Higher seeds go 14-2, but Flowery Branch and Creekview knocked out (updated)
The first round of the Class AAAAA playoffs went according to form, for the most part, as the higher-seeded teams went 14-2. Here’s a look at the biggest surprise and the other games of note:
*The upset: North Paulding made a big splash in its playoff debut, beating top-seeded and eighth-ranked Flowery Branch 63-43 in a game in which the teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense. North Paulding, which led 42-7 at halftime, got five touchdown passes and a TD run from quarterback Chase Newnan, according to the Gainesville Times. Flowery Branch was the Region 8 champion and earned a No. 1 seed for the first time in the program’s history but was the only No. 1 to lose its opener.
*The upset? Not really: Fifth-ranked Tucker was the only No. 3 seed to win on Friday when it beat Creekview 42-25, but it was hardly unexpected. In fact, it’s rarely an upset when the Tigers win a playoff game – they are 18-3 in the postseason with two state championships since 2007. Nonetheless, it was a great season for Creekview, which matched the school record for victories with nine in Al Morrell’s final season as the Grizzlies’ coach. He announced his retirement earlier this season.
*Rating the regions: If playoff success is the ultimate measuring stick of a region’s strength, then Regions 5 and 6 came out on top as the only ones to go 3-1. Region 5 got victories from top-seeded East Paulding, No. 2 Allatoona and No. 4 North Paulding. Third seed Rome lost to Gainesville 41-14. Region 6 got victories from M.L. King and Tucker on Friday, and Stephenson defeated Pope 31-11 on Saturday. Region 6 came close to making it 4-0, but fourth-seeded Southwest DeKalb gave up a late score in a 19-14 loss to Kell.
*Still perfect: Three Class AAAAA teams (East Paulding, Northside-Warner Robins and M.L. King) were 10-0 during the regular season, and all three moved on to the second round. East Paulding is trying to reach 12-0 for the first time since 2007, when it lost to Thomas County Central in the AAAA quarterfinals. Northside won its first 13 games last season before losing to Tucker in the AAAA semifinals, and M.L. King was 12-0 in 2011 when it lost to Lassiter in the AAAAA quarterfinals.
*Looking ahead: There will be two second-round games that match teams ranked in the top 10, and both involve Regions 5 and 6. Second-ranked M.L. King will host No. 10 Allatoona, and No. 3 East Paulding will host No. 8 Stephenson. Here are the second-round games:
Thomas County Central at Northside (Warner Robins)
North Paulding at Tucker
Union Grove at Ware County
Stephenson at East Paulding
Warner Robins at Harris County
Gainesville at Kell
Glynn Academy at Whitewater
Allatoona at M.L. King
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159 comments Add your comment
THE "CANNON RULES"!!
November 20th, 2012
7:45 am
@ KeithMLKfan…
If you don’t like EP posters NOW…I would suggest you not even get on the blogs come Fri night / Sat Morning!!! It’s gonna be LOUD IN HERE!!!
TICK…TICK…TICK…BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
GO RAIDERS!!! UNBEATEN!!…UNDEFEATED!!!…11 / 0!!!
2012 REGION 5 AAAAA CHAMPIONS!…ON TO ROUND 2
STEPHENSON “JAGS” in “THE BONEYARD”!!!
and then THE DOME!!!!
EPRaiders
November 20th, 2012
8:21 am
Hey they should change the name to Black and Blue Friday, that is Stephenson`s colors and that is how they are going to feel and look after the game. We only sell two things in this town Bubble Gum and Whoop A@# and we are fresh out of Bubble Gum. You hearrrrrrd me JAB`s and Jag`s.
Just win Baby
JAB
November 20th, 2012
8:53 am
Talking about AJC don’t have no respect for Stephenson; at the beginning of the season we were rankedTucker #1 NSWR #2 MLK #3 and Stephenson #4, you guys are so ____________. EP is not even a school, I thought that you were one school “Paulding HS”, with an EAST wing and SOUTH wing, Lol., @ I like AJC sports writer but their rankings and picks are only their predictions, neither of them picked N. Paulding to win last week, and they surely didn’t pick SWD to loose to Kell by that little margin; the game will be played on the field and you little guys are going to find out what playing with the big boys are really like…
LOCK & LOAD HERE COMES THE JAGS…
Stephenson (Jaguars)
GROOOOOOWL!!! FEEL OUR CLAWS & RESPECT OUR ROOOAR….
