By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted

Mid-week rankings are updated, compiled by the Georgia High School Football Daily, and are composite rankings from from AJC, GPB, ScoreAtlanta, 680 The Fan, Maxwell, and MaxPreps.

Stats: MaxPreps stats are based only on what is reported and posted by teams. If teams don’t put the information in or update in a timely manner, it makes for an incomplete and misleading list. Stats are used in coverage as often as possible, but only if updated. 

Class 6A

No. 3 Thomas County Central, 9-0/4-0, at No. 10T Northside, 6-3/3-1
          Northside’s defense has been solid, and faces a QB who is 215 yards from 2,000 passing, and a run game averaging 203.2 yards a game in this region championship. TCC hasn’t won one since 2016, Northside since 2014. Both teams have given up 126 points in nine games.

No. 8T Houston County, 7-2/2-2, at Veterans, 5-4/1-3
          Two of 6A’s top QBs battle. Houston County’s Antwann Hill Jr. is second with 2,460 yards (on 73-percent completions, 27-2 TD-INT) and Veterans’ Jake Maxwell is fourth (2,011, 14-7, 62.4). The Bears lead the series 6-2.

Class 5A

Jones County, 5-4/3-2, at Union Grove, 4-5/2-3
          The Greyhounds continue to battle general health issues, including with speedy wideout Zion Ragins, who had only nine catches in October.

No. 8 Warner Robins, 5-4/4-1, at Locust Grove, 0-9/0-5
          The Demons are outscoring opponents 171-55 in their four-game win streak. In their first four games of the season, they were outscored 75-34. Barring an upset of historic proportions, they’ll be at home to open the playoffs and begin to defend their title.

COVERAGE

This week
* Notebook: John Milledge ignores streak; Hardy finally has a team; Greg Moore celebration; playoff picture update
* Maxwell Ratings picks, Central Georgia state rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s Central Georgia high school football games
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Harsin’s costume should have had a big smile; Loughdmouthings (Falcons, high schools, Deion Sanders, Northside, Dublin, Warner Robins, Bo Nix, CFP rankings), CGA polls”
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week: Howard, ACE, Northeast

Last week
* Roundup: Warner Robins pulls away, Putnam County wins late, Dodge County falls in OT, plenty of routs
* Scouting Reports: all GHSA and GIAA games
* So, you’re wondering about Central Georgia’s GHSA standings and playoff picture?
* Maxwell Ratings picks, Central Georgia state rankings
* MMQB: We all thought we’d seen most anything, and then Lee County … Loughdmouthngs, upsets/surprises, Central Georgia polls
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week: CFCA, Howard, Rutland

Class 4A

Griffin, 3-6/3-2, at Baldwin, 3-6/2-3
          The Bears have won three of their last five and the Braves have lost three of their last five. None of the losses for either were particularly close, 21 points the smallest margin. Griffin leads the series 5-0, dating back to 2000.

No. 3 Perry, 8-1/5-0, at West Laurens, 1-8/0-5
          West Laurens’ progress was stymied with last week’s 31-7 loss to Howard. Perry QB Armar Gordon Jr. is 142 yards from 2,000 for the season, RB Demetrious Carter is 65 yards from that mark, and WR Dakarai Anderson is 121 yards.

Class AAA

No. 7 Peach County, 6-3/3-0, at Jackson, 5-4/3-1
          Jackson’s lone win in the 10-game series was 3-2 in 2015, and it gave the Trojans trouble in Fort Valley last year, losing 32-28. Peach County has scored at least 40 points in six games in the series.

Pike County, 2-7/0-3, at Mary Persons, 5-4/1-2
          The Bulldogs have scored 40 points or more only twice this season, but have done so in the last six meetings with the Pirates, part of a 20-1 series lead. The last win came in 1984,9-0 against head coach Dan Pitts. Mary Persons’ Duke Watson has 1,476 yards this season.

Class AA

Central, 2-7/2-4, at Southwest, 3-6/3-3
          It’s a series of streaks. Southwest has won three straight, after Central won six in a row. A six-game Patriots run followed a 7-0 Chargers win streak, covering a span from 1991-2003. Central leads the series 29-18.

