By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Classification listed first if games pit games of different classes. Rankings are from Georgia High School Football Daily composite polls

Class 4A

Jones County 5-2/4-2, at Eagle’s Landing Christian, 1-5/1-5, 7 p.m.
          ELCA is out of the playoff hunt in the jammed Region 2, which has three teams at 3-2 or 3-3, behind third-place Jones County, which is a half-game behind second-place Ola. ELCA appears destined for its second straight losing season for the first time since1999-2000, and is trying to pass its worst season, 2-10 in 2000. It has made the playoffs in every year of its existence, starting in 1994, except its first two seasons. Jones County QB Devin Edmonds is 333 yards from 2,000 for the season, and receiver Jaivon Solomon has 49 catches for 817 yards, sixth in the state.

Class 3A

Richmond Academy, 1-4/1-2, at West Laurens, 4-1/2-1, 6:30 p.m.
          The Raiders have had since Sept. 20 to let the 28-7 loss to Harlem, West Laurens’ first L of the year to fester. Getting that momentum back is big, as is avoiding being flat against a team that does have three competitive losses. Ty Cummnigs has 8 TDs and 542 yards on the ground in five games, 108.4 yards a game. Junior Cason Pollock has the passing game progressing, completing 55.9 percent of his passes, but with only one more TD than INT.

Hephzibah, 1-4/0-3, at Baldwin, 1-3/1-1, 6:30 p.m.
          The Braves haven’t played since Sept. 13, a 17-14 loss at Harlem. The Rebels’ last game was a 42-20 loss to Howard a week later. Baldwin (which hasn’t posted stats all season on MaxPreps) appears to be in the playoffs, but needs wins now before a logjam of games in a few weeks to raise its stock.

🏈 Teams: Please email game information – stats (offense and defense), names, big plays, etc. – to centralgasports@gmail.com by 2 a.m. Saturday morning to be in Central Georgia’s most comprehensive game-night coverage - the most names and stats and details - for the first roundup, and by 10:30 a.m. Saturday to be added.

Coaches and team officials can email or text some basic game details by 2 a.m.

Class AA

Pike County, 4-2/0-1, at Westside, 2-5/0-2
          Pike County has turned around with new head coach Stephen Holmes, who led Manchester to the A/II championship game in 2023, only a day after player Brandon Smith was murdered. Pike County’s last winning season was in 2018, 8-4. But the Pirates will have to deal with one of the state’s top running backs in Kadiphius Iverson, who’s good for 158.7 rushing yards a game, inside and outside. But Westside’s losses have been big ones, four by at least 20 points, while Pike County is six points from a 5-1 start.

No. 5T Callaway, 4-2/1-0, at Rutland, 0-7/0-2
          The schedule hasn’t been kind to Rutland, which faces its second straight top-10 team. The Hurricanes are working to avoid their first winless season since 2018. Callaway beat Westside 34-14 last week and is on a four-game winning streak.

Class A/Division I

East Laurens, 2-3/1-3, at ACE Charter, 3-3/2-3
          ACE is down to its third running back, putting a little more pressure on QB Ace Hatcher, key wideout Brice Whitley, the offensive line and the defense. Hatcher is off a five-interception night at Dublin. East Laurens QB Tylan Snead is a lanky dual threat good for 144.2 passing and 59.8 rushing yards a game. East Laurens needs a win to get in the playoff picture, ACE needs a win to increase its chances of a home game.

No. 6 Northeast, 5-1/5-0, at No. 2T Dublin, 6-0/5-0
          It’s the first region championship playoff game, to be followed in two weeks by Dodge County-Northeast and then Dublin-Dodge County. This meeting comes down first to Northeast’s defense being able to read the Wing-T properly, and then tackle. Dublin runners don’t waste second chances, and can get into the third level quickly. The Raiders’ passing game will be  key to keeping RB Nick Woodford fresh and to staying in the game in the first half. Dublin has outscored opponents 204-34 in the first half, so Northeast getting to the second half and being able to test Dublin is crucial.

Towers, 2-3/0-2, at Putnam County, 3-4/2-1
          The War Eagles need a win to strengthen its playoff status, with the top two teams left on the schedule. Rashod Daniel is getting 131 yards a game on the ground.

CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE

This week
* Roundup, coming Saturday morning
* Maxwell Predictions
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Central Georgia rankings

* Monday Morning Quarterback: A Saturday like most others (really); the new Falcons? They still need O; Loughdmouthings galore (the wit, the wisdom, the sarcasm …)
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week 

Last week
* Roundup, coming Saturday morning: Benedictine tops Warner Robins, Mary Persons wins, Upson-Lee & Dodge County hold on, Tattnall survives, Brentwood tops champs
*Thursday’s roundup
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games, coming Friday morning
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Missing the point - and tackles - on UGA-Bama; Falcons getting there, but about the O …; Loughdmouthings galore (the wit, the wisdom, the sarcasm …)
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Utopian Academy, 0-6/0-2, at No. 11 Lamar County, 5-1/2-0
          Utopian is suffering the first-year blues, having scored only 12 points in six games, and given up 46, 65, and 69 in the last three games. Lamar County comes in off its second-biggest win of the season.

Class A/Division II

Atkinson County, 4-2, at Crawford County, 2-4
          The Eagles have a tough non-region game against a team having a good season after going 0-10 last year.

Glascock County, 1-4, at Twiggs County, 2-4/1-0
          The Cobras are on a two-game winning streak, but have lost the last two to Glascock County.

GMC Prep, 0-6/0-1, at Hancock Central, 2-4/0-1
          GMC, trying to avoid its first winless season since 2007, made some progress last week in its 24-17 loss to Twiggs County. The teams have split the last four meetings. This is a meeting of first-year coaches Gavin Teirce and Brandon Nolley.

Hawkinsville, 4-2/1-1, at Telfair County, 3-2/1-0
          Telfair County has won three straight in the series, all the last three years, by 22, 24, and 36. Head coach Matt Burleson is 69-62 in his 13th season and is the program’s winningest and most successful coach.

Johnson County, 3-2, at Wilkinson County, 3-3/1-0
          Wilkinson County quarterback Quenterriorn Stanford passes for 207 yards a game, giving the Warriors a chance to break a six-game losing streak against the Trojans and get in the driver’s seat for the first region title since 2010.

Taylor County, 4-2/1-1, at Central-Talbotton, 1-4/0-1
          Central will work on slowing down Markalan Newton, who had 157 yards early in the season against Jasper County (Taylor County hasn’t updated MaxPreps stats since then). The Vikings lead the series 33-7 and haven’t lost since 1994, a run of 29 straight, with only nine by 22 points or less.

GIAA

Class AAA

Calvary Christian, 1-6/0-1, at Westfield,5-2/1-0
          Westfield cruised past Strong Rock 28-7 last week, and is likely to surpass that against a team that been outscored 138-7 in the last three games. Westfield QB Brayden Gay is 19th among all passers in the state with 1,446 yards, completing 69.1 percent of his passes.

First Presbyterian, 7-1/2-0, at John Milledge, 1-6/0-1
          Odd that after the past several years that anybody would have to even consider looking past John Milledge, but there’s little of that here for FPD. The Trojans have been held to single digits in three straight games and given up at least 33 points in those outings.

Riverside Prep, 0-7/0-4, at Piedmont, 4-2/2-2
          Riverside Prep, led by former GMC Prep Twiggs County, and Jones County head coach Jeff Lee has been shut out four times, and given up 134 points in the last three games. Piedmont has to rebounds from a 47-6 loss ot George Walton.

Stratford, 6-2/1-1, at Tattnall Square, 5-1/1-0
          Stratford is out of the region title hunt with a loss, and Tattnall stays alive even if it loses, since it has FPD next week. The keys are on defense, Tattnall against RB Tyler Stephens (95.4 YPG) and QB Connor Fitzpatrick (180.4 total YPG) and Stratford against RB Antone Johnson (123 ypg) and QB Caden Faulk (135 passing YPG), and quality receivers on both sides. Brooks Garner and Anson Talcott lead their respective defense. As usual, Stratford has a key weapon in K Stebin Horne.

Class AA

Central Fellowship, 1-6/0-3, at Heritage-Newnan, 0-6/0-1
          The series is tied at 2, but the teams haven’t played since Heritage’s 41-0 win in 2011. The Lancers are off a nice effort in a 21-7 loss to Trinity Christian, and are due to crack double figures and brak a four-game stretch in topping at nine points.

Flint River, 6-0/1-0, at Windsor, 2-5/0-2
          The defending Class A champs from the other side of Upson County have given up only 36 points. Windsor has been able to score some, but has given up at least 43 points in four of its last five games.

Gatewood, 3-2, at Briarwood, 5-0
          The Gators average 318 yards a game, the Buccaneers 391. Hunter Johnson is good for 102.2 rushing yards a game for Gatewood, which faces Charlies Mosley (125 rushing YPG) and Cutler Fleming (133.8 passing YPG).

Southland, 1-6, at Trinity Christian, 5-2
          Trinity Christian has matched its win total of the past two seasons, and is on pace to equal its last winning season’s total of seven wins in 2018. The Crusaders have gone 12-41 in the five seasons since then. Wade Register gets 108 rushing yards a game for TCS.