It is finally here — the playoffs.

Three county-area teams will take the field this Friday as each group begins what they hope is a long road to Atlanta for a state championship.

Social Circle @ Haralson County

The Redskins ended the season with a big win over Towers, but it came after back-to-back crushing defeats to Jasper County and Lamar County — two highly seeded teams in the bracket.

When the rankings were finalized, Social Circle was slated as a No. 23 seed.

This ranking sets up Social Circle to take on No. 22 seeded Haralson County.

The Rebels are 7-3 on the season and three of their final four games of the season.

Social Circle and Haralson County do have one common opponent — Putnam County.

Haralson County hosted the War Eagles and lost 14-16.

Social Circle also hosted Putnam County, but won 38-28.

The Rebels have proven that they are a team that can lean on the run and use it to defeat teams. 

However, Social Circle has shown its ability to do that exact same thing.

Christian Paggett is coming off a stellar game against Towers that secured him as a Player of the Week. If Paggett and Kayden Fears can generate explosives on the ground, then they might find themselves in a spot to lean on the run game and advance.

Also look out for Remi Farmer to use his legs.

Social Circle was upset by Bleckley County in the first round a year ago, and the team might have extra motivation to give its seniors a better send-off when they take on Haralson County Friday, Nov. 14.

Eastside Eagles @ Warner Robins

The Eagles ended the season ranked No. 3 in Region 8-AAAA, which meant to the team would have a road game to begin the playoffs.

This sets up Eastside to take on Warner Robins, a 6-4 team that finished second in Region 1-AAAA.

The two teams have no common opponents, but MaxPreps has a sizable length between the two in the rankings.

Eastside is ranked No. 15 in Class AAAA while Warner Robins sits at No. 26.

It has been a mixed bag for the Demons at home this season as they have grabbed some key wins, but have also been dealt some big losses on their own turf.

Similar to a year ago, the Eagles played some of their best ball near the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.

It was an Elite Eight run for Eastside a year ago, and the team may look to lean on running back Myles Mims the same way it leaned on Jayden Barr a year ago.

And you cannot forget, quarterback Payton Shaw has been on his game in the second half of the season and the senior will surely plan to leave it on the field in his final run with the team.

Another name to look out for is Jace Taylor, a two-way player that has been a focal point on both sides of the ball as of late for Eastside.

After two weeks off to prep, Eastside will take on Warner Robins Friday, Nov. 14.

Newton Rams vs Peachtree Ridge

The Rams picked up an overtime win over South Gwinnett to close out the regular season with a No. 2 seed, which meant a home game was guaranteed in the first round.

A year ago, Newton found itself in a similar spot before it defeated McEachern.

However, the first round historically has proven to be an end-point for this Newton program.

The Rams will be matched with Peachtree Ridge, who finished the regular season 7-3 with a third place spot in Region 7-AAAAAA.

Similar to Eastside and Warner Robins, the MaxPreps rankings show a sizable gap between the two.

Newton ranks No. 10 in the class while Peachtree Ridge sits all the way down at No. 24.

Kevin Hartsfield looks to be in top-notch shape, but the Rams have been able to lean on other guys such as Darius White(three touchdowns in the final week of the season) and Karter Lumpkin.

However, if the Rams want to make a run then the pass game will have to be a big part.

If Deron Benson can connect with guys such as Derrick Miller and Jaqwan Carr to compliment the run game, then the Rams might be trouble for teams down the stretch.

Newton will host a playoff game for the third consecutive season when it takes on Peachtree Ridge on Friday, Nov. 14.

Garrett Pitts is the sports editor at The Covington News. He can be reached at gpitts@covnews.com.