Friday night's Central Georgia high school football scouting reports
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
(Listing based on classification of home team if both from Central Georgia)
Class 6A
Teams: Please email game information – stats (offense and defense), names, big plays, etc. – to centralgasports@gmail.com by midnight Friday or by 10:30 a.m. Saturday for inclusion in Central Georgia’s only comprehensive roundup Saturday morning.
Reminder: State statistics from MaxPreps are based only on information put into MaxPreps by individual schools. Less than half of Central Georgia teams put stats in to MaxPreps consistently.
No. 1 Lee County (6-1) at Houston County (4-3)
Lee County has won all seven meetings, dating back to 2010. Three have been by single digits, one by 13 and one by, the rest by at least 26 points. And the Trojans haven’t lost a region game since Oct. 20, 2017, by three to Valdosta. They’re facing one of the top RBs in the state in Simeon Askew – who leads Georgia with 1,449 yards on a workhorse 199 carries, with 11 scores - but the Bears will need much more to approach an upset.
Valdosta (3-4) at Northside (5-2)
Valdosta leads the series 10-4, including last year’s forfeit (a 14-0 win). On the field, the Eagles have lost four of the last five to Valdosta, including by 48-17 in 2019. Sophomore QB Damien Dee has completed 50.7 percent of his passes for 459 yards, but one more INT than TD, while senior QB is at 42.4 percent, 232 yards, five TDs and one INT.
Friday night’s Central Georgia scouting reports
Who’s going to win this week’s games?
Maxwell Ratings predictions
Monday Afternoon QB: Fix targeting now; Loughdmouthings - Alumni Updates (Peach County, Dublin, Bleckley County), more; Central Georgia polls
Macon TD Club honorees
Last week’s roundup
Class 5A
No. 1 Warner Robins (6-0) at No. 5 Ware County (5-1/1-0)
The Demons have won every game this year by at least 26 points, and did that nine times last year. Ware County was one of the exceptions, losing 22-19 at McConnell-Talbert and forcing the Demons to score late in the fourth quarter, and go more than 85 yards to do it. Warner Robins QB Christon Lane has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,393 yards and 18 touchdowns with only three interceptions, while Ware County’s Thomas Castellanos counters with 63.6 percent, 1,534 yards, 14 TDs and six INTs. Malcolm Brown is 15 statewide with 892 rushing yards, 70 more yards than Ware County’s Cartevious Norton. Warner Robins’ Daveon Walker is seventh in the state with 681 receiving yards and seven TDs, Deuce Petty adding 435 and six.
Class 4A
Howard (2-4/0-2) at No. 9 Baldwin (4-2/3-0)
The Huskies are still looking for offense, with 15.4 points a game. Baldwin counters with 35 points a game. The Braves lead the series 6-0, but the teams haven’t played since 2015. Last year’s game was a COVID victim. Baldwin has weapons with Micah Welch (600 yards and 14 TDs rushing), Shatavious Hogan (439 receiving yards and four TDs), and QBs Solomon Burney (56.9 percent, 518 yards, 6-1 TD/INT) and Derrick Lewis (64.6, 323, 1-2).
Westside (3-3/1-1) at Rutland (1-5/0-2), Ed DeFore
The Seminoles have won all 11 meetings with the Hurricanes, with only one – 23-16 in 2011 – by single digits. Westside won 35-13 last year. Westside is 176 yards from 1,000 rushing, and 46 from 500 yards passing. Rutland’s game last week with Spalding was cancelled.
No. 7 Perry (5-1/1-1) at West Laurens (3-4/1-2)
The Raiders’ pass defense will be tested by QB Armar Gordon Jr. (1,562 yards, 64.6 percent completions, 16 TDs and five INTs), and receivers Daequan Wright (26-509, 6), Dakarai Anderson (28-467, 3), and Curtis Head (14-234, 4). The Panthers pass 53 percent of the time. West Laurens could throw the region into some interesting chaos with the upset. Perry leads the series 19-8, and is 7-4 since the series resumed yearly in 2010.
