By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

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.

Class 6A

Houston County (2-3) at Newton (3-0/7A)
          Newton is a consensus top-10 team in 7A, ranked this week for the first time since September of 2016. The Rams were unranked a year ago when Houston County won 21-7 at Freedom Field. The Rams ended up 4-6 with a first-round loss to Lowndes. Houston County was popped 49-9 by Warner Robins last week. The Bears’ Simeon Askew is second statewide with 961 yards rushing and six TDs in five games.

Northside (4-1) at Colquitt County (4-1/7A)
          The Packers of former Jones County coach Justin Rogers are fifth in 7A, having played four straight ranked opponents before thumping winless Heritage 55-0 last week. The loss was to No. 3/6A Westlake. Colquitt County hasn’t lost to an unranked opponent since falling 42-25 – under its former head coach – in 2017, a string of 23 games.

Class 5A
Lee County (5-0/6A) at Warner Robins (4-0)
          No. 1 in 6A visits No. 1 in 5A. The Demon’s 13-game winning streak is on the line, a streak that started after Lee County’s 27-7 win last October on a rainy night in Leesburg. Special teams was a big difference for the Trojans, who also had a late pick-6. Lee County led 13-0 at halftime and got an early third-quarter score. It was also the first time the Demons were held to single digits since the 2017 state title game shutout by Rome. Lee County’s last loss to a lower-classification team was 40-17 to 3A Peach County in 2019. Warner Robins’ Malcolm Brown has 549 yards and nine touchdowns in four games.

Who’s going to win this week’s games?
Maxwell Ratings predictions, and where Central Georgia teams rank statewide
Monday Afternoon QB: Central Georgia polls, Region 3-AA, Upson-Lee, Brentwood, upsets, Loughdmouthings
Last week’s roundup

Oconee County (4-0/AAA) at Veterans (1-3)
          The No. 2 team in 3A got last season really rolling with a 14-6 home win over then-No. 5/5A Veterans, the first of six straight losses for the Warhawks. Veterans has struggled to find points in the two games after the 43-42 overtime upset at Jones County, but got some positives in battling back in last week’s 20-15 loss at 4A West Laurens.

Class 4A

West Laurens (2-2) at Spalding (3-1)
          Suddenly, Spalding is a contender, after going 9-31 the past four seasons, 4-17 in region play, with two winless region seasons. West Laurens couldn’t land the knockout punch against Veterans, and is trying to avoid its first 2-3 mark since 2017, Kagan McClain’s first season as head coach. That included a 27-25 win over the Jaguars, helping West Laurens to a 6-1 series lead.

Baldwin (1-2) at Westside (1-3), Ed DeFore
          Baldwin is rested after another off week, which came after losses at 5A Ware County (41-20) and  7A Brookwood (59-34). Solomon Burney and Derrick Lewis have combined for 396 passing yards and 61.1 percent, but are matching interceptions with touchdowns, three. Micah Welch has 241 yards and five TDs on the ground. The Seminoles, who lost 34-8 at 7A Hillgrove in a mid-week reschedule game last Friday, are trying to avoid their first 1-3 start in program history.

Class AAA

Peach County (1-2, 1-0) at Sumter County (0-2)
          Sumter County doesn’t have marketable losses (40-14 to 4A Hardaway and 34-7 to AA Worth County), and the Trojans followed up two losses and three weeks off with a solid 35-13 win at Mary Persons. A year ago, Peach County beat Mary Persons 42-7 and then Sumter County 53-3.

Upson-Lee (2-2, 0-1) at Crisp County (1-3, 1-0)
          Crisp County broke a three-game losing streak – to 6A Houston County, top-5/4A Perry, and top-5/A Private ELCA – with a 27-0 win over Jackson. The Cougars were 4-0 last year (7A Tift County, Houston County, ELCA, and Upson-Lee). The Knights have to rebound from a stunning 44-33 home loss to Pike County last week, and try to avenge last year’s 32-0 home loss. They’re getting in shootouts and have weapons (TJ Searcy, Detravious Mathis, and Tre Bloodser), but are giving up some points and lacking consistency.

Mary Persons (2-2, 0-1) at Central (0-3), Henderson
          The Chargers haven’t played since Sept. 3’s 17-7 loss against Pacelli, and have only 14 points in three games. The Bulldogs have played 7A Newnan and Peach County the last two weeks, and may be a little miffed after the 39-32 and 35-13 losses. Central has to corral a balanced offense, with RB Duke Watson (seventh in the state with 671 yards, plus 12 TDs) and QB Logan Hickman.

Class AA

Baconton Charter (0-3/A Public) at East Laurens (3-1)
          The Falcons have matched last year’s win total and are favored for win No. 4, which hasn’t happened since 2015. Baconton will have to deal with Kashmere Bryant, who is averaging 63 yards and a touchdown a game, and Eli Downing (109.5 and five).

Bleckley County (4-0) at Dodge County (3-1)
          Dodge County’s Duke Johnson is 13th in AA with 430 rushing yards and Bleckley County’s Jahvon Butler is fourth with 513 yards. Javon Smith and Damarion Simmons lead the Indians defense. The Indians lead the series 32-13, and have won two straight shootouts, 38-33 and 41-34. It’s Bleckley County’s biggest rivalry, and Dodge County’s second.

