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
5A Northgate, 3-2, at Veterans, 3-1
          The Vikings will try to slow down the Warhawks’ passing game – Jake Maxwell is 50 yards from 1,000, and has almost a 3-1 TD-INT ratio – while Veterans faces a run game getting 203.6 yards a week, more than double the Warhawks’ ground output. They outscoring opponents by 21.5 points a game through four outings, compared to be even a year ago. Veterans –which won 21-9 last year, eyes its second-best quality start, 6-0 in 2018 and 4-1 in 2022 and 2019.

Northside, 2-2, at 3A Crisp County, 2-2
          The Eagles are on a two-game losing streak, falling to Warner Robins by four and 7A North Cobb by 18, and then having a week off to stew about it. QB Damien Dee went down against North Cobb, and was 9 of 15 for 101 yards when he left. DB Ricardo Jones took over and went 8 of 18 with a TD and pick and 141 yards, but Dee was also a running threat. So, the Eagles aren’t 100 percent at QB. Crisp County’s stats on MaxPreps are inaccurate and not updated. The Cougars are more of a passing team, with the duo of Markevion Hartage and Hagan Slimp. They lost 24-15 to AA Sumter County – which lost 56-12 to Houston County – two weeks ago.

Class 5A
6A No. 4 Houston County, 4-0, at No. 7 Warner Robins, 2-2
          The Bears’ staff got to watch the enigma that is Warner Robins last week against Dutchtown, the Demons digging a hole and then roaring out of it for a region road win. But it’ll be much harder for Warner Robins to repeat the second-half comeback for a third time this year, going against a top-5 Class 6A team that has offensive weapons galore and underrated defensive and special teams units. The offense gets 436.5 points a game, and the defense has grown as competition has improved, led by Jordan Smith and Xavier Ryan. Warner Robins hasn’t updated stats this season, but the Demons have weapons as well, the defense coming up clutch in those second-half rallies. 

Class 4A
No. 12 Baldwin, 3-1, at No. 7 Spalding, 4-0
          The defenses have moderately simple, so to speak, tasks. Spalding must slow down Micah Welch, who is good for 140.7 rushing yards a game, and Baldwin has to handle QB Curt Clark, good for 223.3 yards in total offense a game. Welch will need plenty of help against the second-best team – by a chunk - Baldwin has faced this year.

Griffin, 0-4, at West Laurens, 2-2
          The Raiders will work to build on the momentum of last week’s overtime win over Bleckley County and rack up their third straight win for the first time since 2020. Ty Cummings and Shannon Adkins team for 166.7 yards a game on the ground, Jordan Spencer leading the defense with 11.7 tackles. Griffin has been on a downward slide since going 11-2 in 2019, and is on its third coach since then. The Griffins had 98 points through four games last year, 88 more than this year. The Raiders were the Bears’ first win last year, 28-16.

No. 4 Perry, 3-1, at Howard, 3-1, Thompson
          Perry is 12-2 against Bibb County public schools since Kevin Smith arrived. First loss? 35-16 to Howard in 2018. The Panthers have won nine straight against Bibb, only three by less than 32. Howard’s strength of schedule makes the Huskies a question mark against a balanced offense and consistent defense. Howard is playing pretty solid defense, led by Zelin Pollard and Mikelle Johnson, and has given up 33 points in four games, compared to 41 a year ago, a run the ended with Perry’s 49-0 win.

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Class 3A
Columbus, 1-3, at No. 6 Mary Persons, 3-1
          Duke Watson is cruising toward another 1,000-yard rushing season, more than halfway there with 515 yards in three games, with six touchdowns. He’ll have a good shot at meeting his average of 171.7 yards a game against a team giving up 40 points a game, including a 54-3 loss to A/II No. 2 Manchester. The Bulldogs rolled 49-21 last year.

