Central Georgia HS football scouting reports
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 5A
No. 7 Houston County, 6-1/2-0, at No. 6 Coffee, 6-1/1-1
Coffee is at home after being surprisingly manhandled 48-14 by Lee County for its first loss of the year - after a back-and-forth regarding scheduling changes forced by Helene, leading to the head coaches heatedly not shaking hands after the game - and the most points it’s given up since 56-28 to Cartersville in the 2022 playoffs. Both teams have strong run games – with Houston County’s Javien Durham and Coffee’s Tyrese Woodgett – but the Bears have a passing advantage with Antwann Hill at 314 yards a game to 60.3 for Brayden Coe. The Trojans’ have been inconsistent on offense against a schedule that includes three Florida teams, but consistent on defense. There’s an 18-poinit gap in scoring offenses, so this may have more action than expected scoring.
No. 2 Lee County, 7-0/2-0, at Veterans, 0-7/0-2
Life stays mighty tough for the Warhawks, amid a stretch of playing six ranked teams in a row. In the last four, they’ve managed only 20 points and given up 38, 41, 56, and 61. Lee County is off a statement-making 48-14 win over top-5 Coffee, the Trojans putting up more than 500 yards in offense.
No. 3 Thomas County Central, 6-1/1-1, at Northside, 2-5/0-2
The Yellow Jackets average giving up 16 points a game. The Eagles, with three games left, may be destined for their lowest points total – they’ll kick off with 98 points in seven games, 14 points per – since 1991’s 138 points in 10 games. The last two games, though, have been competitive, TCC winning 31-16 and 24-14 the past two years. The Jackets average 473.4 yards a game, the Eagles aren’t posting public stats this season. They have only two games with more than 20 points scored.
🏈 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 4A
No. 5 Ware County, 3-3/1-0, at No. 12 Perry, 5-2/2-0
The Gators are 8-8 against teams from Houston County, splitting the 1992-93 series with Perry. Two of their losses are to pretty good Florida programs, and two wins have been against ranked teams. Their numbers aren’t impressive: 260 yards total offense a game, compared to 377.1 for Perry. Ware County popped Benedictine 38-14, a week after the Cadets popped Warner Robins 35-21. Perry’s two-game explosion of 136 points will come to an end, and the defense will have to get off the field and let the offense and Ahmad Gordon (94.6 rush ypg) and Cullen McDaniel (152.7 passing ypg) do something.
No. 10 Warner Robins, 5-2/1-1, at New Hampstead, 2-4/0-1
New Hampstead hasn’t played since the Sept. 28 80-47 loss to Perry, and Warner Robins fell 35-21 to Benedictine on Oct. 4. The Phoenix can score some, averaging 32 points a game and getting nearly 400 yards a week. But the four losses are by an average of 30 points. The Demons haven’t lost two straight since a three-game stretch early in the 2022 season (that ended in the state championship game).
Class AAA
Baldwin, 2-3/2-1, at Aquinas, 3-2/2-1
The Braves are off a 57-0 rout of Hephzibah, which lost only 22-14 to Aquinas in early Sept. The Fighting Irish are grinders, with only one game over 22 points scored, and that was against A/II Bryan County, 42-20 in August. They didn’t play from Sept. 20 to Oct 11, and barely got past Harlem by 5. Harlem edged Baldwin – which isn’t posting stats on MaxPreps this year – by 3 a month ago.
Cross Creek, 1-5/0-4, at Howard, 3-2/2-1
Few teams in the state are looking forward more to Friday night than Howard, among the most well-rested teams in the state. The Huskies haven’t played since popping Hephzibah 42-20 on Sept. 20, Hurricane Helene wiping out games. Cross Creek got one game in during that same stretch, a 41-6 loss to region leader Westside-Augusta. The Razorbacks – whose playmaking QB Brandon Wallace throws for 190 yards a game - started playing in 2000, and have only three winning seasons, none since 2016.
Mary Persons, 1-6/1-4, at Spalding, 4-4/3-3
There will be some back and forth with teams combining for more than 600 yards a game. Mary Persons is all but out of the postseason hunt, thanks to forfeits, so the Bulldogs’ energy and intensity levels will be something to watch the rest of the season. Mary Persons leads the series 10-2, one loss coming last year, 28-20.
