We have officially reached the half way point of the high school football season in Georgia. As we do each week, we are taking a look at eight intriguing matchups around the state this week. This is Part II of our Eight Greats Around the State Georgia High School Football Previews.
First up, a big matchup in Region 5-6A as the Douglas County Tigers will try to derail the Langston Hughes Panthers express. Hughes is the odds on favorite to win the region, so a win by Douglas County would be a huge upset. Meanwhile, staying in the metro area, the East Coweta Indians host the Lambert Longhorns. Both of these teams find themselves on the outside of the Top-10 rankings in Class 7A, but both have a lot to prove and should be near the top of their respective regions come playoff time.
Next we head south to Moultrie as the Colquitt County Packers host the upset minded Cedar Grove Saints. This will be the fourth consecutive Class 7A team the Saints have faced. Will they avenge last season’s loss to Colquitt? Finally down in Ocilla, the Irwin County Indians are back home as they face a very good Metter Tiger defense. Can Shane Marshall and Demarkus Lundy continue their success on the ground this week or will Kaliq Jordan and Antwan Coney have the answer for Metter.
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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 Douglas County Tigers bounced back from their week three loss with a win over region foe Alexander last week. The Tigers have done most of their damage through the air as they are averaging 337.5 yards passing. Junior quarterback Sire Hardaway has thrown for 1,328 yards and 9-TDs. James Johnson, Deuce Alexander and Monte Gooden have combined for 58 receptions for 1,138 yards and 8-TDs. The Tigers are averaging 40.7 points per game while the defense is allowing 26 points per game.
The Langston Hughes Panthers are winners of their last thirteen regular season games. The Hughes offense has been red hot as they are averaging 55.2 points per game. They are also averaging 450 yards of offense per game; 253.3 yards per game through the air and 196.8 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Prentiss “Air” Noland has thrown for 1,013 yards and 17-TDs with no interceptions. Justus Savage leads the team in rushing with 351 yards and 5-TDs. C.J. Lockhart, Jaden Barnes and Jediyah Willoughby are the top receiving targets for Noland.
Douglas County will have their hands full trying to slow down Langston Hughes. The Tigers have the offense to keep them around, but Hughes is going to be too much to handle Friday night. We like the Panthers by two touchdowns.
The Skinny
The East Coweta Indians are winners of four straight and are looking to make it five this week as they close out their non-region schedule. East Coweta is averaging just over 400 yards of total offense per game. Sophomore quarterback Christian Langford has thrown for 1,062 yards and 15-TDs. Langford also leads the team in rushing with 330 yards and has also added a rushing TD. Brady Tillman (24 receptions, 470 yards, 10-TDs) and Jayshon Stegall (17 receptions, 338 yards, 3-TDs) lead the Indians in receiving. Linebacker Cosby Ellis leads the team in total tackles with 44 including a team high 4 sacks. The East Coweta defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 15 times this season.
The Lambert Longhorns are 4-0 for the third consecutive season. Lambert is also wrapping up their non-region schedule this week before a bye week. The Longhorns offense is averaging 40 points per game. Only once this season have they been held to under 40 points in a game. Quarterback James Tyre has thrown for 897 yards and 10-TDs and his not been intercepted at all this season. Brandon Jones has been his top receiver with 16 reception for 452 yards and 5-TDs. Sophomore running back Tommy Lafayette leads the team in rushing with 336 yards on the ground and 4-TDs.
We expect for this game to be a back and forth matchup, as both teams have shown the ability to be explosive on offense. If East Coweta’s quarterback can limit his interceptions this week, we like their chances. However, something tells us Lambert will sneak out of Sharpsburg with a win this week. Longhorns by 6.
The Skinny
The Colquitt County Packers will come out of the bye week facing another one of the top teams in the state. The Packers are averaging 38.7 points per game. They are averaging 397 yards of offense per game with an average of 159 yards through the air and 238 yards per game on the ground. Running back Charlie Pace has paced the offense with 453 yards per game on the ground and 4-TDs while quarterback Neko Fann has thrown for 636 yards and 8-TDs. He’s also rushed for 151 yards and 3-TDs. Fann has a bevy of weapons at receiver including Ny Carr, Zamari Williams, and tight end Landed Thomas. Defensively the Packers are allowing 10 points per game and have sacked opposing quarterbacks 16 times.
The Cedar Grove Saints will face their fourth consecutive Class 7A opponent this week as they travel to Moultrie. The Saints offense has been clicking all season as they are averaging 34 points per game. Sophomore quarterback E.J. Colson has now thrown for 895 yards and 7-TDs. His top receivers this season are Barry Jackson and Ricky Lee who have combined to catch 38 passes for 610 yards. The 56 points that Cedar Grove allowed last week were the most points a Cedar Grove team has allowed since September of 2008. Despite giving up the lopsided number, Cedar Grove’s defense is still allowing just 23 points per game.
Cedar Grove has shown the can be giant killers at times and we expect them to put a scare into Colquitt this week. However, we believe the Packers are too deep and will pull away late. Packers by two touchdowns.
The Skinny
The Irwin County Indians return home this week as they went up to Northwest Georgia and beat Rockmart. The Indians are winners of their last three games. They are averaging 34.2. points per game with a balanced attack on offense; averaging 173.8 yards per game through the air and 169.5 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Cody Soliday has thrown for 692 yards and 6-TDs. His top receivers are Mason Snyder and Malachi Hadden. The duo has combined for 387 receiving yards. Meanwhile Demarkus Lundy and Shane Marshall have combined for 511 rushing yards and 9 rushing TDs.
The Metter Tigers are winners of their last two games. The Tigers have not shied away from tough competition with losses to Class AA Pierce County and one of the top teams in Class A Division I, Swainsboro. The Tigers are averaging 16.8 points per game while the defense is allowing 16 points per game. In their three victories, the Tigers are outscoring their opponents 70-29, while in their two losses they are being outscored 51-14.
Metter has a chance to make statement this week in Class A Division-I . We believe the Tigers are close on defense, but we believe their offense will struggle a bit this week against Irwin’s defense. We like the Indians by 13.