Swainsboro Tigers face Toombs County test with playoff picture taking shape

This season has been a rollercoaster for the Swainsboro Tigers. Last week, the team had an open week, giving them two full weeks to prepare for a tough matchup against the Toombs County Bulldogs this Friday night in Lyons, Georgia, at “The Pit.” I caught up with Coach Roberts to get his thoughts on the benefits of a late-season open week and the team’s preparations.

“I’ve never had an open week this late in the season,” Coach Roberts shared. “It’s been a good chance for us to heal some of those bumps and bruises. We’ve also used the time to give our younger guys plenty of reps. We have a big challenge this week with Toombs County.”

Coach Roberts added, “Everything we do here is set up so we’re playing our best football when the playoffs start. We’re a bit more beat up than in previous seasons, but we’ve seen a lot of growth from our players and know they’ll give it their all.”

With the new GHSA playoff system separating public and private schools in lower divisions, the Tigers’ playoff spot will now depend on a power ranking. Here’s a quick look at how the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) determines playoff rankings for Class A Division I public schools:

• Winning Percentage (WP): This is simply how often a team wins. For example, if the Tigers won 3 out of 9 games, their winning percentage would be 33%.

• Opponents’ Winning Percentage (OWP): This shows how tough a team’s schedule was by looking at how well their opponents did overall. GHSA averages the winning percentages of all of Swainsboro’s opponents. So, if most teams Swainsboro played had strong records, Swainsboro’s OWP would be higher.

• Opponents’ Opponents’ Winning Percentage (OOWP): This goes one step further, measuring the winning percentages of the teams that Swainsboro’s opponents faced. It’s a way of reflecting the overall competitiveness of Swainsboro’s schedule.

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GHSA combines these three stats to calculate a Power Rating (PR), which determines playoff rankings:

• 35% of Swainsboro’s winning percentage

• 35% of their opponents’ winning percentage

• 30% of their opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage

This rating balances Swainsboro’s own record with the strength of their schedule, ensuring that teams with tougher schedules get fair playoff consideration. The goal is to give teams with challenging schedules a solid shot at a high playoff spot, even if they have a few losses.

At this point, these rankings are only predictions. If the playoffs were to start today, the Tigers would be set to play Northeast Macon on the road. However, the official playoff brackets won’t be released until after the final games of the season.

So, ladies and gentlemen, make sure to head down to Toombs County this Friday night to support the Tigers as they take on the Bulldogs in “The Pit.” Let’s rally behind our amazing student-athletes and coaches. Go Tigers!