The sun came up. You hit mostly red lights on the way to work. And the store was out of what you were looking for.

Just as predictably, Atlanta Falcons fans and watchers preferred misery – increasingly, more folks just wake up that way – rather than some reality and optimism.

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

If you didn’t see a better Falcons team Sunday than in a few years, then you weren’t watching or you were overly medicated/hydrated, or just didn’t want to see it..

Go back to what you were thinking – and not post/whining on social media to be cool and all, like the “rebel” ninth-grader – and how they looked different in all phases. The team stuffing the Saints, and rushing for 201 yards and not getting sacked or throwing a pick (or, no, a touchdown).

No, they didn’t finish. Yes, that’s on those in charge of strategery. The latter may have felt too familiar, but remember the first three-plus quarters, and get used to seeing that again.

Often.

The football was better than it’s been. Yes, the bosses on the sidelines clenched up some, and players started making fewer plays, and hey, here’s news flash, the better team coming into the game finally started making some plays.

(**)it happens. All the time. Grow up some and move on and consider – as much as it may hurt – gripping some reality and sipping some optimism. If medication is necessary – and clearly for a staggering number of folks in general, it is – go ahead.

Last week’s coverage
Friday night’s scouting reports
Maxwell Ratings predictions and rankings
Who’s going to win this week’s games?
Notebook: Washington from Mount de Sales to ACE; still no sign of Zavion Hardy; GHSA decides on Mary Persons-Northeast
Early-season Macon Touchdown Club players of the week: ACE, Howard, Jones County, Mount de Sales, Northeast, Tattnall
Monday Morning Quarterback: Enjoy those Saturdays, for college football's greed will eliminate them, which should anger you; surprises, upsets, Loughdmouthings, Central Georgia's polls.

And while some of y’all are being happily sad, note that many better teams had worse Sundays, by far in some cases, than the Falcons. By far.

Tennessee blew a 13-point lead at home and missed the game-winning field goal to lose to one. To the New York Giants. Green Bay was fairly atrocious in losing to Minnesota – not a Super Bowl contender – by the most points with Aaron Rodgers starting since 2009.

Indianapolis got into a 20-3 hole at Houston – something of a mess – and had to rally to just tie it, and then couldn’t do anything in overtime. With Houston.

Cincinnati turned it over five times, had a game-winning point-after-touchdown – not a 63-yard try – blocked, missed a field goal in overtime, and lost to Pittsburgh. And on and on.

Other “better” quarterbacks than Marcus Mariota had more and/or worse mistakes, not that the knee-jerkers are into reality.

I understand the past. I understand being a little scarred, as a friend put it. Doesn’t mean some reality can’t kick in. Doesn’t mean you dump optimism after one friggin’ game.

Posted my season sermon at kickoff, and haven’t changed a thought. They’ll be better than a grumpy fan base expects.

Last week’s upsets

Northeast pulled off a quality surprise in beating then No. 2/AAA Carver of Columbus for one of the Raiders’ best wins in a good while.

And really, that was it.

Last week’s surprises

Thanks to Brentwood, Dublin, FPD, Jones County, Tattnall, and Westfield for sending some game information on Friday, and to Houston County, Lamar County, and GMC for sending some information on Sunday and Monday. Coaches, please have somebody email game information – general is fine – or a picture of a stat sheet to @centralgasports@gmail.com by 2 a.m. after games.

Warner Robins, at this point in time, being shut out by just about any high school program is a surprise.

Nope, didn’t foresee Jones County’s second more-than-just-double-digits loss coming, this time on the road at Peach County. And the Trojans’ staffers were no doubt pleasantly surprised to hold the Greyhounds to a mere three points.

Another shutout for Twiggs County? Another offensive explosion for Twiggs County? Granted, the competition was what it was, but a team still has to execute, and the Cobras have had problems with that for awhile. So there are signs Twiggs County is making some progress, only two years after taking 2020 off for COVID and numbers.

Westfield beating Tiftarea was no surprise, but dropping the hammer by 29 points was. Tiftarea had quality losses, and it sure felt like it’d be a four-quarter game.

In search of …

… the first win.

Central Georgia still has a chunk of teams winless after at least three games: West Laurens, Upson-Lee, Southwest, Washington County, Crawford County, East Laurens, Hawkinsville, GMC, Macon County, and Piedmont. Best odds this week: Book it for Crawford County, with GMC and Macon County being safe bets.

Still perfect

Houston County, Howard, Westside, ACE, Lamar County, Bleckley County, Stratford, and John Milledge are all undefeated after at least three games. Two of those are major surprises.

Loughdmouthings

Who will be Central Georgia’s first 1,000-yard rusher? It’s a race between Mary Persons’ Duke Watson (688 yards), Westfield’s Hunter Kirkley (640), and Macon County’s Marlon Mitchell (596).

The second such passer? Houston County’s Antwann Hill Jr. cracked it early last Friday against Locust Grove (making Jones County’s Judd Anderson giddy, since that’s who the Greyhounds have this week) and is at 1,184 yards, second in the state.

Veterans’ Jake Maxwell is next with 888 yards, FPD’s Jakhari Williams at 739 (in three games), and Perry’s Armar Gordon Jr., with 721 (in three).

Within two weeks, we’ll have about a half-dozen 1,000-yard passers.

Don’t be surprised if Central Georgia boasts a number of 1,000-yard receivers in the regular season.