ACE, 8-1/5-1, at Spencer, 7-2/6-0
          Spencer muddled its way past a not-sharp Northeast to take sole possession of first two weeks ago. The Greenwave Owls haven’t won a region title since 1967, and have hit the 5-win mark for only the sixth time this century. ACE brings AA’s No. 7 QB in passing yards with Kaleb Scarbary (1,291 yards, 62.1 percent, 17-3 TD-INT), the No. 3 rusher with Aaron Davis (1,373 yards, 17 TDs), and No. 5 receiver in Brice Whitley (625 yards, 8 TDs).

Class A/Division I

No. 2 Swainsboro, 8-0/3-0, at No. 10T Dublin, 6-2/3-0
          Fans of old-school run-first football should flock to the Shamrock Bowl. The ball will fly through the air off of feet more than hands, most likely. The Irish have thrown 36 passes (completing 17 for 4 TDs with 1 INT) and the Tigers have heaved it 23 times (completing 12 for 4 TDs and 1 INT). Swainsboro QB Ty Adams is a bigger rush threat than Dublin’s Micah O’Neal (439-125 yards, one more TD). Swainsboro averages 337.6 yards rushing to Dublin’s 290, with eight more rushing scores. And a region title is on the line.

East Laurens, 1-8/0-3, at Jefferson County, 1-8/0-3
          The winner gets fourth. East Laurens is going for its second straight postseason trip and sixth since 2000, while Jefferson County hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2001, the first season for legendary head coach J.B. Arnold.

No. 12T Lamar County, 8-1/2-0, at Heard County, 5-4/2-0
          Heard County has to slow down CJ Allen (1,162 yards rushing, 21 TDs, and 7.3 tackles a game) to win a region title. The Trojans are playing for their first region championship since 2013.

Crawford County, 2-7/0-2, at Temple, 4-5/0-2
          A win gives the Eagles their second playoff trip in  a row, which hasn’t happened since the late 1990s.
Oglethorpe County, 5-4/0-2, at Jasper County, 3-6/0-2
          Jasper County is in the playoffs, and a win gives the Purple Hurricanes third, a nice reward after breaking a long losing streak earlier in the season. They’re in by default, thanks to a four-team region, last making the playoffs in 2018.

Division II

Glascock County, 2-7/1-3, at Wilkinson County, 5-4/2-2
          The Warriors have clinched a playoff spot, and clinch their first winning regular season since going 6-4 5 overall in 2015.

Hancock Central, 4-5/3-1, at No. 2 Johnson County, 9-0/4-0
          The Bulldogs can take the top seed with a big upset, but are otherwise set for second and a home game. They’re 0-8 against the Trojans.

Hawkinsville, 3-6/1-3, at Dooly County, 4-5/2-2
          Dooly County has lost three straight, all non-region. The Red Devils are in something of a spoiler role,

GIAA
Class AAA

John Milledge, 9-0/3-0, at Tattnall, 6-3/3-0
          The two haven’t played since 2013, a 35-7 John Milledge win, the Trojans second straight win after seven straight losses. A district title is on the line, but it’s more for show, since 82 percent of all Class AAA teams make a playoff, either in AAA or the for-the-postseason-only 4A.

Stratford, 6-3/1-2, at FPD, 2-7/1-2
          The Vikings haven’t had the year expected in Greg Moore’s final season as head coach, but a win over a team that is 11-8 against him and 24-21-1 all-time would certainly ease some disappointment.

Mount de Sales, 2-7, at Athens Christian 3-6

The Cavs try to break a seven-game losing streak on the road.

Westfield, 5-4/2-1 at Anne Pacelli, 8-1/3-0

The Hornets will try to knot up the top of the district while improving their seeding in the playoffs.

AA/A

Gatewood, 4-4/0-1, at Brentwood, 6-3/1-0
          The War Eagles are on a five-game winning streak, by a minimum of 15 points and an average of 27.4 points a game.

Central Fellowship, 9-0, at A Thomas Jefferson, 8-1
          The Lancers are a win away from their second perfect regular season in, unofficially, program history, coming in their first year back in the GISA/GIAA. They have yet to score less than 30 points all season, and have given up more than 20 points only twice.

GHSA Class A/II Lake Oconee, 4-5, at Piedmont, 2-8
          The Cougars are off a solid 42-28 win at Gatewood, and can go 3-2 in the second half of the season with a win.

Fullington, 6-3 at AA St. Mary’s, 1-7
          The Trojans have won three straight, by 29, 22, and 51, and seven wins would be their highest total since 2014.