Round 1 scores and recaps

The road to a state championship is getting narrower, and several Northeast Georgia teams are still in the hunt.

Commerce rolled to a 49-0 shutout, Jefferson fought off a tough Warner Robins squad, Lumpkin County made history, and Stephens County survived a second-half scare as the opening round of the GHSA football playoffs delivered plenty of excitement Friday night.

But not everyone survived. Habersham Central and Rabun County saw their seasons come to an end, while several other area teams punched their tickets to Round 2.

And the first round isn’t over yet. White County, North Hall and East Jackson take the field Saturday with their playoff hopes on the line.

Here’s how Northeast Georgia teams fared, along with first-round results from across the state.

#7 COMMERCE 49, #26 GORDON LEE 0
No drama here…the Tigers (10-1) took care of Gordon Lee in a 49-0 blowout. Marco Huff had an early TD on the first drive, and Jace Lyle added to it with a 17-yd TD. Tate Kirk had a 94-yd TD to Essien Lockleer, making it 20-0 after one. Huff had a 9-yd TD and a 2PC got it to 28-0 in favor of Commerce in the second. That held to the half, and Kirk threw a 3rd-quarter TD from 46 yards to Bryson Parks. Huff added his third TD, and Kirk threw a final TD to Brennan Griffith.

#20 NEWNAN 37, #13 HABERSHAM CENTRAL 7
The Raiders’ season came to a close in a 37-7 final at home against Newnan. It was 24-0 at the half. Habersham Central (6-5) ends its season.

#6 JEFFERSON 28, #27 WARNER ROBINS 14
Warner Robins meant business and made it tough sledding for the Dragons (9-2), who won 28-14 to advance to the second round. After trailing 7-0, Jacob Berardinelli had an 80-yd TD to tie the game in the second. Boone Horn hit Berardinelli for a 10-yd TD in the third to go ahead 14-7. Horn added a 4-yd TD run in the third, and CJ Hays’ 8-yd TD sealed the win.

#12 LUMPKIN COUNTY 34, #21 LAFAYETTE 13
The Indians (8-3) beat LaFayette 34-13, pulling away in the second half to secure their second-ever trip to the second round.

#9 FITZGERALD 24, #24 RABUN COUNTY 3
The Wildcats (5-6) close their season on the road in a 24-3 final at the hands of Fitzgerald.

#14 STEPHENS COUNTY 42, #19 CRISP COUNTY 23
It wasn’t a blowout as the score might indicate. Stephens County did start out hot with a 14-0 lead on TD passes from Branson Stowe to Macade Huff, but Crisp County came right back with three straight TDs (all rushing), taking a 20-14 lead in the third. Stowe’s third TD pass to Huff from 21 yards out gave the Indians a 21-20 lead midway through the third. After a Dallas Hague rushing TD, Stowe linked up again with Huff for a fourth TD connection. The Cougars had a 35-yd field goal within that, but never got closer than five from there. Ashton Winters polished it off with a rushing score in the final seconds. The Indians (8-3) move on to the second round.

#15 SPENCER vs #18 WHITE COUNTY (SATURDAY)
Check back – Saturday kickoff

Other Northeast Georgia playoff scores

#9 Buford 30, #24 Marietta 6
#14 Gainesville 59, #19 Lassiter 10
#3 Jackson County 47, #30 Creekview 0
#3 Hart County 48, #30 Murray County 14
#13 North Hall vs #20 Adairsville (Saturday)
#15 Stockbridge 42, #18 Flowery Branch 37
#1 Peach County vs #32 East Jackson (Saturday)

Statewide (1st Round) GHSA playoff scores

Class AAAAAAA
Archer 24, North Cobb 17
Brookwood 49, Norcross 0
Buford (GA) 30, Marietta 6
Carrollton 55, North Forsyth (GA) 7
Colquitt County 52, Lambert 26
East Coweta 44, Denmark 13
Grayson 49, Camden County 0
Lowndes 62, South Forsyth 27
McEachern 24, Harrison 7
Newton 42, Collins Hill 15
North Gwinnett 53, North Atlanta 28
Parkview 63, South Gwinnett 56
Peachtree Ridge 31, Hillgrove 27
Richmond Hill 21, North Paulding 16
Valdosta 63, West Forsyth (GA) 7
Westlake 35, Walton 14

