Plenty of talent to be on display for the Macon Touchdown Club Middle Georgia Kickoff Classic
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
If organizers of the Macon Touchdown Club Middle Georgia Kickoff Classic have prayed for acceptable weather for Saturday, those prayers appear to have been answered.
And that should lead to a fairly full Five Star Stadium at Mercer for Saturday’s doubleheader, Jones County and Northside at 4 p.m. followed by Northeast and Mary Persons.
A year ago, weather was unfriendly, stopping the Northeast-Mary Persons game early in the second half and eventually ending the game after midnight at that point because of lightning.
In 2019, the Washington County-Baldwin matchup didn’t get started until around 11 p.m. because of weather issues.
Those on hand for the seventh edition - tickets are available at the gate - will see plenty of talent.
Zion Ragins of Jones County didn’t have a normal season in 2022, with only 557 yards in catches, but a healthy Ragins – who has committed to Oklahoma - is a 1,000-yard receiver and threat to go the distance whether he catches a pass or punt or kickoff.
In the Greyhounds’ scrimmage last week at Buford, he took the opening kickoff back.
Jones County’s Chandler Harris is the No. 10 returning tackler in Central Georgia, racking up 87 stops last year. Northeast’s Talien Sampson is 12th with 81.
A pair of opponents Saturday are, as of now, set to be opponents in college. Jones County quarterback Judd Anderson has committed to Miami, and Northside defensive back Ricardo Jones to Clemson.
The offensive lines at Northeast – led by 6-7, 300-pound Malachi Hancock - and Mary Persons, though, will be blocking with a little more juice than usual in hopes of winning the running game with running backs Nick Woodford of Northeast and Duke Watson of Mary Persons.
They’re two of the top 21 returning yardage-gainers from 2022, junior Woodford with 2,728 yards in his first year as a starter and senior Watson with 1,669, a year after getting 1,716.
Of course, the challenge is equally strong for both defenses to slow down the standout backs.
Jones, Ragins, Watson, Woodford and Hancock all earned spots on the Georgia High School Football Daily/AJC preseason all-state team in their respective classifications. Jones, Ragins, and Watson are among the top 50 seniors in Georgia this year.
Jones County athletics director Chad Alligood may feel some déjà vu. A year ago, he was on the losing side of this game as Northside’s head coach.
Eagles, Greyhounds, Bulldogs, Raiders ready for Classic (with video)
Kickoff Classic history
2022
Jones County 27, Northside 21
Mary Persons 14, Northeast 12 (suspended in third quarter because of lightning)
2021
FPD 49, ACE 0; Warner Robins 48, Valdosta 20
2020
Canceled, COVID-19
2019
Washington County 42, Baldwin 7
Westside 34, Southwest 16
2018
Peach County 27, Northside 24
Dublin 55, Tattnall 0
2017
FPD 17, Central 12
Howard 21, Mount de Sales 8
2016
FPD 34, Howard 14
Central 48, Mount de Sales 6