Week 8 – Eight Greats Around the State (Georgia High School Football Previews) – Part 2

Posted on October 21, 2020 by admin

At this point in the season, all of the games are important. But this week, there are some region games that can be seen as de facto region title games. We will preview a a handful of these games this week in our Eight Greats Around the State, our weekly Georgia High School Football previews. This is part two and features four interesting matchups in regions play.

First up, Calhoun will host Blessed Trinity. Blessed Trinity hasn’t played a game in a month. Will they be rusty or rested? There’s still a lot of work to do, but the winner of this game just might earn themselves a home playoff game. At the other end of the state, down in Waycross, the Ware County Gators host the Coffee Trojans. Tommy Castellanos has been outstanding for the Gators this season, but can he duplicate his success against a stingy Coffee defense.

Down in Rochelle, the Wilcox County Patriots will host the Dublin Fighting Irish. Can Martez Thrower and the Patriots defense slow down the vaunted Dublin Wing-T? Our Final game features in our opinion the defect Region 8 A-Private title game between Prince Avenue Christian and Athens Academy. Athens Academy has won the last four in the series. Can Brock Vandagriff and the Wolverines stop the series skid this week?

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Calhoun Yellow Jackets have won four straight games entering play this week. The offense has been humming along to the tune of 36.5 points per game. Quarterback Christian Lewis was the Class 5A passing leader entering last Friday’s games. On the season he has thrown for over 1,200 yards. Meanwhile Jerrian Hames also entered last week’s contest as the Class 5A rushing leader and has tallied 795 yards on the ground this season. And don’t forget about the Class 5A receiving leader, Cole Speer (575 yards entering last weeks game.) The Yellow Jackets defense is allowing 16.6 points per game. 

It’s hard to believe that the Blessed Trinity Titans have not played a game in almost a month. The Titans has impressive wins over ELCA and Kell. Now they begin a daunting two-week gauntlet in Region 7-5A. Blessed Trinity’s super sophomore Justice Haynes has rushed for 357 yards and 5-TDs and he’s also thrown a TD pass. Meanwhile, J.C. French has been near perfect on the season, completing 92.8% of his passes for 354 yards in two games. David Coltrane has been one of the top receivers for the Titans. Ryan Dupont leads the Blessed Trinity in total tackles and we can’t forget about safety Jackson Hamilton who will be crucial in runs support this week. The defense is allowing 23 points per game in their two contests. We do wonder if there will be any rust for this Blessed Trinity football team. If Calhoun is going to win, they’ll need to jump out early. This game should have lots of fireworks. We like Blessed Trinity to find their stride and outscore Calhoun by a touchdown in a high scoring affair.

The Skinny

The Ware County Gators find themselves at 5-0 for the first time since 2015. The Gators have been led by one of the most explosive players in Class 5A, quarterback Tommy Castellanos. The junior signal caller has thrown for 1,283 yards and 12-TDs and also rushed for 551 yards and 10-TDs. He’s averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Nine different receivers have caught passes for Ware County this season, including team leaders Dakari Coachman (13 receptions 146 yards, 2-TDs), Raiden Kennedy ( 9 receptions, 254 yards, 4-TDs), Jerry Wilkins (11 receptions, 253 yards, 2-TDs) and James Daniels (14 receptions, 193 yards, 1-TD). The Gators defense is allowing 19.6 points per game. 

The Coffee Trojans have won three consecutive games coming into region play. Senior quarterback A.J. Wilkerson has thrown for 704 yards and 10-TDs while A.J. Franklin has rushed for 326 yards and 5-TDs. Maurice Turner continues to lead the team in receiving with 20 receptions for 429 yards and 3-TDs. Kenneth Davis has also caught 10 passes for 257 yards. Junior linebacker Anthony Gaskin leads the defense with 54 total tackles. Speaking of defense, Coffee’s has been pretty good. They’ve got two shutouts to their credit and are allowing 8.8 points per game. A loss here for either team won’t eliminate them from post season play, but it might put them behind the 8-ball with region foes like Warner Robins and Veterans still on tap. Tommy Castellanos has been hard to contain this season. We think he has another big game, but expect the game to be close. Gators by 5.