No. 2 Peach County, 6-1/2-0, at Bainbridge, 0-7/0-2
Last year, the Bearcats went 9-3, their seventh straight winning season. Head coach Jeff Littleton left for Tift County, and now Bainbridge is facing its worst season since 1-9 in 1996. That’s red-meat material for the Trojans, who are getting 44.3 points a game behind an offense (no stats are posted on MaxPreps) led by QB D.J. Hudson.
Upson-Lee, 4-3/3-2, at Fayette County, 1-6/1-4
The Tigers have scored only 51 points and given up 330, and are trying to avoid their third straight 1-win season. Still, Upson-Lee remains a team that can sometimes hiccup at odd times. The Knights have won two straight games, by 2 in OT at Mary Persons and by 6 over Troup, quality wins. Led by two-way playmaker Malachi Character, they’re tied for third with Troup and still have an outside shot at second.
West Laurens, 5-1/3-1, at Hephzibah, 1-5/0-4
The Raiders came out of a long break with a solid 41-6 win over Richmond Academy, while interruption hasn’t helped the Rebels, who have lost five straight, falling to Howard and Baldwin by 42-20 and 57-0 in the last two games. Ty Cummings leads the Raiders run game with 119.8 yards a game and Shannon Adkins leads the defense with 10.2 tackles a game. The region schedule has some catching up to do, but the Raiders still have a shot at the top seed.
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
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* 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
Class A/Division I
No. 2 Dublin, 7-0/6-0, at Bleckley County, 2-4/1-4
There’s less at stake for this meeting than usual the past several years. Well, except that Dublin’s looking to stay atop the region and get a top seed, and Bleckley County is working to solidify and improve its playoff stock. The Irish lead the series 16-2, but had a six-game winning streak broken last year in a 42-28 loss. The Royals, though, were a top-15 team then.
Jasper County, 5-1/2-0, at Social Circle, 5-2/3-0
It’s a big 4-A/I game with teams still alive for the top seed along with Lamar County and Putnam County. Jasper County still has Lamar County and Putnam County left after this week, and is almost in must-win modes, with Social Circle and Putnam County behind clear favorite Lamar County. And the top four teams all have games against each other the rest of the way. Jasper County’s defense has a test against a team that’s averaging 44 points a game in its three-game winning streak.
Jefferson County, 0-5/0-4, at No. 5 Dodge County, 7-0/6-0
The most staggering stat in the state is that a team good for 33 points a game en route to the 2020 AA state semifinal has yet to score a point in 2024. The Indians are looking for their second shutout of the season, something that hasn’t happened since 2020.
No. 7 Northeast, 5-2/5-1, at Central, 0-6/0-5
The Raiders are on the rebound after a good but frustrating 17-7 loss to No. 2 Dublin, and Nick Woodford has cruised past the 1,000-yard mark rushing. Central, meanwhile, is working to avoid its first winless season in program history. Central leads the series 28-21, but hasn’t scored in the last three meetings.
Putnam County, 4-4/3-1, at No. 11 Lamar County, 6-1/3-0
This meeting is part of a big stretch run in the region, Putnam County hoping to break Lamar County’s 11-game region winning streak and five-game run over the War Eagles. Lamar County, though, hasn’t been in a region this big since 2020. The War Eagles will have to find ways to move the ball other than Rashod Daniel, whose 124.9 yards a game average will no doubt be a focus for Lamar County’s defense.
Southwest, 2-4/2-3, at ACE Charter, 4-3/3-3
The rosters are different, but there are enough Gryphons back to remember last year’s 52-51 double overtime loss to the Patriots, which dumped ACE from region title contention, and into a tie with the Patriots, who got the third seed in 2-AA. Both teams are scoring less and giving up more points than a year ago, but the new playoff system eliminates ties, which wasn’t going to happen anyway. The Patriots need a win to solidify their postseason hopes, and ACE gets closer to a home playoff game with each win.
Washington County, 3-4/3-3, at East Laurens, 2-4/1-4
The Golden Hawks are in the hunt for the automatic spot at fourth place, but the Falcons pretty much need to win three of the final four to get in. Quarterbacks Mack May of Washington County and Tylan Snead of East Laurens will make the defenses work, especially Snead, also the Falcons’ leading rusher.
