Central Georgia Sports ReportComment

Friday night's Central Georgia HS football scouting reports

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

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Class 6A
Lakeside-Evans, 2-1, at Veterans, 2-1
          The Warhawks aren’t far off from a 3-0 start, falling last week by eight to 4A No. 4 Perry in a quality effort. Still, odds are with them for their second straight 3-1 start – and they lost 37-6 last year to the Panthers – welcoming another set of Panthers, but one that has one less non-losing seasons in the last decade than Veterans. The Warhawks won 28-17 last year. Preston Bird has developed into a major playmaker, with 24 catches for 456 yards and seven touchdowns, six coming against Perry, connecting with Jake Maxwell, who has completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 686 yards.

7A North Cobb, 1-2, at Northside, 2-1
          The Eagles had a week off to let the second-half slide and 39-35 loss to Warner Robins fester, and welcome a team 0-3 against them, including a 20-17 home loss when ranked fifth by the AJC. Head coach Shane Queen has been at North Cobb since 2006 and has only three seasons, racking up a career mark of 162-97 at North and South Cobb. The Warriors – who are not submitting stats to MaxPreps - are giving up 10 more points than they’re scoring, and coughed up 52 to Westlake. The Eagles’ run game is slow to develop, but senior QB Damien Dee is completing 62.7 percent of his passes, and has yet to throw a pick, against seven touchdowns. Jarris Coney leads the defense with 9.7 tackles and three sacks.

Class 5A
No. 6 Warner Robins, 1-2, at Dutchtown, 1-3
          Dutchtown won 14-7 last year as Warner Robins was amid issues with the offense and playcalling during which the Demons had only 17 points in three games before the meeting. Warner Robins lost a week later, and won nine straight, while the Bulldogs went on to a 12-2 season that ended with a 31-7 semifinal loss to Ware County, which a week later beat the Demons 38-13 in the finale. This is only the second meeting, but it’s a big one. The Bulldogs are on a two-game losing streak, falling at home to 4A Spalding last week, and are 7-3 n their lst 10 at home, including a 56-35 first-round playoff loss last year to Harris County. Neither team has updated stats on MaxPreps.

Class 4A
A/I No. 4 Bleckley County, 2-1, at West Laurens, 1-2
          The Royals were rolling amid a six-game winning streak to start the season and rolled 33-0 in last year’s meeting, the third of a three-game streak in which the Raiders were shut out. West Laurens is scoring more and Bleckley County – off an OT loss to A/II No. 1 Schley County – is giving up more. The battle of playmakers – and those defending – pits Bleckley County’s Kam’ryn Everett (193.5 yards a game) against Ty Cummings (136 ypg). The Raiders lead 12-11-1, but have lost three straight.

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Howard, 2-1, at 3A Pike County, 0-4
          The Huskies dug an early hole and ran out of time in last week’s 27-19 loss to Harris County, and odds are with them to get back on track against a team that’s scored only 19 points against all lower-classification opponents, and is coming off a 2-8 season, including a 14-3 loss to Howard. QB Cam Taylor has passed for 442 yards and rushed for 146, combining for seven touchdowns. LB Zelin Pollard is off to another good season, with 7.7 tackles a game.

Class 3A
4A No. 4  Perry, 2-1, at Peach County, 0-3
          Perry’s win last year broke a 10-game losing streak to Peach County, and was the Panthers’ most points since that win in 2007, 48-28. It was the biggest margin for Perry since 34-0 in 1983, when it started its last two-game win streak – excluding a forfeit win in 1986 before a 7-6 win a year later. The Trojans will have to deal with a former Trojan, QB Colter Ginn, who is completing 58.3 percent of his passes for 721 yards. Ahmad Gordon is good for 145.7 rushing yards a game, and already has 10 touchdowns. Peach County is giving up more than 150 yards a game (stats have not been updated) on the ground, and will try to avoid its first 0-4 start since 1983 (excluding 1986 when it forfeited nine games, eight of which they won on the field)

Upson-Lee, 3-1, at AA Haralson County, 0-3

The Knights were rolling along, and then were discombobulated by Class A Lamar County 42-7, after giving up 34 points in three games. The Rebels are outscored by 16 points a game, including a 35-14 loss last week to Haralson County. Upson-Lee’s last 4-1 start was in 2015.

