Here are the Savannah-area players to watch in first round of state football playoffs

The Georgia High School Association football playoffs start this week — and Savannah area teams are primed for playoff pushes.

Two-time defending Class 4A State Champion Benedictine enters the postseason ranked No. 1 in its class once again by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Calvary Day (10-0) is No. 1 in Class 3A, with Savannah Christian (8-2) right behind them at No. 4.

Here's a look at top players to watch in the first round, along with times and venues.

We also take a look at Bethesda in the SCISA state semis and St. Andrew's and Memorial Day in GIAA playoff action.

First round football playoff matchups Here's a look at GHSA football playoff matchups for Savannah area teams

Top boys basketball players to watch Here's a look at the top boys basketball players from the Greater Savannah area to watch

Hayes, Butts lead Effingham to title How Effingham County rallied late to win first region football title since 1995

Class 4A

Baldwin (6-4) at Benedictine (10-0) at Memorial Stadium, 6 p.m. Saturday

BC, the two-time defending Class 4A champions, has a number of stars on both sides of the ball.

Senior quarterback Luke Kromenhoek, who recently picked up his fifth recruiting star, leads the way. He has thrown for 1,531 yards with 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions while rushing for 421 yards and five scores.

Na'Seir Samuel leads the squad with 616 yards rushing and four scores.

Standout linebacker Bryce Baker has expanded his role on offense as the senior leads the team with nine rushing touchdowns, with 372 yards rushing. He also has 52 tackles.

Wilkes Albert leads the team with 83 tackles and the senior broke the school career record for stops in a win over New Hampstead.

Junior linebacker Third Scroggins has 50 tackles and leads the team with 4.5 sacks. The 4-star recruit picked up an offer from Tennessee last week.

Westside-Macon (8-2) at New Hampstead (5-4) at Pooler Stadium, 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Phoenix are set to host the first home playoff game in school history and are looking to win their second ever postseason game.

They have the offense to do it with junior quarterback RaShawn Truell leading the way. The junior has thrown for 2,718 yards, the most in Class 4A, with 32 touchdowns and four interceptions.

He has a trio of talented targets led by Jaylen Hampton, the senior committed to Western Kentucky, who has 63 catches for 985 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Malachi Lonnon has 40 catches for 746 yards and nine scores and and Kamari Maxwell has 31 receptions for 608 yards and seven touchdowns.

New Hampstead offensive tackle Zach Pearson picked up an offer from Charleston this week.

It will be a contrast in styles as Westside is all about the run game led by Jessie Bell (1,128 yards and 14 touchdowns through nine games) and Kadiphius Iverson (913 yards and 11 scores).

Class 3A

Jackson (2-8) at Calvary Day (10-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday

This looks like the setting for another dominating performance for the Cavs, ranked No. 1 among Class 3A teams in the state.

Senior quarterback Jake Merklinger, headed to play at Tennessee, where he will enroll early, is having another excellent season. He's completed 70% of his throws for 1,884 yards with 25 touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 285 yards and seven scores.

Senior receiver Caden Arnold has 35 catches for 598 yards and nine scores, while Michael Smith, the 4-star senior tight end committed to South Carolina, has 18 catches for 470 yards and nine scores — averaging 26.1 yards per catch and scoring on half his receptions.

Thomas Blackshear, the highly-recruited junior receiver, has 27 catches for 551 yards and five scores. And Doopah Coleman, the junior receiver/running back with offers including Ohio State and Alabama, is back after missing significant time with injuries this year.

Peach County (3-6) at Savannah Christian (8-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday

Savannah Christian is simply stacked with talent as the Raiders feature junior defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, who has been rated as the top recruit among all positions among juniors in the entire country.

His classmate, tight end/defensive end Logan Brooking, is another star who committed to Clemson last week.

Linebacker/receiver David Bucey is headed to play for South Carolina next year.

The Raiders have one of the top running backs in the state in junior Zo Smalls, who has rushed for 1,211 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Kenry Wall does it all for the Raiders with 1,330 all-purpose yards and 16 total touchdowns.

Junior linebacker Jaden Miles leads the team with 86 tackles and defensive back/receiver Jamari McIvory recently committed to Northern Illinois.

Savannah Country Day (7-3) at Upson-Lee (8-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday

Barton Mixon has 23 touchdown passes and has run for 748 yards and nine scores for SCD.

