By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Class 6A

West Laurens, 0-1, at No. 3 Houston County, 2-0
          The Bears won 58-0 last year, the first of three straight shutouts by West Laurens opponents. And that came after a Raiders’ win over AA Dodge County. West Laurens lost that opening meeting 20-10. The Raiders should be stronger on defense, but the Bears may be stronger on offense, which is notable after averaging 42.8 points a game last year.

Class 5A

No. 9/6A Northside, 2-0, at No. 3 Warner Robins, 0-1
          Memories? The last time Northside beat Warner Robins was in 2016, with current Bleckley County assistant Kevin Kinsler leading the Eagles and Northside grad and current Jones County head coach and Northside grad Mike Chastain in charge of the Demons. It was 55-3 in the season opener. Northside’s Keron Milton, Ricardo Jones, Damien Dee, Jarris Coney are among the 2023 seniors hoping not to be the seventh straight senior class to not taste victory against Warner Robins. The Demons had a week off last year after losing 26-10 to Lee County, and beat the Eagles 17-10 in the closet game since 39-34 in 2018. Warner Robins was more physical in the first half last week, but may have worn down en route to a 26-19 loss at Lee County, the Trojans rolling up 293 rushing yards on 38 carries. Northside grinded past Peach County 28-17 for only its second 2-0 start since 2016. Both teams have some replacing to do, especially the Demons, with a new offensive line and mostly new defense. Both teams have first-year head coaches, Warner Robins’s Shane Sams with one year as Centennial’s boss – and an 0-10 season – under his belt. He and Northside’s Ben Bailey earned reps as offensive coordinators. This is probably the most even the teams have been entering the meeting in several years.

Class 4A

No. 9 Baldwin, 2-0, at No. 1/5A Ware County, 2-0
          Defending GHSA 5A champ Ware County is on a 10-game winning streak at home, having gone 15-1 since the start of the 2021 season at the Swamp. That includes the 41-3 romp over the Braves last year.  Baldwin was 0-2 entering last year’s meeting.

No. 11/5A Jones County, 1-1, at No. 5 Perry, 0-1
          The Greyhounds are in transition, becoming a one-quarterback team, and facing a team that won this meeting 42-14 last year when Jones County was ranked third in 5A. Jones County has lost three straight to lower-classification teams. Perry is off an epic game, albeit a loss, to 6A Houston County, while Jones County expectedly handled Dacula 44-19. Zion Ragins caught 10 passes for 188 yards and a TD last year for Jones County, while Perry’s Dakarai Anderson had four for 118 and two scores.

Westside, 2-0, at Morrow, 1-1
          Westside had more trouble than expected last week in beating Southwest 35-28, completing only two passes in 10 tries, the completions coming from RB Jessie Bell, who ran for 227 yards and two scores on 24 carries. The Seminoles won 40-14 last year in the first meeting since the 64-0 win in 2003. Morrow has had one winning season, 6-5 in 2019, since 1998.

Class 3A

Mary Persons, 1-1, at No. 13/4A Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg, 1-1
          The Bulldogs didn’t complete a pass, and beat Northeast two weeks ago. They went 12 of 23 for 179 yards last week, and lost. The game, and several starters, including QB Nemo Jones. Standout RB Duke Watson didn’t play, having aggravated a preseason foot injury in the win over Northeast. Trinity Christian won 31-20 last year.

Worth County, 1-1, at Upson-Lee, 2-0
          The Knights were dominant last week at Lamar County, a quality Class A program, more than doubling up the Trojans in snaps, 63-31. Niko Wells completed 13 of 18 for 91 yards and four touchdowns, and the defense held Lamar County to 85 rushing yards. The Knights are likely to have last year’s 66-53 loss on their minds.

Class AA

ACE, 2-0, at Pataula Charter, 2-0
          Can ACE open the season with three straight shutouts? The Panthers are only a little older than the Gryphons, but have yet to play a region schedule. Pataula Charter’s wins are over Central-Talbotton and Baconton Charter, who combined for one win last year, when Central forfeited to Baconton. ACE, which got 110 yards on 12 carries from Aaron Davis last week, won 63-22 in 2022.

Dodge County, 1-1, at Washington County, 0-1
          The Golden Hawks gave up 145 yards on 10 carries last week to Demello Jones, and now face standout athlete Duke Johnson (no stats posted), who helped the Indians to a 43-21 win last year.

