Just five northeast Georgia area teams in Classes 3A down to A Division 1 managed to survive the first round of the Georgia High School Association playoffs last week. Now, they will see if they can stay hot and move on to the Elite 8 starting Thursday.
All series are best-of-three, with doubleheaders on Thursday and Game 3s, if necessary, on Friday. However, rain is forecast for both days.
North Hall, the overall No. 3 seed in Class 3A, is the only area team at home in the second round and the Trojans take on 19th-seeded Heritage-Catoosa at Cottrell Field. Cherokee Bluff, the 11th-seed, hits the road against No. 6 seed NW Whitfield and is looking for its third straight Elite 8 berth.
If both North Hall and Cherokee Bluff get past their second round opponents, the two Hall County rivals would meet in the quarterfinals at North Hall next week.
Also in Class 3A, Dawson County, the 20th seed, has been on fire the last two weeks and heads to No. 4 Troup County in what is an intriguing showdown. And Jefferson plays familiar Region 8-3A foe and fifth-seed Oconee County in Watkinsville. However, the Dragons took 2-of-3 from the Warriors during the regular season.
And Banks County, seeded ninth in Class A D1, heads to No. 8 seed Washington County after surviving a tough three-game series against No. 24 seed Bacon County last week.
(See below for Thursday's entire second round schedule of playoff games.)
PREP BASEBALL 2nd ROUND PLAYOFF SCHEDULE, Thursday, May 1
(All series are best-of-3 games at site of higher-seeded team; seedings by PSR)
(Doubleheaders)
Class 3A
Cherokee Bluff (11) at NW Whitfield (6), 4:30 p.m.
Dawson Co (20) at Troup County (4), 4 p.m.
Heritage-Catoosa (19) at North Hall (3), 5 p.m.
Jefferson (21) at Oconee County (5), 4:30 p.m.
Class A D1
Banks County (9) at Washington County (8), 4 p.m.
