Top- 10 teams to face tougher challenges

The Georgia high school football playoffs, normally in the semifinals by now, enter the second round today, with 64 games scheduled from Christian Heritage in Dalton to Benedictine and Savannah Christian on the coast.

The pa ndemic pushed the season back two weeks, meaning a record 128 teams are playing past Thanksgivi ng with dreams of going past Christmas, when the state finals will be played at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.

Last week’s first round produced few upsets as only four ranked teams were beaten, none in the top five. The computer Maxwell Ratings picked 112 of 124 games correctly, and most of the misses were projected as tight games.

E a c h round puts more s t r e s s o f t he s t a t e ’s b e s t teams, and there are 19 games this weekend between top10 teams.

Here are more facts and figures from the second round:

All suited up: Barring late news, every game scheduled will be played. That’s a first this season. After hundreds of canceled games during the regular season, and three in the first round, all 128 teams are planning to tee it up.

Barely made it: Though short on upsets, the opening round had some stunning finishes. Athens Academy, a 27- point favorite, needed a last- minute drive to force overtime and beat Mount Vernon 49- 42. Parkview, River Ridge and Clinch Count y also needed extra periods to win games in which they were favored. Islands trailed 18- 0 in the fourth quarter and beat Hardaway 22- 18. Roswell trailed Mill Creek by 20 late in the third and won 28- 27. Lagrange was down 26- 1 7 t o New Hampstead with less than five minutes left, then scored, recovered an onside kick and scored again to win 30- 26. Harrison trailed Newnan 24- 20 with seconds l eft with i t s opponent in victory formation but recovered a fumble at Newnan’s 3- yard line and won 26- 24. Jones County esc aped with a 27- 25 win when Wayne County fumbled into the end zone in the final minute. Archer and Bremen won games with touchdowns in the final minute, and Eastside advanced on a field goal as time expired.

Best players: Seven of the AJC’S preseason Super 11, and 18 of the consensus top- 25 senior recruits, are still playing. None of those had a better game i n t he first round than Barrett Carter of North Gwinnett. Carter rushed for 197 yards and four touchdowns while making four solo tackles, four behind the line, with three sacks at hi s more natural position, l i nebacker, i n a 29- 16 victory over Cherokee.

Second- round regulars: Buford – 2 1 - 0 i n t he f i r s t round since 2000 – i s the only team that has advanced to the second round every season this century.

Newcomers: Six teams are in the round of 16 for the first time. They are Cambridge ( s chool opened i n 2 012), Cherokee Bluff ( 2018), Denmark ( 2018), Islands ( 2014), New Manchester ( 2011) and River Ridge ( 2009).

B e s t s e c o n d - r o u n d game: Brooks County is playing at Dublin in a rematch of the 2019 Class 2A championship game, only t hi s t i me both are i n Class 1 A after reclassification. Dublin, which won the 2019 meeting 42- 32, i s ranked No. 2. Brooks is No. 3. Both are 9- 1.

Other good ones: There are 18 other games between ranked teams, most notably No. 4 Athens Academy at No. 3 Fellowship Christian, No. 5 Flowery Branch at No. 1 Marist and No. 4 Lowndes at No. 8 North Cobb. The closest game, according to Maxwell, will be Rome at River Ridge, rated a pure toss- up. Hancock Central, t r yi ng t o re ach t he quarterfinals for the first time, i s a o ne - poi nt underdo g a t home a g a i ns t L i nc o l n Count y. South Atl ant a, a 27- year- old school, is a slight favorite to advance to the quarters for the first time by beating Bremen at Lakewood Stadium.