Hill made the quarterfinals.

*Parkview (7-3) at East Coweta (9-1): Parkview’s Cody Brown rushed for 278 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries in a 24-17 overtime victory over Camden County last week. Parkview trailed 17-0 at halftime. Brown has rushed for 1,250 yards on the season, 4,944 for his career, and is committed to Tennessee. The leading rusher in Class 7A, however, belongs to East Coweta. Jayden Bolton has 1,350 yards and 16 touchdowns, including 94 yards and three scores in a 37-28 comeback victory over Marietta last week. But East Coweta’s leading rusher in that game was sophomore Trey Bowles, who had a career-high 176 yards rushing and two touchdowns. East Coweta can reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. Parkview was a semifinalist last year.

*Roswell (8-2) at Norcross (11-0): Roswell beat Mill Creek 28-27 last week after trailing 27-7 with 4:23 left in the third quarter. Robbie Roper was 17-of-29 passing for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and his 3-yard, fourth-and-goal TD pass on the 17th play of a drive set the comeback in motion. Norcross had an easier time in the first round, winning 47-20 against South Forsyth. Mason Kaplan was 13-of-15 passing for 303 yards and four touchdowns, two to Trey Goodman. Kaleb Jackson (101) and Jahni Clarke (96) were leading rushers. Norcross is seeking its first quarterfinal since its 2013 state-championship season. Roswell is after its first quarterfinal since its 2016 runner-up season.

*Walton (6-5) at Colquitt County (8-0): Walton is coming off its best performance of the season, a 49-9 victory over McEachern. Kenny Djaha, injured much of the season, rushed for a season-high 138 yards on 15 carries. QB Zak Rozsman, a junior pro-style quarterback with Division I offers, was 9-of-13 passing for 134 yards. Walton is in the second round for the fourth straight season but hasn’t made the quarterfinals since its 2011 state runner-up team. Colquitt County beat Brookwood 49-3 last week after taking a 35-3 halftime lead. Zane Touchton, starting for injured Xavier Williams, was 15-of-17 passing for 287 yards and four touchdowns. Colquitt sacked Brookwood star QB Dylan Lonergan four times and returned an interception for a touchdown. After falling short last season, Colquitt is seeking its 11th quarterfinal appearance in 12 seasons.

*Harrison (4-5) at Grayson (10-0): Harrison, the 2019 Class 6A champion, upset No. 9 Newnan 26-24 last week. The Hoyas trailed 24-20 in the final minute, but Newnan lost a fumble at its 3-yard line, and Harrison cashed it for a touchdown. Grayson, ranked No. 1 in 7A, will be another matter, though, as the Rams are peaking. Phil Mafah, a Clemson-committed 1,000-yard rusher, carried the offense over much of the season, but midseason transfer Jake Garcia got his first start at quarterback last week in a 43-0 victory over Tift County. The Southern Cal pledge was 11-of-17 passing for 176 yards and three touchdowns. In its only previous game against a No. 1-ranked team, Harrison beat Dacula in the 2019 semifinals.

*North Gwinnett (8-3) at West Forsyth (8-3): West Forsyth won its first region title since 2012 this year, while North Gwinnett failed to win region for the first time since 2016. But North, a semifinalist last year and champion in 2017, will be favored. The Bulldogs have played nine current or one-time top-10 teams and beaten six, including two round-of-16 teams (Parkview, North Cobb) by shutout. Barrett Carter, a linebacker committed to Clemson, was made North’s feature back last week and rushed for 202 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries in a 29-16 victory over Cherokee. He had three sacks as a linebacker. West Forsyth is seeking it first quarterfinal since 2012. Freshman RB Ryder Stewart rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown and caught a 38-yard TD pass in West’s 39-14 victory over Meadowcreek. Hudson Posey scored on an interception return and a safety.

