By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Friday

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

GHSA

Class 6A
No. 4T Houston County, 3-0, at 5A Locust Grove, 1-1
          It’s Locust Grove’s turn to try and get in the way of one of the top offenses in the state. The 5A Wildcats gave up 53 to 4A McDonough, but they’re 1-1, which is great, considering that follows two straight 0-10 years in which they scored 150 points total. The Bears have 153 points this season. AJ Hill is 180 yards from 1,000 for the season.

No. 4 4A Perry, 1-1, at Veterans, 2-0
          Veterans leads the series 7-6, but Perry has won the last two 37-6 and 34-14. The Warhawks haven’t been tested, and the Panthers followed the thriller with Houston County by hammering Jones County. Perry is much more balanced, led by Ahamad Gordon’s 134 yards on the ground and Colter Ginn’s 230 yards through the air. The Warhawks have 212 yards on the ground, but need more to take pressure of Jake Maxwell (183.5 ypg, 73.5 percent, 6-1 TD/INT).

Class 5A
3A Peach County, 0-2, at Jones County, 1-2

          What is normal a showdown is now a game of finding some positives and momentum. Jones County QB Devin Edmonds was banged up at the end of last week’s 54-21 loss to Perry. The Trojans will have to deal with a trio of receivers – Tyler Stewart, Zion Ragins, and Jaivon Solomon. Peach County (whose MaxPreps stats haven’t been updated) has been outscored 62-30, and plays its third straight upper-classification opponent.

No. 2 Warner Robins, 1-1, at 7A Valdosta, 2-1
          In this battle of 5A vs. 7A, the 5A team won 48-20 in 2021 and 7A won 48-20 last year. Valdosta forfeited a 28-25 win in 2020 amid, ironically, a quarterback transfer situation. The Wildcats are just another good 7A program, going 8-3 last year and losing in the first round.  Warner Robins (which hasn’t updated stats this season) has to deal with Shakevious Wright, who’s getting 124.3 yards a game. What to watch for Warner Robins is, of course, the quarterback rotation, Judd Anderson coming in last Friday only days after joining the team and helping the Demons come back to beat Northside.

Class 4A
AA Washington County, 1-1, at No. 10 Baldwin, 2-1
          The Golden Hawks have already faced on big-time back, Swainsboro’s Demello Jones, whose 145 rushing yards were part of a 46-6 win over WACO. Micah Welch of Baldwin (whose MaxPreps stats haven’t been updated) is on target to at least match his 1,373 yards from last year.
Howard, 2-0, at 5A Harris County, 2-1
          The Huskies can match/pass their win total of 10 seasons in program history with their second straight 3-0 start. They’re riding a defense – led by Mikelle Johnson and Artavious Freeman – that’s allowed six points in two games, albeit against two teams giving up 39.2 points a game. Harris County will be a better test, off to a decent start for a team that finished 2-9 last year, and is more balanced on offense than the Huskies, who already have 10 players with a touchdown this season.
West Laurens, 0-2, at AA Vidalia, 2-1
          The Raiders are on the road in hopes of avoiding their first 0-3 start since 2003. Vidalia rolled to a 28-0 win last year en route to a 6-4 season. The Indians lead the series 14-5.

Class 3A
AA Haralson County. 0-2, at  No. 12 Mary Persons, 2-1
          Brian Nelson is four quarters away from win No. 100 in charge of the Bulldogs, in his 12th season. Through the same number of games, before Friday, Dan Pitts was 82-51-3. Mary Persons is healthier than in a few weeks in hopes of matching last year’s 38-17 road win.
4A LaGrange, 1-1, at Upson-Lee, 3-0
          Not since 2015 have the Knights been 4-0, led by then-senior defensive lineman David Marshall. LaGrange has won 42-14 and 24-6 the last two seasons. JaQuan Bentley is getting 119.5 rushing yards a game, and Niko Wells has completed 70.7 percent of his passes, with six touchdowns – to five receivers – and one interception.

Class AA
Jordan, 0-2, at No. 13T ACE, 3-0
          ACE is the only team in Region 2 to avoid a loss so far. Jordan comes to town on a 27-game losing streak, a run that includes seven forfeits in 2021. Aaron Davis had 228 yards in two games (ACE’s stats on MaxPreps haven’t been updated). The Gryphons won 57-0 last year, one of nine times the Red Jackets were shut out, and one of seven times they gave up at least 50.

No. 2 A/1 Swainsboro, 3-0, at Dodge County, 1-2
          Swainsboro averages 39 points a game to 16.7 for Dodge County, the Tigers good for 386.5 rushing yards a game, 155.5 from Demello Jones. The series is tied at 6.

No. 6 Northeast, 1-1, at No. 8 3A Carver-Columbus, 2-0
          The Raiders will have to avoid a letdown after knocking off No. 1 Fitzgerald on the road last week, and facing a team they kind of handled a year ago. But that loss will be easier to avenge for Carver if the Raiders don’t tighten up on pre-snap mistakes. The Tigers went on to finish 9-3 and reach the quarterfinals before losing 14-6 to Oconee County. Carver (which hasn’t input any stats to MaxPreps). Northeast’s Nick Woodford went for 238 yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns last year.

