Friday night's Central Georgia high school football scouting reports
The overall record, region and region finish accompany each team. Ranking is from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Stat rankings are based on what info is reported to MaxPreps by teams.
Central Georgia
GHSA
First Round
Class 6A
Houston County, 5-5, R1/4, at Evans, 7-2, R3/1
Evans has cracked 30 points only twice, and Houston County has given up 30 only twice. The Bears face a run-heavy offense with three runners between 350 and 750 yards, and 19 rushing touchdowns overall. Houston County is heavy on the pass and the arm of senior QB Max Rigby, with 2,046 yards through the air to 908 on the ground. The Bears may have to do some ground-and-pound with Corey Chaisson and Eric Williams on a wet track. Seeding aside, the teams are pretty even, and the Bears have the top win, over Class 3A No. 1 Peach County, albeit awhile ago.
Class 5A
Jonesboro, 5-5, R3/4, at No. 2 Warner Robins, 9-1, R1/1
The Demons are giving up the fewest points a game since 2011, an 11-3 season, and winning by the most points since 2005. Jonesboro is in the playoffs for the eighth time since 2000, with a quarterfinal trip in 2015 in Class 4A. Warner Robins remains one of the more balanced teams in the state, led by QB Jalen Addie (1,875 yards passing, 419 yards rushing) and RB Jahlen Rutherford (806 yards rushing) and James Smith (593 yards), plus Ahmad Walker (team-high 4 TDs). The defense is loaded with playmakers on every level, a reason the Demons last three home losses are to Class 7A Colquitt County in 2018, Rome in the 5A championship in 2017, and eighth-ranked Thomas County Central in 2016.
Riverdale, 7-3, R3/3, at Veterans, 8-2, R2/2
The weather won’t affect either team much. Veterans runs for 14 more yard a game than Riverdale, which scores 10 more a game. But the Raiders are on a two-game losing streak, losing to the top two teams in the region, Starr’s Mill and Griffin, 42-41 and 47-14 in the final two weeks of the regular season. The Warhawks are off a sound loss to defending state runner-up Warner Robins. Lebron Fields is 79 yards from 1,000 on the ground, and Julian Barnes adds 767. Phalon Daniels and Malik Harris have gone for 896 and 602 yards and 22 touchdowns for Riverdale.
South Effingham, 6-4, R2/4, at No. 7 Jones County, 9-1 R4/1
Even with the soggy, there’ll be some passing. South Effingham’s Taylor Jackson has passed for 1,900 yards on 56.3 percent completions, with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, while Jones County’s Hunter Costlow counters with 2,352 yards, 65.1 percent, 25 TDs and two picks. William Griffin has 829 yards and 15 TDs rushing for South Effingham, and the Greyhounds’ Andrew Carner has seven scores and is 91 yards from 1,000. Jones County has a few more weapons on offense.
Class 4A
Luella, 4-6, R4/4, at No. 7 West Laurens, 9-1, R2/1
The average Luella game produces 33 points. West Laurens averages 37.2 points alone, and gives up only 10.1 a game. Luella has cracked double figures four times this season. West Laurens has kept seven opponents to single digits or nothing. Good teams have done little against D’Eryk Jackson, Exzavier Lewis, Dre Bonner, Spencer Dacus, and Company. And few teams have slowed down QB A.J. Mathis, RBs Daniel Dorsey, Christian Covin, and receivers Brent Carr and Tyler Franks.
Hampton, 5-5, R4/3, at Perry, 6-4, R2/2
The Hornets and Panthers are fairly similar in the ground game, but Perry has a passing edge by a good chunk with QB Lane Rucker and a variety of targets. Makeil Kendrick is 144 rushing yards from 1,000 for Perry, and the duo of Ja’maian Stokes and C.J. Demicco has combined for 29 tackles for loss.
Mary Persons, 5-5, R2/3, at Eastside, 7-3, R4/2
Eastside is on a four-game winning streak, and it’s allowed 34 points in six of the last seven games. That other game? A 49-7 loss to Woodward Academy. But Woodward and Eastside are the only ones above .500 in Region 4. The Bulldogs and Enrico Harden – off a monster game against Howard – overall have played a stronger schedule.
Upson-Lee, 4-6, R2/4 at No. 2 Woodward Academy, 10-0, R4/1
Woodward has given up 69 points in 10 games. The young and rebuilding Knights passed that after their first two games. The host War Eagles haven’t lost a first-round game since 2012.
Baldwin, 4-6, R3/3, at Cairo, 8-2, R1/2
The Braves are on a two-game winning streak, including by 14 over region top seed Burke County. But Cairo has won seven of eight, the loss a 52-46 game to region champ Carver-Columbus. In the seven wins, Cairo has given up 47 points and shut out Columbus, Shaw, and Dougherty.
Class 3A
Brantley County, 5-5, R2/4, at No. 1 Peach County, 9-1, R4/1
The Blue Herons come in off a win, over 1-9 Long County, but were on a 1-4 stretch before that, losing by 34, 49, 32, and 35. Peach County hasn’t lost a first-round game since 2014, and the Trojans are averaging a program-record – by seven – 50 points a game.
