Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 3 – Part I

Posted on September 1, 2021 by admin

Welcome to another week of previews as we close in on the first quarter of the regular season here in Georgia. This week our Georgia High School Football Previews has gone from Eight Greats Around the State to Seven Greats as the ELCA-Rabun County game has been called off due to…you guessed it Covid. Nevertheless, we did preview three really good games in Part I including Ware County-Baldwin, Colquitt-Cedar Grove and Trinity Christian-Fellowship Christian.

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

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 Ware County Gators are off to another fast start this season. Dual threat quarterback Thomas Castellanos has completed 68% of his passes for 475 yards and 2-TDs. He’s also added 147 yards and 3-TDs on the ground. Running back Cartevious Norton has added 258 yards and 3-TDs on the ground and compliments Castellanos well. The duo has helped power the offense to an average of 52 points per game early in the season.

The Baldwin Braves get back on the field this week after their game against Washington County was called off. The Braves had big games from quarterback Derrick Lewis and running back Jeamiyah Scott in Week-1 to help lead the offense. While their defense was stout two weeks ago.

Baldwin’s defense will need a similar performance as their opening week if they are going to slow down the Gators offense. Castellanos is going to get his yards, but can they keep Ware out of the end zone? We believe Thomas Castellanos will be too tough to tame. Ware by 10.

The Colquitt County Packers had their 23 game home winning streak snapped last week as they fell to Westlake. Quarterback Neko Fann seems to be settling in as he tossed two touchdown passes while Charlie Pace went over the 100-yard mark again last week. Pace has 313 yards and a touchdown on the season. The Packers defense has already recorded 11.5 sacks in just two games.  

The Cedar Grove Saints opened their season with a big victory last week over Tucker. The Saints are led on offense by elusive running back Rashad Dubinion who has made a habit of leaving defenders floundering in his wake. Janiran Bonner leads a talented group of wide receivers. As talented as Cedar Grove is on offense, the defense might be one of the best in the state. They are led by linemen, Christen Miller, Carlton Madden, Adonijah Green and linebacker Everett Roussaw, Jr. and Donavan Johnson in the secondary. The way they fly around on defense is downright scary.

Depth might be the biggest key. Cedar Grove certainly has the talent to compete with Colquitt, but are they deep enough and will the long trip to Moultrie be the equalizer? We think so, it will be close, but we like Colquitt by 4. 

The Trinity Christian Lions look like a team on a mission early in the season. The Lions are averaging 56.5 points per game early in the season. They are getting it done through the air and on the ground. Quarterback David Dallas has thrown for 478 yards and 9-TDs with no interceptions while Dominick Cosper has rushed for 155 yards and 3-TDs. The defense has been just as impressive, allowing 10 points in the first two weeks of the season.

The Fellowship Christian Paladins were off last week, but they look to pick up where they left off in Week-1. Running back Josh Cole led the way for the Paladins with 168 yards on 25 carries and 2-TDs in their victory. Quarterback Caleb McMickle was efficient, completing 67% of his passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. 

Fellowship Christian might be walking into an ambush down in Sharpsburg. We expect for Fellowship to be competitive, but Trinity Christian is just too talented across the board. We like Trinity by 20.

Posted in 2021 GHSA Weekly Previews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cherokee County Football Previews Week-3

Posted on August 31, 2021 by admin

Week three of the high school football season is upon us in Cherokee County. Here are our Cherokee County Football Previews as all six county teams are in action this week.

Sequoyah travels to Cass this week as they’ll face a Colonels team that is coming off of a heartbreaking game of their own. Which team has recovered and which team will have the hangover? Woodstock will travel to Creekview in search of their first victory this season. Will the Grizzlies have rust from the off week or will they be able to stymie the Woodstock air attack? The Etowah Eagles will host the River Ridge Knights. Etowah is looking to build momentum; will the have an answer for the talented River Ridge squad? Finally Cherokee travels to Rome. The Warriors escaped Hickory Flat last week but a Rome Wolves team is up in Baron Stadium waiting to ambush them and exact revenge from last year.

As always thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share.

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 Sequoyah Chiefs will be on the road this week in their last test before the region schedule begins. Sequoyah, executed their offense to perfection, using a combination of backs like Peyton Lucas, Jack Piscorz, Jackson Hancock, Tyler Bell and of course quarterback Matthew Traynor. Traynor rolled up 140 total yards and rushed for two TDs and threw for another last week. Meanwhile, the defense limited Cherokee to 135 yards passing. The defensive front will have their work cut out for them again as they will be busy trying to apply pressure to Cass’ dual threat quarterback.