Gamer
November 20th, 2012
9:05 am
tcc Champs!: Worry not! NSWR is taking one game at a time. TCC is a quality football team and I am sure angry for losing to Harris Cty—– so they will come out strong. All teams are banged-up this late in the season. I doubt there are any teams that do not have some players sitting out due to injuries. I know NSWR has four or fiv, a couple done for the season.
The exception may be teams in 5A Region 6. They seem to be injury free based on their blogs.
King Of Diamonds
November 20th, 2012
9:10 am
I am really really looking forward towards the EP vs Stephenson game in the Boneyard as your fans call your stadium?
Well let us pray:
ashes to ashes
dust to dust
when the jags come running
wer’re to win and leave on the bus.
Tick. Tick.. Tick…. pop
Dekalb Fan
November 20th, 2012
9:45 am
East Paulding Gone get smashed on friday #28 AND #30 Gone meet #21 Kight Dallas #5 Rashad Payne # #2 Cameron Gleen and number 18 Ron Peterkin All are some hitters.Dekalb is where REAL football is Played. TICK TICK TICK BOOM Lol…..I Hope they do that for field goals because there wont be any touchdown scoring on Those Jags. And MLK will smash Allotonna Polite Bray is too FAST jamel smith POwerback Joshua Outlaw the best tackle in the state.24-9 Stephenson beats East Paulding and MLK 32-7 Beats allotonna MLK VS STEPHENSON in the dome
Tucker DAD
November 20th, 2012
9:55 am
@Blu eagle, I just can’t figure out this facination that you NSWR fans have with TUCKER. It’s like having a death wish. You keep asking for us as if we don’t work hard over here.
You have got to understand that this is not what you want. We get up every morning during the week to lift weights and even sometimes on game day. We have been practicing since the season was over last year. When we lost our coach our fathers took over the team and kept practicing. We have a very unique community over here. We are surrounded by Gyms and speed training facilities so we never stop working. The coach never requires us to work in the off season but our kids want to get better so they weight train with a personal trainer and the skill kids go to the SPEED facility and get faster.
Football in Tucker is not just a sport, it’s a way of life for most, and a business for others. So if you think that Tucker is going to have a down year then you are sadly mistaken.
I have tried to explain to anyone that would listen on this blog that we had a coaching turn over and got off to a slow start (8 -2 is a slow start at Tucker) but we are clicking on all points right now. This team is loaded with talent. Most of these kids have been on the field since they were 9th graders. To make this worst the whole defense is coming back next year and the entire back field as well so we will be even more potent next year!
Keep asking for us and this bulletin board material is going to get our motivation so high that we wont need a bus to get to Warner Robins we will just fly down! It is on now. All I can think about is destroying NSWR and shutting your mouths once and for all. NO EXCUSES!!!!!!! IT”S ON!!!!!!!
Tucker DAD
November 20th, 2012
10:13 am
Oh, I would be remissed if I didn’t mention North Paulding. We have not overlooked them. We have done our homework. #21 is big and strong with decent speed. They run the spread with their favorite play being the off tackle draw. #4 is a speedster and can get out if you don’t contain him. Very physical defensive line and aggressive linebackers. Average cornerbacks.
All I have to say is the Allatoona game told the story. They run a simular offense to us and they exposed your weakness in the first 5 plays of the game. If you insist on being tight in the box there will be some openings in the secondary. If you loosen up we have speed coming out of the backfield that will be standing in the enzone eating a tuna fish sandwich before you realize he’s scored.
Very well coached team, as I can see why they beat Flowery Branch. I know they will present some problems but I doubt that they have been hit in the mouth like we are going to on Friday. This is what we do. We played this kind of football all year long. Thanks to MLK, Miller Grove, Arabia Mountian, and Mays we have seen the spread all year long and we have held it down. And don’t forget that you are playing in our house at Adams stadium and until you sit side by side with the Tucker Pride you won’t know what intimidation is. I hope you people are not thin skinned because we love to have a great time.
The truth
November 21st, 2012
11:59 am
Tucker dad smoking from the wrong end of the pipe No one works harder than the Northside Eagles period bud said