The end of the Georgia High School Football regular season is upon us and there are several region races that have yet to be determined. This is Part I of our weekly feature where we take a look of eight of the more intriguing matchup around the state. Each one of these games will have an impact on playoff seedings or region titles.
First up, the Eastside Eagles host the Jefferson Dragons. Eastside is in search of their first region title since 2018. However, running back and linebacker Sammy Brown stand firmly in their way. Brown and the Dragons are in search of their third consecutive region title. Can Eastside tame the Dragons this week or will Brown run wild again? Down in Troup County, the LaGrange Grangers will face off against the Troup Tigers. Troup lost a key piece of their offense, but has found a way to get things going on the ground. Can LaGrange’s air attack be the perfect counter to top Troup?
Over in Suwanee, the North Gwinnett Bulldogs will host the Norcross Blue Devils. North Gwinnett is looking to force a three way tie in region play while Norcross is in search of their first region title since 2020. Finally, the Parkview Panthers will face the Grayson Rams in a game that will give one team a home playoff game and potentially a share of the region title. Parkview has had to overcome a few injuries this season at running back. Meanwhile Grayson is looking for their second straight region title.
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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
Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)
The Skinny
The Eastside Eagles enter Thursday’s contest winners of their last 5 games. The last four they have won by a convincing margin. The Eagles have done most of their damage on the ground as they are averaging right around 200 yards per game rushing while they are passing for just under 100 yards per game. Eastside’s offense is led by running backs Anquez Cobb and Jayden Barr. The duo has combined to rush for 1,202 yards and 22 TDs on the year. Sophomore quarterback Payton Shaw has three reliable receivers in the aforementioned Barr, Marion Eubanks and Chase Jordan. Eastside is averaging 33 points per game on offense while the defense is allowing just over 16 per game.
The Jefferson Dragons are working on their second undefeated regular season since 2020. The Dragons have had relatively little issue defeating anyone on their schedule as their average margin of victory this season has been just over 29 points per game. Sammy Brown leads the Dragons offense and defense as he’s rushed for 1,269 yards and 21-TDs and also leads the team in total tackles. Quarterback Gavin Markey doesn’t throw it a ton, but when he does, Joshua Causey and Zay Minish have been a couple of his top targets. We mentioned the explosive Dragons’ offense earlier, they are averaging 39.4 points per game while the defense is allowing just 10 and have recorded three shutouts on the year.
A win for the Dragons will make their 4th region title in five years, while the Eagles would notch their first region title since 2018 with a win on Thursday. We expect for Eastside to hang with Jefferson at home, but don’t know if they can stop Sammy Brown and the Dragons’ ground game. Jefferson by 6.
The Skinny
The LaGrange Grangers have played themselves into position to host a playoff game for the second consecutive season. LaGrange has won their last six games and have only allowed 33 total points in those contests. One of the key cogs for the LaGrange defense is linebacker Parker Shattuck. Shattuck also doubles as a TE/H for the offense and is one of the reliable receivers for quarterback Malik Kemp. Kemp has a strong arm and has also flashed his pocket presence as he knows how to buy time for his receivers to find holes in the secondary. LaGrange’s offense is averaging 37 points per game this season and have scored 35 points or more in all of their victories this season.
The Troup Tigers are winners of their last four games and like LaGrange, have played themselves into position to host a playoff game this season. The Tigers have done most of their damage on the ground this season, averaging almost 250 rushing yards per game. The Tigers have gained over 2,200 rushing yards as a team and it has been running back by committee. Troup had to pivot after losing starting quarterback Taeo Todd to a season ending injury earlier in the season. Ashton Williams and quarterback Logan Sinkfield have responded as they have combined to rush for 1,214 yards and 21-TDs. While the Tigers have been run oriented, Noah Dixon has shown playmaking ability at receiver with 397 yards and 7-TDs. Defensively, Qua Birdsong leads the Tigers in total tackles. Troup is allowing 9.8 points per game.
