By Michael A. Lough

Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted

Listing based on home team’s classification unless both are from Central Georgia.
Updated each Monday with AJC rankings.
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.

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Friday

Class 6A

No.2 Lee County, 5-1/1-0, at Veterans, 4-2/0-1

          The Warhawks were respectable in their last game against a top-10 team, last week in a 48-21 loss to No. 7 Thomas County Central on the road. Lee County faced a passing team last week in Houston County, but pretty much dealt the knockout blow in the first half, leading 22-0 after one and adding 14 more before the Bears scored. Veterans’ Jake Maxwell is among 6A’s leaders in passing with 1,390 yards, and Lee County’s Ousmane Kromah has 920 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. This is the first meeting.

Class 5A

Ola, 2-3/0-1, at No. 12 Jones County, 4-2/2-0

          The Greyhounds have been battling some injury issues, and haven’t been anywhere near full go for a little while. The QB shuffle with Judd Anderson and Devin Edmonds has continued, the Greyhounds winning their last two games 104-19. Ola is on a three-game losing streak, including by a 38-0 count to Warner Robins last week. Jones County leads the series 8-0, and the last three meetings have been decided by a total of 20 points.

Union Grove, 3-3/1-1, at No. 10 Warner Robins, 2-4/1-1

This week

* Scouting reports on all GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Ratings picks, Central Georgia state rankings
* Thursday’s roundup: Houston County-Northside, Rutland, Putnam County
* Who’s going to win this week’s games? (And Thursday scouting reports)
* Monday Morning Quarterback: So, you want to start planning for the HS playoffs? Go ahead/not so fast; Surprises, upsets, Loughdmouthings (Tech, colleges, stat leaders …), Central Georgia's polls
* HS notebook: ACE, Washington win appeal; Hardy still in active; Westside's Risper on cusp of 100th win/milestone watch; GHSA football finals back to the Benz?
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Last week
* Roundup: Houston County falls, Warner Robins & Baldwin get road shutouts, Perry cruises, Lamar County rebounds, Macon County stunned
* This week’s Scouting Reports
* Maxwell Ratings predictions and rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s games?
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Surprises, upsets, Loughdmouthings, Central Georgia’s polls

          The Demons had by far their best game of the season last week in hammering Ola 38-0. Union Grove lost 16-0 to Dutchtown, two weeks after the Bulldogs beat Warner Robins 14-7. The Wolverines have scored one more point than they’ve allowed. The Demons lead the series 1-0, a 49-7 first-round win in 2020.

Class 4A

Howard, 4-2/0-2, at Spalding, 4-2/2-0

Teams seemingly going in different directions meet for the sixth time, the series tied at 3 after Spalding’s 27-6 win last year after three straight Howard wins. The Huskies are struggling mightily on offense, off consecutive shutouts. Spalding averages 216.8 yards through the air and 121.8 on the ground.

West Laurens, 1-4/0-1, at Westside, 4-1/0-1, Ed DeFore

          Westside head coach Spoon Risper sits on 99 wins, and faces a struggling offense on the Seminoles’ homecoming. West Laurens broke a streak of three straight shutouts last week in the 28-16 loss at Griffin, a game in which the Raiders had a lead. Westside won the first six meetings, West Laurens the last two, in 2020-21. Westside’s James Neville has completed 54.4 percent of his passes for 927 yards, 10 TDs and 6 INTs, with three targets getting at least 200 yards each. Kadiphius Iverson has seven rushing TDs for the Seminoles.

Class AAA

Mary Persons, 4-2, at Jackson, 3-3

          Jackson broke a seven-game losing streak in the long series in 2020 only for the Bulldogs to pull out a 23-21 thriller last year for a 59-20 series lead. Mary Persons QB Logan Hickman is 61 yards from 1,000 passing for the season, completing 61.1 percent of his passes with 13 TDs and 2 INTs. RB Duke Watson is 135 yards from 1,000, and he has eight rushing scores.

