Central Georgia Sports ReportComment

Friday night's Central Georgia high school football scouting reports

Central Georgia Sports ReportComment
Friday night's Central Georgia high school football scouting reports

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

 

Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted

         Rankings are compiled by the Georgia High School Football Daily and are composite rankings from from AJC, GPB, ScoreAtlanta, 680 The Fan, Maxwell, and MaxPreps. T designates tie at that ranking.

          Most stat references come from MaxPreps, but rankings are incomplete. MaxPreps stats are based on information input by teams, and a notable number of teams either don’t put stats in or are slow to update them.

Thursday

LaGrange 42, Upson-Lee 14

Friday

GHSA

Class 6A

Locust Grove, 5A/0-2, at Houston County, 3-0

          Ryan Taleb is 22nd statewide with 451 yards in three games, plus a nifty 11 touchdowns, putting him in the top 5. The Wildcats are on a 17-game losing streak, and have been held to single digits 12 times, with four shutouts along the way.

Class 5A

7A/No. 10 Valdosta, 3-0, at 5A/No. 2 Warner Robins, 1-1

          There’s clearly a possibility that the Demons will be 1-2 at the end of the night, which would be their worst start since 0-3 in 2016. See, the Demons have only lost three or fewer games the last five years. Valdosta has beaten North Miami, Fla., Class AA Cook and 5A Banneker, so there hasn’t been much testing. The Wildcats do have last year’s 48-20 thumping by the Demons in the Macon Touchdown Club Middle Georgia Kickoff Classic to avenge.

Class 4A

Howard, 2-0, at Harris County, 5A/1-2

          Howard is 2-0 for the second straight year, starting off with Bibb County competition for the second straight year. Harris County is led by former Upson-Lee head coach Tommy Watson, has made the playoffs five straight years, the program’s best run. Howard, with Camereon Taylor and Tybien Smith teaming for almost 300 rushing yards a game, hasn’t been 3-0 since 2015.

Rutland, 2A/2-0, at Westside, 3-0, Ed DeFore

          The Hurricanes have matched their win total of the last two years, and are going for their first three-win season since 2014 and 3-0 start since 2013. In the way of that happening this week is a team that leads the series 12-0, with only two games of a single-digit margin. One, though, was last year’s 21-14 Seminoles win.

Veterans, 6A/2-0, at 4A/4 Perry, 1-1

          Perry may be “only” 1-1, but the Panthers again have a variety of offensive weapons, led by QB Armar Gordon, completing 65.1 percent of his passes. The Panthers are looking to give him and RB Demetrious Carter and wideout Dakarai Anderson some help in the threats department. QB Jake Maxwell is off to a quality start for Veterans, completing 63.8 percent and averaging 263 yards a game. Expect some points in this 13th meeting (Veterans leads 7-5).

Vidalia, 2A/3-0, at West Laurens, 0-2

          The Raiders welcome a Class AA team to Dexter, and will likely have to self-motivate after last week’s 58-0 loss to Houston County that won’t draw folks to the stadium. West Laurens will look for better execution in all phases against a team that’s beaten 6A, 3A, and a GIAA 3A team so far, after going 3-8 last year, the Indians’ first losing season since 2008.

Class 3A

5A/No. 9 Jones County, 5A/2-1, at No. 8T Peach County, 1-1

          A nice non-region showdown at Peach County’s young stadium features teams with some offensive firepower and some questions. Peach County’s hard-hitting defense will try to deal with versatile athletes Zion Ragins and Javious Bond from Jones County’s offense, while the Trojans are also capable of doing damage by air and ground as well. Big plays are likely to be big.

Mary Persons, 2-1, at Haralson County, AA/1-1

          Duke Watson is off to a normal start with yardage at 450 in three games, but the scoring is coming slower, with three touchdowns. Haralson County ate up all but a half-minute of a quarter in last week’s 15-14 win over 3A Bremen, which followed a 49-3 lost to A-I Rabun County. The Rebels’ defense faces a balanced test.

Central Georgia's live scoreboard tonight, and best coverage in the morning

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Central Georgia's live scoreboard tonight, and best coverage in the morning 〰️

Class AA

ACE Charter, 3-0, at Jordan, 0-2

          Jordan has to tangle with RB Aaron Davis, eighth in the state with 553 yards, eight touchdowns in the Region 2 opener. The Red Jackets have been outscored 113-0 in losses to 3A Columbus and A-II Mount Zion-Carroll, and are on a 17-game losing streak. They haven’t had a non-losing season since 5-5-1 in 1996.

