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SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Beach Bulldogs are set to break a long dry spell by making their first playoff appearance since 2011.
Securing the 29th seed, the Bulldogs will head to West Laurens on November 14, where they will face the fourth-seeded team in the playoffs. This year, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) playoffs are offering participants an additional week of rest following the regular season’s conclusion.
Beach wrapped up the season with a 5-4 record, competing solely against teams from Region 3-AAA. Both the Bulldogs and Southeast Bulloch finished the regular season in a tie for fifth place, sharing identical 5-4 records within the region. Notably, both teams fell to the same opponents, with the exception of Liberty County.
The Bulldogs clinched a significant victory on October 24 with an 18-7 win over the Panthers on the road. In contrast, the Yellow Jackets suffered a narrow 10-7 defeat away from home on September 26.
Meanwhile, Calvary Day, another competitor in the region, will participate in a different bracket designated for private schools in Classes A through AAA.
Multiple projections had the Bulldogs earning a spot in the 32-team bracket headed into Week 12 of the high school season. However, there was uncertainty as to what their final ranking would be in the GHSA Post Season Rankings, the system the GHSA uses to ranks teams in Class AAA, Class AA, Class A Division II and Class Private.
Beach’s only non-region game against Savannah High on Aug. 22 was ruled a no contest. Both principals agreed to end the game.
The last time Beach advanced to the playoffs was 14 years ago under then-head coach Ulysses Hawthorne. In 2011, Beach went 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the region.
In 2011, Beach played in region three of Class AAAAA. The Bulldogs lost on the road to Hillgrove, 49-12.