The Cass Colonels also lost a heartbreaker last week as they will try to recoup. Cass is lead by quarterback Devin Henderson. As we mentioned, he can beat team’s with both his arm and his legs. Henderson’s primary receiver is Sacovie White, who has put up some impressive numbers in the first two weeks of the season. He is already over 260 yards receiving coming into this Friday.  

This game will be a contrast of styles. We saw Sequoyah’s Wing-T run almost flawlessly last week with all scoring drives covering more than 10 plays and chewing up a lot of clock. If they can repeat that performance, it might be enough to keep the explosive Henderson and the Cass offense on the sidelines. We believe Sequoyah does just enough this week. Chiefs by 6. 

The Creekview Grizzlies will be back in action this Friday after an early season bye week. The Grizzlies are coming off of a big game in which their defense seemed to already be in mid-season form. Mason Hicks had his coming out party, throwing for 4-TDs to help lead the way on offense. While success in the passing game was a welcome sight for Grizzly fans, let’s not forget about their bell-cow Tyler Stevens. For the Grizzlies to have success over the course of the year, the Grizzlies will need to have continued success on the ground. 

Woodstock comes into this game after finding a little more success last week. The Wolverines were able to get on the board against River Ridge to record their first points of the season. We saw Adonis Garcia get involved in the passing game. He along with the growth of receivers Nick Rule, Ryan Burke and Brady Williams should help steady the Woodstock air attack. Defensively, Woodstock will have another tough test in trying to slow down Tyler Stevens and the Creekview ground game. Expect Carson Gray, Preston Lawrence and Benji Shackleford to help lead the defensive effort again this week.

For Creekview to win, they will need to get pressure on Woodstock’s Comeau and force him to rush his throws. For Woodstock to win, they’ll need to take care of the football and slow down Stevens. We believe Woodstock will be improved, but we like the Grizzlies defense early in the season. Creekview by 24.

The Etowah Eagles get back on the field this week as they host the RIver Ridge Knights. Not much changes from last week with regards to the game plan. The Eagles will need to take care of the football and not get behind the chains if they want to be successful on offense. Defensively it is going to be an uphill battle slowing down the potent River Ridge offense. 

Speaking of River Ridge, the Knights went over to Woodstock last week and walked away with a 49-14 victory. Amhere Morrison rushed for 96 yards and 3-TDs and added 27 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown to help lead the way. Quarterback Carson Lathem has thrown for 274 yards and 4-TDs with no interceptions on the young season. Defensive linemen Dylan Persuad leads the team in total tackles while Brian Bradley has already recorded seven tackles for loss. 

Perhaps ball control will be the key for Etowah to keep the potent Knights offense on the sideline. That’s probably a bit too much to ask for the Etowah offense this week. River Ridge has a spoil of riches on both sides of the ball. We like River Ridge by four touchdowns. 

The Rome Wolves return from the bye week ready to avenge last season’s loss to the Cherokee Warriors. The Wolves defeated Rockmart in Week-1 as Reece Fountain looked sharp completing 64.7% of his passes for 195 yards and 3-TDs with no interceptions. Martel Height was his main target so we wouldn’t be surprised if Rome will look to exploit any advantage in the secondary. Shaun Nelson is the workhouse on the ground for Rome. Expect him to test the Warriors front seven. 

The Cherokee Warriors come into this game after surviving a wild game against rival Sequoyah. The Warriors were able to establish a bit of a run game against the Chiefs and we expect them to lean on Zi Johnson to help balance the passing game. Johnson rushed for 134 yards in last weeks victory. Credit the offensive line for making holes for Johnson!

We haven’t talked much about defenses yet, but this one will come down to whether or not Rome can force Cherokee to be one dimensional or vice versa. Even if they do, will it be enough to stop A.J. Swann, one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the state? The home field of Baron Stadium should come into play here. We like the Wolves by 1.

Posted in 2021 Cherokee County Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TFR GHSA Week-2 Football Poll

Posted on August 29, 2021 by admin

The second week of high school football did not disappoint. In spite of covid continuing to wreak havoc on rosters and schedules, we were treated to a great slate of games this past weekend. Here is a look at our top-10 GHSA Football teams in each classification.

