The opening round of the playoffs was so predictable that a computer algorithm, the Maxwell Ratings, correctly picked 111 of 127 winners. No. 1-ranked teams were 8-0 by an average score of 49-8, and top-10 teams were 67-2 when not playing each other. The second round is inevitably more suspenseful. Here’s a closer look at the round of 16, which entails 64 games in the GHSA’s eight classifications this weekend.

Top-ranked Prince Avenue of Division I and Bowdon of Division II will be among the 32 teams playing this weekend in the second round of the Class A playoffs. Both will be hosting top-10 opponents. Prince Avenue Christian (10-0) will play No. 7 Elbert County, while Bowdon (9-1) will face No. 9 Manchester (7-3).

Lowndes fired football coach Zach Grage on Tuesday after a 5-6 finish, the Vikings’ first losing season since 1994. “This was an extremely hard decision and not one entered into lightly or without a lot of thought,” superintendent Shawn Haralson said in a statement from Lowndes County Schools.

J.B. Arnold, Jefferson County’s coach the past 22 years, announced his retirement Monday after 33 seasons on high school football sidelines. Arnold led Jefferson County to seven region titles, two semifinal appearances, four quarterfinals and 21 consecutive playoff berths and compiled a 168-89-3 record.

North Atlanta, Walnut Grove and Lanier County won their first playoff games in history last weekend, while Cass and Harlem broke droughts of longer than 40 years. s expected in the first round, top-10 teams were dominant, going 72-7. Five of the seven that lost – Brooks County, Brunswick, LaGrange, Whitewater and Valdosta – were beaten by other ranked teams.

Nick Woodford of Northeast, Aaron Philo of Prince Avenue Christian and Jaden Gibson of Rabun County are the GHSA’s regular-season yardage champions. Woodford finished with a 242-yard rushing effort in his final game, a 51-13 victory over Rutland, and had 2,262 yards for the regular season. Philo had 3,143 yards passing, and Gibson had 1,576 yards receiving.

The GHSA playoffs begin this weekend with 127 games around the state. Among the best of those games are three high-profile matchups between teams from regions 1 and 2 in Class 7A (East Coweta at Camden County, Lowndes at Carrollton, Valdosta at Westlake) and regions 3 and 4 in Class 4A (Burke County at LaGrange, Trinity Christian at Wayne County and Whitewater at Benedictine).