By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Rankings are from Georgia High School Football Daily composite polls

🏈 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.

GIAA Playoffs

Class AAAA

5. Tattnall, 7-2, at 4. Bethlehem Christian, 10-0
          Nothing new here. Tattnall has a chance to end a Bethlehem Christian like it did 34-20 in last year’s quarterfinals, and has in other sports, like last winter in basketball and last spring in baseball. Another irony: Bethlehem Christian was 10-0 last year when it lost to the 4-6 Trojans. The 2023 Knights outscored opponents by 32 points a game to 27 this year. They’re putting up 31.8 points a game, while the Trojans are giving up 15.8. Rod Robinson is Bethlehem Christian’s new head coach, promoted when Bruce Lane left to go to Trinity Christian, leaving 23 seniors. Zeke Clanton gets 133.6 yards a game on the ground for the Knights, a little more than Antone Johnson’s 126.7 for Tattnall. Caleb Craft tops the BC defense with 7.6 tackles a game, and 13 tackles for loss. Caden Faulk averages 174.7 yards a game passing for Tattnall, and BC will have to slow down Ty Hunnicutt, who gets nearly 100 yards a game receiving. Anson Talcott’s 12.1 tackles a game lead the Trojan defense.

9. Strong Rock, 6-4, at 1. FPD, 9-1 (For more, click here)
          FPD opens the playoff defense of its Class 4A state title against a team that’s not very old and hasn’t really sniffed that level of success. But the visitors ended Stratford’s season last year in the first round and gave FPD a battle in a 23-13 loss in the second round. The teams have four common opponents (Tattnall, St. Anne-Pacelli, Westfield, and Brookstone), which went 4-0 against Strong Rock and 1-3 against FPD. Strong Rock earned a shot at redemption with a solid 34-13 win over George Walton, while FPD had last Friday off. Bethlehem Christian has a little momentum, winning two of its last three games after a four-game losing streak in which it lost by 10, 35, 22, and 21. The Vikings have had momentum for a while, winning seven straight since falling 18-6 to St. Anne-Pacelli, still alive at 5-5 after beating Mount de Sales 31-13 in a play-in game.
There’s a little extra spring in the step, even with a week off, the Vikings overcoming a 20-0 first-half deficit to top Tattnall 27-20 in overtime for the District 6 championship and clinch the top seed. Sophomore running back Jake Johnson has 1,181 yards and 14 touchdowns on 197 carries, with Landon Stancil and Dawson Webb teaming for another 523 yards and five scores. Quarterback Andrew Reid is a bit of a running threat, with five touchdowns on 39 carries. The senior has completed 50 percent of his passes for 1,245 yards, and 12 touchdowns to only four interceptions. FPD’s Major Simmons has cruised past 1,000 yards passing, with nearly 800 going to Benjamin McElreath. Both are key two-way players, along with RB-LB Brady McHugh. The Vikings are on a seven-game winning streak, and have won eight straight at home and nine of their last 11.

6. Stratford, 7-3, at 3. Brookstone 6-3
          Brookstone’s defense will have a challenge against Stratford’s balanced offense, which rushes for 192.6 yards and passes for 132. Ditto for Stratford’s against an offense of 127 rushing and 143.8 passing yards. Tyler Stephens is good for 96.1 yards on the ground and Conner Fitzpatrick 127.4 through the air, sophomore George Dunn emerging as a go-to target. The teams are a little different since Brookstone’s 33-27 overtime win on Sept. 20, a game that Stratford let get away with sloppy play.

Stratford is 2-2 and Brookstone 3-1 against common opponents, and the four-year-old series is tied at two, the Cougars winning the last two by six points each. Brookstone is trying to make its third final in program history, and second in two years, losing 44-24 last year to FPD. A year earlier, Stratford felt 10-0 to St. Anne-Pacelli in the championship.

CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE
This Week

* Roundup, coming Saturday morning
* 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
* Tuesday’s Roundup
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback Safe to hop on Falcons bandwagon; CFP sermon; Westside's Iverson & Northeast's Woodford; Northside news; Loughdmouthings-Cowboys/TV tiff, GHSA playoffs ...
* GIAA playoffs are set, GHSA picture much clearer but still has some fuzzy going on
* The schedule

Last week
* Roundup, Warner Robins wins thriller; Upson-Lee dumps No. 5; Dublin finishes perfect regular season; Spoon Risper gets milestone win; Washington County edges ACE
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia rankings
* The GHSA and GIAA football playoffs are here, and almost here. Breaking things down, it's complicated
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Georgia-Florida week? Really?; CFP sermon; area HS stat stuff; Loughdmouthings: Good games, Falcons, hotseats, HS players, new coaches/old coaches …
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Two weeks ago
* Roundup, Houston County battles TCC; Perry bows up again; Northeast, Woodford pop Dodge County; Baldwin O sharp; Mary Persons stuns No. 1; FPD wins region in OT thriller
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games?
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Central Georgia’s rankings
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
* Monday Morning QB: A really good - not epic - win in Austin, with silliness; weekly CFB playoff sermon; Loughdmouthings: Dumb Ho orn (this week) fans, really good HS slate, Falcons are fine, but …
* The schedule

Class 3A

7. John Milledge, 2-8, at 2. Tiftarea, 9-1 (For more, click here)
          Tiftarea was no doubt hoping for a different opening opponent than John Milledge. For one, JMA is a different team than in its 46-21 loss at Tiftarea back on Aug. 30. For another, that broke a six-game losing streak to the Trojans, all in the playoffs and three times in the semifinals, and the last three by 29, 36, and 28 points. The Trojans have finally gotten mostly healthy and gained experience, giving Tattnall trouble in an 11-point loss before topping Mount de Sales by 11 in the regular-season finale. QB Kolt McMichael went down in the first game and is back after missing several weeks, and was 10 of 18 for 210 yards against Mount de Sales. Cole Vining gets 109.7 yards on the ground. Tiftarea’s lone loss  was to Class AAA top seed Westfield, 21-14 back on Sept. 13. The Panthers were challenged then by Southland (29-21 win), Terrell (30-22 win) and Valwood (28-21) in three of its last five games. John Robert Walker is the key, accounting for 271.1 yards rushing and passing, split equally, with 30 touchdowns accounted for. Tiftarea head coach Erik Soliday is 231-175-3 in 36 seasons, also at Henry County, Americus, Turner County twice, Perry, and Americus-Sumter.

8. Terrell, 6-4, at 1. Westfield, 8-2 (For more, click here)
          Home playoff games used to be the norm at Westfield, a routine that’s been on hiatus since the end of the 2021 season. But the Hornets enter the playoffs as hot as they’ve been in years, even more than that 8-3 season in 2021. That year included a 56-35 win over Terrell, and ended with a 32-20 second-round/semifinal loss to Pinewood Christian. Westfield is 11 points from being undefeated, losing 33-29 at Deerfield-Windsor and 28-23 at defending 4A champ FPD. Since that last loss, on Sept. 20, Westfield has given up 36 points in four games. Terrell comes in having lost two of its last three, including a 42-6 loss to defending 3A champ Valwood. Westfield faces an offense getting nearly 300 yards a game on the ground, with two 1,000-yard rushers, one being quarterback Brandon Peachey, who has completed 45 percent of his passes for .41 yards, with 5 TDs and 5 INTs. Meanwhile, Westfield QB Brayden Gay gets 196 yards a game through the air, and has 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 71.2 percent of his passes. Jackson St. Clair has 47 catches for 640 yards and 9 TDs.

Class AA
8. Central Fellowship, 3-7, at 1. Southwest Georgia, 7-1
          Southwest Georgia’s lone loss is to defending 3A runner-up Brookstone, and has outscored opponents by 23.8 points a game. CFCA has won two of its last three after a four-game losing streak, and three losses by two touchdowns or less.

