Lincoln County, Wilkinson County, Washington-Wilkes and Warren County will represent Region 7-A in the Georgia high school football playoffs next week.

Washington-Wilkes, Aquinas and Warren County tied for the final two playoff spots with a 2-3 region record. Aquinas coaches were under the impression they had made the playoffs with a 28-12 win over Washington-Wilkes on Friday. This morning, they found out the Irish will not make the playoffs.

The tiebreaker that booted the Irish out was total record against Class A teams. Washington-Wilkes was .500, while Warren County and Aquinas were 3-5 and 2-4, respectively. Thus, Washington-Wilkes is awarded the No. 3 seed, and Warren County advances to the playoffs because it defeated Aquinas head-to-head.

“There’s nothing else we can do,” Aquinas coach Matt LeZotte said. “It’s the 2010 season now as far as we’re concerned.”

Aquinas could not count wins over Glascock County and Georgia Military in the tiebreaker, because those Class A schools do not play a region schedule.

“That’s the way it’s always been,” Lincoln County coach Larry Campbell said. “They don’t count for you; they don’t count against you.”

LeZotte was discouraged with the news, because he said his team played its best game of the season Friday, defeating the Tigers for the first time since 1980.

“That was the loudest I’ve ever heard our stadium,” he said. “Now I know what it feels like when the BCS doesn’t always take the best teams. That’s exactly how I feel right now.”