Upson-Lee, 2-4, at Pike County, 2-4

          The region opener is big for both teams, eyeing a playoff spot in a five-team region. The Knights have some momentum with two straight wins, by double figures, including 56-0 last week over Mount Zion of Jonesboro, putting the Knights on the positive side in points. Pike County was losing 49-7 to Class A Lamar County at the time. The neighboring counties have only played six times, the Knights lead falling to 4-2 after last year’s 45-33 loss. Junior Jaquan Bentley has 719 yards and 5 TDs on the ground for the Knights.

Class AA

Central, 1-5/1-2, at ACE, 5-1/2-1

          The Chargers have a task, slowing down RB Aaron Davis, who is 167 yards from 1,000, and WR Brice Whitley (16-342/5), as well as defenders David Ruddell and Gavin West, each in double-digit tackles per game. The Gryphons have failed to crack 30 points only twice, while the Chargers have yet to hit 30 this season. This is the first meeting.

Dodge County, 1-5/0-2, at Jeff Davis, 0-6/0-2

          Duke Johnson gets 118 yards a game for the Indians, who have three losses by single digits, including to top-ranked Fitzgerald. Dodge County needs a win – and it leads the series 6-1 – to stay alive in the playoff hunt.

Kendrick, 0-6/0-3, at No. 7 Northeast, 4-2/3-0

          Nick Woodford is among the state’s leaders with 1,317 rushing yards. Kendrick is on a 30-game on-field – excluding a forfeit to co-Columbus Jordan last year – losing streak. The Cherokees’ closest loss since late in the 2020 season was recently to Central by 27-21, a rare loss by less than three touchdowns.

Spencer, 4-2/3-0, at Southwest, 2-4/2-1

          Freshman QB Chase Dupree has completed 50.8 percent of his passes for 1,215 yards, 14 TDs and 10 INTs, Carmelo Mays catching 27 of those passes for 642 yards and 9 TDs. Spencer has sights set on region leader Northeast in two weeks after being off next week, so the Greenwave might be susceptible to looking ahead.

Westside-Augusta, 1-5/1-2, at Washington County, 1-5/1-2

          Golden Hawks QB Morgan Jones is on the fringe of the top 50 in the state with 1,104 yards passing, as is Kamonta Durden with 448 yards on 26 catches. Washington County is trying to avoid its first six-loss regular season since 2017, and its first playoff absence since 2007.

Class A

I

Crawford County, 2-4, at Heard County, 2-4

          The Eagles have some weapons with RB Terrell Ashley (45-556/4 rushing, 15-302/4 receiving) and QB Judd Puckett (730 yards, 57.5 percent, 8/2 TDs/INTs), Heard County leads the series 14-6, and had won six straight through the last meeting, in 2009.

Dublin, 2-2, at No. 6 Bleckley County, 6-0

          The teams are in neighboring counties, but have only played 16 times. And Dublin leads 15-1, the lone Royals win coming in 2014. This is the first time they’ve met with Bleckley County ranked, and one of the few times with Dublin unranked. The challenge is on Dublin’s defense against a balanced offense that gets 160.8 yards in the air and 223.7 on the ground. QB Eli Mullis is completing only 50 percent of his passes, but has 10 TDs to 4 INTs, and is 97 yards from 1,000. He also has positive rushing yardage. Jahvon Butler and TJ Mays have 668 and 359 yards and 12 and 5 TDs rushing. Dublin’s Demari Foster has 452 yards and 4 TDs, leading an offense that has tried only 22 passes all season. The Irish have given up only 569 rushing yards so far.

Jasper County, 2-4, at East Laurens, 1-4

          The Hurricanes can match their best win total since going 3-7 in 2019, while the Falcons look for some momentum after their first win and to get ready for Region 2 play. East Laurens leads the series 1-0-1, but the teams haven’t played since a 6-6 tie in 1973.

II

No.8 Dooly County, 3-2/1-0, at Treutlen, 0-6/0-1

          The Bobcats lead the series 7-0, winning 21-13 last year. The Vikings have scored only 29 points, and been shut out three times.

Glascock County, 1-5/0-1, at Twiggs County, 2-4/0-1

          This is the first season this century that Glascock County is playing a region schedule. The Cobras are 2-0 in the series, winning in 2021 and 2014.