Class AA
No. 11 ACE, 4-0, at No. 5 Northeast, 2-1, Thompson
          Giving up only eight points in four games is nice, but ACE’s four opponents are 2-8 and have combined for 43 fewer points than the Gryphons have scored. Northeast enters much more test, with battles against Mary Persons, Fitzgerald, and Carver-Columbus. While ACE (stats have not been updated) may be more improved from last year than Northeast, the Gryphons’ hopes for the upset lie in slowing down Nick Woodford – which didn’t happen a year ago, especially in the clinching second half – and taking advantage of Raiders’ mistakes, which they’ve had problems with in every game. Woodford is having the year expected, but Northeast hasn’t updated stats, so his numbers are unavailable. ACE’s Aaron Davis is one of the better backs in Central Georgia and Class AA. The winner takes a slight upper hand in Region 2, with co-favorite Spencer playing Northeast on Oct. 20 and ACE in the regular-season finale on Nov. 3, those three teams the only ones in the region fairly safe locks for the postseason.

Putnam County, 1-2, at Butler, 1-1
          Butler’s season-opener with Cross Creek bit the dust, and the loss is to Kipp Atlanta Collegiate, an 11th-year program on its fifth head coach and with only one season of more than two wins. The Bulldogs haven’t made the playoffs since 2017. Putnam County won 44-0 last year

Southwest, 1-2, at Jordan, 0-3
          In one of the Macon vs. Columbus battles, the Patriots lead the series 5-0, including last year’s 61-0 smashing, the fourth straight shutout of the Red Jackets to start the season.

Class A/Division I
A/II No. 12T Johnson County, 1-1, at East Laurens, 2-1

          Norrion King is getting 105.7 yards a game on the ground for East Laurens, which is outscoring Johnson County (which has not updated MaxPreps stats) by five points a game. But the Trojans have played just two games, both against Division II opponents. Johnson County leads the series 28-17, and has won nine straight. Head coach Don Norton has been at Johnson County since 2007, and hasn’t had a losing season since he went 7-23 at Truetlen from 2001-03.

3A Jackson, 1-2, at No. 11T Lamar County, 2-2
          The Trojans broke a two-game losing streak with a nifty 17-14 win at No. 2 Manchester, their second win this year over a ranked team. Led by Jordan Glover and Ty Head, the run-oriented Trojans are down 25-12 in the series, but have won two straight, the last two years.

Coaches/teams: please send box scores or game info - names, stats, details - by 2 a.m., or 10:30 a.m.

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Coaches/teams: please send box scores or game info - names, stats, details - by 2 a.m., or 10:30 a.m. 〰️

A/II Lake Oconee, 2-2, at Jasper County, 2-2
          The teams are even in scoring, Jasper County getting 15 more yards a game, but tripling Lake Oconee in sacks. The Titans are more balanced on offense, which gives Tyler Banks a chance to increase his average of 1.3 sacks a game

Metter, 1-3, at Dublin, 2-1
          The state’s 12th-winningest active coach hosts the state’s 15th-winnigingest active coach. One of them is of a stunning loss to ECI, early in a season of championship-contention potential. The other one is off to a 1-3 start – scoring only 34 points  - after a 9-4 season – in which they had twice as many points through four games. The Irish are looking to get into a groove and up their numbers from only 137 yards a game rushing (Metter hasn’t updated stats).

Class A/Division II

GMC, 0-4, at GIAA/3A Riverside Military, 0-3
          Both teams are having rough years, combining for only 17.5 offensive points a game. The Bulldogs trail 17-12-3 in the series, but won 54-12 last year and 26-6 in 2021.

