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Last week’s upsets

It was an upset as per the Maxwell projections, but not here it wasn’t, Jones County rolling over Ola, a 14-point underdog winning by 31. Yessir, picking the Hounds to win the region.

Last week’s surprises

Howard was a 32-point underdog – not here, though – and gave ranked Spalding plenty of trouble in an eight-point loss. Yes, a loss can show progress.

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Bleckley County beating Dublin wasn’t a shock, but by double figures and in control and at the Shamrock Bowl? Overall, qualifies as a bit of a surprise.

Tattnall and Stratford was a pick ‘em, and the Trojans turned it into a smack ‘em with a 27-point win. The same margin, incidentally, as their meeting last year. And then Stratford got sweet semifinal revenge.

What’s the record?

We’re through the midway point of the season, into October.

Who’s above .500?

Houston County, 6-1
Perry, 6-1
Mary Persons, 6-1
ACE, 6-1
Westside, 5-1
Upson-Lee, 5-1
Northeast, 5-1
Taylor County, 5-1
Putnam County, 5-2
Bleckley County, 5-2
Lamar County, 5-2
Jasper County, 5-2
Hawkinsville, 5-2
Macon County, 5-2
Jones County, 4-2
Baldwin, 4-2
Dublin, 4-2
Warner Robins, 4-3

Who’s at .500?
Veterans, 3-3
Hancock Central, 3-3
Wilkinson County, 3-3

Who’s under .500?
Northside, 3-4
Howard, 3-4
Southwest, 3-4
Washington County, 3-4
West Laurens, 2-4
Peach County, 2-4
Rutland, 2-4
East Laurens, 2-4
Crawford County, 1-6
Dodge County 1-6
GMC, 1-6
Twiggs County, 0-6
Central, 0-7
Among the area GIAA teams, in order: JMA, 6-0; Gatewood, 4-1; FPD, 4-2-1; Stratford, 4-3; CFCA, 3-2-1; Tattnall, 3-4; Westfield, 3-4; Brentwood, 3-4; Piedmont, 2-4; Trinity Christian, 2-6; Mount de Sales, 0-6.

Loughdmouthings

No, don’t talk about November and December in September. Too early.

October has arrived. There’s finally something to analyze in high school and college football.

And a reminder: Just because a college player is in his family’s Heisman conversation doesn’t mean he’s actually in the Heisman conversation. …

Saturday night post from here: “Tech battling Miami to 3-0 at half isn't a surprise here. Miami's not back until the Canes get into an ACC title game. First 10-win season since 2017, second since 2003 - 03 - would be a start. Folks have to remember, it was Da U 20-30 years ago. Lot has changed since then.”

The Jackets are just better. The Bowling Green debacle is, yes, inexplicable, but how Tech played the next week, regardless the opponent, was huge and more of an indication of progress or digress.

They played better and harder, and it showed. And then Santa showed up in October in a Mario Cristobal outfit.

Perhaps the Friday-night-coaches-turned-fans-on-weekends who railed about that insanity might perhaps realize that some civilians do offer justified criticisms or observations.

Have said for years I’ll defend refs 99 percent of the time and coaches 95-98. Mario? Yeah, in that three percent, in a huge way. Some staffs do need a civilian with a headset to scream at ‘em when they need to employ logic, which isn’t much part of plans or in-game strategy. …

Rutland winning by Jordan’s forfeit isn’t all that much of a shocker. The Red Jackets scored six points last year, had seven forfeits the year before, just flat quitting in the middle of the season, partly because of COVID.

They’ve had nine winless and 10 seasons of one or two wins this century. The last non-losing season was 5-5 in 1996 – right after 0-10 – and 7-4 in 1993 was the last winning season, and eighth since 1951.

That’s brutal.

Time to consider a sabbatical from the sport. Or at least drop out of region play for two or four years like some programs – like Crawford County – have done.

Quick stat watch: What two programs have a mighty good chance at a 2,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher, and 1,000-yard receiver in the regular season? …

By Sunday night, Bibb County football teams can’t come up with somebody on special teams who had a good night, and deserves consideration for Macon Touchdown Club special teams player of the week?