The Skinny

If the Wilcox County Patriots are going to pick up their first region tittle in 8 years, they’ll have to find a way to defeat last year’s Class 2-A state champ. This game looks to have all the makings of a region title game. Wilcox County is averaging 31.6 points per game this season. Last week, Martez Thrower showed his versatility making plays on both sides of the ball, scoring two touchdowns as a running back and recording a sack on defense. 

After a Week-1 setback, the Dublin Fighting Irish looked to have picked up right where they left off last season. There were many questions marks with the Irish graduating a lot of their production, but they’ve seemed to settle in five weeks into the season. Dublin has a mix of power and speed in the backfield. J.T. Wright is explosive and has the speed to run away from defenders while Josh Isaac is a bruising fullback and quarterback Markelle Mitchell is a tough runner and also does enough throwing the ball to keep teams honest. The Irish are averaging 46.2 points per game, while the defense is allowing 11.8 points per game. That includes two shutouts in their last three games. We think Wilcox County is pretty good, but we aren’t sure they can keep up with Dublin this week. We like the Fighting Irish by 13. 

The Skinny

The Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines will face another big test this week as they start region play. If you don’t know by now, the Wolverines are led by UGA commit, Brock Vandagriff. The senior has thrown for 1,674 yards and 19-TDs. He’s also second on the team in rushing with 272 yards and 8-TDs. Landon Owens leads the way on the ground with 444 yards and 6-TDs. Owens, Logan Johnson and Zac Dyer have combined to haul in 77 catches for 1,275 yards and 16-TDs. The Wolverines are averaging 49.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 18.3 points per game. Davis Ridings leads the team in total tackles with 54. The Wolverines secondary has intercepted 10 passes on the season.

Athens Academy has owned this series as of late, winning the last four meetings. The Spartans have a pretty good quarterback themselves in senior Palmer Bush. Bush threw two TD passes last week on their way to victory. Athens Academy also got three touchdowns on the ground from Tre Hawkins. We can’t forget about the most dangerous playmaker for the Spartans, Deion Colzie. While all of this preview has been about the offense and their 30 points per game, don’t forget the defense pitched their first shutout last week and are only allowing 8.3 points per game. Something has to give in this one. We believe this will be much closer than last year’s contest. We like the Wolverines on the arm of Vandagriff by a 6 at home.

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Week 8 – Eight Greats Around the State (Georgia High School Football Previews) – Part 1

Posted on October 21, 2020 by admin

At this point in the season, all of the games are important. But this week, there are some region games that can be seen as de facto region title games. We will preview a a handful of these games this week in this edition of Eight Greats Around the State, our weekly Georgia High School Football previews.

First up in Cordele, two middle Georgia powers, (Is Cordele middle or south Georgia?), will face off in a game that features several future D-1 players. Can the Crisp defense slow down an explosive Peach offense? In metro Atlanta, Greater Atlanta Christian hosts Cedar Grove. Cedar grove has one of the most dominant defenses in Class 3A. Will Deymon Flemming and Greater Atlanta be able to find success against the Saints?

Over in Watkinsville, the Oconee County Warriors will host Hart County. Hart got back in the win column last week and has an offense that can score points in bunches, but Oconee County has one of the best defenses in Northeast Georgia. Will it be a shootout in Watkinsville? Finally, in Roswell, the Roswell Hornets host the Cherokee Warriors. This could turn into a duel between two very good quarterbacks in Robbie Roper and A.J. Swann. Is Cherokee the real deal, or will Roswell continue their series dominance?

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Crisp County Cougars are off to their best start since 2016. The Cougars have really made a living on defense, holding opponents to 4.2 points per game and recording three shutouts so far this season. It should be no surprise that linebackers Preston Lavant (40) and Chris Paul Jr.(48) lead the team in total tackles. The Cougars defense has already recorded 18 turnovers included 9 interceptions. J’kobe Harris leads the team in that category with 4. Crisp is averaging 24.6 points per game on offense. A.J. Brown got the start at quarterback last week and threw for 235 yards and 2-TDs. He’s also rushed for 287 yards this season. 

