It seems a touch unusual that, with nearly half the football season completed, region 3 AAA action will get their first taste of region competition (Jefferson e County vs Dodge County) this Friday night. However, the first half of the season has given fans a good look into what to expect as area teams gear up for the only games that count in terms of playoff berths. With only five teams in the region, all but one team will advance to the postseason. That being said, the battle for those four spots promises to be exciting and nerve-wracking all the way through.

Thomson

The Thompson Bulldogs are 5-0 and ranked #2 in the AJC Rankings. They look to be the class of the region and have two impressive wins under their belt already. The Bulldogs took down the defending state champion Burke County Bears 21-14 and won a battle against St. Pius 21-14. Both of these opponents are ranked in the top 5 of their classifications. A little worrisome was the 49-42 score against Lagrange. Though a victory, that’s a lot of points for a championship caliber defense to surrender.

Washington County

The Washington County Golden Hawks are 5-0 and ranked #3 in the AJC Rankings. A quality team, however the jury is still out on how good this team is based on their mediocre early season schedule. The most impressive wins were against Laney (2-2) 51-28 and against ECI (4-1) 48-22.

Swainsboro

The Swainsboro Tigers are 3-1 and hosting Statesboro this Friday night. Results have been mixed to this point for the Tigers. After struggling with two lesser foes (losing to Worth County and winning late against Grovetown), Swainsboro hinted at their potential with an impressive victory over Pierce County 44-41. Pierce County is currently 4-1 after hanging 67 points on Tattnall County last Friday night. The Tigers will begin their run through an imposing gauntlet against non-region opponent, the #5 ranked Statesboro Blue Devils this Friday night before doing battle with Washington County and Thomson in the following weeks.

Dodge County

The Dodge County Indians are 3-2 on the season, having dropped consecutive games after a strong start. However, that start doesn’t look as impressive now that Dublin has been exposed in a down season. Dodge County beat the Irish (0-5) 61-7 and then hammered Hawkinsville (1-3) 41-0 to garner a top 10 ranking. But with Dublin’s problems and Hawkinsville not scoring a point in their first 3 games, the truth began to take hold in week 4. Bleckley County beat the Indians 15-8 in a defensive struggle and Lee County ripped Dodge County 51-8 to temper the excitement in Eastman. The Indians will host Jefferson County this Friday night. With the strength of the top two teams in region 3 AAA, even though this is just the first region matchup, this game could make or break each team’s chances in terms of a playoff spot.

Jefferson County

The Jefferson County Warriors are 2-3 on the season, but are coming off of a momentum building win against Wesleyan this past Friday night. Particularly concerning among their first 3 losses was the defeat against Evans, 24-20. However, there is some precedent for turning early season struggles into a successful season. Just last year, Jefferson County started with an identical 2-3 record before riding a 7 game winning streak into the playoffs. Friday night’s matchup with Dodge County is of imminent importance. Swainsboro, Dodge County, and Jefferson County will likely be battling for the final two playoff spots, placing focus on each tilt between these teams.