Central Georgia Sports ReportComment

Friday's Central Georgia HS football scouting reports

Central Georgia Sports ReportComment
Friday's Central Georgia HS football scouting reports

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

 

GHSA
Class 6A
No. 9 Houston County, 6-2/1-2, at Tift County, 2-6/1-2
          Off an odd and eyebrow-raising 27-0 loss to Thomas County Central, the Bears appear to have a chance to get back on track, although Tift County – amid a year of turmoil – is improving a bit. A win all but clinches third for the Bears, who finish up with Veterans and have the tiebreaker over Northside. Antwann Hill’s arm is more rested than expected after only 19 attempts and 63 yards last week, and the talented receiving corps is likely to get a good workout. Tift County has held two opponents below 35 points, a shutout of a Florida team and 6 to Veterans. Houston County won 66-7 last year, improving to 4-7 against Tift County.

Veterans, 3-5/0-3, at Northside, 3-5/1-2
          Records notwithstanding, it’s a big game for the Warhawks and Eagles. Veterans is still alive by a threat in the playoff hunt. The loss to Tift County amid a flurry of injuries, including to QB Jake Maxwell and WR Preston Bird, that have hammered the offense, hurt. A win over Northside, even on down year on Green St., is a win over Northside (who leads the series 4-1). The Eagles are playing for an 11th game, tied with Houston County and Tift County for third. With powerful and undefeated No. 1 Thomas County Central next week, Northside can’t afford a loss to Veterans.

Class 5A
No. 12T Jones County, 6-2/4-0, at No. 8T Warner Robins, 5-3/4-0
          Welcome to the Region 2 championship. Jones County has won five straight games, by an average of 28 points. Warner Robins is on a three-game win streak, with one by 28 points, the other two by one and 13. The Demons defense has given up 27, 14, and 7 in the last three. Against defending champ Dutchtown, Jones County won 35-28 last week and Warner Robins won 29-22 in mid-September. The Greyhounds average 377.6 yards a game, but were held to 82 rushing yards in the win over Dutchtown. Devin Edmonds is completing 61.9 percent of his passes for 1,662 yards, and 19 TDs to 7 INTs. Four running backs have at least 200 rushing yards. Tyler Stewart took over as Jones County’s go-to receiver this year, with 793 yards and 14 touchdowns on 33 catches, Jaivon Solomon next with 28 for 471 and 4. Warner Robins’ Judd Anderson completed 72 percent of his passes last week for 297 yards, Isiah Canion with eight catches for 143 yards and two scores. Warner Robins isn’t updating stats. According to stats submitted by teams to the Georgia High School Football Daily, Edmonds has 23 more yards passing than Anderson. Jones County has three region championships in the last four years, while Warner Robins has four in the last six. As even as these teams have been going into recent meetings, the games have never lived up to the anticipation. The Demons have won three straight, by 24, 28, and 35, since 2020. Those first two were in the playoffs, the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Teams/schools: Please send postgame information to The Sports Report with names and some details

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Teams/schools: Please send postgame information to The Sports Report with names and some details 〰️

Class 4A
Howard, 4-4/1-3, at West Laurens, 2-6/0-4
          It’s an elimination game for Howard, which is in fifth place in Region 2. The Huskies are a little more shorthanded than they were a month ago, courtesy of departures and dismissals during a three-game losing streak ended by last week’s 28-21 win over Griffin. If Howard beats West Laurens and Baldwin beats Westside, the Huskies and Seminoles will be 2-3 and tied for fourth. And they play next week at Ed DeFore. Howard QB Cam Taylor passed the 1,000-yard mark and has a 10-4 TD-INT ratio, completing 55.9 percent of his passes, using several targets, while also rushing for 260 yards and 5 TDs. West Laurens QB Ty Cummings is 37 yards from 1,000 rushing yards, and has 9 TDs, sharing the team lead with Shannon Adkins. The Raiders lead the series 12-3, the Huskies winning 31-7 last year.

No. 4 Perry, 7-1/4-0, at No. 5 Spalding, 9-0/5-0 (Streaming here on GPB)
          A key will be Perry’s offensive line keeping Spalding’s line away from QB Cullen McDaniel, expected to play again for injured Colter Ginn. And a key will be Perry’s defensive line getting after Curt Clark, who’s completed 62.4 percent for 1,282 yards, 14 TDs and 2 INT. He’s also run for 839 yards and 10 scores. Perry’s Ahmad Gordon has 1,032 yards and 20 touchdowns on 158 carries, Dakarai Anderson leading a solid receiving group with 43 catches for 662 yards. Amped? Spalding is having its best season since 2015, a 10-2 year, and moreso looking for its first region championship since 2003. Perry leads the series 7-3, including 40-7 last year. Spalding is 3-7 in its last 10 against ranked teams.