The Peach County Trojans are winners of their last four games. After scoring just a touchdown in their opener they’ve scored no less than 42 points each game and have scored over fifty in three of those contests. On the season they are at 42.8 points per game. The Trojans have a pretty good one-two punch at running back in Jamond Jones and Chris McMillian. Jones is a punishing runner while McMillian is shifty with a quick burst of speed. Dorrian Smith is another dangerous weapon for the Trojans. Peach’s defense is pretty darn good as well. They have a tendency to swarm to the ball carrier and stop plays before they get started. They are holding opponents to 7.6 points per game. The way these defenses play, the first team to score might win it. This game is really a toss-up, but we’ll give Crisp the slight edge, only because they are playing at home. Cougars by 1.

 

The Skinny

The Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans remained unbeaten last week behind a big outing from quarterback Deymon Fleming. The senior quarterback has now thrown for 967 yards and 10-TDs while completing 62.4% of his passes. Junior running back Gannon Hearst leads the Spartans in rushing with 205 yards and 2-TDs while Brooks Miller has been the top receiver for the Spartans with 24 receptions for 407 yards and 2-TDs. The Spartans are averaging 31 points per game on the season. Senior linebacker Aidan Bailey leads the team in total tackles. The defense has intercepted 10 passes on the season led be Saiku White with 3. As a team Greater Atlanta Christian is allowing 8.8 points per game. 

The Cedar Grove Saints have run their current win streak to 14 games in a row dating back to last season. The Saints scored in all three phases of the game last week, including three Austin Smith touchdown passes, a pick-6 of 100 yards by Lamarion Ewing and a punt return for Rashod Dubinion. The Cedar Grove defense held Redan to under 100 yards of total offense. On the year, the Saints are allowing 6.3 points per game. Cedar Groves defensive line is the key to victory in our opinion. If they can harass Flemming, they should be able to create havoc. We like Cedar Grove by 17.

The Skinny

Last week, the Oconee County Warriors got a pair of rushing touchdowns from C.J. Jones and a 100+ yard interception return for a score as they moved to 1-0 on the region. The Warriors are averaging 30 points per game. The after-mentioned Jones has rushed for 485 yards and 6-TDs on the season, while Jacob Wright has thrown for well over 500 yards and 6-TDs. The Oconee County defense is only allowing 8 points per game. The defense has been getting big plays from linebackers Whit Weeks, West Weeks, Liam Lewis and others. 

The Hart County Bulldogs got back on track last week with a win over previously unbeaten Franklin County. Although the Bulldogs only have two victories, they’re averaging 34 points per game. They are led by one of the top running backs on Northeast Georgia, Malachi Thomas. Defensively the Bulldogs are allowing 29.6 points per game. Thomas and fellow back, J.Len Lackey will need to score early and often to keep Oconee County at bay. There could be a lot of points scored in this one, but we think the Warriors defense will make stops when it counts. Oconee County by 8.

The Skinny

The Roswell Hornets survived a comeback attempt by the Etowah Eagles, despite the Hornets turning the ball over five times. Ball security will need to be paramount this week. Junior quarterback Robbie Roper is now over 1,000 passing and has thrown 11-TD passes on the year. Ryan Hill went over the century mark for the second time this season in last week’s contest. He leads the team in Rushing with 407 yards and 4-TDs, but Ryan Stephens is close behind with 394 yards and 5-TDs. The Hornets are averaging 32.8 points per game while the defense is allowing 13 points per game.

The Cherokee Warriors just keep winning. Last week, they tied their season high in point production with a big region win. Quarterback A.J. Swann also went over the 1,000-yard mark in passing last week. He has also now thrown 12-TDs on the season. He demonstrated his athleticism by keeping plays alive with his feet and making big throws downfield. It was the kind of performance we believe Swann is capable of most weeks.  The Warriors defense is allowing 12.5 points per game. They did allow a red-zone touchdown, but those have been few and far between this season. This region is shaping up to be a three-horse race between these two teams and Milton. Roswell has been really good this season, but we don’t know if they’ve faced a team like Cherokee. If they are going to win at home, they’ll need to fix the turnovers from last week. Cherokee will be much less, well, forgiving than Etowah. Either way, we like the Warriors on the road by 2.

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Cherokee County Football Previews – Week 8

Posted on October 20, 2020 by admin

Region races are heating up this time of year. Some of the biggest matchups of the season take place this Friday. Here are our Week-8 Cherokee County Football previews. The Cherokee-Roswell game will be featured in one of our Eight Greats Around the State on Wednesday.

