Dear GHSA: Take a peek at any game on TV or streaming, and then start contacting people in charge.

          There are plenty of visuals out there, beyond the NFHS pay-per-view site that gets pushed so the GHSA and schools can maybe make some money.

          Around here alone, there are streams for Houston County, Bleckley County, Taylor County, Washington County, Brentwood, Westfield, perhaps more, and enough social media pictures and videos with fans and stands in the background.

          It’s time to start calling out programs – and thus communities, and thus educators and politicians – about this little pandemic thing, whether one grips the reality of it or argues about it or whatever.

          It is what it is. And if people don’t want to see the playoffs, then keep on doing what it seems most are doing: ignoring standards and guidelines.

          The Valdosta-Lowndes game on ESPN2 last week was staggering. An area stream showed both teams going through the postgame handshake line like it was 1999 (or, well, 2019, since only coaches in the line were alive in 1999), and the minority of folks just roaming around were masking.

Update: Entire Lowndes team is now quarantined

          Understood: groups who are together when they got there and in the stands, as well as students, are unlikely to mask when together. But there’s too much ignoring of spacing, and of masking when roaming around the sidelines or concourse or concession stands.

          The media doesn’t help with how it presents anything. Two days of numbers not getting worse is not “a positive trend” because we’ve had “positive trends” for months that get turned around and tossed around like Josh Norman trying to tackle Derrick Henry.

          Two weeks, and you can talk “positive trend.”

          Reminder: nobody wants to be dealing with this. Nobody wants to be dealing with this. Nobody wants to be dealing with this. Nobody wants to be dealing with this. Nobody wants to be dealing with this.

          Any chance people have to snub protocol, they do, yet we’re talking about situations of self-discipline and setting examples for kids.

          Setting examples for kids.

          Alas, too many adults – including those supervising those kids – are choosing hypocrisy and obstinacy, what used to be negatives. Don’t complain about teenagers being confused when you’re doing the confusing.

          If you care about others (a thought), if you want as many teams as possible to finish the season, if you want no forfeits in the playoffs, if you want to get through this entire football season after all the suspense of whether there would be a football season, help out

          Do your part. No heavy lifting is involved.

          Pandemic or not, either you’re helping or you’re hurting.

          Don’t grumble that kids “these days need to just suck it up” when you can’t suck it up by doing something of no effort.

          Deliver the execution you whine about from officials and coaches on game nights.

          Show what teamwork really is.

 

Stat stuff

          Remember that MaxPreps stats and rankings are based only on what information is posted by teams to the website.

          Information doesn’t just appear somewhere (one can dream, though), so if you’re wondering about your team and where it ranks, ask your coach why the team doesn’t post info and allow for some bragging.

          Another issue is the stats being iffy anyway, because many stat folks don’t know how to properly keep stats. Example: a lateral is not a pass, even if it’s thrown overhanded, and many people put that down as passing/receiving yardage. And so on.

          And teams can be slow – or flat forget - to update information.

          That said, what Central Georgia players are among the top 50 in the state in passing, rushing, and receiving?

          Passing – 15. Blake Etheridge, Veterans, 1,067; 37. John Alan Richter, Jones County, 829; 38. Jalen Addie, Warner Robins, 827.

          Rushing - 1. Jessie Phelps Jr., Rutland, 1002; 12. Detravious Mathis, Upson-Lee, 698; 24. Lebron Fields, Veterans, 611; 29. Jabin Ford, Taylor County, 589.

          Receiving – 36. Armon Porter, Warner Robins, 374; 37. Maleek Wooten, Jones County, 373.

         

Loughdmouthings

          Coaches and teams: Please, for the love of God, update MaxPreps.

          Fix the rosters. Kids deserve to have them right.

          Update the schedules and results, very important in the Season of Changing Schedules. MaxPreps’ program can’t read Twitter and Facebook. …

          Still undefeated (at least four games, GHSA and GISA): Putnam County, Taylor County, John Milledge. …

          Dear beloved Fridaynightgamecasters: Pleeeease take a set of binoculars to a game, because telling listeners you can't see numbers or didn't see what happened is, well, ya know ... Seeing a play and numbers and the call is kinda the point of you being there and talking about the game.

          And if you're not keeping stats, binocs are even more advisable and not seeing things even more absurd. …

          Prediction: Yes, one Central Georgia program is early in its first losing season in program history. …

          This is more of a “congrats” for one than a shot at the other, but the last time Mary Persons lost to a current Bibb County program before Friday night to Central?

          To Westside in 2012. The county is now 10-35 against the Bulldogs. …

          Dear beloved FridaynightGamecasters: Please determine who is play-by-play and who is “analyst”, and one of y'all just kinda shut up until the other person is done. You have plenty of time to wait and then talk one at a time. …

          Huge news: a very good high school football player has simply said he’s chosen a top-1o college football program. Not exactly earth-shattering or program-changing.

          Never is. …

          Still looking for the dub (at least four games, GHSA/GISA): Crawford County, Trinity Christian.

 

The Polls

Division I (6A, 5A, 4A)

1. Warner Robins, 4-1

          Lee County’s no slouch, obviously, but few saw a 20-point win over the Demons coming. That’s kind of bad news for Warner Robins opponents down the stretch.

2. Veterans , 4-1

          Oconee County’s no slouch, obviously, but few saw a 6-point output from the Warhawks coming. That’s kind of bad news for Veterans opponents down the stretch.

3. Houston County, 4-2

          The Bears have to get some offense going, having survived so far without much major playmaking on a regular basis. The next two games are against Veterans and Lee County.

4. Jones County, 2-3

          The Greyhounds are back on track, as wise people expected.

5.  Howard

          The Huskies are still a huge question mark, with only three games under the belt. But there’s potential.

 

Division II (3A, AA, A, GISA)

1. Peach County, 3-1

          Want to see somebody on this team cringe? Three words: “The Northside game.”

2. John Milledge, 4-0

          Debate all you want. Or, if your team is open, they have a vacancy next week.

3. Macon County, 3-1

          So much for going undefeated. Now, the first 5-A Public region title game awaits, at Taylor County.

4. Dublin, 3-1

          Rebuilding? Hah.

5. Bleckley County, 4-1

          Few teams are as versatile as the Royals in winning, by either storming back or surviving back-and-forth battles.

6. Taylor County, 4-0

          Jabin Ford is an eye-catching player, but the Vikings have plenty of get-it-done types on the roster.

7. Washington County, 3-2

          The Golden Hawks may not be explosive as usual, but they’re grinding into form.

8. Upson-Lee, 3-2

          The chance to make a statement against Crisp County went by the wayside with a flurry of mistakes, so how the Knights respond is of note.

9. Central, 3-1

          Bibb County programs in general being what they are, Central’s win at Mary Persons – no matter how down the Bulldogs may be – remains huge, for the program and county. Now, consistency.

10. Putnam County, 5-0

          The War Eagles dropped a spot only because Central’s win was such a statement.

10. Central, 3-1

On the verge: None, but a few on the verge of being on the verge.