No. 9 Northeast, 0-1, at No. 1 Fitzgerald, 2-0
          The Raiders had a rough opener against Mary Persons, between mistakes and cramps. They lost to Mary Persons last year, and gave Fitzgerald fits in Macon in a 28-27 loss. The defending state champs ran for 350 yards last week and held Irwin County to three first downs in the opener. Northeast is trying to be the first AA team or lower to beat Fitzgerald in the regular season since Thomasville won 15-8 in 2021. The hosts are 13-1 at home since the start of the 2021 season. Northeast’s last road win outside of Bibb County over a ranked playoff team was 27-23 over No. 8/AA Washington County in the middle of the 2021 season.

Pike County, 0-2, at Southwest, 0-2
          The visiting Pirates have been outscored 99-12, and are 0-2 for the fourth straight year. Southwest gave Westside trouble, losing a first-half lead. Pike County leads the series 4-1, winning 49-20 last year

Putnam County, 0-1, at Oconee County, 0-2
          The War Eagles lost to 4A Baldwin 33-13, a year after beating the Braves. They battled the 3A Warriors, who reached the semifinals, hard a week later in a 20-0 loss.

Class A

Claxton, 0-2, at Hawkinsville, 1-1
          Former Georgia Southern All-American quarterback Greg Hill heads Claxton, which went 4-7 last year, including a 19-6 win over Hawkinsville and season-ending playoff loss to Lamar County by a 42-21 margin. The Red Devils eye their first 2-1 start since 2020.
Crawford County, 0-2, at Wilkinson County, 0-1
          Neither team has scored this season, the Eagles outscored 84-0 in two games and the Warriors 64-0 after one. Wilkinson County won 53-13 last year.

Dooly County, 0-2, at No. 4 Macon County, 2-0
          The Bobcats were outscored 65-12 after two games last year, and stormed Macon County 58-26 en route to a 7-6 season, the Bulldogs starting 0-3 and finishing 5-6. Macon County passed for 143 yards and ran for 154 in stopping Clinch County against last week, but the Bulldogs gave up 342 yards rushing on 62 carries.

East Laurens, 1-0, at Jenkins County, 2-0
          Jenkins County went 7-4 last year, including a 35-7 win over the Falcons, and is in the way of East Laurens’ first 2-0 start since 2015. The Falcons are off a pair of one-win seasons.

Greene County, 2-0, at Hancock Central, 1-1
          Greene County is off to its best start since 2016, then under current Washington County head coach Robert Edwards. Hancock Central trails 40-6 in the series.

Lamar County, 1-1, at No. 7 Dublin, 1-0
          Dublin had the week off, and Lamar County wishes it did after losing 38-7 to Upson-Lee. The Irish hammered Wilkinson County 64-0 two weeks ago. The Trojans won 21-20 in overtime last year on the way to a 10-2 season, the Irish finishing 7-4.

Morgan County, 1-1, at Jasper County, 2-0
          Can Jasper County go 3-0 for the first time since 1996? And beat a team for the fifth time in 37 tries along the way? Morgan County went 7-4 last year, including a 65-7 win over the Purple Hurricanes.

Taylor County, 1-1, at Montgomery County, 0-1
          The Vikings rebounded well from a loss to GIAA Southland by hammering Crawford County 31-0. Montgomery County is on a five-game losing streak.

GIAA

Class AAA

FPD, 0-1, at Brookstone, 0-1
          FPD was a little shorthanded last week, but should be in better shape as it hopes to even th series with Brookstone, and break a two-game losing streak, 38-30 and 34-28, to the Cougars of former Peach County head coach Rance Gillespie.

Southland, 1-1, at Westfield, 1-1
          Southland has a GHSA win under its belt, and Westfield is off a 35-13 loss at Stratford having been held to less than 200 yards total offense.

Stratford, 1-0, at Riverside Military, 0-1
          The series is tied at 3, but the Eagles have won the last two, 42-20 and 32-23.

Athens Christian, 0-1 at Tattnall, 0-2
          The Trojans’ last 0-3 start? Back in 2012, the final season under legendary Barney Hester, when Tattnall opened up losing to Southland 23-22 in OT, Westfield 3-2, and John Milledge 10-0.

Class AA

GMC Prep, 0-2, at Brentwood, 1-1
                   The War Eagles have won two straight, albeit more than three decades apart, 27-16 in 2022 and 10-7 in 1987. GMC has been outscored 89-7 in two games

Central Fellowship, 1-0, at Tiftarea, 0-2
                   CFCA trails in the series 5-3, but has won two straight, 33-29 and 29-14.

Augusta Prep, 0-1, at Gatewood, 1-1
The Gators won 33-26 last year for a 5-1 series lead.

Trinity Christian, 0-2, at Edmund Burke, 1-0
                   The Crusaders have rolled in the series to a 15-6 advantage, but lost 35-25 last year.