First up, the Woodstock Wolverines will host the Alpharetta Raiders. Both teams are looking for their first region win. Who will break through this week? Meanwhile the Etowah Eagles travel to Milton on Friday. The Etowah defense was really good last week. Can they produce another great effort on the road and pull off the upset?

In Class 6A, Creekview hosts River Ridge, this game features one of the state’s best defenses against one of the best running backs in the state. Will the Creekview defense prevail or will upstart River Ridge find a way to sneak past Creekview on the road?

Finally, Sequoyah hosts Cambridge in Hickory Flat. (This game has been moved to Monday the 26th at 7pm.) The Chiefs are in search of their first regular season and region win this week. Will the have success against the Bears or will Cambridge claw their way to victory?

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. 

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Woodstock Wolverines will get back to work this week after dropping their region opener. Woodstock’s sophomore quarterback Dan Comeau continues to impress as he has now thrown for 693 yards and 6-TDs in his three starts. In spite of his recent success, the Wolverines have still only managed three touchdowns in their last two games. On the season, the Wolverines are averaging 21.5 points per game, while allowing 26 points per game. 

The Alpharetta Raiders will also be looking for their first region win of the season. The Raiders played competitively with Milton, but could not contain them in the second half. The Raiders are averaging 19 points per game while allowing 23.2 points per game on defense. While there is not really such thing as a good loss, the Raiders three losses have been against teams that are or have been ranked in the top-10 at one point this season…and they’ve been within 14 points of those teams. All that to say, we are still trying to figure out this Alpharetta team half-way through the season. The loser of this game could very well find themselves on the outside looking in of the playoffs. We like Alpharetta by 4 on the road this week.

The Skinny

The Milton Eagles got three rushing touchdowns from Jordan McDonald last week as they pulled away from Alpharetta to win their region opener. On the season, Milton is averaging 26 points per game. Quarterback Devin Farrell showed his versatility last week as he threw and rushed for over 100 yards in the game. Farrell has thrown for over 800 yards and 6-TDs on the season while McDonald is over 300 yards rushing with 7-TDs. Milton’s defense is only allowing 11 points per game.  

The Etowah Eagles come into this game in search of their first win of the season. The Eagles were in the ballgame last week with a highly ranked Roswell team, but could not get over the hump. We mentioned his name last week, but Klivert Many looks like he is starting to get going at running back for Etowah. The senior back rushed for over 170 yards and 2-TDs in last week’s contest. Perhaps even more impressive last week was the Etowah defense. That unit forced five turnovers in the game. They will certainly need another big performance from Many and the defense if they are going to pull the upset this week. This is a tough challenge for Etowah and their young offense. We believe Milton is just a little too much this week for Etowah. We like the Milton Eagles by 17.

The Skinny

The Creekview Grizzlies got their second consecutive shutout victory last week as they defeated their county and region rival, Sequoyah. The Grizzlies have one of the best defenses in the state. Perhaps that’s a secret in other parts of the state, but we don’t think it will be for long. They are allowing 5.8 points per game. Isaac Hubert and Grant Anderson are names we’ve mentioned before on that defense, yet it’s the entire unit that is always swarming to the ball. Brody Rhodes and the offense looked good in both the ground game and through the air last week. Tyler Stevens found paydirt twice in last week’s victory. 

The River Ridge Knights found themselves in a position we haven’t seen them much this season last week, trailing in a ballgame…Twice! The Knights did get another big game from the state’s leading rusher in Class 6A, Amehre Morrison. Morrison is now over 1,100 yards rushing with 15-TDs. They Knights have shown they aren’t just a one-trick pony, with the likes of Jackson Head and Riley Caines at receiver and Andrew Bingham spelling Morrison. River Ridge is averaging 36.4 points per game.  Yet maybe the biggest question mark for the Knights is their defense. They have not been as dominant as the Grizzlies, but they’ve done their part. Perhaps most impressive is holding Riverwood, a team that was averaging 39.5 points per game, to just 14. These are the question that need to be answered: 1. Can Morrison break big gains against the Creekview defense? 2. Can Creekview duplicate their red-zone success from last week? We think Creekview can contain Morrison, but we like him to still get loose a couple of times and we believe that will be just enough. River Ridge by 1.

