Central Georgia high school football scouting reports
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Games of the week
Warner Robins at Northside
The Eagles don’t come in with much momentum, surviving a penalty-filled one-point win at Baldwin, but they’re 2-0 for the third time in the last four years. Warner Robins off to its third straight 1-1 start, but the Demons have been sharper so far. They led Fayette County 42-0 at halftime last week. Warner Robins leads the series 41-25 and is on a seven-game winning streak, the longest such run by either team since the Demons won seven straight from 1989-1995 and 1968-74.
Many thanks last week to ACE, FPD, Jasper County, Jones County, Northside, Stratford, and Tattnall - and John Milledge on Thursday - for sending in postgame information and/or stats.
🏈 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 the roundup, or by 11 a.m. Saturday to be added to Central Georgia’s only roundup.
Houston County at Perry
The Panthers’ pass defense got a big test last week when DJ Hudson Jr. passed for 317 yards, completing 14 of 29 for 4 TDs and a pick. Houston County’s Antwann Hill Jr. went for 342 yards on 18-of-26 passing in the 3-point win over Effingham County. Isaiah Mitchell has been huge for the Bears, with 12 catches for 232 yards a week ago. The Panthers’ Ahmad Gordon ran for 181 yards last week. Houston County games average 76 points, to 65 points for Perry games. And these last two meetings? 42-35 and 57-56. Action won’t be an issue.
FPD at St. Anne-Pacelli
Here’s a battle between the 2022 GIAA 4A champs and the 2023 GIAA 4A champs. St. Anne-Pacelli has been solid on defense in recent years, giving up 16 points or less a game the past three seasons. But Stratford and Tattnall both scored 27 points, one of the few times SAP has given up more than 50 points total in consecutive games in the last few seasons. FPD, meanwhile, has cracked 40 points or more in five of the 15 games under head coach Brett Collier.
Games of Note
New Westminster, British Columbia at Mary Persons
The Hyacks don’t have an abundance of size, and bring a Wing-T offense down from western Canada, where it was about 25 degrees cooler on Thursday at Friday’s kickoff time. The game is part of a busy week for the visitors from Vancouver, including visits to the National Center for Human and Civil Rights and Coke. How much energy will they have left for a night at The Pitt?
Q&A with New Westminster head coach Darnell Sikorski
The schedule
Class AAAAA
Veterans at Starr's Mill
The Warhawks haven’t started 0-3 since a 3-8 season in 2014. Starr’s Mill is 2-0, and had had 10 straight winning seasons, including 10-4 last year. The Panthers won the lone meeting, 38-17 in 2016 in the playoffs.
This week
* Maxwell Predictions
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s games?
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Notes, reviews, Loughdmouthings
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
Last week
* Roundup: Rivalry night for Dodge County-Bleckley County; Perry-Peach County slug it out; Pointsapaloozas for Dublin, Westfield, Stratford, FPD; 67-48 & 6-0 games? Northside sweats out Baldwin
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Central Georgia state rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s games?
Class AAAA
Hampton at Jones County
The Hornets are in their 11th seasons, and looking for the second winning year (7-4, 2022). Jones County won 45-6 and 48-7 in 2016-17. They’ve been respectable on defense, but Jones County has scored 35 points or more 10 times in its last 14 games, and racked up 503 yards total offense last week. The only time the Greyhounds haven’t done that has been against ranked teams.
Class AAA
Berkmar at Peach County
The Trojans have outscored their first two opponents 79-70 this year, compared to being outscored 63-20 last year, albeit against slightly better competition overall. Berkmar hasn’t had a winning season 2007, with eight one-win or winless seasons since then. Their best two-year run in that span is 7-13 in 2018-19.
North Clayton at West Laurens
The Eagles are coached by former Georgia defensive back Cap Burnett 1990-2000, 2002), 19-64 in his ninth season but off a 4-6 year, his second-best with the program. The Raiders are looking at their first 2-0 start since 2019.
Class AA
Westover at Westside (Ed DeFore)
The Class AAA Patriots make their second trip to Bibb County ever to Bibb County. They topped Southwest 20-7 in 1987, a year after winning 30-15. Both teams are 1-1, the Seminoles off a 49-0 loss at First Baptist Christian in Naples, Fla.
Class A
ACE Charter at Jefferson County
Jefferson County’s streak of 21 straight playoff trips ended last year, and the new streak is 13 straight losses. The Gryphons have held eight of their last 11 regular-season opponents to 14 points or less. Central managed only 97 yards on offense last week at ACE.
Bleckley County at East Laurens
Both teams are coming off bruising losses, one not totally unexpected. Bleckley County leads the series 19-10 and has won nine straight, dating back to East Laurens’ 41-17 win in 2008.
