Top 5

Division I

1.Warner Robins

Don’t look now, but the Demons have two shutouts this season. Their Green Street rivals last did that in 2014.

2. Northside

An off week was a good week. Now, the Eagles will take second in the region with a win over Valdosta, which just lost to Lee County by 39 more points than Northside did.

3. Jones County

So much for any hangover from having a week off after a frustrating home loss. The Greyhounds are back on track, but are now set to battle – after hammering Ola this week – Stockbridge, most likely, for second in the region.

4. Mary Persons

The Bulldogs closed the gap a bit with Jones County after stunningly hammering West Laurens, and expanded the gap with No. 5, no matter who it is.

5. Veterans

The Warhawks were off after thumping Harris County, and get the edge over Upson-Lee.

Top 10

Division II (3A-2A-A-other)

1. Peach County

Lather, rinse, repeat.

2. Westside

After dispensing this week with Kendrick, things get interesting for the Seminoles with Pike County and Peach County.

3. Dublin

The Irish took all the suspense out of a trip to Macon against Southwest, handing the Patriots their first same-classification shutout since Oct. 21, 2016 (WACO, 21-0).

4. Dodge County

The Indians had a major response last Monday against Washington County to keep the 3-AA race tight with the Golden Hawks and Dublin

5. Washington County

Only six points on Monday against Dodge County had to b a surprise, as was trailing at home to Southwest to open the fourth quarter, but a late-game explosion restores some confidence.

6. Mount de Sales

The Cavs handed FPD its fifth-worst regular-season loss, one of three 41-point defeats, and not since 2006.

7. Tattnall

The Trojans were off, and have FPD next before heading to the region title game.

8. John Milledge

John Milledge is on track for its third undefeated regular season under head coach J.T. Wall.

10. Hancock Central

A win over visiting Lincoln County seals third in the sub-region and assures the Bulldogs of their first non-losing overall season – they went 5-6 in 2012 – since 2006.

MMQB

Around Central Georgia

Surpriiiise, surprise,surprise

While perusing Twitter updates, the first “wow” was early, and it was the Mary Persons visit to West Laurens.

Two years ago, defenses dominated in the Bulldogs’ 14-2 win. This trip to Dexter, the Bulldogs had 14 points in the first few minutes en route to as impressive a win as any Central Georgia win this season.

Then later – since apparently the folks who were there were more focused on the game than their phones – came Baldwin’s thumping of No. 9 Burke County for the 3-4A title. The Braves unseated the defending region champs and won one for the first time since 2009, Jesse Hicks’ final season in his first stint in Milledgeville.

The Braves got over the hump with some new faces, thanks to injury, mixing well with veterans Milton Adams, Donte Justice, and Noah Hill, among others.

Score updates in some places are pretty much nonexistent, so it took awhile for the Dooly County-Taylor County score to pop up, and that earned a double-take as much as any, the Vikings putting up 50 on Dooly County. Alas, it turns out that Taylor County scored 47. The last time a Class A team did that to Dooly County in the regular season was No. 2/1 Marion County in early 2015.

And the Vikings hadn’t beaten a ranked team – the Bobcats were No. 10 in the AJC poll – since topping No. 10/AJC Schley County 41-20 in mid-2006, a stretch of 18 games. The defense bowed up and held Dooly County to 76 yards rushing.

Now, Taylor County is suddenly on the fringe of eking into the playoff picture while Dooly County slipped into the sweating-it-out zone.

The biggest wiping-the-sweat-from-the-eyebrow and “whew”’ took place on Peake Road. Stratford scored only seven points on a team that gave up 15 a week earlier to Twiggs County, and the Cobras hadn’t scored all year until then.

Wilkinson County hadn’t held Stratford to less than 38 in the four previous meetings. Had the Warriors made the extra point to tie it and survived enough to reach overtime and pull off a win, Eagle old-timers would be scratching their heads to recall such an inexplicable loss.

As it is, the Eagles stay alive in the playoff hunt. Barely.

Still undefeated

Two remain: Mary Persons and John Milledge.

Still looking

Twiggs County and Rutland appear destined for the nightmare record.

Region projections

Sure, we’ll find out soon enough, but what fun is not analyzing and guessing? So, The Sports Report is predicting outright the Central Georgia GHSA region playoff teams and seeds.

Region 1-6A: 2. Northside

Region 1-5A: 1. Warner Robins; 2. Veterans

Region 4-5A: 2. Jones County

Region 4-3A: 1. Peach County; 2. Westside

Region 3-AA: 1. Dublin; 2. Dodge County; 3. Washington County; 4. Northeast

Region 5-AA: None. Lamar County (3-5, 1-3) gets eliminated this week, facing first-place Heard County (6-2, 4-0)

Region 8-AA: None. Monticello (3-5, 2-3) can make it, but the Hurricanes are off a surprisingly thorough 47-8 pounding by Elbert County, and close out with a pair of 4-4 teams. Can they respond this week against Banks County, which clinches the fourth spot with a win?

Region 4-A: Taylor County and Macon County are now on the rankings fringe at 24 and 25, a few spots behind No. 19 Dooly County. Dooly County hosts Manchester (5-3, 3-2/18 Public), Macon County welcomes Brookstone (6-2, 4-1/14 Private), and Marion County (8-0, 5-0/2 Public) is at Taylor County in the crossovers. That’s OK news for the Bobcats, tolerable news for the Bulldogs, not good news at all for the Vikings.

Region 7-A: As per the latest rankings, Mount de Sales is in, and Tattnall and Stratford are on the fringe. The Trojans can get the automatic bid by winning the region title, and Stratford basically needs to win its crossover game. Hancock Central is pretty safe at No. 16.

How does Central Georgia fare statewide?

The Maxwell Ratings uses pretty much only a computer program for its rankings and predictions each week. It doesn’t know about injuries, players, coaches, certain home-field advantages, etc. It’s part of www.ghsfh.org.

So, what is Central Georgia’s top 10 last week based on those rankings?

(422 schools listed, overall ranking and rating included, and what last week’s ranking was is to the right)

6. Mary Persons 80.57 15

7. Warner Robins 79.69 13

22. Jones County 69.35 29

29. Peach County 67.20 38

32. Northside 65.30 39

42.Dublin 61.27 52

44. Dodge County 60.40 66

49. Washington Co. 57.60 61

52. Veterans 56.98 71

61. Upson-Lee 55.40 93

80. Baldwin 50.72 115

88. Howard 50.09 97

91. West Laurens 49.63 100

105. Westside 47.54 125

121. Perry 44.68 145

157. Houston County 37.82 159

205. Southwest 30.27 223

209. Northeast 29.95 231

221. Central 28.56 235

227. Bleckley County 27.94 236

Mary Persons took over the No. 1 spot in 4A, overtaking Blessed Trinity (76.97). Warner Robins is second in 5A, behind – hah! – Rome (87.38) and Dublin up to second and Dodge County third in AA, trailing Rockmart (63.34) an. And Northside at 4-4 is third in 6A, behind Lee County (87.71) and Creekview (68.54)