The Skinny

Despite allowing 24 points last week, the Sequoyah defense did pitch a shutout in the second half of last week’s game. The defense had their backs up against the wall most of the night. The offense struggled last week with a few turnovers that really thwarted any momentum. Matthew Traynor got the nod at quarterback and we saw some of the things he can do running the football as a compliment to Jaden Mitchell. Traynor was also active in the secondary picking off a pass. Defensively, Joseph Silva continues to lead the Chiefs in total tackles, while Avery Born and Harrison Hood continue to make plays on the defensive line for the Chiefs. Sequoyah is allowing 27 points per game, but only 17.6 in their last three contests.

The Cambridge Bears got back on track last week with a shutout win over Centennial. The Bears themselves were the beneficiary of an opportunistic defense as they recorded a pick-6 to help lead the way to victory. Cambridge will rely on the legs of Christian Isibor and Phillip Michael Collins this week. Collins had three rushing touchdowns last week while Isibor added another. It was the Bears first shutout victory since 2015. While Cambridge has relied on Isibor and Collins, quarterback Zach Harris should not be forgotten as he helps keep defenses honest in the passing game. Both teams need a win to keep pace this week for a playoff spot. We believe the Bears have the momentum and like them by 3 over the Chiefs.  

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Georgia High School Football Poll Week-7

Posted on October 18, 2020 by admin

We approach the middle of October, and as temperatures begin to cool down, region races are just now starting to heat up in Georgia. This is our Georgia High School Football Poll, where we take a look at our Top-10 teams in each classification.

In 7A the Top-10 remained unchanged. All teams that played won rather convincingly. In 6A, the River Ridge Knights make their first appearance ever in our Top-10. They’ll have a big test this week in region play. In Class 5A, Starr’s Mill checks in at No. 9. The Panthers have reeled off five consecutive wins since a one point opening week loss to 7A, East Coweta.

Over in Class 4A, Baldwin is back in the Top-10, while Central-Carroll makes their first appearance ever in our polls. The Lions beat previously ranked Northwest Whitfield and have now won four straight. Meanwhile, the Monroe Area Purple Hurricanes make their debut in the rankings this week. They have also won five straight games.

It’s been a couple of seasons, but the Cook Hornets crack the Top-10 in our 2A poll this week. They come in at No. 9, while Pace Academy is back in at No. 10 after a win over Lovett. Other teams that are right on the outside of the rankings in Class 2A are undefeated Putnam County and undefeated Fannin County.

In Class A-Public, Washington-Wilkes jumps into the poll at No. 8, while Chattahoochee County is in at No. 10. Both teams are undefeated on the season. Finally, in Class A-Private, the George Walton Academy Bulldogs got a big win over Holy Innocents, earning them the No. 10 spot in this week’s poll.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment and share as we appreciate the feedback.

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

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Football Fridays at the Tavern – Cherokee County Football – Episode 9

Posted on October 15, 2020 by admin

The story this week has go to be region play as it gets underway in earnest around the county. We have a big show this week as all county teams are coming off the bye week with everyone in action. Tune in as we talk about the GAME…Sequoyah-Creekview with interviews from Coach Williams at Creekview, Coach Teter at Sequoyah and a player who starred in the rivalry, former Grizzly and current Citadel linebacker, Andy Davis. Coach Shaw also makes a cameo appearance this week. We also have a special guest, Coach John Thompson, the defensive coordinator for the Alpharetta Raiders joins us as we take a look around the regions. Don’t forget to follow Von Brown on twitter (@CederwoodTavern) and Art Mosley editor of the Turd Furgeson Report (@Turdfurgesonrpt). Thanks for listening, please feel free to comment and share.

Game Streams for Friday Night

Sequoyah vs. Creekview (Radio Broadcast) – wljaradio.com

Sequoyah vs. Creekview (Internet Stream) – https://network1sports.com/station/chaseshaffersports

Cherokee vs. Woodstock (Video Broadcast) – stevemajorsports.com 

Podcast Index

0:47 – Riverwood-River Ridge Preview

5:57 – Coach Teter Interview

13:52 – Coach Williams Interview

21:16 – Remember the Name – Andy Davis

31:37 – Sequoyah-Creekview Preview

39:21 – Coach Shaw Interview 

44:36 – Cherokee-Woodstock Preview

51:09 – Etowah-Roswell Preview 

56:58 – Coach Thomspon Interview (Alpharetta DC)

1:07:00 – A Look Around the Region

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Week 7 – Eight Greats Around the State (Georgia High School Football Previews) – Part 2

Posted on October 14, 2020 by admin

We press on with the GHSA Football season and despite a few setbacks, we’ve been fortunate to have a season this year. With region play under way, we should begin to get a better idea of the playoff picture. This is part two of our weekly Georgia High School Football Previews.

