First-round games scheduled for Muscogee teams in GA high school football state playoffs
Four of the eight Muscogee County high schools with football programs have qualified for the 2022 Georgia High School Association state playoffs.
While that achievement is nothing new for Carver (7-2 overall, 4-1 Region 1-AAA No. 2 seed), which has reached the state playoffs for 17 straight season, two other MCSD teams made history with region titles this year — and one persevered through tragedy.
Spencer (8-2 overall, 7-0 Region 2-AA No. 1 seed) won its first region championship since joining the GHSA in 1968 during integration and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 2018.
Northside (9-1 overall, 4-0 Region 3-AAAAA No. 1 seed) won its first region championship in the program’s 19-year history and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Shaw (4-6 overall, 1-3 Region 1-AAAA No. 4 seed) qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 2015. Former Brookstone head coach Blair Harrison was promoted from offensive coordinator at Shaw and helped the Raiders overcome their grief after Shaw head coach Al Pellegrino died from a heart attack in his sleep May 30 during vacation in Florida.
Here’s the date, time and location for their first-round playoff games in their classification’s 16-team bracket:
Friday
- Class AA, Berrien at Spencer, 7:30 p.m., Odis Spencer Stadium
- Class AAAA, Shaw at Perry, 7:30 p.m., Herb St. John Stadium
Saturday
- Class AAA, Upson-Lee at Carver, 6 p.m., Odis Spencer Stadium
- Class AAAAA, Tucker at Northside, 7 p.m., Kinnett Stadium.
The last time at least four MCSD football teams qualified for the state playoffs was seven years ago, with Carver, Columbus, Northside and Shaw.
Other football teams in the Columbus area that qualified for this season’s GHSA state playoffs are Harris County (2-8 overall, 1-3 Region 3-AAAAA No. 4 seed), Chattahoochee County (5-5 overall, 4-3 Region 6-A Division II No. 4 seed), Troup (9-1 overall, 6-1 Region 4-AAAA No. 1 seed), LaGrange (8-2 overall, 5-2 Region 4-AAAA No. 2 seed) and Callaway (7-3 overall, 6-0 Region 5-AA No. 1 seed).
Here’s the schedule for their first-round playoff games in their classification’s 16-team bracket:
Thursday
- Class AA, Washington at Callaway, 7 p.m.
Friday
- Class A Division II, Hancock Central at Manchester, 6 p.m.
- Class AAAA, New Hampstead at Troup County, 7 p.m.
- Class A Division II, Chattahoochee County at Johnson County, 7:30 p.m.
- Class AAAA, Burke County at LaGrange, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
- Class AAAAA, Harris County at Decatur, 6 p.m.
This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 12:58 PM.
