By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Games of the week

Northside at Baldwin
Northside leads the series 21-6, and is on a 13-game winning streak, including a run in which the Eagles gave up only 26 points in a nine-game stretch. Northside won 33-28 in 2019. They played in the 2005 semifinals, top-ranked Northside winning 28-7. The Eagles gave up some passing yards last week against Eagle’s Landing, while the Braves struggled mightily on offense against Perry.

Peach County at Perry
The Panthers are on a seven-game winning streak, the 4A state title game in there. They’ve scored 35 points or more in 13 of their last 16 games, including last year’s 42-21 win over Peach County, following up the 35-7 win in 2022. Perry rolled Baldwin behind 128 yards passing from Cullen McDaniel and 122 rushing yards from Ahmad Gordon and 106 from Decorrion Daniels. The Trojans controlled undermanned Northeast 40-21.

This week
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Central Georgia state rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s games

Preseason and first-week coverage

Last week
* Friday’s roundup; Saturday’s roundup
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games; Saturday’s games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Central Georgia state rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia polls

Dodge County at Bleckley County
The debut of new Dodge County head coach Phillip Brown comes against the Indians’ biggest rival – Dodge County leads 32-16, but has lost five straight – and in the Region 4-A/I opener. Dequavis Benjamin ran for 101 yards on 12 carries last week for Bleckley County, which must deal with Alabama commit Duke Johnson of Dodge County. Bleckley County won 10-7 last year, getting the OT game-winning field goal from Ford Childers.

Mary Persons at Jackson
It’s a burly rivalry in name and spirit and attendance, but one-sided on the field. Mary Persons leads 60-21, and has won nine of the last 11, including 49-0 last year. The 2015 game went into double overtime.

The Schedule

Bowdon at Macon County
Bowdon, which has won the last two A/II state titles, was upset by Fellowship Christian 36-35 last week, while Macon County topped Southwest 26-19 in head coach Kurt Williams’ debut. The series is tied at 1.

Central at ACE Charter
ACE unveils its new turf field in the season opener against the team it beat 48-0 last year. Central will try to avoid its third straight shutout. ACE will name the field after founder Laura Perkins, who retired at the end of the 2023-24 year.co-

East Laurens at Dublin
The Laurens County neighbors have played 30 times. The lone East Laurens win came in 2012, 46-17. The Falcons have scored 54 points in the nine meetings since.

Effingham County at Houston County
The Bears rolled to their third straight first-game win, 57-10 over Alpharetta, behind 5 touchdowns on 6 touchdowns from do-it-all Gavin Kurpis’, who missed last year with an ACL. This is the first meeting, and Effingham County’s first game after going 7-4 last season.

Fayette County at Warner Robins
The Demons are a big favorite to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2016. Fayette County, 1-9 last year, lost 56-0 to McIntosh last week.

GMC Prep at Crawford County
GMC Prep broke Atkinson County’s 15-game losing streak, falling 35-16. Crawford County fell by 14 to a revived Pike County program. The series is tied at 4.

Greene County at Twiggs County
Greene County has won the last three meetings, in 2016, 2017, and 2021. The Cobras are on an 18-game losing streak. Twiggs County will honor alum and former NFL defensive back Darqueze Dennard at halftime.

Groves at West Laurens
It’s the season opener for both teams, each in need of a good start amid struggles. Groves went 1-9 last year, West Laurens 2-8. This is their first meeting.

Hancock Central at Jasper County
The Bulldogs opened the Brandon Nolley era with their biggest win since 76-7 over Crawford County in 2020, and first 60-point game since 64-6 over Twiggs County in 2022. The Purple Hurricanes had the lead over Taylor County, but hit a flurry of mistakes in losing 21-7. The series is tied at 4.

Hawkinsville at Schley County
The Red Devils ran for 198 yards last week, but now get a team that went 34-6 the last three seasons. Schley County lost 32-14 to Seminole County.

Jeff Davis at Rutland (Ed DeFore)
Rutland faces an old-school Wing-T that handled Washington County 22-6 last week in Sandersville.

