By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

For as interesting as the first four weeks of the season have been, the polls have been a little boring.

Well, one of them is. In Division II, classes A through AAA, there’s going to be movement just about every week.

It could alllll be thrown into a blender this week with a slew of burly, early-tailgating, wear a cup and/or helmet collection of games.

Like Colquitt County at Warner Robins, Fitzgerald at Dublin, Houston County at Veterans, Mary Persons at Peach County, Washington County at Swainsboro, and Marion County at Bleckley County.

Waiting in the wings in Division I: Howard and Perry, both of quality wins of different kinds, the Huskies over a quality opponent and the Panthers in dominant form.

Waiting in the wings in Division II:

John Milledge, Hancock Central, Lamar County, Putnam County, and most likely Stratford.

Top 5

Division I (6A-5A-4A, 11 schools)

1. Warner Robins

The romp over Baldwin went pretty much as expected, putting the Demons at 3-0 for the second straight year and third time in four years.

2. Jones County

The Greyhounds rolled in the region opener, a little bit easier than expected. A stronger test likely awaits. Stronger on paper. Jones County has things going on both sides.

3. Mary Persons

A computer ranking called the Mary Persons-Lovett meeting a 10-point game. The Bulldogs had that more than covered in the first half, turning in another dominating performance.

4. Northside

To the surprise of nobody, the Eagles more than took care of business against Whitewater. Things will remain normal this week.

5. Veterans

Now, yessir, the Warhawks have a quality win, and a shutout, no less. That solidifies their spot a little bit. Veterans’ new challenge is staying focused for a neighborhood rivalry.

Top 10

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

1. Peach County

The Trojans took a little time to get going, but were very Trojan-like once they did, turning a 28-14 lead into a 35-point win over Houston County, looking normal with big plays on offense and defense. About back to normal.

2. Dodge County

The clock-eating, defensive-heavy ball hogs from Eastman have played an upper-level schedule, and are 3-0. So far, Dodge County is pretty much a machine.

3. Dublin

A week off after winning a physical game against Swainsboro is probably pretty timely, especially with a visit from Brooks County – which has won at least eight games in five of the last seven seasons – coming to the Shamrock Bowl.

4. Washington County

The Golden Hawks have basically rolled over a 4A team that won a playoff game last year, a AA team that was 10-2 last year, and a 6A team that went 6-4 last year

5. Westside

The Seminoles didn’t lose any ground with the 28-21 loss to Howard, a game in which each forced the other into some mistakes, almost as many as each forced upon themselves. There’s plenty of talent there on a team that could be 4-0 or 1-3.

6. Bleckley County

Yes, Bleckley County and Mount de Sales were off last week, and the Royals have a loss and the Cavs don’t. The teams were close anyway, neither quite getting that quality win just yet. And they may flip back in a week.

7. Mount de Sales

Having a week off when having more momentum than in awhile will make Greene County’s trip to Cavalier Fields pretty interesting.

8. GMC

No, the Bulldogs still don’t have anything that qualifies as an eyebrow-raising win, and they may get overtaken by teams with a loss that do have stronger wins. Until then, a rebuilding program averaging 44.3 points a game merits some respect.

9. Southwest

The Patriots are still in transition after the late-summer departure of quarterback Jordan Slocum to Hapeville-Charter, and certainly aren’t scoring as much as they expected back in May. The win over Central is a confidence boost.

10. Northeast

The Raiders came up with a nifty win at Class A Manchester, ranked in both polls. The past three or four years, the Blue Devils only lose to bigger programs, or to playoff-bound teams, or in the playoffs. Northeast’s challenge: maintaining the momentum.

MMQB Around Central Georgia

Back to normal

A week ago Monday, as folks caught up on the weekend’s action, there were no doubt some murmurs.

Northside 1-2? Peach County thumped at Lee County in a “eh, let’s just end this” weather-shortened game, and by 33-0?

The schedule helped both return to normal as they entered Friday’s play as solid favorites at home, Northside against Whitewater and Peach County against Houston County.

