Kickoff A look at Glynn Academy’s first-round game in the Class AAAAA state playoffs Opponent: Jackson County When: 7:30 p.m. Friday Where: Panther Stadium, Hoschton Records: GA 6-4; 5-3 Region 1-AAAAA, No. 4 seed; JC, 9-1, 6-0 Region 8-AAAAAA, No. 1 seed. Last Game: GA won 16-13 at Greenbrier. Jackson County won 53-6 at home against Habersham Central. At Stake: Winner advances to second round to face Milton-Shiloh winner. Game Preview Glynn Academy is making its 18th consecutive playoff appearance and 12th in a row under head coach Rocky Hidalgo. The Red Terrors will be looking to advance to the second round for the first time since the 2020 season. Jackson County is back in the playoffs a second straight season, but the Panthers are looking to reach the second round for the first time. They are 0-6 in first-round games. Glynn punched its ticket to the postseason again with a win in the season finale at Greenbrier, winning 16-13 on a field goal as time expired by Patrick Coyle. Jackson played Habersham Central the final week of the regular season in a game that decided the champion and top seed in Region 8. The Panthers rolled, winning 53-6. The Panthers’ only loss this season was a 10-3 defeat at Jefferson back on Aug. 22. Jefferson is the top-seeded team in the Class AAA playoffs in which the field was seeded using power rankings. Jackson County runs a pro-style offense. The Panthers averaged 45.8 points a game. A big and physical offensive front paves the way for sophomore running back Daylan Maxwell who has carried for 1,472 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season. Their left-handed quarterback, senior RJ Knapp, has thrown for 1,711 yards and 14 touchdowns. Five different receivers have at least 220 receiving yards, but Knapp’s favorite target is easily senior Silas McDaniel who has 31 catches for 483 yards and six touchdowns. Glynn needs big games from linebackers Smith Whitehead and Cooper Reiss as well as its defensive line. Jackson County’s defense also features a physical front, so Glynn’s offensive line will be challenged to get physical as well as the Terrors look to hammer the ball at the Panthers with their flexbone attack. The Panthers are allowing only 10.3 points a game. Glynn’s run game is led by sophomore quarterback Max Noonan, along with senior halfbacks DJ Creighton and Da’Sean Howard and also sophomore Caiden Robinson who has shown promise down the stretch. --- Compiled by Kevin Price for GCS Athletics