FPD’s Carter Hays has 463 yards in three games, while Houston County’s Ricky Jackson has 448 yards in four games, and Perry’s Dakarai Anderson at 391 in three games.Veterans’ Damare Franklin has 360 in two.

Always remember that stat references – here and elsewhere – are based on MaxPreps information. And teams – teams and coaches – are responsible for what’s on MaxPreps, not MaxPreps. If teams don’t put the information in or update in a timely manner, it makes for an incomplete and misleading list (so if you want to ask your coaches why they’re not promoting kids – on offense, defense, and special teams …).

Dear Fridaynightgamecasters: While watching games on Saturday and Sunday, did you notice how nobody near a microphone said – and said constantly – that they didn’t see the flag and didn’t know what the penalty was? Like, never?

Because they watched the guy with the white hat, who was on TV all the time, because he always – always – tells people what the penalty was. So instead of looking at each other in the booth or for a family member or whatever one is looking at instead of the man in the white hat, watch the white hat, and avoid not knowing what you should know all night long.

And for the love of God, the time and score into and out of every commercial. It’s about as fundamental as it gets. …

Many of the same people who whined about Dan Quinn being overly optimistic – should he have been pessimistic, Einsteins? – are the same ones offended by Arthur Smith getting snippy on Sunday.

So is it good to show emotion and defend your team or bad to show emotion and defend your team? Again, folks wake up triggered and find something to take a moronic “stand” on. Smith was right, could’ve been a little better about it, but I don’t have too much of a problem. Especially since he was right.

Hell, Atlanta fans have been worse on the Falcons than the media, so, there ya go.

Polls

For the first time in awhile, it seems like we’re going to have some weekly shuffling among the polls, in both divisions.

Remember: teams can jump teams. It’s about context and reality, and based on everything up to this point. A team can beat a team two weeks ago, but the team that lost may have done more since then.

And if you’re a Georgia fan, you know, since the Bulldogs jumped Alabama this week. It happens less than it should.

It’s tempting to vacate the No. 1 spot in Division I, because it’s just hard to say who the ‘best’ team is. Warner Robins has two losses to quality higher-class teams, but the Demons are mighty close to being 0-3.

Which wouldn’t preclude them from being No. 1.

Houston County has played one team, Perry is on a roll since being that one team for Houston County, and losing a game it let get away.

And Division II is fixing to get interesting, starting this week with ACE-Northeast, which will change some things one way or another.

Division I is hard because, well, some tough schedules have led to some subpar records, and some easy schedules may imply more than what’s realistic. Teams are really still question marks, a good chunk more than usual. Perry is stable. After that, flip a coin.

Rankings are what they are, but the gaps are mighty tight.

Division 1

(6A-5A-4A-3A)

1. Warner Robins

Barely. Warner Robins is 1-2, could be 0-3, but still, when it comes down to it, for another week, the Demons are probably the best Division I team.

2. Houston County

The Bears are off this week – and some refrees are happy – before playing Warner Robins. Then we’ll know something. But the start of the Jeremy Edwards Eras, caveats or not, is superb.

3. Perry

Players would do extra running for another shot at Houston County at this point. If they see a HoCo uniform on each opponent, they’ll play for awhile. The Panthers continue to be impressively consistent.

4. Northside

Could be 3-0, could be 0-3. Another team that’s hard to gauge right now.

5. Peach County

The Trojans create enough trouble, you needn’t give them any help, and Jones County did, and we saw an unexpected thumping on the scoreboard. Peach County still hasn’t played a “normal” game just yet, it seems.

Division II

(AA-A-GISA)

1. Bleckley County

A nice job of finishing last week solidifies the Royals atop the Division II list. And coming up with a shutout over another Class A ranked team is notable, considering most folks will think offense first with a Von Lassiter team. But they’ve given up only 20 points in three games against respectable competition.

2. Lamar County

The Trojans have won six straight, dating back to last season, but the average margin of victory is only seven points. Diversifying on offense is going to be a key when November gets here for a deep run.

3. Northeast

Another team in the “too early to figure out yet” folder. Beating Carver was big, and a quality rebound from the heartbreaking Fitzgerald loss.

4. Putnam County

Region play kicks in with two straight home games. The War Eagles took care of business against Jasper County, and even though they don’t have as explosive numbers as last year, they might be better prepared for more competition this year in a region that looks better overall.

5. Dublin

A 528-yard rushing night sounds more Dubliny. A dozen penalties? Not so much. And, yes, the passing game is going to be integral, maybe starting this week with Metter on the road in a playoff-type matchup.

6. John Milledge

Four more weeks until, finally, an in-classification showdown. Until then, three more wins.

7. ACE

Good golly, Miss Molly, ACE is set to host the biggest game – and there’s no competition – in its young history this week with Northeast. Ranked team, runaway region favorite. Most figured the records would be reversed – or almost – by the time they met.

8. Stratford

Another consistent team is Stratford, with three games between 39 and 42 points scored, and three games between 17 and 20 points given up. It’ll be a task to match that this week.

9. Tattnall

The Trojans have played two ranked GHSA Class A teams, and should’ve beaten one and could’ve beaten the other. That’s setting the stage for region and afterward.

10. Macon County

Sure, the Bulldogs are 0-3. Yeah, they stunningly got hammered by Dooly County. OK, they’re mistake prone. And it’s easy to argue that they’d beat a number of teams ranked ahead of them.