GHSA Football Week 12 Preview - Game of the Week South Atlanta vs Columbia

1. As the final games of the regular season get set to be played, many contest will determine region champions and No. 1 seeds heading into the Georgia High School Association football playoffs. As will be the case when the South Atlanta Hornets and the Columbia Eagles meet up on Friday. Both teams have been having successful season to this point.

For the Hornets, under new head coach, Michael Woolridge, after dropping their season opener, they have won eight straight games, coming in at 8-1 on the season and 7-0 in region play. The Hornets have been led by Georgia’s leading rusher, Keyjuan Brown who is 133 yards shy of 2,000 rushing yards for the season. That is a more than impressive stat line and for Columbia head coach, Greg Barnett, it is no secret that stopping Brown will be one of things the Eagles will need to do to help them win Friday’s match up.

“Looking at them on tape, I know, you know, everybody in the state knows, you have to stop that big dog running back they have,” Barnett said of Brown. Barnett, who is in his second season as head coach of the Eagles, has led them to a 7-2 overall record this season with just one loss in the region and a chance to win their first region title in 40 years. And for Barnett and his staff, it’s more than winning on the field that has helped them get to this point.

“We’ve been trying to preach to the guys about winning on and off the field. I’ve been focusing a lot of my time on winning off the field and in the classroom. I’m a big believer in what you do off the field will find it’s way on the field,” Barnett said. He would go on to add that his guys have been doing the “right things” and that with it being 40 years since the last region championship for the Eagles, they “definitely have something to play for.”

2. Woodward Academy will look to finish the regular season undefeated but will be facing a tough one loss Creekside team. Both teams are unbeaten in region play, so tonight's winner will be the region champ and get the No. 1 seed out of the region.

3. Both Norcross and Archer have will head into their match up tonight with no region losses, setting up a winner take all as whoever comes out on top will be the region champ and No. 1 seed out of the region.

4. After a tough start to the season, Mays has positioned themselves to come out as region champs, but in order to do so, they'll have to take down Marist who is unbeaten in region play and can walk away region champs with the win.

5. Buford and Dacula will face off as the only two teams with no losses in their region so when they meet tonight, whoever walks away winner, walks away the region champ and the No. 1 seed out of the region.