Hawkinsville, 3-1, at Twiggs County, 0-2
          The Red Devils are a huge favorite to improve to 4-1 – or this good after five games - for the first time since the title year of 2014. Since then, they’ve only won more than four games once, a year later. First-year head coach Tim Suttles looks to pass the first-year four-win totals of Hawkinsville’s last four head coaches. QB Malek Brown is good for 148.3 yards in total offense per game. Landon Johnson leads the defense with 8.5 tackles a game.

Greenville, 0-3, at No. 2 Macon County, 3-0
          The Bulldogs are in familiar territory with a 3-0 start, outscoring opponents by 12.3 points a game. They’ve won the last three in this series by 10, 28, and 50, since 2020.

Taylor County, 2-1, at Chattahoochee County, 0-3
          The Vikings have lost two straight region openers, but are favored to break that streak and get off to their best start after fur games since o to 3-1 for the first time since 2020 (4-0). The Panthers have had five winning seasons out of the last six, and won 61-7 last year. Taylor County has not submitted stats to MaxPreps.

Warren County, 2-1, at Hancock Central, 1-2
          The visitors already have twice as many points as the hosts through the same number of games. A year ago, Hancock Central score four more points in the opener than it has so far this year. Warren County leads the series 24-15-2 and has won three of the last four meetings.

GIAA
Class AAA
John Milledge, 3-0, at Frederica, 2-1
          Four teams cracked double digits last year against John Milledge, and Frederica was one. In a 63-13 loss, the Trojans’ second-biggest win of the championship season. Javian Butts gets 136.3 rushing yards a game, while Kolt McMichael is completing 59.6 percent of his passes for 657 yards for the Trojans, who haven’t to anybody since Fredrica’s to-the-shed 48-0 win in the 2018 3A title game.

GHSA A/I No. 9 Mount Vernon, 3-0, at Tattnall, 1-3
          The Trojans are struggling more this season against one of the GIAA’s toughest schedules, and face their third ranked GHSA team. They let last year’s game get away in a 35-34 loss. Tattnall’s Antone Johnson gets 161.3 yards a game on the ground, and is countered by 125.3 from Walker Warshaw, part of a much more balanced offense that passes for  127 more yards a game.

Pinewood Christian, 1-2, at FPD, 1-1-1
          The Vikings get nearly 13 more points a game, as well as 94 more yards. QB Jakhari Williams is good for 325.6 yards each week, while Pinewood counters with 147 yards from Banks Booth. FPD won lost 34-28 last year as part of a five-game losing streak.

Stratford, 3-0, at St. Anne-Pacelli, 3-1
          The defenses will be challenged by an opponent that scores 45.7 and 37.8 points a game. Pacelli has outscored its last two opponents 89-7, Stratford winning by 28 points a game. Stratford’s offensive threats are led by Cope Smith and Connor Fitzpatrick (stats have not been updated), while Pacelli’s Corvee James gets 113 yards a game on the ground. This is only the third meeting, the Vikings winning both meetings last year, 21-7 in the regular season and 10-0 in the AAAA title game.

Westfield, 2-2, at Mount de Sales, 0-3
          The struggling Cavaliers have lost nine straight in the series, dating back to a 19-6 win in 2003, and are trying to avoid their first 0-4 start since 2013’s 3-8 year,m the final season for head coach Robert Slocum Jr. Westfield QB Brayden Gay is 95 yards from 1,000 passing yards for the season, and has nine TDs to two INTs.

Class AA
Briarwood, 1-1, at Gatewood, 3-0
          The Gators last 3-0 start got them headed toward the 2020 championship, which included a 21-12 win at Briarwood, which won 22-13 last year.

Creekside, 0-3, at Trinity Christian, 0-4
          The Crusaders haven’t been 0-5 since 2020’s 0-9 season in the late Jimmy Fields’ final season. The Cougars went 0-9 in 2020.

Edmund Burke, 2-0 at Piedmont, 1-2
          The Cougars will try to avenge last year’s 25-24 loss, part of an 0-5 start, and three straight losses in the series.