Baldwin, 4A/0-3 at Washington County, 0-2

          Neither team is all that used to winless starts after a few games, moreso by being handled so much through a few games. Baldwin is getting outscored by 26 points a game with two running clocks. When Washington County started 0-2 in 2015, the losses were to 4A teams Thomson 49-42 and Mary Persons 38-14. The Golden Hawks lead the series 22-19-2, and Baldwin’s 34-28 win in 2017 is the lone W in the last six meetings.

3A/No. 2T Carver-Columbus, 2-0, at No. 13T Northeast, 0-2

          Jamari Riley has 308 rushing yards in two games for Carver, under new head coach Pierre Coffey. The Tigers have made the postseason every year since 2006, a streak started under then-head coach and current UGA assistant Dell McGee. That run included at least the quarterfinals from 2006-2013. Northeast’s hopes for an upset decrease if the Raiders’ only offensive threat is underrated and powerful sophomore RB Nick Woodford.

Central, 0-2, at No. 15 Worth County, 3-0

          The Chargers have a task to avoid another 0-3 start, on the road against a team off to its best start since 1999. The Region 1 Rams thumped Upson-Lee 56-33 last week while Central lost 56-19 to Howard.

Dodge County, 1-1 at A-I/No. 3 Swainsboro A-I/3-0

          The Indians got a timely – and convincing – win over Washington County last week, 43-21, despite giving up 263 passing and 153 rushing yards. Here’s another test before the start of region play, and Swainsboro is a huge test, outscoring its last two opponents (Washington County and Jeff Davis) 89-0. Dodge County, though, has won the last four meetings, with two straight shutouts (albeit seven years between them). Dodge County won 35-0 last year.

Class A

No.5 Bleckley County, 2-0 at A-II/No. 5 Schley County, 1-1

          QB Eli Mullis is off to a bit of a sluggish start, at 50 percent with four scores and a pick, but that’ll change as young receivers get more experience. The Royals have running threats in Jahvon Butler and TJ Mays, teaming for five rushing TDs. The Royals’ D will get work against a good passing team.

Central, Talbotton, 0-2, at Twiggs County, 1-1

          The Cobras had a spring in their step during the week after hammering GSIC 61-0.

ECI, 1-1, at Dublin, 1-1

          A pair of perennial small-school playoff teams and regular state contenders should put forth quite a slobberknocker at the Shamrock Bowl. Dublin has had five trips to at least the semifinals since Roger Holmes showed up in 2002, and ECI has done the same six times. Both have two state titles, ECI with nine 10-win seasons and Dublin with 10 in that stretch. As even as the programs are and as close together as they are – less than an hour apart – they’ve only played twice since 1955, in 2018-19, Dublin winning 21-0 and 42-7 to extend the series lead to 9-0-1.

East Laurens, 0-2 at Richmond Academy, 3A/2-1

          The Falcons have scored only 14 points in two games and the Musketeers are giving up 9.7 a game. East Laurens is looking for its first win over a higher-classification team since topping 4A Howard 40-6 in 2012. Richmond was a 5A team until 2016, and then 4A until 2020.

GMC Prep, 0-3, at Washington-Wilkes, 2-0

          A year ago at this point, GMC was 3-0 and had outscored a 3A, A, and AA team 122-14. This year, opponents have outscored the Bulldogs 98-45, and GMC will have to battle for a third straight winning season for the first time since 1999-2001. The struggling start comes right after a historic 10-1 season in which GMC gave up only 76 points. W-W went 9-3 last year.

Manchester, 1-1, at No. 8 Lamar County, 3-0

          Now it’s Manchester’s turn to get a go at CJ Allen, among the state’s top two-way players, a major prospect at linebacker who’s also 26th in the state with 429 rushing yards in three games.

Marion County, 0-2, at Hawkinsville, 0-3

          Marion County was stung last week with a 21-14 loss at GIAA Southland, for a second straight 0-2 start, after going 11-3 in 2019. The Red Devils are losing by only 6.7 points a game, and could very easily be 2-1.