In Class 7-A perhaps the biggest surprise was North Cobb dominating the Milton Eagles. The win vaults the Warriors to No. 3 in the poll while Milton drops to No. 7. Meanwhilee Grayson got a big bounce back win over McEachern to rise to No. 8, while Colquitt County dropped 6 spots after a defeat to Westlake. The Top-10 in Class 6-A remains unchanged this week.

Over in Class 5-A, Ware County claims the top stop after Blessed Trinity fell to Marist of Class 4-A. Meanwhile, Coffee and Starr’s Mill make their first appearance in this year’s poll at No. 8 & No. 9 respectively. There was a little shuffling in the bottom half of the Class 4-A poll; Flowery Branch was the biggest riser, moving from No. 9 to No 6.

Class 3-A remains relatively unchanged, with no no entrants into the Top-10 this week. However, Class-2A was shaken up with Bremen’s loss to Bowdon. That dropped Bremen from the Top-10. Teams making their debut this week in the 2-A poll are Heard County (No. 7), Putnam County (No. 9) and Bleckley County (N0.10).

In Class A Public, Georgia Military College was the biggest mover jumping from No. 9 to No. 5 while Pelham debuts at No. 6 for the first time after their win over Early County. Bowdon also makes their first appearance in the Top-10 at No. 9 this week. Finally, in Class A-Private, Calvary Day jumps all the way to No. 2 this week after ELCA drops one spot to No. 3. Meanwhile, North Cobb Christian and Brookstone make their debut at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Posted in 2021 TFR GHSA Rankings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 2 – Part II

Posted on August 25, 2021 by admin

We are in Week-2 off the Georgia High School Football season and have already been treated to some great games this past weekend. Unfortunately, covid has claimed several games across the state forcing teams to scramble and reschedule. This is Part-II of our Georgia High School Football Previews. We like to call this the Eight Greats Around the State where we take a look at eight intriguing matchups each week. 

North Cobb will host the high flying Milton Eagles. Many believe these teams are two of the best in Class 7-A. Will North Cobb be able to find their stride against an extremely talented Milton team? In Roswell, the Blessed Trinity Titans and Marist War Eagles will square off for the 6th time. Will the Marist Wing-T rule the day or will Justice Haynes and Blessed Trinity run wild? Down in Ocilla, the Irwin County Indians will host the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes. Both teams graduated a lot of offensive firepower and this is the season opener for both teams. Which squad will hit their stride first this week? Finally, down in Pelham the Pelham Hornets will host the Early County Bobcats. The Hornets passing game already looks to be in midseason form, can the Bobcats disrupt the air attack this week?

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

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 North Cobb Warriors will look to bounce back after they were unable to hang on in the second half against Buford last week. Much has been said about the transfers in to North Cobb, but let’s not forget about the mainstays. Quarterback Malachi Singleton is about as good as they come in this year’s junior class. Last week he threw for 218 yards and 3-TDs and added 91 rushing yards and 1-TD. On the defensive side of the ball Caleb Jenkins and Latrell Bullard paced the team with 7.5 and 5.5 total tackles respectively. Reggie Givhan led the team with 11 receptions for 107 yards, while Newcomer,  Denylon Morrissette caught two passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. 

The Milton Eagles got off to a great start as they blanked visiting Hapeville Charter last week. The Eagles also look to be a legitimate contender for a state title. Their offense is powered by quarterback Devin Farrell and Jordan McDonald in the backfield. They will line up behind linemen GIles Tchio, Maurice Clipper Jr. and center Kayden Richardson. Milton also returns top receivers Adam Freas, Debron Gattling and tight end Jack Nickel…And then there’s the defense…Milton will likely be without L.T. Overton but there is plenty of star power to fill in the gaps. Look for Cam Cainion and Bryce Thornton in the secondary to make passing difficult for the Warriors.

This is a matchup that we could find ourselves watching again late in the playoffs in December. If North Cobb is going to defeat Milton, they’ll will have to establish the ground game and force the Milton secondary to help out with run-support. At this point in the season, we believe Milton is a little more fluid on offense. Eagles by 8.

The Skinny

The Blessed Trinity Titans started their new era under coach Thomas Hall last week with a 34-6 win over Woodland (Stockbridge). The Titans are paced on offense by senior quarterback J.C. French and junior running back Justice Haynes. Haynes is one of the top running backs in the junior class rushed for 154 yards and 2-TDs in the victory. The Titans will lean on Kieren Davis and Deldrick Franklin on the defense to attempt to slow down the Marist run game.

