Top 5

Division I

1. Jones County

The Greyhounds were off, and remain the top team for some legitimate, analytical reasons: better special teams, more consistent defense. Schedule strength: 24 class points (adding up the classes of the opponents), 11-14 opponents record.

2. Warner Robins

The Demons survived one of the more epic games in the legendary rivalry with Northside, surviving a plethora of mental mistakes and special teams issues. Warner Robins has retained one key element from last year, the ability to find a way to hold on. Schedule strength: 29 class points, 15-12 opponents record.

3. Mary Persons

This will be one healthy and rested team, with last week off. Conventional wisdom is that everybody’s playing for second in 2-4A behind the Bulldogs, but everybody in the region has a winning record. Note that last year, the Bulldogs were in a similar situation and had to pull games out against Upson-Lee and Howard, and had tussles with West Laurens and Perry.

4. Northside

Figuring out the Eagles remains a bit of a task. They were outgained Friday in the loss to Warner Robins, and gave up the big plays they knew were coming. They played a little young, and gave up nearly 500 yards passing to a passing game they were familiar with while getting only one sack.

5. Veterans

The Warhawks solidified their spot with the win over Perry, which would have replaced Veterans in this spot. They’re off this week, meaning the coaches will be spending a lot of time keep players down to earth. Veterans still hasn’t done enough to get cocky, and next week’s trip to Bainbridge – which won 28-14 at Freedom last year – can be a quick humbler.

Top 10

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

1. Peach County

The Trojans did what was expected to Kendrick – shutout, running clock – in the region opener. Now things get interesting with a trip to undefeated Pike County.

2. Dodge County

Southwest gave Dodge County a quality game, with it being a one-possession difference after three. That’s just the kind of test Dodge County needed to help avoid overlooking Northeast.

3. Washington County

The Golden Hawks have scored 156 points. Good time for a Friday off. Rest. Especially after that wild 47-45 win over Swainsboro. Expect some tweaking for the stretch run that begins in earnest next week against Bleckley County.

4. Dublin

The Irish didn’t gain much by the expected rout of East Laurens, other than some rest and a chance for youngsters to play. But they’ll look for a sharp performance this week to set up next week’s showdown with Dodge County.

5. Westside

The Seminoles rolled past Rutland by 39 points to break a two-game losing streak. How good they are still a question. Could be 4-1, could be 2-3. Some tightening up remains in a region where we still don’t know about Central, although Jackson appears steered in the right direction.

6. Mount de Sales

The timing for a week off can’t come at a better time for perhaps the area’s most grinding team, the one that has to battle for 48 minutes – and Friday, more – and is still undefeated. All they do is win, win, win, win, win. And opponents’ hands go UP.

7. Hancock Central

The win over FPD got our attention. The romp over GMC steadied the attention. And winning at Washington-Wilkes, albeit a quite mediocre W-W, is a good sign that the Bulldogs are legit, and have a week off before a trip to another sub-region contender, Greene County. The B subdivision getting stronger: Only two of the seven teams playing a region schedule have losing records.

8. Lamar County

The Trojans have done a fine job since opening the season with a 34-0 loss to Mount Zion, a loss that could have led to a major snowballing effect for a team that went 1-9 last year. The only other loss was a respectable 31-14 loss against Class 3A Pike County.

9. Macon County

The Bulldogs are 2-2, but have rolled in their wins, 68-0 over Twiggs County (no insight to be gained) and 39-6 over Taylor County (some insight to be gained). This week’s game at Dooly County will provide some insight.

10. John Milledge

The Trojans escaped Westfield by a hair to remain undefeated. There are so few GHSA teams with non-losing records, but the Trojans have been steady.

MMQB

Around Central Georgia

Rockin’ regions

Yes, Dodge County and Mary Persons are the clear favorites in their regions, 3-AA and 2-4A.

But the Indians and Bulldogs are also in regions that are stronger than in the past, certainly stronger than last year.

Three teams in 3-AA are likely to be ranked this week, if Dublin gets back in the Georgia Sports Writers Association poll.

Dodge County, Washington County, and Dublin are a combined 13-1, so the race for the fourth spot is serious.

Bleckley County has hit something of a wall, and faces a tough must-win situation this week against visiting Dublin or fall into an 0-2 region hole.

Northeast edged Bleckley County last week, and is off this Friday, and gets Dodge County in Eastman. And Washington County has East Laurens.

So, no, on paper, there’s little likely to change. But when the contenders play each other, and when the chasing-that-fourth-spot teams play, it’l have quite the postseason feeling.

Mary Persons has been dominant, but everybody in the region is at least 3-2. A year ago on this date, the other five teams were 11-10, and they didn’t’ finish well, with only Howard joining Mary Persons with a winning record.

This year, The Other Five are 17-8.

Still undefeated

Veterans, Mary Persons, Dodge County, Washington County, Mount de Sales, and John Milledge are Central Georgia’s lone remaining GHSA and GISA teams.

Still looking, I

Twiggs County, FPD, Wilkinson County, and Rutland are battling for the first win.

Baldwin escaped the group with a win over Greenrier. This week, FPD and Twiggs County play.

The stats race

For all the talk of statewide placement on offense, it’s worth noting that Houston County junior Antuan Adams is tied for the state lead with 72 tackles, sharing the spot with Rashard Revels of Colquitt County.

Jones Conty’s Britton Jones is No. 6 with 62 stops, and teammate Deon Richardson is 22nd with 55.

Among the top ballhawks in the state are JaCoby Hill and D’Icey Hopkins of Northeast and Desmond Williams of Mary Persons, each with three interceptions.

Veterans’ Daniel Gibbs recorded the sixth-longest field goal in the state when his 49-yarder went through on Friday at Perry.

Six of the top 21 pass-catchers are from Central Georgia, led by Warner Robins’ Marcayll Jones with 733 yards on 33 catches. Just down the road at No. 3 is Perry’s Davion Ross with 34 for 658.

Jones County is at No. 9 and 15 with Jontavis Robertson (25-484) and Maleek Wooten (22-406). Westside’s Jaylon Barden is 18th with 24 for 395, and Bleckley County’s Marcus Brown is 21st with 23 for 373.

In other non-passing and non-rushing stats – more to come Tuesday on those – Mary Persons’ Quen Wilson is tied for third with 90 points, while Bleckley County’s Nykeem Farrow is among the top 20 – many are tied – with 60 points.

Stats are as of 9 a.m. Monday. Teams and schools must input stats into the MaxPreps website, so lists are somewhat incomplete because a fair number of schools throughout the state don’t add stats.

ICYMI

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.

So, what was Central Georgia’s top 20 last week based on those rankings?

(422 schools listed, overall ranking and rating included)

18. Warner Robins 74.16

20. Mary Persons 73.68

34. Jones County 68.92

46. Peach County 65.50

50. Northside 64.71

66. Dodge County 59.67

82. Veterans 56.00

97. West Laurens 53.64

114. Upson- Lee 51.18

115. Washington Co. 51.14

127. Perry 48.29

134. Dublin 47.18

144. Houston Co. 45.10

156. Westside 43.46

158. Howard 43.33

193. Southwest 38.12

197. Baldwin 37.69

212. Dooly County 35.75

236. Bleckley Co. 33.47

250. Macon County 31.89