5. Trinity Christian, 6-4, at 4. Gatewood, 4-5
          Here’s a battle of veteran head coaches who have five state championships and 10 region titles between them, one winning 60.8 percent of his games and the other 66.9 percent. Bruce Lane’s Crusaders have lost two of their last three after a four-game winning streak, but have their highest win total since going 7-5 in 2018. They’re looking for their first semifinal trip since 2013 under Sam Barrs. Gatewood has had an off season after going 10-3 in 2023 and falling to Edmund Burke in last year’s championship. Wade Register runs for 101.8 yards a game, while Ben Castro-Poveda passes for 89.9 for Trinity Christian, countered by 80.6 rushing yards by Hunter Johnson and 100.1 passing yards by Ames Johnson, also a running threat. Gatewood leads the series 12-11, and this is the first playoff meeting. TCS’s 28-12 win on Aug. 23 broke a seven-game losing streak to the Gators.

7. Rock Springs, 8-2, at 2. Brentwood, 8-1
          This battle of run games may not take a whole lot of time. Rock Springs gets 201.5 yards on the ground, Brentwood motoring for 300.4. Brandt Washington of Rock Springs and Zach Denton of Brentwood each get 102 yards a game, Tristan Robinson adding 79 for Brentwood. The War Eagles have rebounded from last year’s 5-6 season, which followed three straight trips to the championship game, including the 2021 championship. Rock Springs won the Class A title in 2021.

GHSA

Class AAA

Baldwin, 5-4-/5-2, at Richmond Academy, 2-7/2-5, Saturday
          The Braves are in the playoffs and will likely host, but seeded where and against who is the question. The Musketeers have only three losses by two possessions (16 points) or less. Baldwin had a four-game losing streak broken in Tuesday’s 28-14 loss to West Laurens, quarterback Lamar Pounds throwing for two touchdowns.

Howard, 4-5/3-4, at Westside-Augusta, 7-2/5-2, Saturday
          Westside is in the playoffs regardless, sitting tied for third with Baldwin. Howard needs a win, needs one-win Cross Creek to upset Aquinas, and assorted other help to sneak in. A Howard win, though, gives the Huskies their third straight non-losing season and seventh in their 17-year history. Jeanarion Kamga gets 119 yards on the ground for Westside.

Class A/Division I

Central, 0-9/0-8, at Jefferson County, 0-9/0-8
          It has nothing to do with the playoffs, but it’s big for two teams trying to avoid winless seasons, Central for the first time in history (starting in 1970) and Jefferson County for the second straight season and second in history (1995). The Chargers average 2.7 points a game to 4.1 for the Warriors, who surrender nine fewer points a week.

East Laurens, 3-6/2-6, at Southwest, 3-6/3-5 (Ed DeFore)
          It’s another playoff game, with East Laurens seeming to have a spot in the A/I playoffs, and Southwest is barely on the outside looking in. The Falcons can survive a loss, only depending on what else goes on with the final games, but Southwest has to win to have a chance. The Falcons were dumped 32-7 by Northeast last week after the Raiders reeled off an 18-0 third quarter.  Southwest lost to Northeast 36-14 in August. East Laurens has lost four of its last five, and Southwest three of its last four.

Jasper County, 6-3/3-2, at Utopian Academy, 0-9/0-5
          The Purple Hurricanes are in the playoffs as the fourth-place team in Region 4, and have basically a tuneup before the postseason starts next week. They’re rebounding from last week’s 28-7 loss to Lamar County, and are going for their first 7-win season since going 8-3 in 1996. Head coach Ashley Henderson is a win from evening his mark at Jasper County to 15-15, making him the program’s second-winningest head coach this century, of seven head coaches (Doug Huff twice).

Class A/Division II

Central-Talbotton, 1-8/0-5, at Crawford County, 4-5/1-4
          The Eagles are out of the playoff picture, but can finish with a non-losing season for the first time since 2016, the last time they won five games, going 5-4. Crawford County leads the series 14-9, but has lost the last two meetings, 56-50 and 26-19 in 2019.

Glascock County, 2-7/1-3, at GMC Prep, 0-9/0-4
          Both teams are out of the playoffs, and GMC is hoping to avoid its first winless season since 2007. GMC leads the series 27-4, but lost 59-20 last year to break a 14-game winning streak.

Twiggs County, 2-7/1-3, at Johnson County, 7-2/4-0
          The playoff situation in Region 5 is pretty much set. Johnson County is the top seed and clinches the outright region title with a win. Twiggs County hasn’t won a regular-season finale since 2019.