The Marist War Eagles open up their season with their old region foe. Marist is coming off of a state title season and also return one of the top offensive linemen in the state in Steve Nahmias as well as bruising fullback and linebacker Andrew Manelly. Quarterback Champ Davis also returns under center for the War Eagles this season. Expect rising junior O’keefe McKinney to see a bigger role on the defensive line for the War Eagles. Marist is a well coached team and generally will not beat themselves. 

This game will be won in the trenches. If Nahmias and the War Eagles can push around Blessed Trinity and control the clock, perhaps they can keep the explosive Haynes on the sideline. That’s easier said than done. We like the Titans by a field goal in what we believe will be an extremely close ball game.

The Skinny

The Irwin County Indians are the two time Class A-Public state champions, but if they are going to make it a third straight title game, they will have to replace nearly all of their offensive productive on the ground. Fortunately for the Indians, they do return junior quarterback Cody Soliday, who threw for 1,908 yards and 23-TDs last season. The Indians will look to several backs to help pace their ground game including freshman Shane Marshall, Matthew Payne and Bernard Herring among others. Malachi Hadden is the team’s leading receiver from a year ago. 

The Fitzgerald Hurricanes will also look to get back into the finals after they fell just short to Callaway in the title game. They’ll need to replace do everything player Chance Gamble who graduated after last season. Look for Sultan Cooper to take the reins as the new quarterback for the Canes. Meanwhile on defense, linebacker E.J. Lightsey is about as good as they come in any classification in Georgia. He will lead a defense that allowed just aver 12 points per game last season. 

While the Indians should have the nod at quarterback, we believe the Canes defense will do just enough to contain the Indians. Fitzgerald by 8. 

The Skinny

The Pelham Hornets got their season off to a great start with a victory over their county rival Mitchell County last Friday. Senior quarterback Zane Touchton had a big day in his debut, leading the Hornets with 270 yards passing and 1-TD while also leading the team with 62 yards and another TD on the ground. His leading receiver last week was Came’ron Daniels who caught eight passes for 105 yards. 

The Early County Bobcats also started their season off with a victory in the opening week. This season the Bobcats will be looking to replace production from now graduated Ladarrius Caesar. In last week’s victory, they rolled up 229 yards on the ground with Jeremiah Hutchins leading the way with 81 yards on just 6 carries. Meanwhile, Ryan Foster intercepted two passes in the victory. 

It will certainly be a clash of styles on Friday night as the Bobcats will try to wear down the Hornets with the ground game while the Hornets will attempt to spread Early County out and take advantages of mismatches through the air. We like the Hornets at home this week by 6.

Posted in 2021 GHSA Weekly Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 2 – Part I

Posted on August 25, 2021 by admin

We are in Week-2 off the Georgia High School Football season and were already treated to some great games this past weekend. Unfortunately, covid has claimed several games across the state forcing teams to scramble and reschedule. This is Part-I of our Georgia High School Football Previews. We like to call this the Eight Greats Around the State where we take a look at Eight intriguing matchups each week. 

First up Colquitt County will host the Westlake Lions. Can the Colquitt defense slow down R.J. Johnson and the Westlake passing attack? Down in Cochran, Bleckley County will look to avenge last year’s loss to Wilcox County? Will the Royals have enough on defense to slow down Wilcox QB Abe Stowe? Meanwhile the Coffee Trojans will host the Bainbridge Bearcats. Coffee won this one last year; but will the Bearcats and dynamos Zion and Deyon Bouie get their revenge? Finally over in Carrollton, the Trojans will host the Johns Creek Gladiators. Johns Creek is talented but unproven; is this their breakthrough week?

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

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 Colquitt County Packers will be in the friendly confines of Mack Tharpe Stadium after escaping Marietta with a 3-point victory last week. Colquitt was led offensively by running back Charlie Pace and sophomore quarterback Neko Fann in the opening week. Pace rushed for over 100-yards to help ease first game jitters for new starter Fann. The Packers defense held Marietta to just one touchdown in the second half. 

The Westlake Lions shocked many folks across the State of Georgia as they downed class 7-A Archer last week in the Corky Kell Classic. The Lions were led on the ground by sophomore Jai’Den Thomas who rushed for 129 yards while last season’s leading rusher Zinah Mulbah also added 34 on the ground for the Lions. Quarterback R.J. Johnson threw for 126 yards and two scores and also rushed for two touchdowns in the victory. On defense, Gannon Weathersby made his presence known with his new team and picked up where he left off last season with seven total tackles and two sacks. 