Morgan County at Putnam County
The neighbors have played 40 times, Morgan County leading 31-18-1. But the War Eagles have won the last two, 37-0 in 2021 and 5-2 in 2020. They lost 28-20 to No. 8 Greene County last week.

Southwest at Northeast (Thompson)
Two teams searching for identities and battling some health issues open region play. Southwest lost 26-19 to Macon County last week and Northeast fell 40-21 to Class AAA Peach County.

Treutlen at Wilkinson County
The Warriors, off a 34-20 win over Wheeler County, are tied with Treutlen 5-5-2, winning 9-7 in 2005, the last meeting.

Upson-Lee at Manchester
The 3A Knights face a quality A/II team that lost only 16-8 to 4A Harris County last week, and lost 28-27 in last year’s state championship game. This is their first meeting.

Veterans at Statesboro
The teams have split the series, playing in 2018-19. Statesboro hasn’t had a winning season since going 10-2 in 2013, while Veterans has three winning years in that span.

Washington County at Jefferson County
Former Washington County player and coach Marlo East went 0-10 in his head coaching debut last year and opened with a 6-0 loss to Screven County. The Golden Hawks lost their third straight season opener, 22-6 to Jeff Davis.

Westside at First Baptist Christ., Fla.
The Seminoles drove about 8 hours to play against a Class A private school team in Naples.

Wheeler County at Taylor County
Taylor County took advantage of Jasper County mistakes to get in front in the second half for their first season-opening win since 2021. The series is tied at 1.

Woodland at Jones County
A week after Mike Chastain became the program’s winningest coach, the Greyhounds host a team that has lost the last three meetings in the series by 33, 49, and 39.

GIAA

Briarwood at Central Fellowship
The Lancers are off their worst loss in several years, and look to avoid their first 0-2 start under head coach Jake Walls. CFCA won 46-7 in 2022.

Calvary Christian at Stratford
The Paul Carroll era got off to a good start, breaking a 3-game losing streak to St. Anne-Pacelli Calvary Christian has had five straight winning seasons in lower classifications. Connor Fitzpatrick threw for 162 yards and 2 scores last week, and Brooks Garner and Tyler Stephens teamed for 163 rushing yards, Garner leading the defense with 12 tackles.

Marion County at First Presbyterian
The Vikings have won six straight, including last year’s 4A state finale. They went 1-1-1 last year against GHSA teams, after 0-3 in 2022. The Eagles are only 11-27 since going 11-3 in 2019 in GHSA Class A. They beat Southland 33-21 last year after losing 21-14 in 2022.

Mount de Sales at Deerfield-Windsor
The Cavs recorded their highest point total last week since popping Twiggs County 54-8 in 2019. They’ve won the last two meetings, in 2021 and 2020, improving to 5-11 in the series.

Pinewood Christian at Brentwood
Brentwood took care of business against Trinity Christian, and looks to do the same and break a two-game losing streak to Pinewood, which won 35-0 in both 2014-2015.

St. Anne-Pacelli at Tattnall Square
Tattnall lost to last year’s 4A runner-up, and now gets the 2022 4A champ, off a bit of a surprising thumping by visiting Stratford. Tattnall is trying to avoid a second straight 0-2 start. Pacelli won 50-35 last year

Westfield at Southland
Westfield grad Chance Jones is now the boss at Southland, as the third former Stratford staffer in Americus, joining Rodney Collins (1979-80) and David Bailey (1981-83). Jones is 2-0 against his alma mater.

Trinity Christian at Gatewood
Gatewood is off its first season-opening loss since 2018 (45-7 to John Milledge), and hasn’t been 0-2 under Jeff Ratliff since 2014, his second year. TCS and veteran head coach Bruce Lane fell 44-21 to Brentwood.

Windsor at Thomas Jefferson
The Knights knocked off GHSA Pataula Charter 26-12 last week in their first game back in 11-man football. Thomas Jefferson is off a 41-7 thumping at Piedmont, its fifth straight loss.

8-man

Crisp at Covenant