*Valdosta (5-4) at Evans (9-2): Rush Propst, Valdosta’s first-year coach, collected his 300th career victory when his Wildcats beat Lovejoy 52-14 in the first round. Propst won the majority of his games at Colquitt County (119-35) and Hoover, Ala. (110-16). QB Amari Jones passed for 194 yards and ran for a team-high 49 in the first round. This will be the first meeting against Evans for both Propst and Valdosta. Evans, the Region 3 champion, advanced to the second round for the fourth time since the state playoffs were expanded to 32 team in 1996 with a 42-21 victory over Statesboro. The Knights led 21-0 early, and Statesboro never got closer than a touchdown. Jofranstar Graham had 188 of the Knights’ 330 rushing yards, putting him at 1,120 for the season.

*Sprayberry (6-4) at Carrollton (7-2): Sprayberry, a No. 3 seed, won a state playoff game for the first time in the program’s 65-year history when it beat Creekview 34-14 in the first round. Damarion Owens, who rushed for 1,032 yards during the regular season, scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter but later suffered what was reported as a significant leg injury, and his status for this week is unknown. Carrollton is in the second round for the sixth consecutive season after beating Winder-Barrow 55-7. The Trojans led 28-0 after one quarter and 55-0 at halftime. Keshawn Ridley rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns, and the Trojans scored on returns of a blocked punt (3 yards by Juan Nieves) and an interception (46 yards by David Johns).

*Cambridge (6-5) at Buford (9-1): Cambridge, which opened in 2012, is another No. 3 seed that won in the state playoffs for the first time, upsetting Kell 36-14. Phillip-Michael Collins rushed for 176 yards and scored on runs of 24, 5 and 2 yards. Cambridge led 20-0 in the third quarter, saw Kell get within 20-14, and then pulled away in the fourth. Second-ranked Buford, playing in Class 6A for the first time after winning the 5A title in 2019, beat Douglas County 48-0 last week for its 22nd consecutive first-round victory. It was the second straight shutout and fifth of the season for the Wolves, who allow just 5.8 points per game, best in 6A. Victor Venn and Gabe Ervin combined for 130 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

*Hughes (10-1) at Glynn Academy (8-3): Hughes, which missed the playoffs the past two seasons, beat Northside of Warner Robins 27-0 to reach the second round for the first time since 2016. QB Xavier Smith ran for two touchdowns and passed for another in the first half, and the Panthers had 427 yards of total offense while holding Northside to 68. Region 2 champion Glynn Academy beat Grovetown 42-3 for its seventh consecutive first-round victory. The Red Terrors have won six straight games after a 2-3 start, allowing a total of 11 points in the past five games. Glynn Academy rushed for 398 yards last week, according to the Brunswick News, and were led by Caden Hutchinson with 143 and QB T.J. Lewis (committed to Louisville) with 124.

*Rome (8-3) at River Ridge (10-0): Rome, which moved up from 5A this year, is in the second round for the sixth consecutive year after beating Habersham Central 35-14. E.J. Lackey rushed for 184 yards to go over 1,000 for the season and scored three touchdowns, including a 68-yarder on the first play from scrimmage. Freshman QB Reece Fountain was 14-of-17 passing for 206 yards and two scores. River Ridge won a playoff game for the first time in the school’s 12-year history when it beat Kennesaw Mountain 35-34 in overtime in the only first-round 6A game decided by fewer than 20 points. Amehre Morrison (1,717 yards rushing for the season) scored on a 15-yard run on the Knights’ first play in overtime, and River Ridge stopped a two-point conversion attempt to preserve the victory.

*Brunswick (8-3) at Lee County (9-1): Brunswick, which finished in a three-way tie for first place in Region 2 but ended up with the No. 3 seed, reached the eight-win mark for the first time since 2010 with a 41-6 victory over Alcovy. Ree Simmons and Chuckobe Hill both ran for 127 yards, and K.J. Lee passed for 151. Simmons has 1,157 yards rushing for the season, and Lee has 1,878 yards passing. Top-ranked Lee County used a 41-point second quarter to power past Tucker 49-17 in the first round. The second half was played with a running clock. Caleb McDowell scored five first-half touchdowns (four rushing, one on a punt return). Chauncey Magwood ran for 100 yards and threw a touchdown pass. Lee County had 284 yards rushing and 360 yards total in the first half.

