Colquitt County and Norcross met in the semifinals last season and the Blue Devils went onto win 41-27 before claiming the 6A state title over Lovejoy. Both Norcross and Colquitt County return to 2013 with the majority of its starters. These two teams are hopefuls and favorites for the 2013 state title and the programs scrimmages one another in order to prepare themselves for the challenging road ahead.

Colquitt County head coach Rush Propst went 0-2 against Gwinnett County's Region 7-AAAAAA in 2012. The season opened with a last-minute 16-14 loss to North Gwinnett in the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic, and Norcross ended the Packers' season 13 games later in the semifinals.

The Packers do not shy down from road trips or a challenging opponent and have slated what has been argued as the toughest 2013 schedule in the country. The Packers will open the season with Grayson in the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic. Scrimmaging a Gwinnett power in Norcross on Saturday was a dress rehearsal for when the Packers tee off two Saturday's from now in the Dome with the Rams.

The varsity squads played the entire first half of the scrimmage, and it was a thrilling one. Norcross received the ball first but Colquitt County's defense had the edge early. Bull Barge is one of nine returning starters on the Packers' defense and forced a Blue Devil punt on the opening drive. Colquitt County quarterback Daniel Mobley hit Sihiem King on a short dump-off pass and the 5-foot-8 junior raced 50 yards for the touchdown past the stout Norcross defense.

Norcross took over, but Colquitt County's defense forced another punt. This time the Blue Devils botched the snap and the Packers were able to down the ball deep in Norcross territory. Mobley threw his second touchdown pass of the opening quarter on a 10-yard toss to Marquan Greene and Colquitt County led 14-0.

South Gwinnett transfer Josh Boyd is stepping into the Norcross backfield for Alabama signee Alvin Kamara, who sparked the Blue Devils offense to a state title last season. Boyd brought the deficit to 14-7 on a 2-yard run in the first quarter.

The second quarter was all Norcross and it added the final three touchdowns to secure a comfortable lead. Milton transfer AJ Bush threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Clinton Lynch to tie it at 14-14. Later, KaDarius Davis scored a 20-yard rushing touchdown, and Bush found Christopher Herdon for his second touchdown pass of the half to make it 28-14. The defense yielded Colquitt County success through the air early, but suffocated the Packers' offense for the remainder of the game. On the ground, Colquitt County finished minus-15 yards rushing and the Packers gave up four Norcross sacks.

Maloof did not use the elusive Myles Autry in the scrimmage for precautionary reasons and the senior will return to the field healthy for the season opener against Washington, Fla. on ESPN on Aug. 24. Both teams face some of the toughest schedules in the state, and will go into the season with experienced rosters that got a great preseason test.

Class AA is as diverse as any region in the state. Programs in the classification include elite private schools, like Lovett and Westminster, and rural publics, such as Berrien and Rabun County. While Thomasville sits near the Florida border, Dade County borders both Tennessee and Alabama in the northwest corner of our state.

Diversity like that presents a challenge when analyzing the top football schedules in the state while also displaying just how interesting Class AA is to follow.

Here is our best guess at the toughest football schedules in Class AA:

5.  Calhoun - The Yellow Jackets didn't become a traditional power in the state by ducking the competition. And this season will be no different for coach Hal Lamb's bunch, which faces three Class 4A powers in non-region action. Calhoun, our preseason No. 1, opens with 2012 state finalist Ridgeland before facing perennial-power Dalton after a week off. The Jackets will then take on preseason No. 3 Carrollton, also from Class 4A.

4.  Brooks County - The preseason No. 2 Trojans open with road games at Class A-power Clinch County, Monroe-Albany, a 2012 4A playoff team, and Valdosta, which is four classifications about them. In addition to that rough trio of trips, Brooks County also plays No. 4 Fitzgerald and No. 7 Cook from Region 1.

3.  Thomasville - The Bulldogs are not ranked in the preseason top 10, but their schedule is. Formerly one of the more successful programs in GHSA football with five state championships to its name (according to GHSFHA.org), Thomasville has fallen on hard times of late (3-7 last year). But under new coach Leroy Ryals, Thomasville will face Class 5A giant Thomas County Central (ranked No. 3 in 5A), 4A-power Cairo (ranked No. 4) and talented Jefferson County from Class  3A. All that in addition to the toughest region in AA, which features ranked opponents Brooks Co., Fitzgerald and Cook.

2.  Westminster - Coach Gerry Romberg's Wildcats would really benefit if there were RPI ratings for Georgia high school football. The Cats finished 5-7 last season partially due to a quality list of opponents, but were probably one of the better teams in Class AA (they were eliminated by eventual state champ Jefferson in the second round). This year, Westminster faces a similarly challenging slate with games against ranked opponents Blessed Trinity, St. Pius X, Thomson (No. 3 in 3A), and Region 6 opponents Lovett and GAC (both ranked). Games against Thomasville and Woodward Academy are also scheduled.

1.  Lovett - The Lions will face the toughest schedule in Class AA this season. Coach Mike Muschamp's squad will play Woodward Academy, Blessed Trinity (No. 9 in 3A), Marist (No. 5 in 4A) and St. Pius X (No. 5 in AAA) in the first four games of the season, then travel to Ft. Payne, Ala. to play a team that has won its region five times since 2006. After that epic road trip to Alabama, the Lions host Washington County (No. 8 in AAA) before hitting the region slate, which includes No. 3 GAC.