Monday Morning Quarterback: Surprises, upsets, Loughdmouthings, Central Georgia's polls
Last week’s upsets
There were a few, based on the Maxwell Ratings projections, and logically, a turnaround of 10 points or more.
Northside led the way, as a 28-point underdog, the Eagles coming up big in overtime to knock off 7A North Cobb.
Lamar County seriously reversed things as a 3-point underdog to Jackson (though somebody – coughcough - picked the Trojans by 13, and they won by 26). Haralson County was favored by 9, but Upson-Lee got a nice 14-point win.
All four Macon Class AAA private schools were picked to win – though Pacelli-Stratford was even – and all four lost. Westfield was a Maxwell underdog on Maxwell, 8-point favorite here, and rolled 49-21 over Mount de Sales.
Last week’s surprises
Howard’s 11-point win over Pike County was a chunk less than the 33-point pick.
Macon County’s win over Greenville was 29-points closer than expected. Piedmont gave Edmund Burke much more trouble in a four-OT loss.
Loughdmouthings
Nick Woodford is listed as 5-8, and plays bigger. Not sure what he’s listed at speed-wise, but he plays faster.
Thanks to Dublin, GMC, Jones County, Northside, and Westfield for sending some game information on Friday, and to Lamar County on Sunday and Macon County on Monday. Coaches, please have somebody email game information – general is fine – or a picture of stat sheets to @centralgasports@gmail.com by 2 a.m. after games.
The Northeast sophomore running back is head-turner on the field. Man, he’s got power – ACE learned that the hard way, trying to tackle up a little high and not wrapping up – and is just a severe tackle-breaker.
But he’s got more wiggle and balance than one might expect. He was chased down Friday on a 67-yard run – superb hustle from ACE’s Brice Whitley – and that’s not likely to happen very often the rest of the way.
Fun to watch.
Where he ranks in the state in yardage is anybody guess because …
Always remember that stat references – here and elsewhere – are mostly 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 …).
Last week’s coverage
Friday night’s scouting reports
Maxwell Ratings predictions and rankings
Who’s going to win this week’s games?
Macon Touchdown Club players of the week: Westside, Howard, Northeast
Monday Morning Quarterback: Predictable – and misguided – handwringing about Atlanta; Loughdmouthings; Central Georgia polls
Sure, losing that bad to Penn State isn’t good, but man, it sure does seem like Auburn in general enjoys sabotaging Auburn.
How absurd does a place have to be to work on manufacturing stories to force a guy out after one year? And do very little to apologize and support him?
And then take joy is piling on after a loss to a ranked team?
It’s a bit early – logically, not in college fan/booster terms - to completely erase the Harsin Era, and it makes Auburn – big crowds notwithstanding – look like a “do I really want to go to a place that sells out its coach before his first season is over? That doesn’t give people a chance to dig out of a hole?” place.
Some Auburn folks like to brag that they’re different, and maybe they’re right. Few other major programs handle/mishandle things the way they do over there. …
It brings joy to see the successes of Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagvaiolova, who were supposed to be better under shaky circumstances than reality indicated they should be. It’s not like anybody was calling for the Eagles or Dolphins to make a Super Bowl run the past few years. …
If you want some fiction, look at the “announced” attendance at a variety of FCS and Division II programs and conferences. Not even trying to be honest …
Sorry, not going with the crowd blasting Nick Chubb for scoring, just like with the crowd still smacking Tank Bigsby for going out of bounds last year for Auburn against Alabama (which won the play by forcing him out, even as he tried to go down).
Players work on reps galore, and have things hammered into the brains. If you think it’s that easy in the heat of the moment on the field – even if it’s noted in the huddle, before you get in formation, and start reading things and start playing – you’re crazy.
It’s an easy second-guess, and a crappy one.
Neither team lost because two running backs did normal things. How about yapping at Cleveland’s defense for not stopping a soul down the stretch? How about yapping at Auburn not getting a first down on the next play? Or stopping Alabama from going on a – say it with me – a 97-yard drive starting with 1:35 left in the game to tie it?
People love piling on easy targets. Never apologize for doing your best or what you were taught. Mistakes happen, but never apologize for good habits and the right intent.
Polls
It was rough night for Macon private schools, with FPD, Tattnall, Stratford, and Mount de Sales all losing. That makes for a tough Division II poll, since now most of the teams in that division have non-winning records.
Division I isn’t any easier, with good records vs. strength of schedule, etc.
Division 1
(6A-5A-4A-3A)
1. Perry
The Panthers have beaten two ranked teams, 5A and 3A, by 28 points, and they haven’t been challenged since the loss to Houston County. Perry is playing mighty steady right now with region play starting.
2. Houston County
Beating Perry was nice, and sure got the Bears on a roll. And while Warner Robins is clearly off-kilter right now, this week is big for Houston County. The Bears have lost five straight to the Demons, and not many were close.
3. Northside
What a burly win for the Eagles, with a 7A win on the road over a ranked team. The offense needs to find a groove, starting this week in the non-region finale. Will last week’s win be the one that puts Northside on track?
4. Warner Robins
If you’d have said a month ago that Warner Robins would be averaging all of 8.5 points a game, nobody would have believed you. Defense is holding its own, but all of a sudden, we’re talking about a .500 season and maybe only a 10-game season. And folks are talking.
5. Jones County
The timing was good for the Greyhounds to get Locust Grove, fix some things and rebuild some confidence while having a week off to get ready for Dutchtown and then Warner Robins.
Division II
(AA-A-GISA)
1. Bleckley County
Shutouts are hard enough to come by. Bleckley County has back-to-back shutouts, first time that’s happened at least since this century started. That’s something of a statement.
2. Lamar County
The game you were waiting for from Lamar County came against Class AAA Jackson, the Trojans now 5-0 for the first time since 2019. If they don’t doze, the first perfect season since 2013 – the third of three straight back then – is very much within reach.
3. Northeast
The Raiders showed what a good halftime talk can do, turning what was looking like a four-quarter game into a three-quarter game with ACE. They won’t be challenged like that the rest of the regular season, unless some ridiculous circumstances develop.
4. Putnam County
The War Eagles aren’t scoring as much as last year, but that’ll soon change in the next few weeks.
5. John Milledge
Gee, rough night. The Trojans almost doubled how many points they’ve given up in one game.
6. Dublin
The Irish went from looking like the Irish to get shut out for the first time since 2013, 26-0 to Laney. They have a week off, then one more non-region game before opening Region 2-I play at Bleckley County, and that’s the game that matters.
7. ACE
The Gryphons gave Northeast plenty to worry about for a half. And had they not given up that last-minute touchdown in the second quarter, you wonder if it would have stayed close for longer. Still, overconfidence could be an issue in a region with only two teams left above .500, and the biggest game out of the way.
8. Macon County
Win No. 1 finally came last week, but it was a lot closer than expected.
9. Tattnall
All three of the Trojans’ losses have been to respectable GHSA teams with winning records, by seven, 13, and one.
10. Stratford, Westfield
We’re getting into that “hmm, a lot of teams sure seem to be pretty even” zone.
They wrote it
“Nebraska has fired its last four football coaches — Bill Callahan, Bo Pelini, Mike Riley and Scott Frost — and paid them a combined $32 million in buyouts, all within a year of awarding them contract extensions.
“In other words, Groundhog Day I, II, III and IV.”
- Seattle Times’ Sideline Chatter