Class A/Division II
GMC Prep, 0-7/0-2, at Twiggs County, 2-5/1-1
The Cobras lead the series 9-4, and broke a three-game losing streak with last year’s 24-17 win.
Hancock Central, 3-4/1-1, at Johnson County, 4-2/1-0
The Bulldogs are looking to match the win total of the last two years, and will have to beat Johnson County for the first time in the five-game series to get closer to that. Hancock Central is also battling for a second-place finish and a home playoff game.
Hawkinsville, 4-3/1-2, at Montgomery County, 2-4/0-2
The Red Devils are in a battle with Treutlen for fourth, and those two teams play next week.
Macon County, 4-3/3-0, at Marion County, 3-4/2-1
The Bulldogs can all but seal first in the region with a win over a team they’ve won four straight over, all by double figures. Macon County is grinding things out, and will have to slow down an offense running for more than 200 yards a game.
Taylor County, 5-2/2-1, at Chattahoochee County, 2-5/1-3
One of the more overlooked teams in the area, the Vikings’ losses are by 15 and 6, and four of the five wins are by at least 22 points. The Panthers have been shut out twice, but played Macon County within a possession. They’ll have to tussle with Markalan Newton, the leading rusher for Taylor County (which isn’t updating stats on MaxPreps this season).
GIAA
Class AAA
John Milledge, 1-7/0-2, at Tattnall Square, 6-1/2-0
The Trojans are again a big underdog during the nightmare season, but they still show some signs, like in last week’s 49-21 loss to FPD, and at the end of a 42-7 loss to Stratford. They’ll have quite the task against Antone Johnson, one of the GIAA’s top athletes. He is 113 yards from 1,000 rushing yards for the season, and his 20 catches are second-most, behind Ty Hunnicutt, who has 7 TDs in 24 catches. Cole Vining is getting 109.7 yards a game for the Trojans.
Mount de Sales, 3-5/0-2, at Stratford, 6-3/1-2
The Eagles lead the series 33-19, and have won three straight after losing three straight, after winning seven in a row. Mount de Sales gave Tattnall quite a scare for four quarters before losing 31-18 two weeks ago. The Cavs have matched their win total of the past two seasons, and have better offensive and defensive scoring numbers.
Piedmont, 5-2/3-2, at Bethlehem Christian, 8-0/5-0
The Cougars have lost to the two other teams ahead of them in the standings, by eight and 41, but responded last week 34-6 over Riverside Prep. The teams have split the four-game series, from 2014-17.
Westfield, 5-2/1-0, at Brookstone, 5-2/2-0
Those in pass coverage will have some work to do. Westfield’s Grayden Gay gets 193.6 yards a game through the air, to 135.1 for Brookwood’s Broughton Branch. Both teams are pretty balanced, and both have been in tight games, moreso Brookstone.
Class AA
Brentwood, 6-1/2-0, at Augusta Prep, 2-3
The War Eagles all but clinched the district title with last week’s 28-23 win over Edmund Burke. Brentwood is two points from being undefeated. Augusta Prep hasn’t played since a 39-21 loss to St. Andrews on Sept. 14. The War Eagles lead the series 3-0, winning by 35, 36 and 46 from 2020-21.
Edmund Burke, 6-1/1-1, at Gatewood, 3-3/0-1
It’s a rematch of last year’s AA state championship, won 16-10 by Edmund Burke, which beat the Gators 20-14 in their regular-season meeting. The teams combine for nearly 750 yards of offense a game, but the Spartans are much more balanced, QB Marc Owen Chancey throwing for 168.3 yards a game. But Gatewood’s Ames Johnson is tough to defend.
Trinity Christian, 5-3/0-1, at Southwest Georgia, 5-1/1-0
The Crusaders are likely pretty miffed after being upset 21-7 last week at home by Southland. The teams haven’t played since 1989 and 1998, SW Georgia winning by 23 and 34. The Warriors haven’t been in any really close games, but the Crusaders have.
Windsor, 2-6/0-2, at Central Fellowship, 2-6/1-2
The battle of south Macon pits a pair of struggling teams. Windsor is on a six-game losing streak, and CFCA ended a four-game skid with a 40-7 win last week over Heritage-Newnan.