4A Hardaway, 0-5, at Peach County, 0-4
          The Trojans didn’t expect to need a real homecoming-type opponent to avoid going winless halfway through the season. But the timing of Hardaway’s visit is perfect. The Golden Hawks have scored 19 points, three shutouts coming between scores. They’ve already given up 200 points, albeit against one 4A, two 5A and a 6A opponent. Peach County should be able to improve on its 222-yards-per-game average.

Upson-Lee, 4-1, at Mt. Zion-Jonesboro, 0-4
          The host Bulldogs have managed all of 12 points while giving up 151, and to a not-so-powerful schedule. Mt. Zion has two region games under its belt, losing 70-10. The Knights are off a somewhat sluggish 21-3 win at Haralson County, sparked by a 106 yards rushing in the second half by Ja’Quan Bentley, who’s averaging 129.3 yards a game and has six touchdowns in four games.

Class AA
No. 7 Fitzgerald, 2-2, at Dodge County, 1-3
          Fitzgerald leads 19-9 and has won eight of the last nine, but only two of those nine have had margins more than eight points, and the Hurricane have been ranked or ranked higher in most of them. Dodge County playmaker Duke Johnson (stats have not been updated on MaxPreps) is a key, but the Indians need more. Fitzgerald has lost two straight and was off last week.

Putnam County, 2-2/1-0, at Josey, 1-3/0-2
          Josey was the middle victim in Putman County’s run of three straight shutouts last year, and the Eagles are prime for a repeat, having scored only 14 points in the last three games. The War Eagles have outscored their last two opponents 59-29.

Spencer, 1-3/0-1, at Rutland, 2-2/1-0, Ed DeFore
          Spencer had a little trouble last week with Kendrick, and Rutland took control over Central after giving Westside a tussle. The Hurricanes battled the eventual region champ very well last year in a 27-21 loss, the Greenwave Owls’ second-closest region win. Rutland’s Marquies Lattner gets 99.3 yards a game on the ground with seven rushing touchdowns, and 110.8 through the air.

Thomson, 3-1/1-0, at Washington County, 2-2/1-0
          The Golden Hawks have a task on defense against a ball-control offense good for 237.5 yards a game with 11 rushing touchdowns. Thomson rolled 54-14 at home last year, and leads the series 30-12, with three straight wins, by 40, 14, and 7.

Class A/Division I
Mt. Zion-Carroll, 3-1, at Jasper County, 3-2
          A win, and Jasper County matches last year’s total, and matches or passes the win total of the previous three seasons (0, 2, 3), and all but two seasons this century (5-6 in 2018 and 6-4 in 2003). Mt. Zion lost 38-14 last week to GIAA 3A Brookstone.  Chevy Sands has 368 yards and five touchdowns on the ground for Jasper County.

Pelham, 2-3, at No. 11 Bleckley County, 2-2
          Pelham is on a two-game losing streak, and has given up 43 points in each of those losses. Bleckley County is on its first two-game losing streak – both in overtime – since 2020.  The Royals cruised to a 63-7 win a year ago.

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. 〰️

Social Circle, 1-3, at No. 12 Lamar County 3-2
          The host Trojans have won two straight, by 48-14, after losing two straight, by 71-35. They shut out AAA Jackson 31-0 last week, their first skunking of a higher-classification team since 31-0 over 3A Spalding to open the 2009 season. Lamar County has 14 rushing touchdowns by five different players, with four each from Ty Head and Kaden Carter. Social Circle broke its three-game losing streak with a win over GIAA 3A Loganville Christian.

Twiggs County, 0-3, at Crawford County, 0-4
          One new head coach this year – Dusty Jump at Crawford County or Patrick Wray at Twiggs County – will get his first win. The Cobras have been outscored by 33.3 points game, the Eagles by 27.5.

Class A/Division II

Central-Talbotton, 1-3/0-1, at Taylor County, 3-1/1-0
          The Hawks haven’t had a winning season since 1994, and have gone winless six times since then and managed only one win six times since then. They are 12-87 since 2013, and haven’t lost to Taylor County by less than 30 in the last seven meetings. The Vikings haven’t opened 4-1 or better since 2020.

