Here are the state playoff matchups for Savannah-area flag football teams

The GHSA flag football playoffs start this week with two Savannah-area teams set to host four-team first round matchups where the winner advances to the state semifinals.

New Hampstead (16-0) is the No. 1 seed out of Division I Area 2 North and the Phoenix are set to host at Islands Stadium Tuesday, Dec. 5. Sumter County and Long County face off at 5 p.m., with New Hampstead playing Wheeler County at 6 p.m., and the winners meeting at 7 p.m. with a quarterfinal spot on the line.

Calvary Day (15-2) is the No. 1 seed out of Division I Area 1 South and the Cavs will also host. Savannah Country Day will face Dodge County in the first game at 5 p.m., with Calvary going up against Kendrick at 6 p.m., with the winners facing off at 7 p.m.

Calvary coach Nick Grassi is close friends with New Hampstead coach Trey Lanier as they grew up playing football, and then flag football together.

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Lanier also coaches basketball at New Hampstead and nearly all of his players play both sports.

A'Kera Jackson is the Phoenix quarterback (and point guard in basketball).

"A'Kera is the engineer of our offense," Lanier said. "She has a great arm and knows how to make reads well in our option offense."

Jackson scored 47 points in a basketball win over Jenkins on Friday, while Gianna Brown added 22. Brown is a linebacker/center. She combines size, speed and skill and has a competitive nature that makes her an excellent leader.

Junior WR/DB Taliyah Headman was the Offensive Player of the Year last season in Area 2 North. She has excellent speed and is a versatile athlete — excelling in soccer and adapting well to basketball in her first year on the court. Promise Cooper is also an excellent player at receiver and defensive back for the Phoenix.

Calvary's only losses came in a 14-13 setback against Lakeside and a 26-6 loss to SE Bulloch, the two-time defending state champions.

The Cavs are blessed with talent including Abby Walsh, who started the season at quarterback before breaking her finger. Walsh has 19 touchdown passes and 975 yards passing, and has rushed for 402 yards and seven scores, with 26 catches for 273 yards and three more scoreds. Walsh is also one of the top soccer players in the state.

Natalie Sanders does it all for the Cavs with 30 catches for 787 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense, while starring on defense with 28 sacks and 47 flags pulled. Sierra Lowery is a game changer on defense with 11 interceptions and has 57 receptions for 620 yards and 15 touchdowns, while quarterback McKenzie Clayton has thrown for 1,546 yards with 21 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.

"We've got a great group of leaders and this team has been resilient," Grassi said. "We came back from down 12-0 to beat a tough Long County team -- that was our defining moment as a team to win that game."

Savannah Country Day is 10-1 on the season, with its only loss coming in a 26-6 setback against New Hampstead. Senior Sofia Pablo is one of the top quarterbacks in the area having completed 64% of her passes for 1,282 yards and 19 touchdowns, while rushing for 215 yards and five scores. Harper Judelson has 44 catches for 399 yards and seven scores for the Hornets.

St. Vincent's (8-3) is a No. 3 seed that opens against Washington County (14-4-1), and Islands (11-9) is a No. 4 seed in the same bracket opening against Columbus (17-0).

Jenkins (10-6) is a No. 3 seed opening against Jordan (6-4-2), while South Effingham (8-4) is a No. 4 seed in the same bracket opening against SE Bulloch (18-0)

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: New Hampstead, Calvary Day flag football teams hosting in playoffs