The boy”s playoffs are set to commence on Wednesday night, bringing excitement to Albany as all three local high schools secure home games in the opening round of the Class AAA boys state playoffs. The anticipation is building as the brackets suggest a potential clash between the Monroe Golden Tornadoes and the Dougherty Trojans in the Sweet Sixteen, should both teams emerge victorious in their respective matchups.
The Monroe Golden Tornadoes, with a record of 21-6, earned the No. 4 seed and will take on the Bainbridge Bearcats (10-17) at 6 PM on Wednesday. The two teams are familiar rivals, with Monroe having defeated Bainbridge three times this season. However, their most recent encounter was tightly contested, with Monroe narrowly escaping with a 42-41 victory in the region semifinals, serving as a reminder that familiarity does not always equate to ease.
In contrast, Dougherty, which holds a 13-13 record and is seeded No. 13, will host the Liberty County Panthers (15-8) at the same time. If both teams progress past the opening round, Monroe will host Dougherty on Friday night, creating a dramatic scenario where one local powerhouse will eliminate the other, setting the stage for a spot in the Elite Eight.
Monroe”s head coach, Michael Hoffpauir, expressed his feelings regarding the playoff setup, noting, “The whole point of making the state playoffs is to face other non-region opponents and see how your region fares against the rest of the state. There are several instances where this is happening in the state brackets. The GHSA will continue to review and try to get it right. Nevertheless, it is what we are facing, and the objective is to win and advance, and that”s what we are intending to do.” This reflects the pragmatic mindset both teams must adopt as they approach these critical matchups.
Meanwhile, the Westover Patriots (23-2) are also preparing for their postseason challenge after an undefeated regular season in their region was marred by a surprising semifinal loss to Dougherty. Westover will face a formidable opponent in the first round, as they host Lumpkin County (23-4) from Dahlonega at 5:30 PM on Wednesday. This matchup stands out as one of the most balanced contests on the Class AAA slate.
Beyond the local scene, the postseason landscape extends across the state. In Class 5A, the Lee County Trojans (17-10) will embark on a lengthy journey to Woodstock to take on the Woodstock Wolverines (24-3), who entered their region tournament as a top seed before facing defeat in the championship round.
Class A Division II also showcases a strong representation from Southwest Georgia. Region champion Mitchell County (20-7) is set to host Greene County (8-20) in Camilla at 6 PM on Wednesday. Additionally, the Seminole County Indians (25-2) will welcome Warren County (16-9) in Donalsonville, while Early County (20-7) travels to face Towns County (14-12) in the northeast Georgia mountains. Lastly, Randolph-Clay (11-15) is headed to Washington-Wilkes (15-8) for their playoff opener.
This is the essence of late February in Georgia, with home gyms alive with energy on weeknights, long bus rides to distant towns, and familiar rivals clashing earlier than anticipated. For both Monroe and Dougherty, the opportunity presented on Wednesday is crucial. For Albany, it represents a unique chance to fill the gym on Friday night, knowing that only one of its teams will advance.