Really? All the special teams effort sucked? Come on, guys. Even grading out high on coverage is worthy of a nomination. Isn’t it supposed to be one of three phases of the game? …

Dear local college: You cannot, under just about any mathematical equation, ever, have five penalties for 120 yards.

Dear high schools: You can’t, you just can’t, have single-digit first downs with around 300 or more yards total offense and more than 30 points - unless most every TD wasn’t an offensive TD - or have the opposition have six first downs and less than 100 yards.

The other team can’t have 450 yards and 50 points and only nine first downs, while you had half the points and almost 100 fewer yards yet six more first downs.

Can’t be that varied in points and yards and that close in first downs. Just looking at that should give pause.

Remember: Give a first down on a long touchdown. Don’t forget. First and 10 and the 40, get a touchdown, mark down a first down. Just because the play doesn’t stop and the ref doesn’t signal “first down” doesn’t mean there isn’t one.

Penalty? Can be a first down.

Please consult the NCAA stats manual, right here. (Coaches, feel free to do the same). Inquire at centralgasports@gmail.com for a simple game-night cheat sheet.

Please. Am begging you. …

Dear Arthur Smith (at halftime): 16 carries at halftime, even if only 7 points, so much better than last week. Y'all looked better. Des looked better. Much better game plan. though we didn't expect such a nice passing game. Points will come in the second half. But thanks for listening and reading all week. Defensive does need to tighten up.

Update: yeah, the points, um, well, some of us have to be untriggered and optimistic. …

Stat watch answer: Houston County QB Antwann Hill is at 1,814 passing yards, Ryan Taleb at 616 rushing, and Ricky Johnson catching 835 yards worth. Down the road at Perry, Colter Ginn has 1,530 passing, and Ahmad Gordon with 831 rushing and Dakarai Anderson with 596 receiving. …

Being the most lovable player around and one of the five most lovable in program history doesn’t necessarily equate to what many might think.

Linebackers and DBs deserve more yearly Heisman consideration by far than, well, OK, a tight end. Sorry. Those other guys have to be around for 70 plays a game and have more to execute, and are, in reality, of bigger impact.

A pass-catching tight end – no matter how dazzling and consistent and old-school and humble and joyous to watch – who inexplicably doesn’t get covered hard or double-teamed, not as much. …

Nice to see Auburn’s Hugh Freeze follow a loss and enter an off week with a speaking engagement in Mobile last week, and then – wow, an oddity – be confident enough to have a media session beforehand (and stomach some silly teevee questions).

Coaches now make 10 mil and have 70 people with tablets and headsets. They can venture out into the world a lot more than they do for those folks they praise from the interview room as being so important. …

Yes, the area HS schedule is right. Several area regions have this week off together. Dublin is breaking out, and hosting Dooly County.

About a dozen fewer games than usual this week. Many are important, few are sexy. …

Friday night streaming screamers are allowed to give time and score more than nine times a game. And they’re allowed to prepare. Actually prepare. Have some notes.

So we don’t get somebody wondering about these orange flags.

“Well, Biff they’re pink as part of breast cancer awareness month … “ of which happens every single year, all over.

“Oh.”

*Facepalm*

The good news: Heard somenbody in a booth actually had binoculars. The bad news: Still didn’t help, and they weren’t used enough. Still too much “didn’t see” offerings.

*Facepalm*

Polls

Division I (6A-5A-4A-3A, 13 teams)

1. Houston County

2. Perry

3. Mary Persons

4. Jones County

5. Warner Robins

In the hunt: Baldwin, Upson-Lee, Westside

Division II (AA-A, FGIAA, 34 teams)

1. Northeast

2. John Milledge

3. Bleckley County

4. Lamar County

5. Macon County

6. Dublin

7. ACE

8. Jasper County

9. Hawkinsville

10. Putnam County

In the hunt: FPD, Tattnall, Taylor County, Hancock Central