Westside, 6-2/2-2, at Baldwin, 5-3/2-2
          It’s a pre-playoffs playoff game between the teams tied for third in Region 2, both of whom could find themselves on the outside looking in with two losses. Both have issues with consistency and some penalties. Both have playmakers. Baldwin RB Micah Welch has committed to Colorado (Baldwin hasn’t updated MaxPreps stats in several weeks), and Westside’s multi-purpose threat Jessie Bell has 439 passing yards and 1,006 rushing yards, with 4 TDs through the air and 11 on the ground. Kadiphius Iverson adds 853 rushing yards and 10 scores, and Jiquavious Marshall has 386 receiving yards and 4 TDs. The Seminoles also have playmakers on defense.

Class 3A
Pike County, 0-8/0-2, at Peach County, 2-6/0-2

          The Trojans can be expected to get some momentum against a team that did finally have a four-quarter game, a 28-25 loss last week to Jackson. And Jackson is who Peach County plays next week for, barring a major upset, third place. Pike County broke a four-game scoreless streak last week, while Peach County fell 21-20 to Upson-Lee. The Trojans are amid their first sub.500 regular season since going 1-9 in 1986. But their streak of making the playoffs every year since 1991 appears safe.

No. 4 Mary Persons, 7-1/2-0, at Upson-Lee, 8-1/3-0

          Duke Watson gets 187.3 yards a game on the ground for Mary Persons. Ja’Quan Bentley is good for 151.5 for Upson-Lee. Watson has 23 rushing TDs, Bentley 18. They’re in the top 20 in the state among all classifications. But the Bulldogs may have an edge in the passing game, Mac Nelson taking over the position and completing 55.7 percent for 903 yards. But the door is open to Upson-Lee’s defense and Nytravion Jones (3 INTs), Nelson throwing seven interceptions to five touchdowns. But the Knights may have it, too, Niko Wells with 10 touchdowns to two interceptions and a 57.4-percent rate en route to 667 yards, along with 281 rushing yards and six scores. Jacobi Jones and R.J. Holder team for 16.7 tackles a game for Mary Persons. Malachi Character and Adonis Brazil combine for 13.9 stops for Upson-Lee. Upson-Lee head coach Justin Elder is 0-6 against his alma mater, the Knights winless in nine tries against the Bulldogs, all since 2014. All that with the Region 2 title at stake, the Knights going for their first such trophy since 1993, Elder’s senior year at Mary Persons.

Class AA
Dodge County, 1-8/0-5, at Berrien, 2-5/1-3
          The Indians can knock Berrien from postseason contention – the Rebels barely are in it now, thanks to getting a win by Cook’s forfeit – with a win in their season finale.

Jordan, 0-7/0-4, at No. 6 Northeast, 6-2/4-1, Thompson
          Northeast is licking wounds after last week’s stunning loss to Spencer in overtime after leading 25-0. Jordan is on a bit of a roll, with 14-point games in its last two, although there was a forfeit in Macon to Rutland on Oct. 6. Thus, whether Jordan makes the trip is something to keep an eye on. Southwest’s upset of ACE on Thursday locks Northeast into the No. 2 spot in region and assures the Raiders a first-round home game.

Come back around 8 p.m. for Central Georgia's only live scoreboard

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Come back around 8 p.m. for Central Georgia's only live scoreboard 〰️

Josey, 1-7, 0-5, at Washington County, 4-4/3-2
          Senior Cameron Beasley leads the Golden Hawks with 1,316 passing yards and 13 touchdowns on 68.3 percent completions. Kamonta Durden has 781 yards and 3 TDs on 46 catches. A win, and Washington County could move from fourth to third with a win next week against Putnam County.

Kendrick, 2-6/1-4, at Rutland, 2-5/2-3
          It’s a battle for some pride and season-ending momentum, both teams out of the playoff hunt. The Hurricanes can finish at .500 with a win and then a massive upset of Northeast. Marquies Lattner has 676 rushing and 518 passing yards to lead the Hurricanes, who won 39-14 last year.

Putnam County, 5-3/4-1, at Laney, 5-2-1/4-1
          It’s huge for Putnam County. The War Eagles and Wildcats are tied for second. Laney finishes up with 1-7 Glenn Hills, and Putnam County hosts Washington County, which is a game back, meaning the War Eagles have a tougher final game to make the playoffs if they lose.

Class A/Division I
East Laurens, 2-6/0-2, at No. 10 Dublin, 6-2/1-1

          It’s not a good time for the Falcons to get the Irish. Dublin has won four of five, and the last two by a 12-34 margin. Since East Laurens’ lone win in the series, 46-17 in 2012, the smallest margin is 22 points, 56-34 in 2015. The Irish have five shutouts in that span.

No. 8 Lamar County, 6-2/1-0, at Crawford County, 1-7/0-1

          The Trojans have won five straight since a two-game losing streak against 3A Upson-Lee and Dublin. They have three shutouts along the way as well as a win over No. 2 Manchester. Jordan Glover has 585 rushing yards on 68 carries for Lamar County, with quarterback Ty Head scoring six times on the ground in 40 carries. Crawford County has allowed at least 30 points in six of seven games, 120 in the last two.