AA/No. 11 Putnam County, 1-1 at Jasper County, 1-2

          The War Eagles are off a quality effort in a loss to AAA Oconee County, and have beaten their neighbors to the west three straight times, by 49-0 and 69-0 after 24-21 for a 35-27-1 lead in the series. It’s the second-longest series for Jasper County and longest for Putnam County.

Wilkinson County, 1-1, at Greene County, 2-1

          Wilkinson County raised eyebrows with a 53-13 win at Crawford County, arguable the Warriors best game in more than a half-dozen years. Now they’re going for the second two-game win streak since the end of the 2017 year. Which was capped with a 53-27 win over Greene County.

 

GIAA

Class AAA

GHSA A-II/No. 4 Bowdon, 2-1, at Tattnall, 2-1

          The Trojans will try to slow down RB Robert McNeal, among the top 40 rushers in the state with 127.7 yards a game. But Bowden has to deal with Brayden Smith, among Central Georgia’s top playmakers in all phases. He has more return yardage than most backs have rushing yards.

FPD, 1-1, at Laney, GHSA AA/2-0

          The Wildcats have a win over a AA team from South Carolina and 3A Hephzibah, after a 6-5 season that followed 1-8. FPD had some hiccups in losing 34-28 in overtime at home to Brookstone.

George Walton, 1-2, at John Milledge, 2-0

          George Walton has beaten John Milledge six straight times, and leads the series 13-5-1. Of course, the teams haven’t played since 2009, amid JMA’s 0-10 season and before alum JT Wall took over in 2011 to start the Trojans current run, which includes three straight state titles and the active winning streak of 38 straight games.

Mount de Sales, 2-0, at St. Anne-Pacelli, 2-1

          Pacelli’s loss is 27-23 to Tattnall, which scored in the final minute to win. The Cavs have knocked off Strong Rock and Brentwood in a pair of taking-care-of-business wins. Pacelli handled the Cavs 37-3 in the GHSA Class A Private playoffs in 2020, three years after Mount de Sales won 57-6. The Cavs go without QB/RB/LB Fernando Washington, among the GIAA’s top players, who is now at ACE.

Stratford, 2-0, at Brookwood, 2-1

          Brookwood has to deal with RB standouts Keondre Glover (12-188/2) and Shaun Wilmore (14-102/3). Kjell Stevenson leads the Eagles with 12 tackles, 3 for loss. Brookwood QB Rodge Waldrop already has 734 yards and 10 touchdown passes.

Westfield, 1-2, at Tiftarea, 0-3

          Westfield QB Hunter Kirkley has 427 rushing yards in three games, tied for 28th, and has run for 8 TDs while throwing for 457 yards (63rd in state) and three scores . Tiftarea is a competitive 0-3 team, having lost its last two – to Frederica and Central Fellowship – by seven and four points, storming back against CFCA. Head coach Erik Soliday has coached at Turner County (twice), Henry County, Americus, Perry, and Americus-Sumter, his head coaching career starting in 1989.

Class AA/A

Augusta Prep, 0-2, at Piedmont, 0-2

          Both teams are off close losses, Augusta Prep 33-26 to Gatewood and Piedmont 27-14 to Terrell. Piedmont hasn’t been 0-3 since 2017.

Brentwood, 1-2, at Thomas Jefferson, 2-0

          The War Eagles could easily by 2-1, and showed why with last weeks’ 27-16 win over GHSA Class A GMC when they ran for 265 yards on 50 rushes and held the Bulldogs to 165 yards total offense. Thomas Jefferson is a Class AA program that last year played in the Class A playoffs and won the state title. The lone loss? To Brentwood, 41-20 in mid-September.

Bulloch, 1-1, at Trinity Christian, 1-2

          Bulloch started 1-1 two years ago, and finished 7-3. TCS has to pick up the defense, which is giving up 42 points a game, at least 35 points in all three games.

Crawford County GHSA A/0-3, at Central Fellowship, 3-0

          The Eagles had some optimism entering the season, and even after a 70-53 opening loss at ACE, but they’ve struggled, and are off a particularly surprising 53-13 home loss to Wilkinson County. CFCA had a big lead last week over Tiftarea and had to hold on to win.

Southland, 2-1, at Gatewood, 2-0

          Southland has wins over two GHSA teams, Taylor County and Marion County, before being thumped by Westfield. Gatewood started off 2-1 last year and 3-0 the year before. The Gators lost this meeting 14-13 on the road last year after winning 16-7 a year before.