Class AAAAAA
Bradwell Institute 56, Dunwoody 40
Clarke Central 28, South Effingham 20
Coffee 12, Tift County 0
Creekside 69, Shiloh 7
East Paulding 48, Loganville 20
Gainesville 59, Lassiter 10
Jackson County 47, Creekview 0
Kell 37, Houston County 17
Lee County 55, Northside-Warner Robins 0
Milton (GA) 48, Northside-Columbus 6
New Manchester 42, Heritage-Conyers 36, OT
Newnan 37, Habersham Central 7
Roswell 38, Effingham County 27
Sequoyah 41, Walnut Grove 3
Thomas County Central 56, Veterans 6
Woodward Academy 24, Hughes 21

Class AAAAA
Benedictine Military 35, Whitewater 10
Cartersville 42, Perry (GA) 3
Cass 28, Villa Rica 7
Centennial 17, Mays 10
Central-Carrollton 49, Jonesboro 12
Dalton 52, Griffin 19
Jefferson 28, Warner Robins 14
North Oconee 52, Dutchtown 6
Richmond Academy 49, Statesboro 34
Stockbridge 42, Flowery Branch 37
Tucker 21, Southwest DeKalb 17
Ware County 45, Cedartown 0

Class AAAA
Troup County 69, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 7

Class AAA
Appling County 41, Jackson 10
Callaway 28, Elbert County 17
Carver-Columbus 32, Burke County 28
Columbia 56, Beach 0
Hapeville 26, Miller Grove 7
Hart County 48, Murray County 14
Hephzibah 55, Pike County 14
KIPP Atlanta 56, Haralson County 3
Lamar County 22, Worth County 19
Lumpkin County 34, LaFayette 13
North Murray 34, Ringgold 23
Northeast-Macon 49, Thomson 28
Pierce County 41, Westside-Augusta 18
Rockmart 56, Washington County 14
Stephens County 42, Crisp County 23
Toombs County 88, Temple 0

Class AA
ACE Charter 14, Monticello 10
Bleckley County 59, Jefferson County 14
Bremen 52, Washington (GA) 19
Commerce 49, Gordon Lee 0
Dodge County 41, Berrien 22
Fannin County 35, Cook 28
Fitzgerald 24, Rabun County 3
Heard County 49, Bacon County 14
Jeff Davis 14, East Laurens 13
Laney 50, Brooks County 0
Model 49, Mt. Zion-Carrollton 0
Pepperell 30, Putnam County 21
Social Circle 27, Dade County 13
Swainsboro 31, Screven County 6
Thomasville 47, Utopian 12

Class A
Bowdon 38, Manchester 7
Charlton County 41, Lake Oconee 13
Clinch County 42, McIntosh County Academy 7
Emanuel County Institute 36, Montgomery County 0
Johnson County 48, Greene County 0
Lincoln County 21, Irwin County 0
Macon County 35, Early County 7
Mitchell County 30, Miller County 22
Portal 41, Glascock County 6
Randolph-Clay 44, Telfair County 14
Schley County 56, Hawkinsville 14
Taylor County 38, Seminole County 14
Treutlen 35, Wheeler County 6
Trion 35, B.E.S.T. Academy 6
Warren County 37, Jenkins County 27
Washington-Wilkes 35, Claxton 14

Private

Calvary Day 52, Westminster 0
Christian Heritage 42, Pace Academy 14
Darlington 42, Mt. Bethel 38
Fellowship Christian School 58, Landmark Christian 27
Greater Atlanta Christian 44, Mt. Paran Christian 14
Hebron Christian Academy 30, Eagle’s Landing Christian 16
King’s Ridge 35, Athens Academy 14
North Cobb Christian 35, Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg 14
Savannah Christian Prep 38, Providence Christian 28
Wesleyan 42, Walker 14
Whitefield Academy 63, Mt. Pisgah Christian 6

SCISA Playoffs (semifinal)

Class 3A
Bethesda Academy 43, Hilton Head Christian Academy, S.C. 14