The high school football playoffs resume tonight with 14 semifinals and the long-awaited Gainesville-Hughes game. Gainesville-Hughes is the quarterfinal the GHSA postponed last week while sorting out the matter of 38 suspended Gainesville players. The semifinals won't be upstaged by one famous quarterfinal, though. The semifinal winners are going to the Benz, the Falcons’ home field.

Carrollton and Buford gained No. 1 national football rankings this week after Carrollton's 34-14 victory over previous No. 1 Grayson in the Class 6A quarterfinals sent the Rams tumbling in the polls. Carrollton moved to No. 1 in the MaxPreps poll from its previous No. 11 spot. Buford rose to No. 1 in the USA Today rankings from its previous No. 3 spot after defeating Douglas County 30-15 last week in the other Class 6A semifinal.

Defending state champions Bowdon and Hebron Christian will be back in action Friday night in the GHSA football semifinals. Bowdon, seeking its fourth consecutive state title, will travel to Clinch County in a Class A Division II game. Hebron Christian of Class 3A-A Private will face Greater Atlanta Christian in the first meeting between the Gwinnett County private schools.

Burke County and Carver of Columbus will meet Friday in the Class 2A semifinals in a rematch of last year’s state championship game, won by Carver 52-14. Carver advanced to the semifinals for the third consecutive season with a 38-10 victory last week against Thomson, the regular-season champion in Burke County’s region.  

Gainesville will play Hughes in the Class 5A football quarterfinals Friday at near full strength as the Georgia High School Association decided Monday not to fight a restraining order that kept it from suspending 34 Gainesville players. The turning point in the deadlock took place Sunday, according to GHSA executive director Tim Scott.

Carrollton and Marist defeated defending champions Grayson and North Oconee, ending the state’s two longest winning streaks, while Sumter County and West Laurens advanced to their first semifinals in history with playoff victories last week. Worth County and Pepperell reached semifinals for the first time since the 1990s.

Grayson picked up its third No. 1 national football ranking when MaxPreps moved the Rams into the top spot this week. Grayson moved up from No. 2 after its 31-10 victory over Norcross in the second round of the playoffs last week. The Rams replaced Maryland’s St. Frances Academy, which fell to No. 3 after being idle last week. Grayson became the No. 1-ranked team in the High School Football America poll three weeks ago and ascended to No. 1 in the USA Today rankings last week.

The Georgia High School Association suspended 39 Gainesville football players Monday because of a fight during Friday night’s playoff victory at Brunswick. However, the team still plans to play its Class 5A quarterfinal game Friday at No. 1-ranked Hughes, Gainesville City Schools superintendent Jeremy Williams said in a statement Monday revealing the GHSA’s ruling.

Jackson County and Douglass ousted defending champions in the second round of the football playoffs Friday, eliminating Milton and Calhoun, respectively, while Sumter County, Wheeler County and Whitfield Academy, along with Jackson County, made history by reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. The three No. 1-ranked teams that faced ranked opponents came out alive.