High school football playoff field set, four Macon schools in GHSA bracket

For Westside, Northeast and ACE Charter, the playoff waiting game was tolerable. 

The teams knew they were getting in and — with the exception of the Gryphons — knew the playoff games would be at home. It was just a matter of opponent.

For Southwest, it was different. The Patriots had to wait to play a makeup game, then win, then wait out a computer for confirmation on the power rankings.

The four Bibb County schools will keep playing in the GHSA playoffs that start Friday throughout the state, a week later than planned because of the impact of hurricanes on schedules across Georgia.

While the GHSA gets going, the GIAA is already nearing its end, with FPD hosting undefeated Bethlehem Christian Friday in a Class 4A semifinal.

Bethlehem Christian teamed with Brookstone to thin the field of Macon schools. Bethlehem Christian held on to beat Tattnall 21-14 and Brookstone survived Stratford’s rallies in a 33-28 win.

This is the first year of the GHSA employing a computer program — a power ranking formula involving opponents’ records and the records of opponents’ opponents — to determine seedings in Classes 3A, 2A and A-Division I. 

All private schools in those classes played a regular region schedule but were pulled out to compete for a private-school state title. That opened up at-large spots in all three classes, with 18 departures in A-Division I.

Seeding priority went to the first and second-place teams in regions confirming that all top-two region finishers got home games. Third and fourth place teams were still given automatic playoff bids — and, because of the reduced number of teams, a chance at first-round home games — but seeded in a group with the at-large teams replacing some private schools.

Westside earned an automatic spot in Class 2A by finishing third in Region 2, clinching that with a 29-23 win at Jackson Nov. 1. The 5-5 Seminoles got the 16th seed and welcome No. 17 Spencer at Ed DeFore Sports Complex. 

Spencer knows Bibb County, having competed in Region 2-2A the last two years with ACE, Northeast, Southwest, Central and Rutland. The Greenwave went 9-1 against those teams but has not faced Westside since 2015.

Northeast was an early qualifier and enters as the No. 8 team after finishing second in Region 2-A Division I at 8-2, the fifth straight eight-win season under Jeremy Wiggins and 10th overall. The Raiders are two victories from their first 10-win season in program history.

The eighth-seeded Raiders host defending Class A-Division I runner-up Swainsboro, in with a 3-7 record and seeded 25th. The Tigers opened the season with a 41-21 loss to Dublin, the team that beat Northeast out for the Region. The Raiders also lost to the Fighting Irish in a 17-7 game on the road.

ACE Charter was projected into the middle of the A-Division I field all season and was in the hunt for a home game until a 17-14 loss to Washington County in the regular-season finale.

The Gryphons are seeded 18th and don’t have a big road trip, heading to 15th-seeded Jasper County. The Purple Hurricanes are having their best year in decades at 7-3, finishing as the fourth seed in Region 4.

Perhaps waiting in the next round? Region 2 champ Dublin, seeded second and hosting No. 31 Gordon Central.

Southwest was on the outside looking in entering Friday’s game against East Laurens, which was projected in the field. The Patriots came away with a 20-7 win to earn a spot and end the Falcons’ season at the same time.

The reward is a road trip to No. 6-seeded Toombs County. The 8-1 Bulldogs went 11-2 last year, and have been ranked by most polls in the top three all season. The polls, though, have nothing to do with the GHSA’s postseason power ranking system or formula, and Toombs County is seeded sixth.

FPD and Bethlehem Christian haven’t met. Tattnall ended the Knights’ season last year in the first playoff game. The Vikings have won eight straight this season and are 19-4 over the past two, going 8-1-1 at home the past two seasons.

The GIAA Class 4A championship game is at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Georgia Southern. Bulloch hosts Brookstone in the other semifinal.

Full Macon playoff schedule

GHSA Class 2A
No. 17 Spencer (7-3) @ No. 16 Westside (5-5)

GHSA Class A-Division I
No. 8 Northeast (8-2) vs. No. 25 Swainsboro (3-7)
No. 18 ACE Charter (6-4) @ No. 15 Jasper County (7-3)
No. 27 Southwest (4-6) @ No. 6 Toombs County (8-1)

GIAA Class 4A
No. 1 FPD (10-1) vs. No. 4 Bethlehem Christian (11-0)