Morgan County  at North Hall

When: 7:30 tonight

Where: The Brickyard, Gainesville

Coaches: Morgan County, Bill Malone; North Hall, Bob Christmas

Records: Morgan County (9-2, No. 2 Region 8-AAA), North Hall (9-2, No. 1 Region 7-AAA)

Key players: Morgan County, RB Marquis Benton (5-8, 171 Jr.); WR/DB Melvin Davis (5-11, 190 Sr.); C/LB Bailey Ross (5-11, 220 Sr.). North Hall, QB/DB Andrew Smith (5-8, 145 Jr.); QB/LB Bradley Brown (6-2, 205 Sr.); RB/LB Kevin Christmas (5-8, 170 Sr.).

Outlook: A week after dropping the regular season finale against Buford, North Hall showed no lingering effects in a resounding 38-7 win over Woodward Academy in the opening round of the playoffs. The defense allowed only 46 rushing yards on 24 carries, while the offense totaled 387 yards and 24 second-half points, turning a defensive slugfest into a runaway win for the Trojans.

They’ll need to be at the top of their game again this week as they welcome Morgan County to The Brickyard.

The Bulldogs have won five straight since a pair of back-to-back losses at midseason, and sport a 4-1 record against 2012 playoff teams. They edged Gordon Central last week, 24-21, to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2005. On the season, they average 33.9 points per game, while giving up 17.7.

North Hall is led by a running game that may feature any of five different backs on a given night. Kevin Christmas leads the team with 844 rushing yards and Brown has a team-high 14 rushing touchdowns, but T.J. Tate (779 yards, 11 touchdowns), Zac Little (512 yards, 7 touchdowns) and Smith (501 yards, 8 touchdowns) have all taken their turns in the spotlight this season.

On defense, Smith (139 tackles) and linebacker Destin Bennett (81) lead a unit that gives up only 102 rushing yards and 14.2 points per game.

Prediction: NORTH HALL. The Trojans proved last week they can win with defense if the offense takes a while to get on track; that should serve them well tonight.

Buford at North Oconee

When: 7:30 tonight

Where: Titans Stadium, Bogart

Coaches: Buford, Jess Simpson; North Oconee, Terry Tuley

Records: Buford (8-3, No. 2 Region 7-AAA); North Oconee (10-1, No. 1 Region 8-AAA)

Key players: Buford, LB Korie Rogers (6-2, 210 Jr.); OL/DL Josh Cardiello (6-4, 285 Sr.); QB Montgomery VanGorder (6-1, 190 Jr.). North Oconee, RB Kawon Bryant (5-9, 173 So.); QB Tate Adcock (6-1, 154 So.); RB/LB Zantravious Shields (5-10, 178 Sr.)

Outlook: This second round matchup pits two of the better defenses in the state with Buford (eight points allowed per game) against North Oconee (13).

The Wolves, who are 12-0 in second round games since 2000, resemble much more a team the Titans wouldn’t have to see until the third round (the earliest No. 1 seeds can meet), but Buford’s forfeiting two region wins this season kept it from a region title.

Nonetheless, the 2011 Class AA runners-up have been crushing opponents since their only loss on the field, 19-15 to Gainesville, in the second game of the season. Since then, the Wolves have averaged 48.4 points per game on offense while allowing 7.3 per game, although Cedar Grove scored a season-high 27 against them last week.

VanGorder threw three touchdowns against just one incompletion and running back Zavior Hoxie surpassed 100 yards to lead Buford to the first round win.

Through 11 games, the Wolves are averaging 257.3 rushing yards and 123.9 passing yards per game, with Hoxie now the leader in the ground game after Dontravious Wilson’s injury, and VanGorder and Taylor Mitchell splitting time behind center.

On defense Buford has allowed an average of 109.2 rushing and 186.1 total yards of offense against per game, led by Rogers, who has 85 tackles and four sacks.

North Oconee beat Ringgold 37-14 last week behind the work of Bryant, who ran for 162 yards in the win and 921 yards in the regular season, a large piece of the Titans’ 260-yards per game rushing attack.

The Titans have allowed just three teams to score over 20 points against them this season, and of those two scored in the 20s.

North Oconee is 0-3 in the second round of the playoffs, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, and lost to Buford 44-7 in the second round in 2008, the Titans’ first trip to the postseason.

Prediction: BUFORD. The Wolves are a hard offense to slow down with a solid running and passing game at this point, complimenting one of the best defenses in the state.

