2023 GHSA State Duals Sectionals

BRACKET REACTIONS AND A QUICK RECAP OF REGION DUALS

CLASS 1A

Before getting into the brackets, the draws with in, and the predictions, lets take a look back on how we did with the Area Duals predictions.

Picked 6 of the 8 Champions, missed Irwin Co and Temple

1 Perfect Area (Area 1)

Correctly picked 28 of 32 qualifiers

16 of 32 teams in the correct spot

Bracket Reaction:
There doesn't seem to be any over the top terrible draws in this classification.  We knew whoever drew the #2 from Area 7 and 8 were going to get tough 2nd round matchups, but luckily it didn't happen to any of the top 4 teams.  

Toughest Quad: Irwin Co
Montgomery Co vs Pepperell, Coosa vs Irwin

Best 1st Round Match: Elbert Co vs Lamar Co

Best 2nd Round Match: Oglethorpe Co vs Screven Co and Dade Co vs East Laurens

Predictions:
Pepperell
Commerce
Trion
Social Circle
Mt. Pisgah
Armuchee
Oglethorpe Co
Dade Co

Predicted Seeds:
1. Trion
2. Social Circle
3. Mt. Pisgah
4. Commerce
5. Dade Co
6. Oglethorpe Co
7. Armuchee
8. Pepperell

2A

Before getting into the brackets, the draws with in, and the predictions, lets take a look back on how we did with the Area Duals predictions.

Picked 6 of the 8 Champions, missed Cook and Jordan

1 Perfect Area (Area 3)

Correctly picked 28 of 32 qualifiers

15 of 32 teams in the correct spot

Bracket Reaction:
We were hoping that the #2 team in Area 8 wouldn't draw one of the top teams, well they did.  Banks Co will be travelling to #4 Toombs Co with the winner advancing to the Elite 8 and the loser missing out.  That also means that #2 from Region 3, Vidalia, will have to travel up to Fannin Co, and one of those two teams will also miss out on the Elite 8.  

Toughest Quad: Toombs Co
Westside, August vs Banks Co and BT Washington vs Toombs Co

Best 1st Round Match: Union Co vs Putnam Co

Best 2nd Round Match: Banks Co vs Toombs Co

Predictions:
ELCA
Fannin Co
Rockmart
Putnam Co
East Jackson
Landmark Christian
Banks Co
Model

Predicted Seeds:
1. Rockmart
2. Fannin Co
3. Landmark Christian
4. Banks Co
5. ELCA
6. East Jackson
7. Model
8. Putnam Co

3A

Before getting into the brackets, the draws with in, and the predictions, lets take a look back on how we did with the Area Duals predictions.

Picked 7 of the 8 Champions, missed Bremen

2 Perfect Areas (Area 1 and 4)

Correctly picked 27 of the 28 qualifiers

14 of 28 teams in the correct spot

Bracket Reaction:
With Area 7 being as tough as it is from top to bottom, we knew the placement of those teams could potentially cause some problems.  I really feel bad for Pickens Co, they wrestled their tails off in the Area Duals to get 2nd in the toughest Area in the classification, and their reward is to be drawn into #1 Columbus' quad.    

Toughest Quad: Pike Co
Dougherty vs Adairsville and White Co vs Pike Co

Best 1st Round Match: White Co vs Pike Co

Best 2nd Round Match: Gordon Lee vs Morgan Co

Predictions:
White Co
Franklin Co
Gilmer
Morgan Co
Ringgold
Lumpkin Co
Hart Co
Columbus

Predicted Seeds:
1. Gilmer
2. Columbus
3. Franklin Co
4. Ringgold
5. Morgan Co
6. Lumpkin Co
7. White Co
8. Hart Co

4A

Before getting into the brackets, the draws with in, and the predictions, lets take a look back on how we did with the Region Duals predictions.

Picked 6 of the 8 Champions, missed Benedictine and Westminster

2 Perfect Regions (Region 2 sort of and 7)

Correctly picked 28 of 30 qualifiers

14 of 30 teams in the correct spot

Bracket Reaction:
Once again with 2 stacked Regions (Region 7 and 8) the placement of those teams could cause all sorts of nasty draws.  Region 8 got the worst of it with North Oconee Travelling to West Laurens and Walnut Grove travelling to Lovett.  Region 7 fared a little bit better, as all 4 of their teams have a great shot at advancing all the way through to the Elite 8.