No. 1 Prince Avenue, 7-1/1-0, at Jasper County, 5-3/0-1

          The Wolverines are on a 13-game region winning streak during which 27 points has been the smallest margin of victory (48-21 over Social Circle, Nov. 4, 2022). Jasper County is looking for probably the biggest upset in program history, though the  Purple Hurricanes do have a win over a No. 1, albeit back in 1967, 21-7 over now defunct Tallulah Falls. They fell 62-6 to top-ranked Prince Avenue last year. Jasper County-Oglethorpe County next week will likely be for third place in the four-team region. Chevy Sands is a playmaker for Jasper County, with 513 passing yards (5-2 TDs-INTs) and 554 rushing yards with eight scores.

No. 2 Swainsboro, 8-0/2-0, at No. 7 Bleckley County, 7-2/3-0

          The task for Bleckley County to win its second region title in three years and second in, well, program history, is simple: slow down Demello Jones, Bryson Tarver, Jordon Williams, Jabios Smith, and Qindarious Brown. That group has combined for nearly 2,400 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. The Tigers have been held to less than 300 yards only twice, once by Dodge County in an 11-7 Tigers’ win. QB Kam Everett leads a balanced Bleckley County attack with 1,161 passing yards (15-7 TDs-INTs) and 518 rushing yards, to go with Joshua Stanley’s 726 rushing yards and 12 scores. Cam Beck leads the Royals’ D with 6.4 tackles a game, Iverson Baker and Markeze Brown adding three interceptions each.

Class A/Division II
Hancock Central, 4-4/2-1, at Wilkinson County, 4-4/2-1

          The visitors get almost 100 more yards a game than the hosts, and can play for the region title next week with a win. They could also be in a tiebreaker scenario for second with a loss. Wilkinson County can take sole possession of second with a win, or play Glascock County next week with third place on the line.

Hawkinsville, 6-2/2-1, at Wilcox County, 4-4/1-2

          There’ll be some poppin’ pads in Rochelle with the homestanding Patriots battling for third, and Wilcox County needing a win so next week’s game against Wheeler County isn’t for the final playoff spot. The Red Devils get 358.5 yards a game, 305.1 on the ground, 101 yards coming from Zenard Smith, who is 192 yards from 1,000 for the season. Hawkinsville and first-year head coach Tim Suttles want to finish strong in their first winning season and first playoff trip since the 2014 Class A state title. A win locks in third place.

Johnson County, 5-3/3-0, at Twiggs County, 0-8/0-3

          The Trojans are in a good position for their second straight region title, coming off last year’s 13-1 season. Twiggs County has two chances to avoid its third winless season since 2011.

Taylor County, 6-2/4-1, at No. 6 Macon County, 6-2/3-2

          The Vikings are tied for second and the Bulldogs in sole possession of third in Region 6. If Taylor County wins, it’ll play Manchester for second next week, and Macon County could suddenly be playing for a playoff spot. Of course, Marion County would have to stun top-ranked Schley County for that to happen. Basically, this battle of run-oriented teams is for third place.

GIAA
Class AAA
John Milledge, 8-0/2-0, at Mount de Sales, 0-8/0-2
          John Milledge has won 58 straight games, and Mount de Sales has lost 17 straight. Along the way was the Trojans’ 54-7 win last year, one of seven games in which John Milledge held an opponent to seven points or scoreless. Javion Butts is rolling along on the ground behind a mostly new offensive line with 1,398 yards and 15 TDs. QB Kolt McMichael returned last week – he still has an ACL injury – and has completed 61.5 percent for 1,066 yards.

FPD, 4-3-1/1-1, at Tattnall, 4-4/2-0
          A battle of contrasts, with the balance and weapons of FPD against the steadiness and physicality of Tattnall. But the most explosive player on the field very well might be the Trojans’ Antone Johnson, among the area leaders in rushing with 1,118 yards and 19 touchdowns. A hobbled Jakhari Williams is one of Central Georgia’s more versatile weapons, with 1,058 passing yards and 428 on the ground, throwing for 14 TDs – with no interceptions – and rushing for six more. The Vikings are still some walking wounded – Williams and Carter Hays played last week in FPD’s gutty 27-22 loss to John Milledge – and should be well enough for this to be the battle as expected.

Class AA
Gatewood, 5-1, at Piedmont, 2-6/0-1
          The Gators are off a good battle last week, a 20-14 loss to Edmund Burke, while the Cougars were thumped 42-3 by Brentwood for their third straight loss since upsetting Central Fellowship.

A Harvester Christian, 3-4, at Central Fellowship, 5-2-1
          Both teams rack up some yardage, 319.5 for CFCA and 291.1 for Harvester. The Lancers cruised 49-0 last year.

Trinity Christian, 2-7, at Brentwood, 4-4
          Brentwood broke a three-game losing streak with a 42-3 pounding of Piedmont, the War Eagles’ best game of the year. Trinity Christian has lost its last two by an 83-6 margin.