Westminster at Jefferson

When: 7:30 tonight

Where: Memorial Stadium, Jefferson

Coaches: Westminster, Gerry Romberg; Jefferson, T. McFerrin

Records: Westminster (5-6, No. 3 Region 6-AA), Jefferson (10-1, No. 1 Region 8-AA)

Key players: Westminster, WR/LB Camerson Seward (6-1, 190 Jr.); RB/DB Nigel Walker (5-10, 176 Sr.); QB Jake Forte (6-2, 205 Jr.). Jefferson, QB Bryant Shirreffs (6-3, 215 Sr.); LB Wesley Simonton (6-0, 205 Sr.); RB Sammy Williams (5-5, 155 So.).

Outlook: Winners of 10 straight, Jefferson is just one victory away from reaching the state quarterfinals for the first time since a run to the state title game in 1977.

Like the Dragons, Westminster is no stranger to the playoffs, but is also trying to get over its own second-round wall; the Wolves have been knocked out in this round in five straight seasons.

Many wouldn’t have expected Westminster to make it this far after entering the playoffs with a losing record, but the Wolves showed last week that their No. 3 seed was no fluke as they defeated Pepperell, 34-0.

Instead, the sub-.500 mark looks more like the product of a brutal schedule, which featured eight regular-season opponents that made the playoffs, including four from larger classifications.

The Wolves struggled to score most of the season, averaging 14.1 points per game through their first nine contests. They’ve scored 70, however, in their last two games combined. The defense has been a strength throughout the season, and in last week’s win, the Wolves held Pepperell to less than 200 yards of total offense.

Led by Shirreffs on offense and an aggressive, attacking style on defense, Jefferson has been stout on both sides of the ball. Since a come-from-behind 27-21 win over North Hall in the third week of the season, the Dragons’ closest game was a 35-7 win over Riverside Military, in which the reserves entered the game early.

Shirreffs leads the team with 770 yards rushing, and he, Williams and Tristen Jackson each have double-digit rushing touchdowns. Through the air, Shirreffs has totaled more than 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Simonton (142 tackles, 27 for loss) and Kody McDonald (132, 16) lead a Dragons defense that is yielding just 10.4 points per game.

Prediction: JEFFERSON. It’ll only get more difficult from this point forward, but the Dragons appear to be up for the challenge.

Commerce at Seminole County

When: 7:30 tonight

Where: Seminole Stadium, Donalsonville

Coaches: Commerce, Marvin Justice; Seminole County, Alan Ingram

Records: Commerce (5-5, No. 13 Class A public), Seminole County (8-2, No. 4)

Key players: Commerce, RB Jamal Browner (6-0, 220 Sr.), RB/DB Terrick Ramsey (5-9, 165 Sr.), OL/DL Micah Eason (6-4, 240 So.). Seminole County, QB/OLB Jakari Martin (Sr.), RB/LB Thomas Aiken (Fr.), RB Daquan Hamlet (Sr.).

Outlook: Commerce and Seminole County run similar offenses in that they primarily run the ball and get scoring from a number of different players.

Ramsey leads the Tigers’ ground attack, totaling 871 yards and 10 touchdowns on 88 carries this season.

Browner is also an offensive threat when given the ball and has 636 yards and a trio of scores on 122 attempts. In addition, Commerce depends on Quay Little to gain rushing yards with 471 and four touchdowns on 69 attempts.

The Tigers’ offense is fueled by the backs due to the fact that starting quarterback Drew Whitfield has been out since early October with mononucleosis, and leading tackler Chance McClure has been out for the past few weeks with an injury.

However, Commerce saw the return of wide receiver/defensive back Jamir Walton and DB Chase Ledbetter in their last game against Pinecrest Academy.

The Tigers have had an injury-plagued season, but if they want to keep their postseason run alive, they will have to find a way to win with the players they have.

After last season. Seminole County’s Martin made the transition from outside linebacker to quarterback without any experience in the position, but he now leads the Indians’ offense, going 15-of-38 for 383 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception this season with an additional 717 yards rushing on 127 carries for 12 scores.

Hamlet and Aiken also see significant time with the ball, both with over 500 yards rushing this season. The pair combines for 16 more scores. Javonte Smith is yet another back who can score for the Indians with 499 yards and seven touchdowns on 70 carries.

Seminole County’s offensive and defensive lines returned just two starters after last season with Martin at linebacker and Alex Koonce on the defensive line. Koonce leads the young, inexperienced group with 63 total tackles, and the defense as a whole is able to hold their opponents to an average of 15.7 points per game.

Prediction: SEMINOLE COUNTY. The Indians offense is more potent and has more momentum than the Tigers right now.