Hawkinsville, 2-4/0-1, at Wheeler County, 3-3/0-1

          The Red Devils battled Region 4 co-leader Telfair County last week before losing by 24. Wheeler County was stung 47-0 by Dooly County. Hawkinsville should have some confidence, owning an 11-1 series lead, although that streak was broken last year by Wheeler County’s 33-14 win.

Wilkinson County, 3-2/1-0, at GMC, 1-5/0-1

          The Bulldogs are trying to get back to full health, and improve on getting only 102 rushing yards a game. QB Tyler Saunders has 678 yards passing, but one more INT than TD. Wilkinson County leads the series 18-6, but GMC has won the last two, 12-6 and 7-6 in 2021 and 2020.

GIAA

Class AAA

FPD, 1-5, at Mount de Sales, 2-3

          The first district game pits a coach in his final season as head coach and one in his first. The Vikings have lost four games by 6, 6, 7, and 5, while the Cavs’ defeats are by 38, 28, and 1. FPD QB Jakhari Williams is 34th in the state with 1,239 yards despite throwing a little less than average in recent weeks. He also has 601 rushing yards on 88 carries, with 10 passing TDs and 7 rushing. The Cavs will have to cover Carter Hays, third in the state with 730 yards on 33 catches with 6 TDs. FPD leads the series 23-14-1, and has won five of the last eight, when both were in the GHSA.

Stratford, 5-1, at Tattnall, 3-3

          The first major showdown in GIAA comes with teams that have played 55 times, and every year since 1984, often twice a year. Stratford head coach Chance Jones went 2-3 against his current team while leading the opposition, Tattnall, from 2016-2019. The last 10 games have had margins of 1, 8, 17, 2, 4, 6, 4, 27, 17, and 1. Naturally, it’s 5-5. There are playmakers, with Keondre Glover and Shaun Wilmore among those at Stratford, and Cam Person and Brayden Smith topping Tattnall’s list. The Trojans’ losses are to GHSA teams by 7, 13, and 1.
Westfield, 3-3, at Strong Rock, 3-3

          The District 5 opener comes with Westfield off a visit to the GHSA, and a 45-14 loss to Class A top-10 Bleckley County. That broke a streak of scoring 48, 63, and 49 for the Hornets, whose defense will face a pretty good run game that gets 174 yards a game. Westfield, though, counters with 230.8 rushing yards, led by QB Hunter Kirkley’s 149.5 yards, plus 19 touchdowns. He averages 131 yards passing. This is the first meeting.

AA/A

Edmund Burke, 4-1, at Brentwood, 3-3

          The War Eagles got rolling two weeks ago in a 41-26 win over George Walton, led by Wells Muller’s 246 yards and 4 TDs. Brentwood cruised despite not throwing a pass, and followed up with a 21-0 win over Briarwood, sparked by Harlan Scott’s 199 yards. The Spartans’ lone loss is 33-20 to Thomas Jefferson, and they’re off a 59-0 win over Memorial Day.

Fullington, 3-3,at Harvester Christian, 1-4

          The Trojans have lost their last two games 34-20 and 56-42, while Harvester Christian broke a four-game losing streak two weeks ago with an 18-14 win over Rock Springs.
SW Georgia, 3-3, at Piedmont, 0-5

          The Cougars are still struggling this year, after going 9-4 in 2021. Three losses have been by 1, 7, and 1.

Trinity Christian, 3-4, at St. Andrew’s, 3A/3-2

          The final non-district matchup features teams that have scored lately. St. Andrew’s has put up 31, 43, and 28 in its last three games, while TCS rebounded from a 50-3 hammering by Briarwood to beat Fullington 56-42, its second 55-point game this season.

Saturday

Class 4A

No. 3 Perry, 5-1/2-0, at Griffin, 1-5/1-1

          The Panthers have been in the top 10 every week since the end of the 2020 regular season, and have held four straight opponents to seven points or less this year. Last year, they did that six times, with four shutouts. At 43 points a game, Perry is on target to pass last year’s program scoring record (34.85 ppg). QB Armar Gordon Jr. has 1,343 yards passing, and only three interceptions on 121 attempts, with 19 touchdowns. Dakarai Anderson has 30 catches for 585 yards and 7 scores. Griffin is 12-16 since going 11-2 in 2019 and reaching the quarterfinals.