Southwest (0-2) at Jasper County (0-4)
          The Hurricanes made strides last week against Greene County, storming back to take a late lead only to give it back in a 28-21 loss, two weeks after falling 69-0 to Putnam County. This is Southwest’s first game since Sept. 3, and the Patriots lost 36-22 last year in Macon.

Washington County (3-0) at Lamar County (3-1)
          Some quality athletes will battle, with Washington County’s DJ Braswell and Colton Smith, and Lamar County’s CJ Allen and Devin Bateman, to name a few. Braswell returned a punt 96 yards, adding 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Smith had seven tackles and was in the backfield all night. Allen leads the run-heavy Trojans with 440 yards and seven touchdowns in four games, with Bateman adding 179 yards and three touchdowns in three games. The Indians were a little stunned two weeks ago, 17-0 by A/Private Pacelli, the first shutout by a Class A team over Lamar County since 34-0 by Mt. Zion-Carroll to open the 2018 season.

Laney (3-1, 1-0) at Putnam County (4-0, 1-0)
          Laney is 2-0 against ranked teams, after finishing 1-8 last year overall, and Putnam County is ranked 10th. The War Eagles, who won 24-8 last year, have plenty of weapons on offense, but also have a stellar defense, led by two-way standouts Jalon Kilgore and Zac Mitchell. Unique Reid has three sacks in two games.

Class A Public

Dooly County (2-2, 1-1) at Dublin (1-2, 1-0)
          Dooly County is off a 16-14 home win over Wheeler County, which lost 30-22 at home to Dublin two weeks ago. Surprisingly, this is only the second meeting between the two, Dublin winning big last year. The Irish don’t have normal numbers yet, but they have four rushing threats in JT Wright, Jerimah Green, Kameron Hampton, and Quay Ashley.

Hawkinsville (1-3, 0-2) at Wheeler County (2-2, 0-2)
          The Red Devils gave undefeated Montgomery County plenty of trouble before losing 20-12, making strides after losing 50-16 to a decent Telfair County team. Wheeler County’s two region losses are by a total of 10 points (Dublin and Dooly County.
Wilkinson County (2-2, 1-0) at ACE (0-2)
          Wilkinson County won by forfeit last week, and can thus be 3-2 or better for the first time since 2015. ACE will be closest to a full team and staff as it’s been at all this season.

Twiggs County (1-3, 0-1) at GMC (4-0, 1-0)

          GMC, the Georgia High School Football Daily team of the week, is one of the state’s surprises in Class A. They knocked off defending region champ Hancock Central 20-0 last week behind 101 yards from Jessie Washington, a 5-9, 185-pound sophomore. GMC has given up 14 points in four games. Twiggs County was outscored 100-7 in its first two games, but is on the good side of an 83-68 margin the last two.

Hancock Central (0-3) at Washington-Wilkes (3-1)
          Hancock Central is in a little bit of a hole momentum-wise, and in danger of an 0-4 start before returning to region play against co-favorite Warren County next week. The Tigers have won three straight, two over higher-classification teams.

Crawford County (0-3) at Warren County (2-2)
          The Screaming Devils were loud in last year’s meeting, a 62-6 win. Crawford County is already halfway to last year’s scoring total of 92, with 47 points, and are better on defense, too.

Class A Private

Savannah Christian (2-2) at Mount de Sales (2-1)
          The Raiders are 1-1 against GHSA schools and 1-1 against GISA schools. The Cavs could easily by 3-0 in a season where the offensive scheme has changed a bit. SCS won 40-11 last year to improve to 6-0-1 in the series, the five previous wins – dating back to 1980 – all by seven points or less. The Cavs’ A’Khori Jones is 10th in the state with 642 yards.

Savannah Country Day (2-2) at Stratford (3-0)
          The visiting Hornets are on a two-game losing streak, while the host Eagles are winning by 34 points a game and looking for their first 4-0 start since 2017 (excluding last year when a loss to George Walton ended up being forfeited by the winners).

Aquinas (4-0) at Tattnall (3-0)
          Tattnall no doubt learned from FPD’s loss to Aquinas that the Irish can make you pay for turnovers. FPD gave it up, and Aquinas mostly scored. The Trojans are averaging 279 yards on the ground, led by Demario Wilmore’s 219 yards and three touchdowns. Zavion Hardy leads the Trojan defense, with three players getting at least six tackles a game. Tattnall started last year 3-0, Savannah Country Day starting the losing streak with a 28-24 win and Aquinas following a week later with a 47-7 home win.

GISA

Gatewood (2-1/AA) at John Milledge (4-0/AAA)
          Through four games this year, John Milledge is outscoring opponents by 30.5 points a game. A year ago, with a slightly different schedule, the number was 37.5, including 40-0 over Gatewood in the fourth game, in October. The Gators were 3-0 entering that meeting, and last week’s loss to Terrell was Gatewood’s earliest non-John Milledge loss since 2016.

Trinity Christian (1-3/AAA) at Brentwood (3-1/AA)
          The War Eagles have won three straight, by at least 21 points, since the season-opening loss to 3A John Milledge, and they’ve scored a few more points each week in that span, too. The Crusaders of new coach Jed Marsh have done the opposite, losing three straight since starting off with a 21-14 win over Edmund Burke..

Harvester Christian (2-0/GAPPS) at Fullington (1-3)
          The host Trojans have had scheduling changes, and are struggling on offense with only 20 points in three games (one forfeit).