The road to a state championship is officially set, and several area football teams will be part of the postseason field when the GHSA playoffs kick off next week. From hosting first-round games to challenging road trips, local programs now know exactly where their championship journeys will begin.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking playoff story belongs to Coosa High School. The Eagles believed they had earned the No. 32 seed in the Class 2A state playoffs after initially being informed by the GHSA that they were in the field. However, just hours later, officials notified Coosa that a scoring adjustment elsewhere in the standings altered the playoff picture, ultimately knocking the Eagles out of the postseason. The late change ended Coosa’s hopes after what had been an emotional celebration of securing a playoff berth.
In Class 2A, several northwest Georgia teams will hit the road for first-round action. Dade County, the No. 25 seed, travels to No. 8 Social Circle, while No. 19 Pepperell heads to No. 14 Putnam County. Meanwhile, No. 23 Mt. Zion will travel to face No. 10 Model in a matchup featuring two teams familiar with deep playoff aspirations.
In Class A Division I, Trion earned a home playoff game and will welcome No. 8 Best Academy as the Bulldogs look to advance out of the opening round.
In Class 3A, Rockmart secured one of the state’s top seeds and will host No. 29 Washington County. The Yellow Jackets enter the postseason with championship expectations and the advantage of opening their playoff run at home.
The local playoff representation continues in Class 4A, where Adairsville, the No. 20 seed, travels to No. 13 North Hall. Calhoun, seeded 10th, will enjoy home-field advantage as the Yellow Jackets host No. 23 Howard in the first round.
Class 5A features one of the strongest local contingents. Cedartown, the No. 20 seed, will travel south to face No. 13 Ware County. Cass earned a home playoff game and will host No. 26 Villa Rica, while No. 2 Cartersville begins its postseason run at home against No. 31 Perry. The Purple Hurricanes enter the playoffs as one of the classification’s favorites after securing a top-two seed.
In the Private School bracket, Darlington faces a difficult opening-round challenge. The Tigers, seeded No. 17, will travel to take on No. 16 Mt. Bethel Christian in what is expected to be one of the most competitive first-round matchups in the classification.
With playoff football returning across northwest Georgia, local teams now turn their attention toward the win-or-go-home portion of the season, where every snap could determine who continues chasing a state championship and whose season comes to an end.