First up we take a look at a battle of Fulton County Schools as the upstart Langston Hughes Panthers host the Westlake Lions. Hughes has a lot of young players playing big minutes, but are they ready for the big time as Top-10 Westlake past them a visit. Down in Bagley, the Appling County Pirates host Benedictine. Can the Cadets bounce back this week, or will Appling stay unblemished in their final pre-region contest?

Up in Chatsworth, North Murray will look to defend their region title against the Rockmart Yellow Jackets. Will Rockmart be a party crasher or will North Murray get a stranglehold on the top spot in the region? Finally, Wesleyan continues their difficult gauntlet as they host Athens Academy. Can the Wolves outdoes the Spartans?

As always we wish all of the teams competing this week the best of luck!

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

Last season when we talked to coach Daniel Williams, he was excited about the youth movement at Langston Hughes. They took some lumps a year ago, but it looks like it is paying off this season. The Panthers are off to their first 4-0 start in school history. Xavier Smith has thrown for 401 yards and rushed for 443 yards and has accounted for 8 total touchdowns. CJ Lockhart leads the team in receiving, while Antonio Martin Jr. is the team’s leading rusher with 443 yards and 6-TDs. Sophomore safety Gannon Weathersby leads the team in total tackles with 47. As a team the Panthers have recorded 21.5  sacks and 6 interceptions. 

The Westlake Lions bounced back from their first loss of the season and look primed for the challenging region schedule that lies ahead. Quarterback R.J. Johnson has passed for 1021 yards and 7-TDs, while Zinah Mulbah continues to lead the way on the ground with 513 yards and 6-TDs. Corzavious Smart has also chipped in 238 rushing yards. As a team the Lions are averaging over 480 yards a game and scoring 29.7 points per game. The loser of this game has little margin for error going forward, but we still expect to see both teams qualify for the playoffs. However, this week, we like the Lions over the upstart Panthers. Westlake by10.

The Skinny

The Appling County Pirates are 4-0 for the second consecutive year. The Pirates are averaging 36 points per game. Perhaps the most impressive thing about that stat is that their doing that against competition from higher classifications. Defensively, Appling is allowing 10.2 points per game. They defensive is active and swarms to the ball. The Pirates even scored a defensive touchdown last week on their way to a big win over Wayne County. 

The Benedictine Cadets will look to regroup this week after falling to Ware County down in the Swamp last Friday. The Cadets are averaging 39.8 points per game behind the arm of Holden Geriner and on the legs of LeShon Brooks and Justin Thomas. Geriner has already surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in passing with 12-TDs. Last week it was Brooks and Thomas who provided the scoring for the Cadets, with Brooks scoring two rushing touchdowns and Thomas scoring on special teams. The Pirates should be another big test for Benedictine, but we think the Cadets bounce back this week against a stingy Appling County defense; Cadets by 8. 

The Skinny

The North Murray Mountaineers will get their toughest test of the season this Friday as teams continue to jockey for position in Region 6-3A. North Murray has won back to back games after dropping their season opener. Their offense in those games has been on fire, and on the season, they are averaging 37.3 points per game. But there are some question marks on defense as they are allowing 29.6 points per game. Dante Tidwell-Edwards has been electric in the run game, as a receiver and as a returner for the Mountaineers. Meanwhile, quarterback Seth Griffin has put up some big numbers in the first three games as well.     

The Rockmart Yellow Jackets come into town looking to knock off the defending region champs. The Jackets have won three consecutive games and are now averaging 38 points per game on offense. Dual threat quarterback Javin Whatley has thrown for 395 yards and 4-TDs and also rushed for 376 yards and 3-TDs. Lanear McCrary, Jai Penson and JoJo Haynes have combined to rush for 329 yards and 8-TDs. Rockmart’s defense is allowing 12.7 points per game. Their secondary already has six interceptions on the season and has forced a total of 10 turnovers. We like the odds of this game being a high scoring affair, despite Rockmart’s defense the past few weeks. But we think Whatley will be too tough to contain. Jackets by 12.

