A playoff upset isn’t a rarity in any sport. Every activity, whatever the season, invariably brings at least one major upset in the playoffs. But how, exactly, does a lower-ranked team erase the championship dreams of a title favorite? Each sport has its own key elements, and past results can provide a window into how potential upsets become a reality. The three primary high school fall sports – football, softball and volleyball – offer some fine examples from their respective 2022 seasons in Georgia.
Football
The Georgia high school season’s biggest playoff upset came when Walton stunned top-ranked Buford in the second round of the playoffs. The Raiders entered the matchup at 9-2 and boasting an offense that had scored at least 30 points in all but one game.
However, they had to face a Buford rushing offense that had tormented opponents. Five-star running back Justice Haynes averaged nearly 140 yards per game throughout the season. He topped that mark against Walton, but the Raiders still managed to edge Buford 42-35.
How did they get it done? One key was Walton’s ability to control time of possession. Additionally, they treated each set of downs as four opportunities to gain 10 yards. They were perfect on fourth down, mostly due to an offense that gained around 3 yards per play. Offensively, they did not turn conservative; the Raiders remained aggressive from start to finish.
On defense, they knew Buford’s passing offense was largely untested since the rushing game was always extremely productive. Walton let Haynes gain his yardage, but stifled the pass, especially late in the game.
The most outstanding part of the upset, however, was Walton’s surprise onside kick after scoring a go-ahead touchdown. In 2005, Cook pulled off likely the greatest playoff upset in state history over top-ranked Dublin by using a cleverly-devised fake punt, which resulted in 6 points. Walton’s special teams execution was the nail in the coffin of Buford’s early exit.
Softball
Entering the state tournament in Columbus, there was no doubt that Whitewater was the best squad in Class 4A. The Wildcats were undefeated at 29-0 on the year and were clear title favorites. However, a pair of upsets doomed the seemingly certain championship run. Walnut Grove and West Laurens each pulled off victories by a score of 2-1, handing the Wildcats two season-ending losses in the double-elimination bracket.
Two main details stand out in each playoff upset: rapid response and middle-inning control. First off, it’s easy to assume that the pitching of the two underdogs was spectacular. That’s because it was. So what was different in the playoffs? In both games, Whitewater jumped out to a lead in the top of the first, but both squads stymied any momentum by leveling the score not long after.
Walnut Grove and West Laurens also controlled the fourth inning, scoring the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the inning and keeping Whitewater runners in check with great infield play around that period. The Wildcats could not regain momentum in the later innings and became frustrated, leading to several popouts and groundouts, sealing their fate as state championship runners-up.
Volleyball
In Class A, Mt. Pisgah Christian entered the playoffs as the consensus top-ranked team. They rolled to three easy victories before facing Tallulah Falls, a squad with a great record that was questioned for its strength of schedule. This semifinals matchup was projected to go the Patriots’ way, but the Indians took the match in four sets.
In volleyball, momentum is extremely important. However, it appears that winning the second set was the most common trait of underdogs at all levels of the game. In college volleyball, 10th-ranked Georgia Tech suffered a four-set loss to Miami after dropping the second set. The same can be said for No. 1 Texas, whose only loss came to Iowa State. The Longhorns failed to win the second set.
Both of those squads won the first set in their respective matches, but the momentum built by the underdogs in that second set eventually catapulted them to victory. In the match between the Patriots and the Indians, Tallulah Falls took full control of the second set, propelling them to an eventual playoff upset in the semifinals with a four-point cushion in the fourth.
In evaluating all three sports, a common theme emerges: The margin in mistakes between each team can swing the result in the underdog’s favor. Buford’s 18 penalties for 165 yards gave Walton a significant advantage. Whitewater repeatedly had runners in scoring position but failed to convert. Mt. Pisgah’s 14 service reception errors (which doubled Tallulah Falls’ tally) resulted in a crucial 11-point second set loss. Each sport has its specific keys to victory, but regardless of the sport, a team must minimize mistakes to secure the playoff upset victory.