The Packers will have their work cut out for them this week. The biggest question is will quarterback Neko Fann be settled in enough to withstand a stout Lions defense. We believe the long road trip could play a factor in this one, but we are going with the visiting Lions to shock the state again…Westlake by 2.

The Skinny

The Bleckley County Royals went on the road to defeat West Laurens last week for their 4th consecutive season opening victory. The Royals will be paced by quarterback James Teston (114 yards, 1-TD) and running back Jahvon Butler (68 yards, 1-TD). Teston looked very comfortable in the pocket last week in the Royals spread offense. David Dent and the rest of the defense will be called upon to get pressure on the Wilcox County passing attack this week.

Speaking of Wilcox County, this will be the Patriots season opener. They will be without the services of the versatile Martez Thrower who is now plying at the University of Kentucky. Fortunately for the Patriots, they do return their starting quarterback Abe Stowe who is one of, if not the top passer in Region-4. Stowe will have one of his top targets from a year ago in Jahsun Coley while Dayshawn Lawson is set to be one of the primary rushing threats. Kassidy Deans and run stopper Isaiah Turner return along the defensive front to help pace the swarming Wilcox County defense.

These are two teams that boast very good quarterbacks and we believe the one that finds his rhythm the soonest will lead his team to victory. We like the Royals by 5 in another close matchup.

The Skinny

The Coffee Trojans will open up their season taking on south Georgia rival Bianbridge on Friday night. The Trojans offense returns their top two running backs from a year ago in Maurice Turner (689 yards, 12-TDs) and A.J. Franklin (509 yards, 6-TDs), Turner was also the team’s leading receiver in 2020 with 42 receptions for 712 yards and 6-TDs. The Trojans do not return any quarterbacks with much varsity experience this season, so expect them to rely on Franklin and Turner to ease the load for whoever takes over under center. The Trojans also return their three top tacklers from a year ago in Anthony Gaskin (54 solo tackles), Brandon High (55 solo tackles) and Jacob Lindsey (57 solo tackles).

Meanwhile the Bainbridge Bearcats are looking to make a deep run in Class 4-A. It feels like we have been hearing about Zion and Deyon Bouie for years now. The Bouie boys will enter their senior season looking to lead their team to another state title like they did as freshmen four years ago. But the Bearcats will be looking to replace their leading passer and rusher from a year ago as Rashad Broadnax and Quayde Hawkins were lost to graduation. Bainbridge could turn to Dontavious Broadnax at running back and they’ll need Bo Smith to grow up fast as QB1.

The Bainbridge senior class certainly has the experience and the talent to put plenty of points on the board. Yet Coffee returns a couple of backs that can certainly put the team on their back. We’ll take Coffee by 7.

The Skinny

The Carrollton Trojans started off the Joey King era with a big win over New Manchester last Friday. In his return game, quarterback M.J. Morris threw for 190 yards and 3-TDs while KeShawn Ridley rushed for two scores to help lead Carrollton on offense. Receiver Terrell Carmichael turned both of his receptions into long TDs as well, tallying 140 total receiving yards. 

The Johns Creek Gladiators opened some eyes with an impressive win over Gainesville last week. Bruising running back Tylan Johnson tallied 141 yards on the ground while Kyle Durham tossed two touchdown passes. On defense Terian Williams was active in the secondary with an interception and a pass break up. Micah Gray lead the team with 6.5 tackles.

This game has plenty of good story lines: Region 5 vs. Region 7; WR – Carmicheal vs DB -Williams; traditional power vs. up and coming team. We know that the Gladiators can play defense, but has their offense improved enough for them to make a deep playoff run? For Carrollton, will they be able to have any success against one of the top DBs in the state and the nations top pass rusher in the class of 2023? It won’t be east, but we believe the Trojans can…Carrollton by 10.

Posted in 2021 GHSA Weekly Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cherokee County Football Previews Week-2

Posted on August 24, 2021 by admin

Welcome to our Week-2 Cherokee County Football previews. The 2021 GHSA Football is underway and there was some great action last week in Cherokee County. Sequoyah, Cherokee and Creekview really impressed with big wins, while River Ridge shook off a slow start to get to 1-0. This week Woodstock will look to get into the win column against River Ridge. (Etowah was scheduled to play Forsyth County, but that game has been canceled.)

