It feels like I've been saying this a lot lately, but this Friday brings a pivotal slate of games in Northeast Georgia -- for area teams in and just outside of the state's top 10 rankings, and for the much more important region standings. 

The matchups are especially intriguing in 8-AAA, where the best of the North and South square off in what could amount to region semifinals.

In the South, the subregion's representative in Nov. 5 championship game will likely come from No. 9 Gainesville's game at No. 10 Monroe Area. Both teams are unbeaten in the subregion, and no other team in the division looks like a serious contender for the region championship.

It's a different story in the North, where no teams are out of the running and the top four still have legitimate shots at earning a berth in the title game. The winner Stephens County (5-1, 2-0) and White County (5-1, 2-0) will have the inside track and should also be considered top 10 material.

Even so, with three games remaining before the play-in week, nothing is settled. That's especially true for Stephens County, which closes with the Warriors, Lumpkin County (4-2, 1-1) and North Hall (3-3, 1-1).

If White County wins, the road to the region championship game is somewhat smoother, going through Chestatee (2-4, 0-2) and Franklin County (2-3-1, 0-2).

In 8-AAAA, Flowery Branch kicks off a crucial stretch run in which it faces three playoff contenders in the final four weeks. There's no play-in week in the region, but the No. 6 Falcons and fellow frontrunners No. 2 Clarke Central will meet in the final week.

Before that, Flowery Branch meets Heritage (5-2) on Friday, then Salem (4-2) on Oct. 29.

Impressive wins in those games could mean a matchup of top-5 teams when the Falcons and Gladiators play on Nov. 5.

Here's my ballot for this week's poll:

Rank, team, previous

Class AAAAA

1. Camden County (1)
2. North Gwinnett (2)
3. Stephenson (4)
4. McEachern (5)
5. Lowndes (6)
6. Grayson (9)
7. Etowah (10)
8. Peachtree Ridge (3)
9. Valdosta (7)
10. Woodstock (-)

Others: East Coweta, Brookwood

Class AAAA

1. Northside-Warner Robins (1)
2. Tucker (2)
3. Clarke Central (3)
4. Kell (4)
5. Griffin (5)
6. Flowery Branch (7)
7. Marist (6)
8. Starr's Mill (8)
9. Thomas County Central (9)
10. Chattahoochee (10)

Others: Hiram, Apalachee

Class AAA

1. Sandy Creek (1)
2. Peach County (2)
3. Cairo (3)
4. Baldwin (4)
5. Carrollton (5)
6. St. Pius X (6)
7. Woodward Academy (7)
8. Gainesville (8)
9. Monroe Area (-)
10. Washington County (-)

Others: Ridgeland, Stephens County, White County

Class AA

1. Carver-Columbus (1)
2. Buford (2)
3. Calhoun (3)
4. Cook (4)
5. Dublin (5)
6. Thomasville (6)
7. Swainsboro (7)
8. Jefferson County (8)
9. Westminster (9)
10. North Oconee (10)

Others: Dade County, Lovett, Elbert County, Fitzgerald

Class A

1. Wesleyan (2)
2. Clinch County (3)
3. Savannah Christian (4)
4. Wilcox County (5)
5. Johnson County (6)
6. Charlton County (1)
7. Lincoln County (7)
8. Eagle's Landing Christian (8)
9. Marion County (9)
10. Darlington (10)

Others: Emanuel County Institute, Bremen