Region 2-AAAA ' North might have leg up

When trying to predict what will happen in games, it's easy to fall into a trap.

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"If (Team A) lost to (Team B) and we beat (Team B), that means (Team A) stands no chance against us!"

This faulty line of logic has brought down even the most level-headed fan.

His beloved team loses to a team "it wasn't supposed to" lose against, and he can't understand why.

In football, this is particularly faulty because teams can fare much better against one team than another because of matchups.

Say one team has an explosive running back, but no other talented players on offense.

He might run all over one team and score five touchdowns en route to victory. Then, a week later, another team could shut him down, leading to a shutout and a big win.

After warning against this practice, I will proceed to do exactly what I've said not to do.

When I am trying to get a feel for how good a team -- or a subregion -- really is, sometimes I have to rely on information that might not prove reliable.

The important thing is not relying on this information, but instead using it as a tool to hypothesize what might happen.

As I browse different high school football team schedules and results thus far, I get a feeling that Region 2B-AAAA -- the North division that includes Evans, Lakeside and Greenbrier -- is set to enjoy success against Region 2A-AAAA during play-in games Nov. 5.

The way the process works, the No. 1 seeds from each sub-region will face off. The winner gets the region's top seed, while the loser gets the No. 2 seed.

Both get home playoff openers.

Meanwhile, the No. 2 seeds play the No. 3 seeds.

The winners of those games get the No. 3 and 4 seeds and go on the road for the playoff opener.

Brunswick leads the South division at 3-0 and already has beaten Ware County. Glynn Academy lost by two touchdowns to Ware County, leaving both teams with one subregion loss.

Brunswick lost 21-12 to Statesboro, which is tied for the lead atop the North division alongside Evans and Effingham County.

Evans defeated Statesboro 20-15, giving the Knights a leg up in the subregion race.

The win over Statesboro, which soundly defeated South division leader Brunswick, could signal an edge for the North division as the teams enter the all-important play-in games.

However, there is Statesboro's ugly 29-0 loss to Liberty County to consider. Liberty County lost by double digits to both Brunswick and Ware County. Also consider that the South division teams will be at home for this year's play- in games (the sites cycle between North and South each year).

Was it simply a bad matchup for the Blue Devils when they got shut out early in the season? Or does it signal a weakness that could bury Statesboro once the regular season ends?

Without knowing enough about the South division's teams, predicting what will happen in the region play-in games is a guessing game at best.

I believe Statesboro's bad loss was an aberration and that the North division has potential to fare well.

Don't be surprised if the North division sweeps the South division.