Oconee County (6-3 overall, 3-1 region) travels to Jefferson (8-1, 4-0) on Friday for a crucial region matchup to end the regular season.
The Warriors, coming off a 35-21 loss to Monroe Area (8-2, 4-1), are 30-point underdogs against the Dragons, according to Maxwell Ratings. Although they are currently third in the region, they could potentially force a three-way tie for first.
Monroe Area stands right behind Jefferson in second after beating West Hall on Thursday night 52-0. However, since the Dragons defeated the Purple Hurricanes earlier this season 22-7, they would have the head-to-head over Monroe Area if they were to lose to Oconee County by less than 13 points.
If Oconee County were to win by 13 points or more, though, the three-way tie for first place would be in effect and the GHSA Post Season Ranking Formula would be utilized to determine the playoff seeding among the three teams. Although those rankings are not currently available, Jefferson would likely be rated first among the three based on its resume.
The Dragons could render all of this moot if they win on Friday. They would be outright Region 8-AAA champions, Monroe Area would finish second and Oconee County third.
Led by senior quarterback Colton Grant for most of the season, the Dragons recently turned to junior Nick Emerson in their last game. The junior went 8-for-12 with 125 yards and two touchdowns through the air, leading Jefferson to a 31-10 win over Cherokee Bluff.
After junior Max Brown went down for the season against North Oconee, the running back room has been led by junior Eli Primm, who has 198 yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries this season. Jefferson senior Logan Edmunds has led the wide receiver room with 375 receiving yards on 20 catches.
Oconee County will look to senior quarterback Brody Hannah (854 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in seven games played) and senior running back Caiden Wood (641 yards and nine touchdowns in six games) to provide a spark against a stingy Jefferson defense. The Dragons have only allowed 5.75 points per game in region play and have held their opponents to under seven points four times this season.
The Warriors have also relied on junior tight end Mason Hall, their leading receiver with 333 yards and five touchdowns on 23 receptions.
Regardless of the result Friday night, all three teams have already qualified for the playoffs and are vying for seeding within the bracket in addition to the region championship. The fourth and final team to qualify from their region will be determined by the winner of East Hall (3-6, 1-3) vs. Cherokee Bluff (5-4, 1-3), which will be played Friday at 7:30 p.m.