Class AAA
Central 21, Sumter County 14, Thursday
Class AA
East Laurens (4-2/0-1) at Vidalia (1-5/0-1)
The teams have played only once – last year’s 43-20 Vidalia win – since 2009, and Vidalia leads 15-8. East Laurens has to rebound from a 50-0 loss to Swainsboro two weeks ago, breaking a three-game winning streak. It’s pretty much a must-win situation for the Falcons’ playoff hopes, since they’ll be solid underdogs in two of the three remaining games after this one.
No. 6 Northeast (5-1/2-0) at No. 4 Bleckley County (7-0/3-0)
The Raiders are winning by 18.7 points a game and the Royals by 12.4. Bleckley County is more tested in close games, with one-possession wins over 4A West Laurens, Wilcox County, and Dodge County. The Royals are 12-3 at home in their last 15 home games. Northeast QB Travion Solomon averages 129.8 yards a game passing, and has hit on 60.6 percent of his passes, but with only three touchdowns and two interceptions. Counterpart Eli Mullis gets 110.3 yards a game on 59.6 percent completions, with seven scores and one pick. The Royals’ Jahvon Butler is 14th statewide with 897 yards, and has nine touchdowns, the Raiders’ Kalik Evans 87th with 610 yards and 10 TDs, Tyler Terry adding 578 and five.
Lamar County (4-3/1-2) at No. 7 Dodge County (4-2/1-1)
A year ago, the Indians were 3-3/1-1 at this point, and turned in an eye-catching 38-0 win. They’ve lost to two region favorites – Bleckley County and Washington County – with two favorites left, Dodge County and Northeast. They need at least one upset and help to make the playoffs. Dodge County’s in a little better shape, but can barely afford an upset loss. The Indians have lost two straight winnable games at home – 15-6 to Fitzgerald and 21-19 to Bleckley County – and want to make sure next week’s game at Northeast remains huge. Lamar County’s CJ Allen is 50th statewide with 705 yards and 10 TDs on the ground, Dodge County’s Demron Gordon at 84th with 609 yards..
No. 10 Washington County 44, Southwest 0, Thursday
Washington County marched out to a 31-0 halftime lead en route to a 44-0 win Thursday over Southwest.
Photo: Michael A. Lough/The Sports Report
Class A Public
Dublin (3-3/3-1) at Treutlen (2-4/1-3)
Last week’s Dublin was a what-we-expect Dublin, the Irish hammering first-place Wilcox County 49-0. It kept alive the Irish’s chance for a top-two finish in region and a home playoff game. The Irish get 6.6 yards a carry – led by Jerimah Green’s 8.8 – but give up 5.8, and have only six more rushing touchdowns than opponents. The Vikings are good for about five yards a carry.
Dooly County (4-2/3-1) at Wilcox County (4-3/4-1)
Two of the four one-loss region teams battle in Rochelle. The Bobcats have won three straight, all region games, two against playoff-caliber teams. Wilcox County has to recover from last week’s 49-0 loss to Dublin, the Patriots worst beating since 48-0 to top-ranked Irwin County late in the 2018 season, and worst to an unranked team since 52-9 to Turner County late in the 2016 season. The Patriots lead the series 15-11, but have lost three of the last four.
Taylor County (2-4/1-4) at No. 6 Chattahoochee County (5-0/3-0)
The Vikings have lost their last three regular-season games against ranked teams by 49, 25, and 19. One was 25-0 to No. 10 Chattahoochee last year. Nathan Patterson and Draquez Woodard team for 129 carries and 655 yards, fairly split. Woodard has a 93-yard run, while Patterson has half of Taylor County’s eight rushing touchdowns.
