Wayne Grandy
MOULTRIE — If Colquitt County can defeat Northside on Friday and get some in the form of a Warner Robins win over Lowndes, the Packers will win the Region 1-AAAAA championship.
But the Packers may not know until late Monday who their first-round opponent will be.
While Colquitt County, Lowndes and Northside have clinched playoff berths, just who will finish where — and who the fourth playoff participant will be — will not be decided until this weekend.
The Packers, Vikings and Eagles all can claim the title, depending on the how this weekend’s games turn out.
Region 1-AAAAA’s playoff participants will meet teams from Region 4-AAAAA in the first round and that league’s top three finishers have been determined.
Newnan, which will take an 8-0 record and a No. 4 ranking in Class AAAAA into its Friday game at home against East Coweta, will finish No. 1.
Westlake, 7-1 in the region, will be No. 2, regardless of how its does against Chapel Hill on Friday.
And East Coweta will be No. 3.
But determining the No. 4 seed could be complicated.
Currently, Chapel Hill is 5-3 and Pebblebrook and Creekside are each 4-4.
If Chapel Hill beats Westlake on Friday, it will be the No. 4 team.
If Chapel Hill loses, Pebblebrook wins and Creekside loses, Pebblebrook will claim the No. 4 spot.
If Chapel Hill loses, Pebblebrook loses and Creekside wins, Chapel Hill will be No. 4.
But if Pebblebrook wins, Creekside wins and Chapel Hill loses, leaving all three with 5-4 records, a mini-game will be played on Monday at a site to be determined by the Georgia High School Association.
The winner will claim the No. 4 playoff berth and will travel southeast the next weekend to play the top seed from Region 1-AAAAA.
There are two three-way tie possibilities that could affect the final Region 1-AAAAA standings as well, scenarios that include Lowndes winning the region or falling all the way to fourth. And Warner Robins finishing second or not making the postseason at all.
Region 1 one settles three-way ties with head-to-head first, then goes to points allowed against teams in the playoffs or tied for a playoff spot.
If Colquitt County and Warner Robins win on Friday, the Packers would claim the region title with a 6-1 record and Northside, Lowndes and Warner Robins would be tied with 5-2 records.
In head-to-head, Warner Robins would have defeated Lowndes and Northside, and Lowndes would have lost to both Northside and Warner Robins, leaving Warner Robins second, Northside third and Lowndes fourth.
Also, if Northside defeats the Packers and Warner Robins wins, the Eagles would claim the championship with a 6-1 record and Lowndes, Colquitt County and Warner Robins would finish 5-2.
Currently, Lowndes has given up 16 points (10 to Northside, 6 to Colquitt); Warner Robins has given up 37 (20 to Northside and 17 to Colquitt County; and Colquitt County has given up 31 (31 to Lowndes and none to Warner Robins).
The amount surrendered on Friday night would also be factored in.
Colquitt County would finish second in the region with a victory over Northside and a Lowndes win over Warner Robins.
Lowndes and Colquitt would each be 6-1, but the Vikings would take the top seed by virtue of the head-to-head 31-6 victory.
Northside would be third at 5-2. And if Valdosta defeats Houston County on Saturday to finish 4-3 it would claim the No. 4 spot and win the dubious distinction of having to travel to meet Newnan.
If Northside, Lowndes and Valdosta win, Northside and Lowndes would be 6-1, with the Eagles taking No. 1 and the Vikings No. 2.
Colquitt, at 5-2, would be third followed by Valdosta.
