By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Division I (5A, 4A, 3A) 12 teams

5. Jones County

The Greyhounds aren’t overlooking anybody or anything, with three straight 40-plus games and their first shutout since 2022.

4. Peach County

Whether the Trojans really are the top team in AAA is debatable – opponents are 38-51 – but they beat an undefeated team by 19 and 6-2 by 31, and are closing very, very well.

3. Warner Robins

The Demons have a shot to end the regular-season on a 1-3 slide, a mark that hasn’t happened since a 1-4 start to the 2022 season, which ended in the 5A state championship game.

2. Houston County

The first two-game losing streak since 2021 is likely to become the first three-game losing streak since, uh, that two-game losing streak, when the Bears went from 4-3 to 4-7.

1. Perry

In the back of their minds, Panthers think back to Aug. 30, and wish there was a way to get another crack at Houston County. Sure would be nice, because it’d be another outstanding game.

Division II (2A, A, GIAA) 33 teams

Top 10

10. Tattnall

Which Tattnall team opens the playoffs? The one that led FPD 20-0 at one point or the one that was scored on by FPD on three straight possessions and lost in OT? A week to get healthy may give the answer.

9. Westfield

The Hornets know how to win close games, and are about two plays away from being undefeated.

8. Westside

The Seminoles don’t really have any notable quality wins, but are taking care of business and may carry some momentum into the playoffs, but the Jackson game is a big one.

7. ACE Charter

Gutting out an overtime road win over a team better than its record is another program win, with the chance for another one coming this week.

6. Jasper County

The program that in 2021 went 0-10 and scored only 88 points is about four plays from being undefeated. Hard to imagine.

5 FPD

One of the poster children for consistency, for fundamentals, for adjustments would give BSF teams – bigger, stronger, faster – teams much more of a tussle than expected because of those nice, rare traits.

3 (tie). Lamar County, Dodge County

Both teams are a little hard to figure out. The Trojans don’t pack the same punch as usual lately, and the Indians seemed a little flat in getting flattened by Northeast.

2. Northeast

You’d never know this was one of the area’s top teams with a few of the area’s top players based on the home stands for home games with great weather. The Raiders have to clean things up if they want to make a run, because the other tools are there.

1. Dublin

The Irish sure would’ve liked Dodge County to have won last week rather than get popped, which can lead to a major refocusing, something Dublin is traditionally good at. But Dublin is still the clear king of the Division II mountain.