The 2022 Georgia high school football season is on the horizon. With major shifts in the offseason due to reclassification, several teams find themselves in easier (and tougher) region situations regarding playoff qualification. This year, more regions may be decided by one game between two strong frontrunners. Let’s take a look at some key region matchups within each classification.
Class 1A-D1
This new Georgia high school football classification has enticing 2022 region matchups. St. Francis’s final-week matchup with Mount Vernon could decide the champion in Region 6. The Knights return nearly their entire lineup from last season, but Mount Vernon could prevent them from winning that elusive region title.
In Region 2, Bleckley County will travel to Swainsboro, which reached the state semifinals last season. This region could be interesting with Dublin and Jefferson County as well, jumbling predictions for the top four seeds.
Likely the most important region matchup is Irwin County’s trip to Brooks County, a rematch of the past two state championships in A-Public that will almost certainly decide that region once again.
Class 1A-D2
Lincoln County vs. Washington-Wilkes might be an overlooked Region 8 battle with major playoff implications. The top seed in that region may draw an easier second-round matchup, critical in a wide-open A-D2 classification.
Macon County hosting a young Schley County squad will certainly be important, as will Emanuel County Institute against McIntosh County Academy. Clinch County vs. Charlton County could bring about an exciting rematch after the Indians’ one-point, overtime win last season.
Class 2A
There is no shortage of great 2022 region matchups in Georgia high school football Class 2A. Fitzgerald and Dodge County highlight an important slate of games that includes potential region championships in Appling County-Pierce County, Callaway-ELCA and Athens Academy-Fellowship Christian.
Washington County’s trip to Thomson should draw some attention after the Bulldogs graduated star Tay Martin and the Golden Hawks acquired head coach Robert Edwards from Riverwood. Not many of these games are on the final week of play, so the entirety of region play will be under heavy surveillance.
Class 3A
This classification is loaded with revenge region games. Oconee County and Monroe Area might square off for a region title again after the Purple Hurricanes robbed one from the Warriors last season.
The same can be said for Sandy Creek and Cedar Grove, as the Patriots defeated the eventual state champions Saints in 2021 (Cedar Grove claimed the region title on tiebreak).
Carver-Columbus, Thomasville, Crisp County and Dougherty create many critical Region 1 matchups, and Dawson County-Wesleyan provides a unique public vs. private showdown in Region 7.
Class 4A
Bainbridge is one of the favorites this season in 4A, but they’ll need to get through Cairo in the last week of the regular season to claim a region title and the top seed.
The entirety of Region 4’s slate is a must-watch, with Fayette County, Riverdale, LaGrange, Trinity Christian, Whitewater and Troup County all competing for only four playoff spots.
Lovett vs. Pace Academy returns once again, with the Lions losing the past two seasons despite being ranked higher both times. Perry seeks revenge on Spalding, as the Jaguars stunned the third-ranked Panthers for last year’s region crown.
Class 5A
Take your pick in Region 8: Jefferson, Clarke Central, Flowery Branch and Eastside all make excellent cases for that top seed.
Calhoun’s early region matchup with Cartersville will have more rippling effects than other 5A matchups, as both teams will still have to wait at least five more weeks until playoffs.
Ware County-Coffee and Decatur-Chamblee may be slightly overlooked this season with all teams graduating loads of talent, but these matchups might be close on the scoreboard.
Besides Calhoun-Cartersville, Jones County-Warner Robins is another of the must-watch 2022 region matchups in Georgia high school football Class 5A. The Demons lost several talented players in the offseason and have to travel to a younger Greyhound team seeking revenge after being bounced from the playoffs two years in a row.
Class 6A
Roswell and Alpharetta played as region rivals the past two seasons in 7A and will continue to do so, this time in 6A.
Hughes-Douglas County and Rome-Allatoona are two early region matchups that could end up deciding a champion, while Marist and St. Pius X could put on a defensive clinic later in the season.
Lee County vs. Northside-Warner Robins is likely the popular pick for the championship in Region 1, but watch for Thomas County Central to potentially challenge that status quo.
Class 7A
The possibility for a single, title-defining game in every region is high. The Region 1 rivalry of Colquitt County-Lowndes returns in Moultrie, while Brookwood-Parkview’s age-old showdown could decide the second or first seed.
Walton hosting North Cobb again gives the Raiders a shot to erase last season’s disappointing result, and North Gwinnett and Norcross renew their hatred with Region 7 on the line.
Regions 2, 6 and 8 all have three potential candidates for region champion, lining up nine extremely important 2022 region matchups that could alter the path of a hopeful Georgia high school football state champion.
