By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Class 5A

Jenkins, 3-6, R1/3, at No. 8 Warner Robins, R2/2, Saturday, 7 p.m.
          Jenkins is here because of potential violence issues at its game with Statesboro, the Red Devils choosing to forfeit rather than gamble n a safe night. The Warriors are in their seventh straight playoff, a run that includes two quarterfinal and a semifinal visit, and three 10-win seasons. Warner Robins last missed the playoffs in 2010, and is bucking for its sixth straight championship game and third straight trophy, history-makers both for the program. Head coach Marquis Westbrook is 46-8 in his fourth season. The Demons have won five straight, by a minimum of 23 points and with two shutouts. Jenkins was shut out twice, and its lone loss by less than 28 was 17-14 to Wayne County. QB Chase Reese, RB Malcolm Brown, and WRs Chaz Sturn, Isiah Canion, and Cam Flowers give the Demons some weapons.

Jones County, 6-4, R2/4, at No. 1 Ware County, 9-0, R1/1, Saturday, 5:30 p.m
          Ware County has made every playoff since 2002, with two trips to the semifinals and one to the finals, along with five quarterfinal visits in that span. Jones County is working on its run, with nine straight 11th games, having done so only six times from 1961-2012. The teams have played twice, Ware County winning 14-13 and 28-0 in 1992-93. The Gators of former Lamar County head coach Jason Strickland have given up 63 points, only 13 in the last four, including a 31-6 win over No. 4 Coffee. Ware County, which has been No. 1 since early October, averages 155.2 yards passing and 159 yards rushing, only 11 passing TDs. But Jarvis Hayes has 702 yards and 11 TDs on 34 catches in eight games. Jones County hasn’t been close to 100 percent healthy since August, but is getting better. Omarion Tucker has only 351 yards, but 8 TDs on 57 carries. QB Judd Anderson is 127 of223 for 1,537 yards, 13 TDs and 10 INTs, while Devin Edmonds in 38 of 64 for 473, with 2 and 3. The Greyhounds’ best win was over region champ Dutchtown, which they followed two weeks later with a 54-30 loss to Warner Robins.

Class 3A

Crisp County, 5-5, R1/4, at No. 7 Peach County, 7-3, R2/1, Saturday, 8 p.m.
          The Cougars are still alive for the seventh straight year, and with their fourth head coach in that span. They have one quarterfinal, two semifinal, and one championship trip along the way. Peach County has made every postseason since 1991, and head coach Chad Campbell has lost only three first-round games since taking over in 2007, with two coming in his first two seasons. The Trojans are a win away from getting eight wins, something they’ve done every year since 2002. It’s a tight series, with Peach County leading 10-9, the Cougars breaking a six-game losing streak with 2021’s 27-14 win. Crisp County’s losses have been by 40, 19, 16, 10, and 44.

Dougherty, 8-2, R1/3, at Mary Persons, 6-4, R2/2, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
          Dougherty isn’t a playoff program, making it only eight times since 2000, a slump after the 1998 state title. The Trojans did reach the quarterfinals last year. Mary Persons has missed five postseasons since 2000. The Bulldogs won four of five, lost three in a row, and closed with two straight wins, scoring 20 or less in the losses and 33 or more in the wins (excluding the partial game with Northeast). The Trojans won their first eight, scoring from 19 to 54 points and giving up more than 21 only twice. Kameron Davis has 1,863 passing and 826 rushing yards (8-game stats), with 25 combined TDs. Mary Persons counters with QB Logan Hickman (1,545 yards, 56.2 percent, 20-6 TD/INT) and RB Duke Watson (183-1,594/14).

Upson-Lee, 4-6, R2/3, at No. 8T Carver-Columbus, 7-2, R2/2, Saturday, 6 p.m.
          Carver has made every postseason since 2006, a run that started with eight straight visits to at least the quarterfinals, the 2007 AAA state title along the way. Upson-Lee is in its fourth postseason in head coach Justin Elder’s six seasons. The Knights have been up and down the past few seasons, like losing their first four this year and then winning four straight only to get outscored 87-0 in the final two games, to Peach County and Mary Persons. Upson-Lee hasn’t beaten a ranked team since No. 8/4 Griffin in 2007. JaQUan Bentley has 1,426 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground for Upson-Lee, which runs more than 95 percent of the time.