By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

This is the first year that Georgia is using Postseason Rankings (PSR) instead of traditional region-only placement rules. Each classification from 7A to down to Class A and Private used this for the 32-team field.

I want to look at 7A to see if the rankings are correct. The playoffs will start this week.

Buford (10-0) was the #1 team in the state going into the playoffs and they’re ranked third nationally. The Wolves are the reigning Class 6A state and national champions but they are seeded 9^th in Class 7A. They are the only No. 1-ranked team to be seeded outside the top 8 in the PSR in any bracket.

Buford’s first-round game is home against #24 Marietta (6-4). As the top ranked team, the Wolves should be No. 1 in the playoff bracket.

Wolves head coach Bryant Appling got his 100th victory as a coach last week and tied a state record held by Joey King (current Carrollton and former Cartersville coach) as the fastest to 100 (each with 100-8 records).

Valdosta (9-1) was ranked #6 in 7A and they are the top seed in the playoffs. The only loss came against arch-rival, #4 Lowndes 32-31. The Wildcats will host #32 West Forsyth (4-6).

Valdosta is looking to win their first state championship since 2016.

Newton (10-0) is #2 in PSR and #3 in state rankings. The Rams will host #31 Collins Hill (5-5). Newton has a lot of talent. I think they have the second-best roster behind Buford. The Eagles started the season with four losses before turning things around.

Carrolton (10-0) finished the season ranked second and they’re No. 3 in PSR. They will host #30 North Forsyth (5-5). This is a playoff rematch for these teams.  The Trojans beat the Raiders 58-17 in the first-round last year in Class 6A.

Raiders coach Robert Craft said they will appreciate the extra time they have as they try to pull the huge upset.

“We’re excited for our team to earn a berth in the state playoffs,” Craft said. “We’re looking forward to the privilege of practicing on Monday.”

Brookwood (9-1) is #4 in PSR. The Broncos will host #29 Norcross (5-5). Brookwood has not won a state title since 2010.

Lowndes (9-1) is ranked fifth. They will host #28 South Forsyth (7-3). The Vikings only loss was in the season finale against #8 Colquitt County, 23-20. The last time Lowndes won a state championship was in 2007.

North Gwinnett (9-1) is No. 6 in the playoff brackets. They will play #27 North Atlanta (6-4). The lone loss was to Brookwood, 50-24. They ended the season by winning a nail biter against #14 Parkview (7-3), 57-55. The Bulldogs may still be tired from that game as they head into the playoffs. North Gwinnett has won one state title in 2017.

No. 7 Colquitt County (7-3) will host #26 Lambert (5-5). The Packers had a very tough schedule, only losing to ranked teams. They lost to #1 (6A) Thomas County Central (10-0), #3 (6A) Lee County (9-1) and Valdosta. Their last state championship was in 2015.

No. 8 North Cobb (8-2) will face #25 Archer (5-5). Both of the Warrior’s losses were by single digits. They lost to #4 (6A) Milton 30-29 (9-1) and 22-19 (OT) to #13 North Paulding (8-2).

So far, I’m not a huge fan of PSR. I think these rankings basically eliminate any chance of early round upsets. I also see teams that are less deserving ranked higher than some elite teams. Let’s see how this plays out.