A/1 Jasper County, 2-1, at Putnam County, 0-2
          After going 9-3 last year, Putnam County is trying to avoid going 0-3 for the first time since 2016. The War Eagles lead the series with their neighbor 36-27-1, with four straight wins.

4A Westside, 3-0, at Rutland, 1-1, Ed DeFore, 6 p.m.
          Westside has been able to adjust to quarterback shuffling – 2022 starter James Neville is on the roster but hasn’t thrown a pass or carried – thanks in part to a very favorable schedule (three opponents are 2-6).Jessie Bell has been big for the Seminoles, rushing for 432 yards and passing for 155 and a touchdown. Rutland had a week off after losing 34-20 to Class A Hawkinsville after leading 20-12 at halftime.

Class A
No. 1/II Schley County, 2-0, at No. 4/I Bleckley County, 2-0
          The Royals have won 11 of their last 13 games at home, and this is their first game against a consensus No. 1 since playing at Clinch County in 2016. Bleckley County lost 47-7 en route to a 2-8 record. Junior Kamryn Everett has completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 320 yards in two games as the Royals’ new starter at QB. Their defense faces a balanced unit averaging 464 yards a game.

No. 5 Dublin, 2-0, at ECI, 0-2
          The Irish lead the series, which dates back to 1921. The teams didn’t play from 1955-2018, and Dublin has won the three most-recent games by 104-28. ECI was 9-3 in 2021 and dropped to 4-7 last year.

3A Richmond Academy, 2-1, at East Laurens, 1-1
          The Falcons lost 27-6 in last year’s meeting. Richmond Academy opened the season with a 42-6 loss to 6A Veterans, the Musketeers outscored Savannah and Josey 83-0.

GIAA Central Fellowship, 2-0-1, at Crawford County, 0-3
          By the time these teams met last year, Crawford County had scored 87 points, a figure of which they’re 81 points short of right now. CFCA won 41-14.

Lamar County, 1-2, at No. 2/II Manchester, 2-0
          The Trojans lost a heartbreaker last week to Dublin 33-28, and now get another ranked team, on the road. Manchester hasn’t been ranked this high when playing Lamar County – 35-22 winner last year – since the 1980s, and is 5-1 the past two seasons at home. Manchester leads the series 23-10.

Marion County, 2-0 at Hawkinsville, 2-1
          The Red Devils have scored 85 points in their last two games. Marion County has beaten 4A Shaw and GIAA Southland, and leads the series 6-3, but Hawkinsville won 13-3 last year.

Washington-Wilkes, 1-1, at GMC Prep, 0-3
          The Bulldogs fell 14-2 to the then-No. 8 Tigers last year. Washington-Wilkes averages 41 points a game.

Central-Talbotton, 0-2, at Twiggs County, 0-1
          The Cobras lead the series 3-0, taking it 48-0 last year.

No. 9/II Greene County, 3-0, at Wilkinson County, 1-1
          The Tigers are outscoring opponents by 24 points, while the Warriors hope to avenge last year’s 28-7 loss.

GIAA
Class AAA
Brookwood, 2-1, at Stratford 2-0
          Stratford is 2-0 for the fourth straight year, and last year’s 42-20 win was the Eagles’ second straight 42-20 win of the season. Brookwood averages 39 points a game.

GHSA AA Laney, 1-1, at FPD, 1-1
          The Vikings righted the ship in a big way last week with an 18-point road win at Brookstone. Laney beat GHSA 3A Hephzibah 16-13 after opening the season with a 21-12 loss to AA Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. The Wildcats won 26-14 last year.

Westfield, 1-2, at Tiftarea, 1-0-1
          Westfield athletics director and assistant coach Mark Ledford came to Perry from Tiftarea. The Hornets have managed only 20 points in their last two games, but beat Tiftarea 63-34 last season.

John Milledge, 2-0, at George Walton, 2-1
          A team that lost 48-0 last year at home to the Trojans will try for the major upset and hand John Milledge its first loss in years.  The Bulldogs lead the series 13-6, but last year’s meeting was the first since 2009.

St. Anne-Pacelli, 2-1, at Mount de Sales, 0-2
          The defending state 4A champs broke the Cavs’ two-game win streak with a 38-0 win last year.

Tattnall, 1-2, at GHSA A/II No. 4 Bowdon, 1-2
          Tattnall gave Bowdon plenty of trouble a year ago before losing 48-35 in a game that was tied at 28 at halftime. Bowdon went 14-1 for the state title, and the 13-point margin was the fourth-closest game of the season for the Red Devils.

Class AA
A Thomas Jefferson, 0-2, at Brentwood, 1-1
          The War Eagles were upended 20-12 a year ago, the Jaguars going on to finish 10-2 and win the Class A title.

Gatewood, 2-0, at 3A Southland, 2-1
          The Gators are off to an offensive start, with 97 points in two games, while the Raiders’ three games have had 99 points scored in them total.

Piedmont, 1-1, at Augusta Prep, 0-2
          Offense has been a problem for both teams so far, but Augusta Prep has given up 106 points in two games.