The sets up to be an interesting game as the Troup County rivals square off for the 36th time. For either team to claim a region title, they will need to win on Friday and then get some help from Whitewater to defeat Starr’s Mill. But perhaps most importantly, a win will ensure a home playoff game. Troup will need to find a way to limit LaGrange’s back plays while LaGrange will have to slow down Troup’s ground attack. We expect this game to go down to the wire and like the Grangers by 6.
The Skinny
The North Gwinnett Bulldogs have won four of their last five games entering this week. The Bulldogs can force a three way tie for first place with a win this week and if Peachtree Ridge wins. They can also win the region with a win and a Peachtree Ridge loss.The Bulldogs are averaging 37.7 points per game and have been balanced in their offensive production, averaging 182.8 yards per game through the air and 164.9 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Ryan Hall has thrown for 1,517 yards and 17-TDs and has also rushed for 581 yards snd 7-TDs. Running back Julian Walters has gained 627 yards and 12-TDs to lead the Bulldogs ground game. North Gwinnett’s defense is allowing 22 points per game, and they really get after the quarterback. They have recorded 40 sacks this season with Cole Funderburk (11 sacks) and Jaden Brock (10) leading the way.
The Norcross Blue Devils have won seven straight games and are looking to claim their second region title in four years with a win on Friday. Norcross is averaging 36 points per game this season. They are led by quarterback A.J. Watkins who has thrown for 656 yards, rushed for 750 yards and caught 2o passes for 233 yards and has tallied 18 total TDs. Junior Dillon Mohammed has also seen time at quarterback and has thrown for 631 yards and 6-TDs. Kevin Maven-Winchester has been the workhorse for Norcross’ ground game, as he’s carried the ball 115 times for 749 yards and 7-TDs. Jamari Harold and Joshua Clarke have combined to catch 44 passes for 575 yards and 2-TDs.
Norcross seems to have all of the momentum entering this game, but we expect the road game to play a factor. Norcross’ defense has been dominant as of late. They will need a big performance to slow down North Gwinnett’s Hill. As with the other games, we’ve previewed this week, we expect this game to come down to the final quarter. We like Norcross to just get by North Gwinnett. Blue Devils by 4.
The Skinny
The Parkview Panthers have won three out of their last four games and have a chance to host a playoff game with a win on Friday night. The Panthers have gone with a balanced attack on offense, averaging 163.8 yards per game through the air and 176.4 yards per game on the ground. The Panthers have lost two starting running backs to season ending injuries, but it has been next man up for Parkview. Davin Rouse, Brian Stokes, Jr. and quarterback Jaiden Jenkins have combined to rush for 974 yards and 11-TDs. Meanwhile, Michael Matthews and Carson Wilson have combined to catch 56 passes for 1,108 yards and 13-TDs. Despite the injuries, Parkview’s offense is averaging 37.5 points per game.
The Grayson Rams find themselves in a similar position as Parkview, winning three out of their last four ballgames. Grayson is averaging 439.7 yards of offense per game with 244.7 of that coming through the air. Quarterback Jeff Davis has thrown for 2,051 yards and has completed 72.8% of his passes this season, with 25-TDs and just one interception in 206 pass attempts. His top receivers have been John Cineas (37 receptions, 651 yards, 6-TDs), Aiden Taylor (35 receptions, 487 yards, 7-TDs) and Alex Sanchez, (30 receptions, 423 yards, 4-TDs). Dylan Elder and Elijah Miller have combined to rush for 950 yards and 10-TDs. The Rams defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 28 times while the secondary has intercepted 11 passes.
The road to a region title is a little different for these teams. Parkview would claim the region title with a win and an Archer loss, while Grayson would win the region title with just a win as they have the head to head win over Archer. Parkview should be able to keep this game close at home. Their ability to run the ball and mix in throws to Matthews should keep Grayson off balance for most of the game. But we like Grayson to have the final say in this matchup. Rams by 4.