Toughest Quad: None really stand out, so we will go with W. Laurens
Lagrange vs North Oconee and Stockbridge vs West Laurens

Best 1st Round Match: North Hall vs Troup Co

Best 2nd Round Match: North Oconee vs West Laurens

Predictions:
Southeast Whitfield
West Laurens
Central, Carroll
Lovett
Troup Co
Sonoraville
Chestatee
Heritage, Catoosa

Predicted Seeds:
1. Lovett
2. West Laurens
3. Chestatee
4. Central, Carroll
5. Troup
6. Heritage
7. Sonoraville
8. Southeast Whitfield

5A

Before getting into the brackets, the draws with in, and the predictions, lets take a look back on how we did with the Region Duals predictions.

Picked 6 of the 8 Champions, missed Harris Co and Lithonia

0 Perfect Regions

Correctly picked 29 of 32 qualifiers

15 of 32 teams in the correct spot

Bracket Reaction:
Region 1 and 2 runner ups really took it on the chin with their draws, and they'd have been much better off finishing 3rd.  After the top 2 teams in this classification, things are really tight from 3-12, so there should be a lot of really good quads.

Toughest Quad: Cambridge
Calhoun vs McIntosh and Statesboro vs Cambridge

Best 1st Round Match: Cartersville vs Harris Co

Best 2nd Round Match: Flowery Branch vs Ola and Woodland vs Greenbrier

Predictions:
Harris Co
Ola
Cass
Eastside
Locust Grove
Cambridge
Jefferson
Greenbrier

Predicted Seeds:
1. Cass
2. Jefferson
3. Ola
4. Greenbrier
5. Cambrisge
6. Harris Co
7. Locust Grove
8. Eastside

6A

Before getting into the brackets, the draws with in, and the predictions, lets take a look back on how we did with the Region Duals predictions.

Picked 7 of 8 Champions, missed North Forsyth

3 Perfect Regions (Region 1, 4, and 7)

Correctly picked 29 of 32 qualifiers

20 of 32 teams in the correct spot

Bracket Reaction:
Worst bracket draw of all 7 classifications, and it isn't even close.  2 Regions have 2 teams ranked in the top 5, and those Regions drew 1 vs 2 in the round of 16.  That gives us Brunswick at North Forsyth and Jackson Co at South Effingham.  So two of the top 5 teams in the State will miss out on the Elite 8 entirely.  

Toughest Quad: North Forsyth
South Paulding vs Brunswick and North Atlanta vs North Forsyth

Best 1st Round Match: Glynn Academy vs Alexander, Habersham vs Dunwoody and Lee Co vs Etowah

Best 2nd Round Match: Almost all of them, check out this potential lineup:
TCC vs Woodward
Jackson Co vs South Effingham
Lassiter vs Tift
Gainesville vs Newnan
Glynn Academy/Alexander vs Dunwoody/Habersham
Blessed Trinity vs Creekview
Brunswick vs North Forsyth
Pope vs Lee Co

Predictions:
Woodward Academy
South Effingham
Lassiter
Gainesville
Glynn Academy
Creekview
North Forsyth
Lee Co

Predicted Seeds:
1. North Forsyth
2. Woodward Academy
3. South Effingham
4. Lassiter
5. Creekview
6. Lee Co
7. Gainesville
8. Glynn Academy

7A

Before getting into the brackets, the draws with in, and the predictions, lets take a look back on how we did with the Region Duals predictions.

Picked all 8 Champions

0 Perfect Regions

Correctly picked 26 of 32 qualifiers

15 of 32 teams in the correct spot

Bracket Reaction:
Who was going to be the unlucky #1 to draw the Region 8 runner-up, that was the key question as we waited for the brackets to drop.  It ended up being Carrollton of Region 2, which in the overall grand scheme of things, it could have been a lot worse (except for Carrollton).  The 2 toughest Regions of the past 2 or 3 years have been Region 1 and Region 6, and while both of those Regions have changed quite a bit, it is unfortunate that they meet up in round 1.  Lowndes dropping into the same quadrant as North Paulding is also a huge disappointment, as both of those teams could have contended for a top 4 finish.

Toughest Quad: North Paulding
Lowndes vs Lambert and Discovery vs North Paulding

Best 1st Round Match: Lowndes vs Lambert

Best 2nd Round Match: Lowndes/Lambert vs North Paulding and Brookwood vs Walton

Predictions:
North Paulding
Mill Creek
Richmond Hill
Walton
Archer
West Forsyth
Buford
Camden

Predicted Seeds:
1. Camden
2. Buford
3. North Paulding
4. West Forsyth
5. Mill Creek
6. Walton
7. Richmond Hill
8. Archer