Brentwood at GMC Prep
The War Eagles are on blasting 55.5 points a game so far, but also giving up 34.5. GMC is giving up 39 and scoring 11.50. Brentwood won the inter-association matchup 28-13 last year.
Central at Dodge County
A tough early schedule continues for Central, with Dodge County coming in with momentum after beating Bleckley County 19-16 last week and breaking a five-game losing streak to the Royals. These teams have played twice, 2002-03 and split 21-14 games.
Dublin at Southwest (Thompson)
The Irish have scored more in two games – 107 points – than Southwest and opponents have scored – 95 – in two games. This is Dublin’s first trip to Bibb County since beating Northeast 56-21 in 2019, a week after popping Southwest 70-16 en route to the AA state championship.
Hancock Central at Lake Oconee
The Bulldogs blanked in their first game and were blanked in their second game. Lake Oconee, 7-3 lsat year, is off to a 2-0 start and has allowed three points.
Jackson at Lamar County
The Trojans and Red Devils have played 38 times, Jackson leading 25-13 but losing the last three, 2021-23, by a 108-40 margin. Lamar County is 7-1 against higher classification teams under head coach Travis Ellington.
Lanier County at Hawkinsville
The Red Devils ran into state contender Schley County last week, and get another playoff team, the 1-1 Bulldogs – then coached by new Macon County boss Kurt Williams - going 7-3 last year. This is the first meeting.
Macon County at Lakeside-Atlanta
Lakeside is 0-2, with a total of 26 points scored in those two games. Macon County’s two games have had 108 points scored. The Bulldogs took a 56-7 loss on the chin last week to defending A/II champ Bowdon.
Portal at Twiggs County
Dating back to 2023’s start, the Cobras have been shut out seven times, and host a team that won 44-0 in last year’s opener en route to an 8-4 season.
Putnam County at Laney
Can Putnam County avoid its first 0-3 start since 2016 on the road against a team that went 8-3 last year and has one five of its last six at home? The series is tied 3-3 after Laney’s 37-6 win last year.
Wilkinson County at Jasper County
The Purple Hurricanes, coming off a big defensive effort in last week’s 26-0 win over Hancock Central, will try to prevent Wilkinson County from its first 3-0 start since 2011. The teams haven’t played since the Warriors’ 37-14 win in 2007, but Jasper County leads 8-5-1.
GIAA
Class AAA
Baconton Charter at Piedmont
The Cougars, off last week, visit an 0-2 GHSA Division II team that is trying to break a streak of four straight 1-win seasons.
Mount de Sales at Calvary Christian
Mount de Sales suffered a bit of a hiccup last week in the 35-14 loss to Deerfield-Windsor, a 1-9 team in 2023, at home. Calvary Christian was thumped 56-0 by Stratford.
John Milledge at Tiftarea Academy
The closest game in the series owned 6-0 by John Milledge was the first one, 10-7 in 1998. The Trojans won 48-19 last year in the quarterfinals. The Panthers of veteran head coach Erik Soliday are 2-0. JMA gave up 348 yards last week to Augusta Prep, but defended the end zone pretty well.
Pinewood Christian at Stratford
The visiting Patriots are 0-2 against 2 AA/A teams, by a 115-62 margin, while Stratford has outscored opponents 83-13. The Eagles held Calvary Christian to minus 37 yards on 30 rushes.
Tattnall Square at George Walton
The Trojans handed St. Anne-Pacelli its first shutout since 2021 last week, the same year Tattnall lasted blanked somebody (41-0 over Brookwood). Antone Johnson went for 142 yards on 16 carries last week for Tattnall.George Walton is 1-1 falling 21-3 to GHSA Lake Oconee last week.
Westfield at Deerfield-Windsor
The Hornets go for their first 3-0 start since 2020 when they finished 7-3-1. The Knights, who lost this game 27-23 in the opener a year ago, topped Mount de Sales 35-14 last week.
Class AA
Brentwood at GMC Prep
The War Eagles are on blasting 55.5 points a game so far, but also giving up 34.5. GMC is giving up 39 and scoring 11.50. Brentwood won the inter-association matchup 28-13 last year.
Edmund Burke at Trinity Christian
The Crusaders go for their first big upset of the Bruce Lane era against the defending AA champs, after handling the AA runners-up last week.
Loganville Christian at Gatewood
The Gators try avoid their first 0-3 start since 2014 against a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2015.
St. Andrew’s at Central Fellowship
The Saints are on a 5-game losing streak, the Lancers on their first 2-game losing streak since 2019.
Windsor at Augusta Prep
The 2-0 Knights are off to quite the start in their return to 11-man football, but the Cavaliers will provide the first real test.
8-man
Covenant at Holy Spirit, 4:30 p.m.