Woodstock will host the River Ridge Knights in hopes of getting revenge from last years thriller against county foe River Ridge, while Etowah will host Forsyth Central in a rematch of a late season matchup from a year ago. Our third and final preview will feature the county’s second oldest rivalry as the Cherokee Warriors make the show trip over to Hickory Flat to take on the Sequoyah Chiefs. The Chiefs will be looking to establish themselves as one of the top programs in the county will Cherokee will look to make it three consecutive wins over Sequoyah.

As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to share. Make sure to get out and support these young men and these communities this weekend!

All helmet photos are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project http://www.gahelmetproject.com

 Historical data is courtesy of Georgia High School Football Historians Association.  

The Skinny

The Woodstock Wolverines look to bounce back this week after dropping their opening week tilt to Sequoyah. The Wolverines showed promise early in the ball game last week as quarterback Dan Comeau showed a live arm, but the Wolverines struggled to make much progress when they were able to get inside of the Sequoyah 35. Preston Lawrence and Alex Hendricks demonstrated that they were capable of handling the load at running back. While Lawrence and Carson Gray showed they can also be physical against the run when they line up on defense. Expect for Nick Rule and Brady Williams to also become bigger contributors for Woodstock on offense this week and as the season progresses.

Meanwhile, the River Ridge Knights shook off a slow start to down the Lassiter Trojans in their home opener last week. Amehre Morrison eclipsed the 100-yard mark, while quarterback Carson Lathem tossed three touchdown passes, (two to Jackson Head) in the victory. The game plan for River Ridge should be simple on paper. Get Morrison the ball and let him run behind that big offensive line and then get Jackson Head involved in the passing game. Defensively, if Brian Bradley and Hunter Coleman can get pressure on Comeau, the Knights should run their county win streak to 5 games. Conversely, if Woodstock can find some success through the air, perhaps in the short and intermediate routes, it could make for an interesting night. 

We like River Ridge this week. The Knights are just too deep and too talented for this up-and-coming Woodstock squad. River Ridge by 24.

The Skinny

The Sequoyah Chiefs defense pitched their first shutout in 14 games Friday night as they downed Woodstock in week-1. The Chiefs defense was flying around the field last Friday night while the offense looked very efficient. Sequoyah will need a repeat performance from their defense if they plan to stop their two-game skid against county rival Cherokee. The Chiefs defensive front made things very uncomfortable for Woodstock’s quarterback while the secondary tallied three interceptions on the night. Meanwhile, Peyton Lucas, Jack Piskorz, Jackson Hancock and Matthew Traynor all looked very comfortable in the Wing-T offense. We believe Sequoyah can and will move the ball against Cherokee’s front, but can Plummer, Hood, Born and the rest of the Chiefs defense put pressure on the Warriors signal caller?

The Cherokee Warriors enter the game fresh off a 52-6 drubbing of the Mays Raiders. The Warriors got 4-TD passes from A.J. Swann, including two to Sequoyah transfer Aidan Moore in a 35 point-2nd quarter outburst that put the game out of reach. Cherokee’s offense did a great job capitalizing on great field position. While the Warriors didn’t need the run game last week, Zi Johnson did enough to help keep Mays honest. We believe they’ll need a little more out of the rushing attack this week to keep the Sequoyah pass rush at bay.

Cherokee cannot afford a slow start against Sequoyah. The Chiefs would love nothing more than to get a lead and grind things out on the ground. However, we don’t believe Sequoyah has an answer for receiver Adarrius Harshaw or Caleb Richardson; we like the Warriors by 9.

Posted in 2021 Cherokee County Previews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

F.F.A.T.T. Week-1 Podcast – Cherokee County Football

Posted on August 22, 2021 by admin

Football Fridays at the Tavern is back! We are excited to bring you Week-1 of our Cherokee County Football Previews. This week we recap the scrimmage games over the last two weeks and then jump into the four games involving county teams this week. We are also joined by Coach James Teter and Coach Trevor Williams. 

We are excited to welcome our new sponsors Clothes Horse of Alpharetta, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and the Hickory Flat Garlic Company.

Don’t forget to check out our Cedarwood Tavern Pickem this season.

