J.T. Wall isn’t hearing it about being a favorite.

            John Milledge is again undefeated, but so is Gatewood.

            The Trojans closest game this year is 26 points, over Augsta Prep. The Gators? A 28-point win over Piedmont.

            Last year up to this point, John Milledge had two wins closer than 26 points and Gatewood two wins by less than 28 points, plus a loss.

            There was plenty of hype in Milledgeville and Eatonton a year ago entering their regular-season finale, and it only grew when the teams met less than a month later in the GISA Class AAA title game at Mercer.

            John Milledge won both games, 17-10 and 17-0.

            Wall expects Gatewood to all but be slobbering during the ride of about 15 miles down 441 for Friday night’s showdown at Ted Smith Stadium.

            “They return eight starters on offense, and eight starters on defense,” Wall said. “We lost 16 seniors. That’s the biggest discrepancy. They got all the guys back from that triple-option attack.”

            There is some statistical evidence to back Wall up.

            Gatewood has scored 99 more points this year than John Milledge, and 104 more points than last year after nine games. A year ago, the Trojans had a 24-point scoring advantage

            The Gators lost a game last year, 41-20 to Augusta Prep. They got revenge this year 34-8.

            Augusta Prep has been a measuring stick for both teams, and this season, both passed the test. And only a point was the difference, Gatewood winning by 26 points and John Milledge by 25.

            John Milledge has put up 19 fewer points than a year ago, but it has also surrendered 14 fewer points, while the Gators have given up 16 more points this year than last year so far.

            But Wall is pretty happy with how the offense has worked while breaking in a new quarterback for the first time in awhile, Brandon Belflower taking over for three-year starter Trevor Evans, now pitching at Georgia College.

            “Brandon Belflower’s been sitting on the bench for two years, just sitting back and learning,” Wall said. “He’s come out and had a great year so far us.”

            Bellflower is third among Central Georgia quarterbacks with 1,575 yards, plus an impressive 24 touchdowns.

            “In a tailback-heavy offense,” Wall said, “that’s pretty good.”

            But Wall figures it’ll be up to his defense to win the game for the Trojans against the option offense of head coach Jeff Ratliff.

            “He is Tattnall Square in the mid-90s,” Wall said of the former Tattnall assistant who is 38-21 in his fifth season at Gatewood and 24-5 the past three. “He’s in the daggum I, and he’s running the (heck) out of the triple option. He’s got a great quarterback to run it with, he’s tough as nails. Got a good fullback and a real fast tailback.

            “They run it to a T.”

            And that trio of Reid Sasser, Brandon Balans and Yale Stapp hope to run it to a W.

 

'Little' Fromm and 'Big' Fromm

            Dylan Fromm is no doubt surprising some with his first season as a starter, and at a new school.

            Fromm and brother Tyler transferred from Houston County after head coach Von Lassiter left for Bleckley County, and moved into the Warner Robins zone.

            Dylan Fromm is 163 for 267 this year for 2,017 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions. That’s an average night of 20 of 33 for 252 yards and 2.9 touchdowns a game.

            His older brother’s first full season as a starter at Houston County was as a sophomore, and Jake Fromm’s average game was 19 for 31 for 179 yards and 2.4 touchdowns a game.

            The 2014 Bears went 10-3 in Class 5A, then the second-largest classification in the GHSA. This year’s Demons are 8-0 under Dylan Fromm, while Jake’s Bears started off 4-1, 6-1 and 6-1 in his three season as the lone quarterback, and finished 7-4 his freshman season.

 

News, notes and numbers

            Rutland, East Laurens, Twiggs County, Hancock Central and Windsor are all still winless.

            Best chance Friday to break that goose egg?

            Hancock Central is on the road, but at winless Warren County. Hancock Central has scored 10 more points and given up 68 fewer points.

            The worst night belongs to East Laurens, which faces region leader and undefeated Dodge County. The Falcons haven’t scored since the fourth quarter of a 29-8 loss to Tattnall on Sept. 8.

            Rutland was unable to change things, losing 38-21 Thursday to Central …

            According to information provided to Maxpreps by individual teams and schools, Howard’s M’khai Mack is among the state’ best with three interceptions, joined by teammate Lorenzo Hargrove, Southwest’s Javoris Smith, West Laurens’ Christian Martin, Bleckley County’s Justin Rozier and Northside’s Tubby McCall. …

            If the Maxwell Ratings computers are right, Friday night should be one of suspense. Eight GHSA games involving Central Georgia teams have a team favored by single digits, with two more by two touchdowns or less.

            Taylor County vs. Dooly County and Upson-Lee vs. Howard have their shares of playmakers: Lyn-J Dixon and Gunnar Watson at Taylor County, Bo Lawson and Desi Lester at Dooly County, Daymon Thomas and Cameron Traylor at Upson-Lee, and Jeremiah Kelly at Howard.