The Skinny

The Wesleyan Wolves will look to bounce back from their first setback of the season. Quarterback Ryan Rose has already thrown for over 1,00 yards and 8-TDs. Wyatt Hodges and Cooper Blauser continue to lead the Wolves in receiving while Griffin Caldwell has rushed for 614 yards and 7-TDs. The Wolves are averaging 28.4 points per game. Senior J.D. Chipman continues to lead Wesleyan in total tackles. The Wolves defense has forced seven turnovers this season.

Since their opening week 7-point win, no team has been with seventeen points of Athens Academy. The Spartans are averaging 39.8 points per game this season. While much of the talk for the Spartans revolves around Deion Colzie and Palmer Bush, other Spartans have contributed on offense including Jack Nasworthy, Charlie Chisolm and Ethan Connelly. The Spartans have been just as impressive on defense, allowing 10 points per game. Johnerio Holt exploded for 3.5 sacks in last week’s victory. Earlier this season, we thought Wesleyan was one of two teams who could knock off Athens Academy…But we don’t think that holds true today. We like the Spartans by 13.

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Week 7 – Eight Greats Around the State (Georgia High School Football Previews) – Part 1

Posted on October 14, 2020 by admin

We press on with the GHSA Football season and despite a fe setbacks, we’ve been fortunate to have a season this year. With region play under way, we should begin to get a better idea of the playoff picture. This is part one of our weekly Georgia High School Football Previews.

First up in a Bartow County battle, Cass hosts Cartersville. The Canes have dominated the series but can the upstart Colonels make a big splash in a top heavy region that includes the likes of Blessed Trinity and Calhoun? Meanwhile down in southwest Georgia, Thomasville hosts the resurgent Early County Bobcats. Will the Bobcats rushing attack give Thomasville fits?

Meanwhile Taylor County and Macon County will tangle in a clash of Region 5, Class A-Public Titans. Macon County leads the series, but the Vikings and quarterback Jabin Ford will be looking to turn the tide this season. Finally, the Hapeville Hornets will visit Marist in a big region game. Can the Hornets derail the War Eagles ground game?

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

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Cass Colonels might be one of the biggest surprises to people outside of White, GA. as they current sit at 5-0 this season. It’s their first 5-0 start since 2004. Freshman quarterback Devin Henderson has thrown for 802 yards and 6-TDs on the season for the Colonels who are averaging 24.8 points per game. But let’s not forget about the Cass defense who is holding up their end of the bargain. The Colonels are allowing 12.4 points per game this season. They scored three defensive touchdowns their last time out. If they stay on this pace, it will be the best scoring defense for Cass since 1983.

The streak is broken. Now what. Well, the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes still have much to play for this season. They will be on the road again this week to open region play. Prior to the Cherokee Game, the Canes offense is averaging 340.1 yards per game behind a balanced attack. Quarterback Stratton Tripp has thrown for over 800 yards and 7-TDs. But similar to Cass, it’s been the Cartersville defense that has been the most consistent, allowing only 10.4 points per game. The loser of this game will certainly have an uphill battle with regards to hosting a playoff game with games against Calhoun and Blessed Trinity left on both schedules. But on Friday night, we like Cartersville to get back on track. Canes by 12. 

The Skinny

After back-to-back losses to Top-10 teams from higher classifications, there is no time for The Thomasville Bulldogs to feel sorry for themselves. Region play starts this week and there is still much to play for. The Bulldogs have been led offensively by quarterback Ronnie Baker, who has now thrown for 753 yards and 4-TDs. Baker continues to lead the team in rushing as well with 174 yards and 4-TDs. Ricardo Johnson, Jay Cody, Taraje Felton are the top receivers for Thomasville coming into this week. The Bulldogs are averaging 19.8 points per game, but are also allowing 19.8 points per game.

The Early County Bobcats are 3-0 for the first time since 2007. The Bobcats Can really ground out yardage behind running backs LaDarius Ceaser, Jay Ealey and BraVeon George. All three backs present difficult challenges to opposing defenses, but Ealey might be the most physical of the three. However, don’t forget about quarterback Landon White, who is a threat throwing the ball as well. The Bobcats are averaging 28 points per game while the defense is allowing 13.6 points per game. We think this game will be the closest contest between the two schools since Thomasville’s one-point victory back in 2011. Early county keeps it close, but we like the Thomasville by 4.

