McEachern, Hillgrove Headed to Football Playoffs

After a tight, eventful game against one another to wrap up the regular season Friday, McEachern and Hillgrove will begin their playoff journeys this week.

The top-seeded Indians (8-2 and 8-0 in Region 4-6A) will host Colquitt County on Friday at 7:30 p.m. All first-round playoff tickets are $10.

The Packers (7-3) average 27.9 on offense this season, and their defense has held opponents to 16.5, according to Scout.com. Meanwhile, those numbers are 37.9 and 23.5, respectively, for McEachern, the website says.

Scout.com reports a 1-1 record for both teams in the series, comprised of a 28-7 win for Colquitt in 1996, and a 35-7 McEachern victory in the 1998 semifinals.

Grabbing the fourth and final region seed, Hillgrove (6-4 and 5-3 in Region 4-6A) will travel to Georgia's southeast corner to take on Region 1-6A's top seed, Camden County.

The Wildcats (9-1 and 5-1 in Region 1-6A) rack up 40.5 points per game, Scout.com says, while their stifling defense gives up only 6.5. The Hawks offense averages 30.5 points, and their defense allows 19.3, the website reports.

In Hillgrove's short history, the teams met once, according to Scout.com. The Hawks won that second-round playoff game in 2010, 28-26.

If both Hillgrove and McEachern scored three playoff W's, they'd meet in the semifinals. The Indians came out on top in Friday's game between the two, 33-30, giving them a 2-1 record in the crosstown rivalry.

Coincidentally, the teams the Hawks and Indians will play in the first round also faced one another last Friday. Colquitt edged out Camden, 13-12.

The complete 6A brackets are attached.

Will Hillgrove or McEachern go farther in the playoffs? Tell us in the comments.

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