3 All-Gwinnett Matchups Highlight 6A Football Playoffs

At least three Gwinnett County high school football teams will advance in the Georgia High School Association Class 6A football playoffs.

Problem is, at least three also will be eliminated.

Three second-round games this weekend match Gwinnett teams — Brookwood at Norcross, North Gwinnett at Archer and Peachtree Ridge at Dacula. A fourth team, Collins Hill, is playing at Alpharetta.

Here's a look at the second-round games in Class 6A involving Gwinnett schools:

Brookwood at Norcross

Former state champions, including the defending champ, meet Friday when Brookwood plays at Norcross in the Georgia High School Association Class 6A football playoffs.

Norcross, last year’s large-school champ, is 9-2 after beating Etowah 28-0 last Friday in the first round. Brookwood, the 2010 champ, is 6-5 after a 35-16 over Lambert in the first round.

The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at Norcross Stadium.

Norcross has won eight games in a row and hasn’t allowed more than 20 points since mid-September, as reported by Georgia High School Football Daily.

Brookwood, which used 239 yards and four touchdowns from running back Jesse Brown, has won five of its last six games after starting the year 0-3 and 1-4.

The winner will play either Lowndes or Lovejoy in the quarterfinals.

Collins Hill at Alpharetta

The Collins Hill High School football team is on a roll.

The Eagles are 10-1, ranked No. 7 in the state by Georgia High School Football Daily, and winners of five straight games.

Collins Hill romped over Walton 41-7 last week in the first round of the Georgia High School Association Class 6A football playoffs.

Collins Hill plays at Alpharetta this Friday in the second round. Alpharetta (9-2) is the top seed from Region 6.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Alpharetta Stadium.

The Eagles have been impressive in its winning streak, scoring 68, 53, 49, 45 and 41 points in consecutive games. Running back Tyler Henderson (1,400 rushing yards) and quarterback Tyler Herman (2,500 passing yards) are the statistical leaders, according to the football daily.

Alpharetta, which won its first playoff game in last week’s 41-23 first-round win over South Gwinnett, is led by quarterback Austin King (2,200 passing yards).

The winner will play either McEachern or Hughes in the quarterfinals.

North Gwinnett at Archer

Football brackets don’t typically intend to pair two top-4 teams in the second round of the playoffs. You might normally expect to see such a matchup much deeper in the tournament.

You also don’t expect the No. 1 team in the state finish as a No. 3 seed from its region.

But that’s what we’ll get Friday when North Gwinnett plays at Archer in the second round of the Georgia High School Association Class 6A football playoffs.

North Gwinnett is ranked No. 1 in the state by Georgia High School Football Daily, Archer is No. 4.

North Gwinnett lost out on the tiebreaker after a three-way tie for first place in Region 7 and entered the playoffs as a No. 3 seed. That means the Bulldogs (10-1) are playing on the road for the second time in the postseason.

North beat Milton 34-10 in the first round, holding Milton to 114 yards and using a 100-yard game from 1,000-yard rusher C.J. Leggett, as reported by Georgia High School Football Daily.

Archer, playing in only its fourth full varsity season, is having the best season in its short history. The Tigers are 11-0 after last week’s 34-7 win over North Forsyth. Quarterback Gabe Tiller (1,700 passing yards, 19 touchdowns) leads the way.

The game features two of the more prolific offenses in the classification. Archer averages 35 points per game, North averages 42 points.

The winner will play either Hillgrove or Camden County in the quarterfinals.

Peachtree Ridge at Dacula

The turnarounds of the Dacula and Peachtree Ridge high school football programs will continue in the second round of the Georgia High School Association Class 6A playoffs.

The two Gwinnett County teams, who combined for only five wins last season, face each other Friday night in the second round. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Dacula’s Barron Field.

Peachtree Ridge was 4-6 last season, but has improved to 8-3, which includes a 59-20 win over Lassiter last week. Running back Jordan Ellis, a University of Virginia commitment, had 263 yards and six TDs against Lassiter, as reported by Georgia High School Football Daily.

Dacula went 1-9 in 2012, but is 7-4 this year. The Falcons beat West Forsyth 36-31 in the first round, as Bijan Sirleaf and Kelan Fraise combined for more than 200 rushing yards and four touchdowns, according to the high school football daily. Dacula has three rushers with more than 500 yards.

The winner will play either Colquitt County or North Cobb in the quarterfinals.