Podcast Index:

4:30 – Scrimmage Recap

11:40 – Cherokee vs Mays

19:20 – River Ridge vs Lassiter

24:02 – Coach Teter Interview

30:32 – Woodstock vs Sequoyah

41:09 – Coach Williams Interview

46:54 – Creekview vs Etowah

53:03 – Trivia Time

55:40 – Picks

59:54 – Pickem Contest

Posted in Football Fridays at the Tavern Podcast | Leave a comment

TFR GHSA Week-1 Football Poll

Posted on August 22, 2021 by admin

Football is back in Georgia. In Week-1 we were treated some great action and also witnessed a few surprises. Today we release our Week-1 GHSA Football poll. In Class 7-A the top two teams, Collins Hill and Milton had dominate performances while Lowndes and North Cobb (previously ranked No. 3 and No. 4) fell to No. 5 and No 6 respectively. Mill Creek and East Coweta make their debut at No. 9 and No. 10.

In Class 6A, both Langston Hughes and Allatoona dropped a spot after defeats to 7A opponents last week. Northside Warner Robins and Brunswick make their way into the poll this week after big wins. Over in class 5A the Top-10 is relatively unchanged, save for the Griffin Bears who march into this week’s rankings at No. 9.

Class 4A also remains relatively unchanged. Despite losing to Class 6A Lee County, the Carver Columbus Tigers remain at No. 3 this week. The Hardaway Hawks crack the Top-10 coming in at No. 10 this week. Conversely, Class 3A saw a bit of jockeying in the rankings. This week’s poll welcomes in Thomson and Hart County and No. 9 and No. 10.

Down in Class 2A the Callaway Cavaliers take over the top spot with an impressive win over Opelika, AL. Previous No. 1 Rabun slips down to No. 2 after a loss to class 4A Jefferson. While we snubbed Northeast in our preseason poll, they storm in this week at No. 7 after a huge win over Jones County in the opening week. Harrison County also checks in at No. 10 as the 3rd team from region 5 that appears in this weeks poll.

Class A-Public did see some shuffling, but no new teams enter the poll this week. Perhaps the most impressive performance was Macon County’s shutout of Clinch. Meanwhile Class A-Private saw a pair of top ten matchups take place with Fellowship Christian downing Heritage Christian, while Calvary Day downed reigning State Champ Prince Avenue Christian. Trinity Christian also put teams on notice with their thumping of Athens Academy. Athens Christian makes their debut at No. 10 this week as well.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. We love the debates so if you see something questionable, we’d love to hear from you.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Posted in 2021 TFR GHSA Rankings | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TFR – Cherokee County Week-1 Football Previews

Posted on August 18, 2021 by admin

The 2021 high school football season is upon us. Welcome to our first Cherokee County Football preview. This weeks matchups include Creekview-Etowah, Woodstock-Sequoyah, River Ridge-Lassiter and Cherokee-Mays. Best of luck to all of the teams competing this week!

*All helmet photos are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project http://www.gahelmetproject.com

**Historical data is courtesy of Georgia High School Football Historians Association https://ghsfha.org/w/Special:GHSFHA

The Skinny

The Creekview Grizzlies boasted the best defense in the county in 2020. It’s hard to imagine that they can improve on last season’s numbers. They return leaders like Isaac Hubert who can play at linebacker or defensive end and is a nightmare to scheme against. Cale Williams, the teams leading returning tackler, anchors the secondary and should also be helped by Taylor Cox-Young who should see an expanded role in the secondary. Offensively, Creekview will hand the reigns over to senior quarterback Mason Hicks, but expect to see freshmen Austin Guest to also take some snaps. Bruising back Tyler Stevens (886 yards, 9-TDs in 2020) will get the bulk of the carries for the Grizzlies. We believe offensive success will hinge on the ability of Creekview to find or develop a playmaker at receiver.

The Etowah Eagles will begin the new season looking to turn things around from a year ago. Coach Kemper finally had a full off-season with his young Eagles squad. This season they will look to Braden Bohannon to guide the team at quarterback. Bohannon will look for Tate Nelms to help anchor the offensive line. While we don’t know exactly who will be joining Bohannon in the backfield, Elijah Washington is a young man who got some experience running the ball last season and showed some promise. On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles return All-Region selection Jaiden Maddox along the defensive line. Expect a defensive battle this week. We like the Grizzlies by 7 at home.