Greenville (4-2/1-2) at No. 3 Macon County (6-0/4-0)
The Bulldogs are winning by 33 more points a game than Greenville’s margin. Last eek’s 39-6 loss to Manchester put a big dent in Greenville’s postseason hopes, and the Bulldogs like being in the position of knocking somebody out. The Patriots went 2-7 last year, and haven’t beaten a ranked team since 2009, and haven’t had a winning season since 2011. Macon County is 8-2 at home the last 10 times out, the losses to Warren County last year in the playoffs and to AA Toombs County about a year ago. Landon Austin has completed 46.4 percent of his passes for 878 yards for Macon County, with 13 touchdowns. Marlon Mitchell has 781 rushing yards, while Javion Sands leads Greenville with 660 yards and eight TDs.
GMC (7-0) at Glascock County (1-5)
Glascock County hasn’t played a region game since 1995, and has had one winning season in program history. GMC won 42-0 last year, when the Bulldogs weren’t as good as this year and the Panthers were better than this year. Jessie Washington is good for about 100 rushing yards a game for GMC.
Crawford County (0-6/0-3) at Twiggs County (1-5/0-3)
The Eagles have showed some positives the past two games in losses, 30-14 to ACE and 38-12 to GMC. The difference between the two teams is Twiggs County scheduled Glascock County and Crawford County didn’t. Take away that game, and scoring O and D numbers are about even. The teams haven’t played since 2013, and the Cobras lead the series 4-2.
ACE (3-2/3-0) at Warren County (4-2/2-0)
Warren County needs a win to make next week’s game with GMC for – basically – the region title, although GMC still has ACE left, which needs a win to make that game perhaps for the region title. Gavin West had a pick-6 in the Gryphons’ win over Hancock Central.
Class A Private
Mount de Sales (3-3/0-1) at FPD (4-2/1-0)
The balanced Vikings faced the run-heavy Cavs, with A’Khori Jones, who has 1,009 yards and eight TDs on 99 carries. FPD emerged from its version of a Mud Bowl last week with an impressive 20-0 shutout of Tattnall, the Vikings first shutout of one of its city rivals since 35-0 over Mount de Sales last year, and first blanking of the Trojans since 1983, in Barney Hester’s second season with Tattnall. FPD QB Jakhari Williams has completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 715 yards and seven touchdowns, with three interceptions.
Strong Rock (0-5/0-1) at Stratford (5-1/1-0)
The Patriots are on a nine-game losing streak, started last year with Stratford’s closer-than-expected 28-21 win. A year ago, Strong gave up six more points than it scored. This year, the Pats are outscored by 19 points a game. Stratford rebounded nicely from its 42-6 loss at Calvary Day by coming back to beat Mount de Sales by a touchdown. Strong Rock QB Brady Sanders has 746 yards passing, but two more interceptions than touchdowns. The Eagles’ starters will likely get some rest, a good thing with Tattnall next week.
GISA
Gatewood (3-3/AA) at Westfield (4-1/AAA)
The Gators won the first two meetings – in 2014-15 – by 35 points each. Westfield has won three straight, by 32, 39, and five. Porter Faulk is in the top 75 statewide with 626 yards and seven touchdowns.
Robert Toombs (1-6) at Brentwood (5-1)
The War Eagles have scored at least 35 points in their last five games. The Crusaders have given up 35 points or more in three of six losses. After winning 20-14 in 2018, Brentwood has outscored RTCA 123-40 in the last two meetings.
John Hancock (0-6) at Georgia Christian (1-3)
John Hancock gave GHSA Glascock County trouble in a 22-16 loss, the Rebels’ closest game of the year. Georgia Christian got its first win, 32-18 over Pataula Charter.
St. Andrews (3-2/0-1) at Trinity Christian (1-6/0-1)
St. Andrew’s won 3-0 last year, the teams’ first meeting since 1993. TCS won 31-0 that year, 30-0 the year before.
Piedmont (5-2) at Augusta Prep (4-2)
The Cougars have been shut out in their two losses, while the Cavaliers have scored 40 points in their two losses.