A look at Tattnall, Stratford and other Macon GIAA playoff matchups

While FPD snagged the top seed and won the region title over the other Macon GIAA teams, Tattnall and Stratford are still alive with hopes of a title. Plus, 2A Central Fellowship Christian Academy enters the lower classification playoffs this week as well. Here’s a look at the playoff matchups on the board this week.

Class 4A: No. 6 Stratford @ No. 3 Brookstone

The Eagles and Cougars have a little familiarity, having engaged in quite the battle in September. Brookstone got a 33-27 overtime win at home in that first showdown.

That was the second win in a four-game winning streak for Brookstone, interrupted only by a 17-10 loss to Westfield. On the other side, it started something of a slide for the Eagles. That was their first loss, and they went 2-2 after that following a 5-0 start.

Brookstone (6-3) has been more defense-oriented this year and averages 55 fewer yards a game than Stratford. The Cougars give up the same 15 points as the Eagles, who get eight more points a game.

Stratford (7-3) has been more explosive overall, cracking 40 points four times while Brookstone did so only once.

The Eagles are led by running back Tyler Stephens, who gets 23 more yards a game on the ground than the Cougars’ Gray Jones.

Stratford’s Connor Fitzpatrick is good for 127.4 passing yards a game, Broughton Branch of Brookstone for 122.9. Fitzpatrick has 15 touchdowns and six interceptions to seven and four for Broughton.

Fitzpatrick is also a ground threat, with 466 yards and seven touchdowns, both second on the team.

Brooks Garner of Stratford and Harrison Baker of Brookstone each get double-digit tackles a game.

A big difference is up front on defense. Brookstone has 29 sacks, nearly three times Stratford’s 10 sacks — that’s how many Brookstone’s Mercer Hudson has by himself.

Both teams are led by former GHSA head coaches. Paul Carroll is in his first year at Stratford after going 28-30 in six seasons at Howard. Rance Gillespie is 22-12 in his third season with Brookstone after successful stints at Hart County (28-27), Valdosta (49-20) and Peach County (65-16), as well as Banks County (5-15).

Stratford was last in the championship game in 2022 and hasn’t won the title since 2004, while Brookstone is trying to get back to the final for the second straight year, and third time in program history, dating back to 1972.

No. 5 Tattnall @ No. 4 Bethlehem Christian

The list of scores for Bethlehem Christian stands out like few others.

It has an astounding list of zeroes, six in a row, actually. The Knights reeled off a staggering run of six straight shutouts, all in district play.

Along the way, they scored 33 points or more in five games. But they got quite a battle in the regular-season finale, nipping George Walton 15-14. That was their second one-point win, as the Knights also survived a 14-13 over Mount Zion-Carroll, a GHSA Class A-Division II team that finished 3-7.

Tattnall hasn’t had any such dominant run, with only one shutout. But the Trojans are used to close games, winning four games by 13 points or less.

The Trojans have had a week to stew over their 27-20 overtime loss to FPD in the district title game after having a 20-0 first-half lead.

The defense will have some work to do.

Bethlehem Christian back Zeke Clanton rushes for 133.6 yards a game and Coy Buckner throws for 114.2. Bucker has 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Antone Johnson averages 126.7 yards a game on the ground and Caden Faulk 174.7 yards through the air, with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Ty Hunnicut is a big receiving threat for Tattnall with 92.6 yards a game and 10 touchdowns.

Caleb Craft and Colin Oates team for 23 tackles a game to lead the Bethlehem Christian defense, Oates with four sacks.

Anson Talcott and Thomas Union counter with the same number for Tattnall, though Union suffered a leg injury against FPD.

Bethlehem Christian head coach Rodrick Robinson is in his first year at the school.

Tattnall is looking for its first state title since 2011. Bethlehem Christian’s first season was in 2011, and it has yet to reach a final. The Trojans topped the Knights  34-20 last year in a quarterfinal.

Class AA: No. 8 Central Fellowship at No. 1 Southwest Georgia

After three straight state championships and a 33-3 run, some reality has returned to Central Fellowship, more than the Lancers would like. After going 7-3 last year, they’ve dropped to 3-7 in 2024, thanks to a few years of major losses to graduation. They closed the regular season with a little momentum, winning two of their last three games, the loss coming by eight.

They open the playoffs against Southwest Georgia, on a 15-4 two-year run. The Warriors are trying to reach their first championship game since 2003 when they finished 13-2 after losing 54-25 to Brentwood in the 2A title game.

CFCA is led by the son of head coach Jake Walls. Judson Walls averages 186.9 yards a game and leads rushers in all associations in Bibb County, but the Lancers get less than 40 passing yards a game.

Junior Levi Pierce leads the CFCA defense with 6.3 tackles a game, with nearly five stops a game coming from four more defenders. Sophomore Carter Welch has eight tackles for loss.

Southwest Georgia doesn’t post stats on MaxPreps. The Warriors have allowed 88 points, a program record, though 93 points in 1976 is the mark for a full 10-game season. They have two shutouts, and have held three other opponents to single digits.