By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Last week: 18-5, 78.3 percent
The season: 189-59, 76.2 percent
Within 7: 4, 55 for the season
Upsets/perfect spread: Perfect: FPD by 28, won 49-21; 0-1 upset special
Maximum spread prediction of 39 points

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

Games of the week

No. 7 Houston County, 6-1/2-0, at No. 6 Coffee, 6-1/1-1
          The Bears are a different program since the last time they played, a 34-10 Coffee win in 2021. Both teams have new coaches since then, and the Trojans outscored opponents by 32 points a game last year en route to a 15-0 year and the 5A title. Nobody scored more than 18 points against Coffee last year, and the defense is again pretty good, other than last week when Coffee won 48-14. Defense will be the difference.
TSR pick: Coffee by 24

No. 5 Ware County, 3-3/1-0, at No. 12 Perry, 5-2/2-0
          Ware County knows the drive to Houston County, where it’s had some success and some epic games, but these two have played only twice, 1992-93. Two of the Gators’ opponents were Florida teams, and their lone Georgia loss was 20-16 to 5A power Coffee. Perry doesn’t have quite as marketable a win or loss, but the Panthers have scored 136 points in their last two games. Perry has better stats running and throwing, so this will be a grinder game.
TSR pick: Ware County by 13 (upset watch)

Jasper County, 5-1/2-0, at Social Circle, 5-2/3-0
          The Purple Hurricanes haven’t had this kind of record since 1996, and haven’t been in a quality region race in that long. Can they handle the pressure of trying to stay in the hunt for a region title? Against a team that’s won 23-21 and 30-0 in meetings the last two years? Jasper County’s defense will be tested by a team that scores 11 more points a game. The Purple Hurricanes’ offense is the key.
TSR pick: Jasper County by 5

CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE

This week
* Roundup, coming Saturday
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games, coming Friday
* Maxwell Predictions, coming Friday
* Who’s going to win this week’s games , coming Thursday
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* A breakdown of the playoff pictures, the power ratings for A-AAA and others
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Which Nation is the most absurd this week?; HS stat stuff, playoffs sermon; Loughdmouthings galore: stats, QB shoving, tackling, Falcons,and Jerry’s happy-for-us birthday
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Last week
* Roundup: Dublin holds off Northeast, Tattnall handles Stratford; ACE outlasts East Laurens, routs for Baldwin, West Laurens, Lamar County, Taylor County, Westfield; who had big nights?
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* 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

Two weeks ago
* 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

Westfield, 5-2/1-0, at Brookstone, 5-2/2-0
          The Peach County coach who went 65-16 from 2001-2006 welcomes the Peach County coach who went 168-38 from 2007-22. This is their first meeting as GIAA bosses, and it’s pretty much winner take District 5. Both teams are balanced and capable of explosive streaks, combining for almost 650 yards a game in total offense. Westfield QB Brayden Gay ranks among the state leaders in yards, but the Hornets will need to step up the run game.
TSR pick: Brookstone by 8

The schedule

Class 5A

No. 2 Lee County, 7-0/2-0, at Veterans, 0-7/0-2
TSR pick: Lee County by 39

No. 3 Thomas County Central, 6-1/1-1, at Northside, 2-5/0-2
TSR pick: Thomas County Central by 36

Class 4A

No. 10 Warner Robins, 5-2/1-1, at New Hampstead, 2-4/0-1
TSR pick: Warner Robins by 25

Class AAA

Baldwin, 2-3/2-1, at Aquinas, 3-2/2-1
TSR pick: Baldwin by 5

Cross Creek, 1-5/0-4, at Howard, 3-2/2-1 (Thompson)
TSR pick: Howard by 23

Mary Persons, 1-6/1-4, at Spalding, 4-4/3-3
TSR pick: Mary Persons by 3

No. 2 Peach County, 6-1/2-0, at Bainbridge, 0-7/0-2
TSR pick: Peach County by 28

Upson-Lee, 4-3/3-2, at Fayette County, 1-6/1-4
TSR pick: Upson-Lee by 35

West Laurens, 5-1/3-1, at Hephzibah, 1-5/0-4
TSR pick: West Laurens by 22

Class A/Division I

No. 2 Dublin, 7-0/6-0, at Bleckley County, 2-4/1-4
TSR pick: Dublin by 20

🏈 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.

Jefferson County, 0-5/0-4, at No. 5 Dodge County, 7-0/6-0
TSR pick: Dodge County by 35

No. 7 Northeast, 5-2/5-1, at Central, 0-6/0-5 (Ed DeFore)
TSR pick: Northeast by 37

Putnam County, 4-4/3-1, at No. 11 Lamar County, 6-1/3-0
TSR pick: Lamar County by 20

Southwest, 2-4/2-3, at ACE Charter, 4-3/3-3
TSR pick: ACE by 18

Washington County, 3-4/3-3, at East Laurens, 2-4/1-4
TSR pick: Washington County by 11

Class A/Division II

Glascock County, 2-4/1-0, at Wilkinson County, 3-4/1-1
TSR pick: Wilkinson County by 10

GMC Prep, 0-7/0-2, at Twiggs County, 2-5/1-1
TSR pick: Twiggs County by 9

Hawkinsville, 4-3/1-2, at Montgomery County, 2-4/0-2
TSR pick: Hawkinsville by 17

Johnson County, 4-2/1-0, at Hancock Central, 3-4/1-1
TSR pick: Johnson County by 20

Macon County, 4-3/3-0, at Marion County, 3-4/2-1
TSR pick: Macon County by 19

Taylor County, 5-2/2-1, at Chattahoochee County, 2-5/1-3
TSR pick: Taylor County by 22

GIAA

Class AAA

John Milledge, 1-7/0-2, at Tattnall Square, 6-1/2-0
TSR pick: Tattnall by 24

Mount de Sales, 3-5/0-2, at Stratford, 6-3/1-2
TSR pick: Stratford by 30

Piedmont, 5-2/3-2, at Bethlehem Christian, 8-0/5-0
TSR pick: Bethlehem Christian by 30

Class AA

Brentwood, 6-1/2-0, at Augusta Prep, 2-3
TSR pick: Brentwood by 31

Edmund Burke, 6-1/1-1, at Gatewood, 3-3/0-1
TSR pick: Edmund Burke by 16

Trinity Christian, 5-3/0-1, at Southwest Georgia, 5-1/1-0
TSR pick: Southwest Georgia by 15

Windsor, 2-6/0-2, at Central Fellowship, 2-6/1-2
TSR pick: Central Fellowship by 16