The Eagles rolled 41-3 at home and the Trojans owned the second half en route to a 49-14 win.

Northside is again a heavy favorite at Baldwin

Big games? Yes, sir

If you see a car sitting at the end of the exit ramp at Exit 142 Friday evening, there’s reason.

Somebody is trying to figure out which way to go to see one of the top games in Central Georgia, and top games in the state.

About seven miles to the east on 96 and then nearly four miles north on Moody to Davis, one has the No. 3 team in Class 5A hosting a legendary Class 7A program and head coach with Colquitt County visiting Warner Robins at The Mac.

It’s been decades since the state’s No. 1 team in the largest classification has been around here. The GHSA added the seventh classification in 2016, and grew to Class 5A in 2000.

Northside and Warner Robins haven’t been part of the state’s largest classification since around then. Both were in the top class, 4A, until then, with the Eagles dropping to 4A in 2000 and the Demons remaining in 5A until 2004. Their last No. 1 spot in the largest class was in 2000.

Of course, somebody could cut that trip off after four miles for Veterans and Houston County at Freedom Field.

It doesn’t have the same cache or tradition as the Packers and Demons. But it has neighbors, two teams who share the stadium and who’ve been yapping at each other – well, students more than players – since Friday night’s final buzzers.

Veterans is one of the surprise teams in the state, off to a 4-0 start in Class 5A, and the Warhawks finally racked up a larger-class win Friday with a 21-0 win over Statesboro.

The Bears dropped to 2-2 after falling by 35 to Class 3A No. 3 Peach County, but getting past that quickly was fairly easy as they started focusing on an opponent that they’ve beaten four times, and by an average of 43-9.

To the east about 11 miles away is one of the premiere games in the state of any class, Class 4A No. 4 Mary Persons at Class 3A No. 3 Peach County.

They’ve played the past two years with the Trojans winning both, with both teams ranked in their respective classifications, as they are now.

Each brings an old-school, physical reputation combined with an open-minded offensive philosophy. They run, but they can pitch – Mary Persons’ J.T. Hartage is a veteran and Peach County’s Jaydon Gibson a first-year starter – and catch.

Mary Persons then has a week off before Region 2-4A play starts, and Peach County starts 4-AAA action against Kendrick.

But both sides will feel this one for a few days after it’s over.

QB Heaven

MaxPreps stats are based solely on what’s reported to them by teams – with hopes of accuracy and no fudging - so there are always players listing when teams tout their own highly ranked player.

Nevertheless, there’s some passing going on in Central Georgia.

As per the latest MaxPreps update, as of 11:30 a.m. Monday, with no doubt some players missing or stats not updated, seven of the top yardage passers in the state are in Central Georgia. And three don’t play too far from each other.

Perry’s Lane Rucker is second with 1,120 yards in four games, a 280-yard average. Dylan Fromm of Warner Robins is next at 1,072 yards in three games, for 357.3 each Friday night, a figure that leads the state.

Jones County’s Hunter Costlow is fifth with 1,107 yards (254.3), three spots ahead of Crawford County’s Cody Guidry with 841 yards, 280.3 per game.

J.T. Hartage of Mary Persons is No. 9 (835/208.8) and Victor Dixon of Westside is 10th (806/201.5).

And Houston County’s Max Rigby is at No. 28, with 661 yards, 220.3 a game.

The surprises

The Maxwell Ratings projections missed only three winners last week, with FPD over Hancock Central, Manchester over Northeast, and Westside over Howard.

On the money (or really close)

Maxwell hit Warner Robins-Baldwin perfectly, with the Demons winning by the 34 points they were favored by.

Others:

Southwest favored by nine, won by eight.

Monticello a two-point underdog, lost by four

Crawford County was favored by 23, won by 26.

Wilkinson County a 41-point underdog, lost by 45.

Stratford favored by eight, won by one.

Tattnall was a one-point underdog and Upson-Lee a five-point underdog, and the Trojans lost by five and the Knights by four.