*Richmond Hill (9-2) at Westlake (9-1): No. 9 Richmond Hill, a semifinalist last season, beat Lakeside of Evans 56-0 to reach the second round for the third consecutive year. Kenyan “Nuna” Hunter ran for a touchdown, returned an interception 57 yards for a score, recovered a fumble and had five tackles (two for losses). Ashaud Roberson ran for 56 yards on nine carries, giving him 1,463 yards for the season. No. 3 Westlake is averaging 479.8 yards per game and leads 6A with 40.7 points per game. The Lions reached the second round with a 42-10 victory over Houston County. R.J. Johnson was 14-of-15 passing for 330 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 2,664 yards and 20 TDs for the season. Westlake is the Region 4 champion after winning six straight region titles in the highest class.

*Dacula (7-3) at Allatoona (10-0): This game matches the 2019 Class 6A runner-up (No. 4 Allatoona) against a semifinalist the past two seasons (No. 8 Dacula). Dacula reached the second round for the fifth consecutive season with a 49-24 win over Alexander. Kaleb Edwards (committed to Georgia Tech) had 147 yards rushing and 153 receiving; Kyle Efford had 108 yards rushing; and Blaine Jenkins passed for 211 yards. Allatoona recorded its fourth shutout of the year in a 24-0 victory over Johns Creek last week. The Buccaneers are allowing 7.1 points per game, second-best in Class 6A, and have not allowed more than 17 points in any game. Brett Blomquist had two of his team’s three interceptions (he has a school-record 13 in his career) and blocked a punt against Johns Creek.

Coming Tuesday: Classes 5A and 4A

1. What did the playoff win, the school’s first in 17 years, mean to the program? “This victory means progress. It means hope, and it means that we are building a culture where kids believe in themselves, their abilities and each other.”

2. How did the Greenbrier game play out? Any outstanding performances? “First off, hats off to Greenbrier for a great game plan and performance. They made us earn every yard on the field. For us, the game was fun, challenging and exciting. It was a great test to let the kids know what we are good at and what we need to continue to improve on. We had some great performances from a lot of guys. Sophomore QB Harrison Hannah managed the game well and passed for 167 yards. Marquis Hood rushed for 162 yards. Isaac Dimmock rushed for 63 yards as well. Senior Army commit Justin Weaver was electric, scoring on offense and special teams. He had a 51-yard run for a touchdown and a punt return for 53 yards for a touchdown. Mekhi Lloyd had seven tackles and two catches for 50 yards.”

3. What are some of the challenges that you and your team have faced this season related to COVID-19? “The main challenge we have faced with the pandemic is just making the sacrifice and staying away from family and friends who are not immediate. We have very rigorous protocols that we follow to ensure that screening is done efficiently. Our district leaders have done a great job with following CDC guidelines, and our athletic director, Mr. Rodney Thomas, has done a great job us supplying us with all the sanitation supplies we need to be safe. A week before the start of the season, we were shut down due to numbers rising in DeKalb County. We were not allowed to start practice until two weeks before region play. We vowed to treat every day like it was our last because the game was essentially taken from us.”

4. Decatur just 10 years ago was playing in Class 2A and fielding average teams. Now, you're in 5A and advancing in the playoffs. How has this happened? “Funny thing is we are a 5A school by numbers but not for sports. We have less kids now on the football team than we did when I first started here in 2008. Gentrification and richer families have caused the population to rise greatly over the last few years, so we have to move up as our population moves up. As far as the football team, the kids have bought into the idea of family and working together. They are a great dedicated group, and we have been working hard to stay the course and play hard and for each other.”

Join the GACA and be eligible for liability insurance, participation in all-star games, registration to clinics, and access to job listings.

Answer to Wednesday’s question: Marist has the longest active streak of making the playoffs. The War Eagles have made the state playoffs each season since 1994 and region or state playoffs each season since 1983.

Jostens is the leading provider of yearbooks, caps and gowns, class rings and championship rings and is the Official Championship Ring of the GHSA. Click here to learn more.