We continue our GHSA Semifinal previews with Class 5A. This preview features games between Cartersville – Coffee and Warner Robins – Jones County.
Last week in our picks, we went 1-3 in Class 5A. Ouch! Congratulations to Warner Robins, Coffee and Cartersville for advancing. We obviously did not see that coming!
While both of these games should be great contests, if we had to pick a 5A game to attend, it would be Cartersville vs Coffee.
Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share.
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The Skinny
The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes went on the road and did what only one other team has managed to do this season, and that is beat Ware County. For Cartersville, it is their second semifinals appearance in three years and their 12th overall. Carlos Del Rio Wilson has thrown for over 1,150 yards and 11-TDs after transferring into Cartersville mid-season. Quante’ Jennings went over the century mark last week with a 109 yards rushing. That’s the third time he’s done that and has now rushed for 900 yards and 22-TDs. Cartersville has won seven consecutive games and in three playoff games are averaging 40.3 points per game while allowing 18.6.
The Coffee Trojans went on the road last week and defeated Calhoun for their fifth straight win and advance to the semifinals for the second time since 2017 and only the third time in school history. Entering last week’s game, quarterback A.J. Wilkerson had thrown for 1,448 yards and 13-TDs. The Trojans were able to get a defensive score and touchdown runs from Trejan Landers and Maurice Turner to help advance. Coffee is very balanced on offense averaging just over 170 yards passing and 170 yards rushing per game this season. In their three playoff games, the Trojans are averaging 27.3 points per game while allowing 11 points per game. Two long road trips might be tough on the Trojans. We like Cartersville at home by a touchdown.
The Skinny
The Warner Robins Demons advanced to the semifinals for the fourth straight season and for the seventeenth time in school history. It was the seventh straight win for Warner Robins, whose only loss came to Class 6-A semifinalist Lee County. The Demons are led by quarterback Jalen Addie, who has thrown for 1,634 yards and 15-TDs and rushed for 833 and 10-TDs. Meanwhile, Jahlen Rutherford and Malcolm Brown have now combined for 1,886 yards and 16-TDs. Demarcious Robinson, Ahmad Walker and Vic Burley have continued to be a problem for opposing offenses all season. In their three playoff games Warner Robins is averaging 38 points per game while the defense is allowing 14 points per game.
The Jones County Greyhounds have won ten straight games as the find themselves in the semifinals for the second straight season and only the third time in school history. The Greyhounds racked up 302 yards on the ground in last week’s victory with Andrew Carner doing most of the damage with 234 yards and 3-TDs on 30 carries. Carner has rushed for 1,612 yards on the year with 28-TDs. Meanwhile linebacker Deon Richardson has been a tackling machine with 130 total tackles and a team leading 5 sacks. The Jones County secondary has intercepted 12 passes this season and forced 20 turnovers. In their three playoff games, the Greyhounds are averaging 29.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 15 points per game. While we are unsure of the status of Vic Burley this week, we believe the Demons have enough on defense to slow down Jones County. We like Warner Robins by 10.