The Skinny

The Troy Hoff era begins at Woodstock this Friday as he joins the Wolverines as the new head coach. Coach Hoff has a few pieces to work with returning including offensive tackle Tyler Douthit and quarterback Dan Comeau. Comeau threw for over 1,200 yards last season with 10-TDs. Look for Adonis Garcia to become a potential playmaker for Woodstock at receiver. Defensively, the Wolverines will look to plug the void left by the graduation of David Daniel and Ryan Comeau. Carson Gray is the team’s leading returning tackler and sack leader from a year ago.

After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2020, the Sequoyah Chiefs are looking to find their way back to the post season and exact a measure of revenge against county foe Woodstock over last year’s thrilling contest. Sequoyah welcomes back junior quarterbck Matthew Traynor under center. He is joined by Peyton Lucas in the backfield. The Chiefs will look to improve in the passing game where they only averaged 55 yards per game through the air. Defensively, Sequoyah welcomes back a front line anchored by Harrison Hood, Kemar Plummer and Avery Born. Born is the teams leading returning tackler from last season while Plummer returns looking to improve on his team high 6 sacks from a year ago. 

This game was nip and tuck last season and wasn’t decided until late in the fourth quarter. We expect another competitive match, but expect for the Chiefs to control the clock and the scoreboard. Sequoyah by 13. Sequoyah by 13.

The Skinny

The River Ridge Knights Knights had a spectacular 2020 season and they look to pick up where they left off last season. They return several offensive weapons including AJC Super-11 running back and reigning Class 6A rushing leader Amehre Morrison, quarterback Carson Lathem, receiver/tight end Jackson Head as well as a very big and physical offensive line. Defensively, Brian Bradley and Hunter Coleman will look to set the table for the Knights as they anchor the front four along the line.

The Lassiter Trojans are in year three under head coach Sean Thom. Last year the Trojans averaged 17.2 points per game on offense. That was an improvement over Thom’s first season. Lassiter returns quarterback Bryson Harrison and Danny Curran who is the tem’s leading returning receiver on offense. Meanwhile, on defense the Trojans will look Joe Blackwell in the secondary and Chase Anderson along the defensive line to pick up where they left off in 2020 as two of the teams top returning tacklers. 

Look for Lassiter to use the short passing attack to keep the Knights defense off balance. If River Ridge can get pressure on Bryson Harrison with Bradley and Coleman, it could be a long night for Lassiter.We expect the Trojans to be improved this season but the Knights have too much firepower. The Ridge by 25.

The Skinny

The Cherokee Warriors will open up the high school football season in Georgia once again this season. They return a very talented quarterback in Maryland commit A.J.Swann. Swann threw for over 2,500 yards and 23-TDs in 2020. Swann will have a big play threat in Utah commit Adarrius Harshaw (53 receptions, 872 yards, 7-TDs last season) at receiver. The Warriors will also look to Aidan Moore and Caleb Richardson to shore up the receiving corp. Upfront, Southern Illinois commit Ryan Chandley will anchor the offensive line Cherokee has some big holes to fill on defense. Toby Thompson has been a space eater up front over the last 3 seasons. He, Tyler Goddard, Tanner Dollyhigh and Kyan Simmons will be called on to pressure opposing quarterbacks and stuffing running attacks. Look for Javon Hobson to also apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks from the defensive line position.

The Mays Raiders certainly have a youth movement going on in southwest Atlanta. The Raiders have some burgeoning stars at the skill positions but they went through some growing pains in 2020. The Raiders will look to improve on their 23.6 point per game average on offense. They return two talented quarterbacks in junior Saulamon Evans and sophomore Quintavious Johnson. The duo combined for 1,266 yards passing and 8-TDs. Junior running back Tristan Morgan also returns in the backfield. Defensively, the Raiders return several starters from a year ago including senior linebacker Kari Burroughs, defensive backs Jalen Johnson, Travis Terrell and Almonte Duncan. Don’t expect this game to be a gimme for Class 7A Cherokee. Expect both teams to search for an identity in the ground game as well.

We anticipate that this one to be close early, but Cherokee is probably a little deeper. That might be the difference in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Warriors by 15.

Posted in 2021 Cherokee County Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2021 TFR – GHSA Preseason Top-10

Posted on August 15, 2021 by admin

Here is the TFRs first look at the Top-10 in each of the GHSA’s eight classifications. Each Sunday we will publish the Top-10 teams in each classification. As always, we welcome any and all feedback and if you think we missed your team in the Top-10, let us know why. Best of luck to all teams as the season opens up this week.

*Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Posted in 2021 TFR GHSA Rankings | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment