Three DeKalb high school football teams remain in the Class AAAAA state playoffs and face entries from Region 5-AAAAA in the second round on Friday.
The No. 2 ranked Martin Luther King Jr. Lions are 11-0 on the season and entertain the No. 10 ranked Allatoona Buccaneers (10-1) at Hallford Stadium on Friday night with the kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
Allatoona is a fifth year program and making its second playoff appearance. The Buccaneers are coming off a 24-21 win over Heritage of Conyers in which they rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to pull out their first playoff victory in school history.
The Lions are 14-9 in the state playoffs after a 34-14 win over Sequoyah on Friday night. This is the 10th consecutive season the Lions have reached the playoffs and fourth consecutive second round appearance and their ninth in 10 seasons. The Lions advanced as far as the state semifinals in 2004 (Class AAA).
The No. 5 ranked Tucker Tigers (9-2) earned a host role on Friday night as Region 5-AAAAA No. 4 seed North Paulding (8-3) upset No. 1 seed Flowery Branch 63-43 to advance. The game is tentatively set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at Adams Stadium.
The Tigers have won six consecutive state playoff games including a 5-0 mark in their run to the 2011 Class AAAA state title won against Lovejoy. The sixth win coming in the form of a 42-25 first round victory over Creekview (9-2).
Tucker owns the second best state playoff record in DeKalb County at 39-31 and can become the second team to win 40 with a victory over North Paulding. Southwest DeKalb holds the top spot with a record of 47-33. Tucker is in the postseason for the sixth consecutive season and 14th out of the past 15, missing only the 2006 season. Tucker also has won state titles in 2008 and 2011 during their current playoff run.
The No. 9 ranked Stephenson Jaguars (8-2) must go on the road to take on the No. 3 ranked East Paulding Raiders (11-0) who defeated Clarke Central 31-23 to advance to the second round.
The Jaguars are 14-12 in 13 playoff appearances and participating in their 13th consecutive postseason. Their 31-11 first round victory over Pope was the Jaguars first time to advance past the opening round since 2009, but they have made it to the second round eight of the 13 times in the playoffs. A Class AAAAA semifinal appearance in 2005 marks the Jaguar’s deepest run in the state playoffs.
DeKalb County Playoff Schedule
Friday, Nov. 23
Class AAAAA
North Paulding (8-3) vs. Tucker (9-2), Adams, 7:30 p.m.
Allatoona (10-1) vs. M.L. King (11-0), Hallford, 7:30 p.m.
Stephenson (8-2) at East Paulding (11-0), 7:30 p.m.
Mark Brock is the Information Officer/Statistician/Web Manager for DeKalb County Schools Athletics