No. 2 Macon County, 4-0/1-0, at No. 1 Schley County, 4-0/1-0
          Big? Huge? Well, for late September, and for on-paper purposes, and for confidence and bragging, this is big. Macon County as, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, is winless against a team ranked No. 1 (by Atlanta Journal, Atlanta Constitution, AJC, and Georgia Sports Writers Association), losing 13 times. All a win does here is mean a game up on the loser in Region 6, each with a game left against No. 5 Manchester (next week at home for Macon County, Oct. 20 at home for Schley County). Despite being in neighboring counties and less than 30 miles away, the teams have only played nine times, all since 2010, Macon County leading 6-3. The Bulldogs get 31.8 points a game and give 13.8, to 45.3 and 19 for the Wildcats.

Portal, 2-2, at Wilkinson County, 1-2
          Portal had a pair of shutouts against Central Georgia teams, 26-0 over Hawkinsville and 44-0 over Twiggs County, and then lost two close games to Screven County and Bryan County. Wilkinson County won 23-13 last year en route to a 7-5 season.

Washington-Wilkes, 2-2, at Hancock Central, 2-2
Hancock Central’s losses have been by 36 and 37 points, while W-W’s have been by one and nine. The Tigers won 27-0 in 2022, the end of Hancock Centrals four-game losing streak.

GIAA
Class AAA
Brookwood, 2-2, at John Milledge, 4-0
          The Trojan defense may get a challenge again, coming off a slow offensive week in the 17-7 struggle past Frederica. Brookwood averages only three fewer points than John Milledge, which gets 47 more yards a game. Tyrecus Harrison and David Todd get 8.5 tackles a game for the Trojans, and Jalen Butts has a team-high four interceptions to go with his team-leading 297 receiving yards.

FPD, 2-1-1, at GHSA A/I Mt. Pisgah, 2-2
          The Vikings’ Jakhari Williams is among the leaders in 4A passing and rushing, and may be headed toward dual 1,000-yard passing and rushing seasons. Harrison Aulds adds to the run game and Benjamin McElreath leads the receiving corp with 214 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots are giving up 31 points a game, and hope to start changing that by matching last year’s 35-28 win.

AA Gatewood, 4-0, at St. Anne-Pacelli, 4-1
          The defending 4A champs host the AA semifinalists, who look to improve drastically on last year’s 42-7 loss, part of a 2-4 start.

Mount de Sales, 0-4, at Pinewood, 1-3
          The Cavs haven’t started 0-5 since 2013, en route to a 3-8 season. The 46-45 loss a year ago was the third in a nine-game losing streak to end the season. MdS trailed 22-7 and 30-15, and then battled back for a 45-38 lead after a pick-6 with 1:24 left. The Patriots drove and scored with 21 seconds left, and completed the conversion pass to a lineman for the win.

Stratford, 3-1, at Brookstone, 1-2
          Former Peach County head coach Rance Gillespie takes the field for the 241st time as a head coach, in his second season with the Cougars. Brookstone is 0-2 against Stratford, losing 37-34 last year after tying it at 34 with a touchdown and then missing the PAT. The Eagles’ Stebin Horne Jr. kicked the game-winning field goal from 44 yards on the game’s final play.

Class AA
Briarwood, 1-2, at Trinity Christian, 1-4
          The teams are more evenly matched than a year ago, when Briarwood rolled to a 50-3 win.

Central Fellowship, 3-0-1, at Piedmont, 1-3
          The Lancers had a week off after ekeing out a 31-29 win at Crawford County. They rolled 55-14 in last week’s meeting.

3A George Walton, 2-3, at Brentwood, 2-1
          The War Eagles have rolled since the season-opening spanking by John Milledge, including a win over GHSA Class A GMC. George Walton has lost two straight and averages only 11.2 points a game.