March to the Dome Starts for Six Football Teams

FOOTBALL
Six Atlanta Public Schools teams will represent the district in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Football Playoffs, starting Friday night.

Mays (9-1), the Class AAAAAA-Region 5 champions, will host Cambridge (6-4) of north Fulton County, 7:30 p.m., Friday at Lakewood Stadium. The Raiders, the No. 1 seeded team from Region 5, won their first region title since 2003 and were the highest scoring team in their region and among APS teams with 407 total points.

Grady (9-1), the Class AAAAA-Region 6 champions, will host Walnut Grove (4-6) of Walton County, 7:30 p.m., Friday at Grady Stadium. The Grey Knights, the top-seeded team from Region 6, won the region championship for the first time since 2010.

B.E.S.T. Academy (2-8), the No. 4 seed from Class AA-Region 6, will travel north to play Rabun County (9-0), the No. 1 seed from Region 8, 7:30 p.m., Friday at Frank Snyder Stadium in Tiger, Ga. B.E.S.T. Academy broke a three-way tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in Region 6 by winning a mini-game tournament on Monday that also included Therrell and Washington.

Carver (8-2), the No. 2 seed from Class AAAAA-Region 6, will host Clarke Central (6-4) of Athens-Clarke County, 2 p.m., Saturday at Lakewood Stadium. The Panthers are in the state playoffs for the fifth consecutive year and have won their last three games by a combined score of 108-6.

Douglass (7-3), the No. 2 seed from Class AA-Region 6, will host Elbert County (7-3), 7:30 p.m., Saturday at Lakewood Stadium. The Astros are back in the state playoffs for the first time since 2007.
CHEERLEADING
Mays advanced to the GHSA State Cheerleading Championships this weekend in Columbus at the Columbus Civic Center. The Raiders competed in the first round on Friday and will try to advance to the finals, scheduled for 2 p.m., Saturday.

ONE-ACT PLAY
The one-act play ensemble from Grady will compete in the GHSA State Championships, 10 a.m., Saturday at Veterans High School in Kathleen, Ga., near Macon.

WRESTLING
The squads from Maynard Jackson and North Atlanta will be in action this weekend. Maynard Jackson will face South Cobb, Friday at South Cobb, while North Atlanta will compete in the Panther Duals, Friday and Saturday at Forest Park.