Loughdmouthings

          In the big picture, it was just a nice win over a ranked team.

          But Northeast’s 37-34 win last week over Bleckley County was a boost for Bibb County’s generally struggling teams.

          The Raiders surprised by marching out to a pretty hefty lead, and the Royals did not surprise by storming back.

          Then Northeast didn’t do what, well, Bibb County teams are prone to do a bit more often than not: go backwards.

          The Raiders looked good in marching down the field – though some forgot to get out of bounds – after Bleckley County took advantage of some tackling snafus to take the lead.

          D’Icey Hopkins’ catch-and-run for the game-winner was a special: he caught it in traffic, had a Royal hanging onto his leg, got out of that, went left, kept his balance, and dove into the end zone.

           Another step awaits with a visit to Dodge County, a quality 3-3 team that has lost by six, three, and five, and beat Dublin. A win in Eastman will be as important program-wise as the Bleckley County win was. …

          It’s never too late to fix rosters and schedules and stats on MaxPreps. …

          Central Georgia’s 1,000-yard passers, as per MaxPreps (thus an incomplete list): FPD’s Parker Ingram, 1,347;

Northeast’s Travion Solomon, 1,204; Veterans’ Blake Ethridge, 1,171;

Perry’s Lane Rucker, 1,114; Jones County’s John Alan Richter, 1,101; Warner Robins’ Jalen Addie, 1,092 Bleckley County’s Dominic Sasser, 1,059.

          Central Georgia’s 1,000-yard rushers: Jessie Phelps Jr., Rutland, 1,329.

          Central Georgia’s 500-yard receivers: Jordan Jones, FPD, 737.

          Taylor County’s Jabin Ford is tied for first in scoring with 106 points. …

          Peach County’s Chad Campbell, Macon County’s Dexter Copeland, and FPD’s Greg Moore are two wins from 150.

          That total is fourth-best among active Central Georgia coaches, GISA and GHSA. Campbell has won 83.6 percent of the time, best among area GHSA coaches with at least five seasons in charge.

 

Polls

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

1. Warner Robins (6-1)

          The Demons knocked off 5A No. 1 Ware County for their third win against four ranked teams this season, after going 4-1 last year.

2. Jones County (4-3)

          One of the hottest teams around, the Greyhounds gave Ola its first loss, and it could’ve been a chunk worse than three points.

3. Houston County (5-3)

          The 27-6 loss to Lee County was pretty convincing, but may lead to a tight week of practice and better play against Valdosta.

4. Baldwin (3-0)

          Finding a way to win despite mistakes is obviously good, but that becomes much harder as the season goes on. The Braves have some skills, and some frustrating-to-coaches tendencies.

5. Perry (3-4)

          The Panthers still have a losing overall record, but they’re pretty warm, winning three of four. Clutch? All the wins are in region play, with one over a contender.

 

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

1. Peach County (5-1)

          It remains staggering to consider this team lost to Northside.

2. Dublin (6-1)

          It remains pretty surprising that this team lost to Dodge County (who is a pretty good team, but …)

3. John Milledge (5-0)

          Another 50-point win is coming this week.

4. Macon County (6-1)

          The Bulldogs look to maintain and stay healthy for a few weeks before a showdown with Chattahoochee County.

5. Central (4-2)

          The Chargers all but clinch a spot with a win over Pike County (1-5/0-4) and need to take care of business with Crisp County and Peach County after that.

6. Northeast (5-1)

          Can Northeast maintain momentum after that huge last-minute win over Bleckley County? Dodge County is playing for the postseason and will be quite tough at home.

7. Putnam County (7-0)

          No, the schedule hasn’t been brutal, but all of a sudden, Putnam County is a team capable of only giving up 30 points in seven games. Quite a jump, program-wise.

8. Bleckley County (6-2)

          It surprised nobody that Bleckley County stormed back against Northeast to take the lead, but it was uncharacteristic for the Royals to give up that game-winning drive.

9. Washington County (4-3)

          Some frustration was no doubt unloaded in the blowout of Southwest. Now, a trip to Bleckley County in a big region rumble.

10. Dodge County (3-3)

          The 38-0 romp over Lamar County was a surprise margin-wise, and is a sign that the Indians are a playoff-caliber team.