KJ James leads the team with 41 receptions for 583 yards and six touchdowns and has run for 199 yards and two scores (stats through nine games).

Josh Washington is another offensive star at receiver, while Rooster Bing handles his business in the trenches as a two -way lineman.

Upson-Lee features senior running back Ja'Quan Bentley. The Georgia Southern commit 1,306 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns.

Class 7A

Richmond Hill (5-5) at Grayson (8-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday

The Wildcats have one of the top touchdown scorers in the state in senior Nick Bliss, who has has 18 touchdowns on the season, with 12 rushing, four receiving and a kickoff and punt return for scores, as he has racked up 1,191 all-purpose yards.

Joshua Troupe leads a solid ground game for the Wildcats with 721 yards rushing and four scores.

Wildcat junior Brandon McDonald, a standout defensive back/receiver, recently picked up an offer from Georgia Southern. He has 13 catches for 127 yards and two scores and 30 tackles with two interceptions and six passes defended on defense.

Junior linebacker Gabriel Bauman leads the team with 95 tackles.

Grayson has a star in senior quarterback Jeff Davis, who has thrown for 2,051 yards and 25 touchdowns with just one interception He has offers from Florida Atlantic and Western Michigan.

Class A Division I

East Laurens (3-7) at Bryan County (9-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday

Bryan County has already set school records for wins in a season with nine, while winning its first region crown. Now the tough squad is looking for its first playoff win in a program that started in 1976.

Austin Clemons has been leading the way on both sides of the ball. He has rushed for 1,192 yards and 12 scores (stats via Maxpreps.com through eight games) and has 72 tackles.

Tanner Ennis, who was named the Region 3-A Division I Defensive Player of the Year last season, has had another stellar season as he leads the team with 96 tackles, including 18.5 for losses, through nine games.

Class 6A

Lovejoy (6-4) at Effingham County (7-3), 7:30 p.m. Friday

The Rebels are coming off a big 31-28 win over Brunswick to win their first region title since 1995. They are hoping that AJ Butts, the standout senior running back and linebacker, will be able to play after suffering an injury in the game winning drive over Brunswick. Butts leads the team in tackles and rushing yardage.

Senior quarterback Nate Hayes is a dual threat behind center and a veteran leader of the squad. He threw for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win over Brunswick -- as he completed 11 of 18 passes -- spreading it out to nine different receivers.

Jayden Evans is another vital cog offensively as the senior running back is second on the team in rushing with the potential to break one every time he carries the ball.

Linebacker Bryson Horton is another to watch as the junior had a big-time performance in the win over Brunswick.

Class 5A

Jenkins (3-7) at Arabia Mountain (9-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday

The Warriors have an established star on the edge on their defense in Lorenzo Cowan, the senior who has committed to Kentucky. He has 50 tackles and four sacks on the year.

Sophomore Camron Thompson, the younger brother of Philadelphia Eagle's rookie and former UGA star Nolan Smith, is a standout on the offensive line and has offers from schools including Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Kentucky.

Jeremiah James does it all for the Warriors as a quarterback with running ability and the versatility to play a variety of positions.

SCISA

Northside Christian (6-4) at Bethesda (11-0) at Daffin Park, 7:30 p.m. Friday

Bethesda hosts in a SCISA Class A State semifinal against a Northside squad the Blazers beat 40-0 on Oct. 13.

Senior Noah Jenkins leads the run game with 1,323 yards and 19 scores (through nine games).

Triston Randall leads the squad at quarterback (1,505 yards and 12 scoring passes while rushing for 298 yards and 10 scores, and leads the team with 55 tackles at linebacker.

GIAA

St. Andrew's (5-5) at Tiftarea Academy (2-7-1)

The Lions are on the road for a play-in game looking to advance.

Zayden Edwards has rushed for 460 yards and 10 scores and thrown for 1,038 yards and 13 scores.

Amari Cook (583 yards rushing and seven touchdowns) and Richaard Williams (553 yards and 10 scores) are also big-time contributors.

Memorial Day (4-6) at Harvester Christian Academy (3-7)

The Matadors are on the road for a GIAA Class A first-round matchup.

Tyler Kindle has thrown for 1,547 yards and 11 scores for Memorial.

Julien Zamora has 26 catches for 563 yards and five scores, while Assir Best leads the team with 620 yards rushing and eight scores.

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: Top Savannah-area players to watch in first round of football playoffs