Here are the top Middle Georgia first-round matchups in the GHSA playoffs

Here is a look at the top games from around the Middle Georgia area during the first week of the football playoffs. For a full list of games in the first round of the playoffs, check out the schedule here.

Veterans vs Riverdale

7:30 p.m. Friday at Veterans

Story of the game: The Veterans Warhawks are coming into this game following a loss to Warner Robins in the region championship. Riverdale lost two games in a row to end the regular season including a 47-14 loss to Griffin. Riverdale is one of the better road teams with a 4-1 record away from home.

Keys to the game for Riverdale: The Raiders have been a good offensive team all season long averaging over 30 points per game. Veterans is a team that is built on solid defense but struggles to get back into games once they are down. Last week, Warner Robins jumped out to a lead early and never looked back. The Raiders will need to do something similar as they can’t allow the Warhawks to settle in on defense or it will be a long night.

Keys to the game for Veterans: Running back Lebron Fields is one of the unquestioned leaders on this team. He is a dynamic playmaker who can bust a game wide open and the Warhawks need him to make big plays on the offensive side of the ball. This should help ease the pressure on their defense. The biggest thing is avoiding the feeling that the defense must be flawless to win. The offense must help them out.

Staff pick: Veterans

Jones County vs South Effingham

7:30 p.m. Friday at Jones County

Story of the game: The Jones County Greyhounds come into this one following their lone loss of the season to Stockbridge. They are a perfect 5-0 at home and will have the home field advantage in this first round matchup. South Effingham is one of the best four seeds in the field this year. The Mustangs have lost three straight games but have been competitive in each.

Keys to the game for Jones County: Quarterback Hunter Costlow is one of the most underrated players in the Middle Georgia area. He doesn’t get the hype he should because he has a pair of dangerous weapons at wide receiver like Jontavis Robertson and Maleek Wooten. This game will depend on Costlow’s ability to handle the moment and get the ball into the hands of his playmakers.

Keys to the game for South Effingham: Despite losing three games in a row, the Mustangs have scored 28 points in each game. This one could turn into a track meet as each offense is explosive enough to put up a lot of points. Both average over 30 points per game and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both of them go over that mark in this game. The Mustangs will need to try and make the Greyhounds one dimensional by either forcing Costlow to play a perfect game or try to make running back Andrew Carner beat them on the ground.

Staff pick: Jones County

Brooks County vs Washington County

7:30 p.m. Friday at Brooks County

Story of the game: This should be one of the most competitive games this week as these two teams appear to be evenly matched. Washington County just got its biggest win over the year by knocking off Dublin. That could give this team a lot of momentum heading into this showdown. Brooks County as won three straight games, knocking off Berrien 42-6 to end the season. This will be a clash of heavyweights and could come down to the final drive.

Keys to the game for Washington County: These two teams are led by their running games. Running back Sha’Marcus Poole is coming off of a three touchdown performance against Dublin and has eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. This team has a good one-two punch with Malyk Walker as the home run hitter with over 1,000 yards on just 90 carries. Whichever team can establish their dominance on the ground should win this game.

Keys to the game for Brooks County: Running back Omari Arnold has over 1,000 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on the ground this season. The Trojans will need to get him going early against this Washington County defense to set the tone. Expect him to get about 15 to 20 carries in the game and if he can make those count for around 100 yards, this could be another win for Brooks County.

Staff pick: Washington County

Other notable matchups

All games are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start time.

• FPD at Wesleyan
• Stratford at Prince Avenue
• Mary Persons at Eastside
• Jonesboro at Warner Robins
• Houston County at Evans

This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 12:56 PM.