HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Albany teams exit in first round

Monroe had a close one Friday night, but neither high school from Albany taking part in the GHSA football playoffs advanced Friday night.

The Tornadoes were tied at 14 with Pierce County at halftime, but they couldn’t pull off the road win, falling 28-21. Monroe ends the season with a 3-7 record, while Pierce County will face second-ranked Peach County next.

Dougherty drew Region 2-3A champion Liberty County in the first round, and Liberty County posted a dominating 43-6 victory. Dougherty finishes with a 2-9 mark, while Liberty County hosts Westside-Macon in the second round.

Pelham advances

Pelham won’t have to deal with a one-and-done situation this season, as the Hornets beat Towns County 41-14 in the first round of the Class 1A-Public playoffs.

The Hornets (9-2) led 27-0 at halftime. They travel to No. 7 seed Macon County this Friday.

Around Southwest Georgia

Class 7A: Tift County rolled to a 59-13 win over Newnan … Colquitt County posted a 49-7 road win over Pebblebrook … Lowndes defeated Campbell 60-6.

Class 6A: Coffee topped Effingham County 52-32 … Region 2-6A champion Glynn Academy ended Valdosta’s season 27-3 … Northside-Warner Robins was slated to face Brunswick on Saturday night.

Class 5A: Bainbridge beat New Hampstead 48-6 … Warner Robins defeated South Effingham 30-17 … Ware County stopped Harris County 24-6 … Wayne County blanked Thomas County Central 28-0.

Class 4A: Cairo edged Spalding 28-20 … West Laurens topped Northside-Columbus 14-7 … Mary Persons blanked Carver-Columbus 27-0.

Class 3A: Cook topped Tattnall County 26-14 … Crisp County rolled past Appling County 56-14.

Class 2A: Brooks County defeated Vidalia 39-7 … Toombs County edged Fitzgerald 34-31 … Benedictine rolled past Berrien 56-14 … Thomasville was slated to host Jeff Davis on Saturday night.

Class 1A-Public: Washington-Wilkes blanked Chattahoochee County 34-0 … Jenkins County topped Miller County 30-14.

Independent leagues

Valwood reached the GISA Class 3A championship game with a 14-10 semifinal win Friday at Frederica.

The Valiants will take on Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg, a 38-21 winner over Gatewood, at 8 p.m. this Friday at Mercer’s Five Star Stadium.

The Class 2A final, slated for 5:30 p.m. this Friday at the same site, will put Robert Toombs up against Memorial Day. Robert Toombs topped Brentwood 38-35 in overtime, while Memorial Day beat Briarwood 27-20.

In GICAA semifinal action this Friday, Skipstone will host Creekside Christian and Community Christian will host Georgia Christian.

Second-round pairings (GHSA Region 1 teams)

Class 7A

McEachern at Lowndes

Tift County at Hillgrove

Colquitt County at Walton

Class 6A

Grovetown at Lee County

Evans at Coffee

Northside-Brunswick winner at Tucker

Class 5A

Eagle’s Landing at Warner Robins

Bainbridge at Starr’s Mill

Class 4A

Thomson at Americus-Sumter

Cairo at Burke County

Class 3A

Pike County at Crisp County

Cook at Jenkins

Class 2A

Dublin (2) vs. Jeff Davis (4)-Thomasville (1) winner

Brooks County at Dodge County

Class 1A-Public

Schley County at Mitchell County

Pelham at Macon County