We have reached the final week of the regular season for high school football here in the Peach State. Here is the first half of our Georgia High School Football previews. Matchups in this edition include Macon County vs Chattahoochee County, Creekside vs Woodward Academy, Dutchtown vs. Jones County, and St. Pius vs Decatur.
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Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com
Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com
Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)
The Skinny
The Jones County Greyhounds enter this weeks game on a 6-game win streak. Their losses are by a combined 6 points. The first loss was a rather curios one to Class 2-A Northeast Macon, but they have bounced back as we mentioned previously. The Greyhounds are averaging 44.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 24.7. Quarterback John Richter has thrown for 2,185 yards and 22-TDs. Zion Ragans has been his primary target with 36 receptions for 723 yards and 5-TDs. Javious Bond has shown off his versatility this season as he leads the team in rushing with 544 yards and 9-TDs and has also caught 33 passes for 467 yards and 6-TDs.
The Dutchtown Bulldogs have also won six consecutive games entering this week. The Bulldogs are averaging 18.1 points per game while their defense is allowing just 10.4 points per game. Dutchtown will rely heavily on the run game on Friday night with Jamal Bing, Bryce Clayvon and Amarrion Yarborough.
The big question is can the young Bulldogs slow down an explosive Jones County team. We believe they will be in the game in the first half, but we like the Greyhounds to outrun Dutchtown this week. Jones County by 14.
The Skinny
The Macon County Bulldogs are looking for their second consecutive region title. They are 8-0 for the first time since 1996. The Bulldogs are averaging 143.3 yards through the air and 214.4 yards per game on the ground. The defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 53 times and forced 26 turnovers on the year. Shelquavius Byse leads the team in total tackles while Kenwan Felton and Jace McClendon lead the team in sacks with 16 and 11 respectively. Running back Marlon Mitchell leads the team in rushing with 1,140 yards and 14-TDs.
The Chattahoochee County Panthers are a 1-point loss away from being undefeated. A win by the Panthers would almost certainly force a three-way tie in Region 5. The Cougars are averaging 41.3 points per game while the defense is allowing a 5.7 points per game. The defense has recorded three shutouts on the season. This is the best scoring defense in school history.
We would take the under in terms of total points on this one as we expect this to be a defensive battle. We like the home team, Macon County, this week by a field goal.
The Skinny
The St. Pius Golden Lions have won five straight games entering this week as they search for their ninth region titles in 13 seasons. While Coach Standard has moved on as head coach, the Lions still run the Wing-T offense with precision. They are averaging 31.3 points per game. The defense has been just as good allowing just 10.8 points per game with two shutouts to their credit. The offense is led by southpaw quarterback Alex Prosser who is a capable passer. Running back Jack Tchienchou is tough in between the tackles and is also just as versatile as a receiver out of the backfield.
The Decatur Bulldogs had their hopes of an outright region title derailed last week, but they can still force a three-way tie with a victory on Friday night. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by an average of 40 to 9.5. They’ve also recorded three shutouts on the season. Decatur has a coupe of bruising backs in Marquis Hood and Chapman Smith. Smith is also one of the statistical team leaders on defense.
We expect this game to be closer than last season’s matchup. We like the Lions and the Wing-T this week by a touchdown.
The Skinny
The Woodward Academy War Eagles have quietly put together another undefeated season up to this point. Woodward has not allowed more than 14 points in a game this season and has also recorded three shutouts this season. They are allowing just 7.1 points per game, while the offense is averaging 33.8 points per game. The War Eagles are averaging 116.6 yards per game through the air and 149.4 yards per game on the ground. Running back Damari Alston has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 19-TDs. Through 8-games, Woodward has sacked opposing quarterbacks 31 times and forced 12 turnovers.
The Creekside Seminoles are in search of their third region title in four years. The Seminoles have won six consecutive games, with their only loss on the season coming at the hands of Cartersville by a mere 3-points. Creekside is averaging 153.2 yards through the air and 215 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Nyqua Lett has thrown for 1,365 yards and 15-TDs. Lett is also third in the team in rushing behind senior running backs Kamauri Davis, (535 yards, 9-TDs) and Cameron Burch, (454 yards, 10-TDs). Javeon Miller has recorded a team high 20 sacks. The defense has forced 19 turnovers on the season.
We expect for Creekside to try and limit Alston and maybe stack the box to slow him down and force quarterback Jalen Woods to beat them. While we are big fans of Alston and his ability to impact any game, we believe there is something special about this Creekside defense. We like the Seminoles by 5.