Westside, 6-4, R4/3 at No. 8 Appling County, 8-2, R2/2
The team that handed Peach County its last first-round loss? Appling County. But the Pirates were a 7-3 fourth seed then. This group is an 8-2 second seed that has allowed all of 106 points, and gone 2-1 against ranked teams (in AA and AAA). Westside faces a defense that has three shutouts, and a team coached by legend – and former Washington County boss – Rick Tomberlin.
Central, 3-7, R4/4 at No. 3 Pierce County, 10-0, R2/1
The Chargers take on the state’s No 3 scoring offense (41.1 ppg) and No. 5 scoring defense (10.3 ppg). Central’s Jalik Thomas has 837 passing and 922 rushing yards, accounting for 19 touchdowns.
Class AA
Early County, 5-5, R3/4 at No. 5 Dublin, 9-1 R3/1
The Irish were without JaQues Evans, among others, last week for disciplinary measures, and Dublin lost. At home. Dublin has the state’s No. 1 scoring offense in AA (by a point over Rabun County) and is 28th in scoring defense. Early County brings some balance – 1,373 passing yards and 1,787 rushing yards – but the defense faces an offense averaging 416.2 yards rushing and a defense giving up 114.3 yards a game.
Fitzgerald, 7-3, R1/3 at No. 8 Bleckley County, 7-3, R3/2
Fitzgerald has lost one first-round game since 2006, two years ago in head coach Tucker Pruitt’s first year, to Toombs County. The Purple Hurricane are 17-7 since then. The three losses this year are to playoff teams Irwin County, Thomasville, and Brooks County, the two region losses by a total of 10 points. The Royals are off a head-scratching 16-11 loss to Southwest, which hadn’t beaten a ranked team in decades. A muddy field helps Fitzgerald counter Bleckley County’s speed, and the visitors had last week off.
Washington County, 7-3, R3/4 at No. 7 Brooks County, 6-4, R1/1
Brooks County has made the playoffs 11 straight years, and won the first-round game all 11 years. Washington County is on the same playoff run, but has five first-round losses in that span. This year’s Golden Hawks have a strong defense, but Brooks County has played a tougher schedule, with five ranked opponents handing the Trojans three of their four losses (by 24, 1, and 14). Dublin has played both, beating Brooks County 49-35 on Sept. 20 and losing 27-23 to the Golden Hawks last week. Brooks County is much more balanced, with a QB at 1,367 yards and a rusher at 1,023, but Washington County’s single-wing is something to deal with.
Dodge County, 4-6, R3/4 at No. 6 Thomasville, 6-4, R1/1
This is among the most even 1-vs.-4 matchups happening. Dodge County’s Daylon Gordon has 1,015 yards, 11th best in AA, and a good bit ahead of Thomasville’s Ricky Fulton at 595. The Bulldogs’ Ronnie Baker is fourth in AA with 1,583 yards, to 832 for Dodge County’s Kade Harpe. Thomasville has scored only 22 more points than it’s allowed, and Dodge County is minus-34 points, not a great disparity.
Putnam County, 5-5, R8/4, at No. 4 Hapeville-Charter, 8-1-1, R6/1
Putnam County and standout Cedrion Brundage (1,049 yards passing and 1,088 yards rushing) visit a team that last lost a home in the 2018 second round, 31-13 to eventual semifinalist Callaway.
Class A Private
(First number is GHSA seed, second is AJC ranking)
No. 5/8 Mount de Sales, 10-0, bye; Next: vs. Mt. Vernon-Hebron Christian
No. 22 Stratford, 4-6, at No. 11/6 Prince Avenue Christian, 8-2
Mark Farriba’s former team boasts Oklahoma commit Brock Vandagriff, a 6-3, 200-pound junior who has completed 73.8 percent of his passes and has only two interceptions on 145 attempts.
No. 24 FPD, 5-5, at No. 9/5 Wesleyan, 8-2
The common opponent is Mount Vernon Presbyterian, a 30-7 winner over FPD in early September and 52-30 loser to Wesleyan five weeks later. The Wolves are on a four-game winning streak, and, like FPD, are more prone to the pass. The Vikings’ Parker Ingram, a junior, is 158 of 249 (63.5 pct.) for 2,004 yards, 19 TDs and 11 INTs, while Wesleyan sophomore J.C. French is 135 of 207 (65.2 pct.) for 1,796 yards, 24 TDs and 4 INTs.
Class A Public
19. Macon County, 6-4, at No. 14/10 Turner County, 6-4
They’ve played 16 times, the last time in the second round in 2016, Macon County taking a 47-37 win at home. Turner County has a winning record, but has given up 41 more points than it has scored, a fairly stunning stat for a ranked team. The Rebels are off a pair of losses, 22-7 to Wilcox County and 49-0 to Irwin County. The Bulldogs had a four-game winning streak broken with last week’s 37-20 loss to region champ Marion County.
24. Taylor County, 5-5, at No. 9/9 Manchester, 8-2
Another matchup of Region 4 teams. Manchester opened the season with a 44-20 home win over Taylor County, which has surrendered 40 or more points four times this season. The 27-20 win over Pacelli gives the Vikings needed momentum in an upset bid.
GISA
Class AAA
John Milledge, 10-0, bye; Next: Southland/Frederica
Westfield, 3-8, at Loganville Christian, 4-6
Class AA
Brentwood, 9-2, bye; Next: Terrell/Robert Toombs
Gatewood, 9-2, bye; Next: Memorial Day/Westwood