The Skinny

The Taylor County Vikings have not started 4-0 since 2002. The Vikings are currently atop the Region alongside this week’s opponent Macon County, (and Chattahoochee County). The Vikings have been led this season by dual threat quarterback Jabin Ford who’s thrown for 327 yards and 2-TDs and also rushed for 589 yards and 13…that’s right, 13-TDs this season. Nathan Patterson has chipped in 252 yards and 2-TDs as well. As a team, the Vikings are averaging 290.5 yards per game rushing. On defense, the Vikings are only allowing 15.7 points per game. They’ve forced a total of 12 turnovers on the season.

The Macon County Bulldogs will be looking to rebound from their first loss of the season. Yet they are still unblemished in region play. The Bulldogs have used a balanced attack this season. Quarterback Jakalen Williams has thrown for 484 yards and 4-TDs while Davion Clark and Branden Cochran have combined for 395 yards and 7-TDs to lead the way on the ground. Jaden Hayes is tops on the team at receiver with 17 receptions for 292 yards and 3-TDs. The Bulldogs defense is only allowing 10.5 points per game this year, with a shutout to their credit. We know that it’s tough to win on the road, but we really like Macon County’s defense this week. Bulldogs by 4.

The Skinny

The Marist War Eagles return to play this week after consecutive bye weeks. In their first three games, Marist has outscored their opponents 111-3. The War Eagles offense has yet to be challenged. That’s largely in part due to the Marist’s offensive line, which might be the best in the state. Marist has shut out two of their three opponents. 

The Hapeville Hornets have been a perennial power in Class 2A, but made the jump to Class 4A this season. The Hornets have not started with two losses since 2016. Quarterback Rashad Render has thrown for over 490 yards and 6-TDs. Last week, Wayne Thompson led the way on the ground with 100 yards rushing. We believe the Hornets face an uphill battle this week on the road. We like Marist to stay hot, despite the layoff. War Eagles by 17.

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Cherokee County Football Previews – Week 7

Posted on October 13, 2020 by admin

We are back from the break and all teams are in action this week in Cherokee County. All important region play begins for Region 5-7A while it continues for Region 7-6A. Here is a look at this week’s games.

The Cherokee Warriors look to stay hot as Woodstock pays them a visit on Friday. Can the Wolverines continue to find success through the air or will the Warriors continue their defensive dominance? Meanwhile, the Etowah Eagles will host the Roswell Hornets to open region play. Will Etowah get into the win column this week, or is Roswell the real deal?

The battle of East Cherokee…(or is it the battle of Hickory Flat)…will take place at Skip Pope Stadium on Friday. Will this be a defensive struggle or will the offense for either team come alive this weekend. Finally, the River Ridge Knights visit the Riverwood Raiders. The Raiders have already dropped a region game and can’t afford to fall too far behind. Do they have a formula to slow down River Ridge and Amehre Morrison?

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night.

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Cherokee Warriors are back in the warm confines of Tommy Baker Field this week as they host county rival Woodstock. Keith Adams Jr. and the Warriors offensive line have helped to churn out a team average of 148 yards per game. Adams leads the way with 648 yards and 6-TDs on the year. Braesen Parker, Tyler Goddard and Toby Thompson lead the team in total tackles. The Cherokee defense has forced 10 turnovers this season. Speaking of defense, Cherokee is only allowing 13.6 points per game.

The Woodstock Wolverines will be looking to defeat their county rival for the first time in three years. Woodstock’s Don Comeau has seemed to find comfort in Coach Budde’s offense. The sophomore has thrown for 477 yards and 5-TDs in his two starts. The Wolverines are averaging 24 points per game. However, it has been feast or famine for the Woodstock. In their two wins, they are averaging 44.5 points per game, but in their three losses, they are only averaging 11 points per game. Cherokee hasn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard the past three weeks either, but we think their defense can keep the Wolverines at bay this week. We like the Warriors by 11.

The Skinny

The Etowah Eagles will face a familiar foe as the Roswell Hornets visit Eagle Mountain on Friday. Etowah will look to get back on track behind their leading receiver Brock Rechsteiner (8 receptions, 133 yards) and running back Klivert Many (273 yards, 2-TDs). The Eagles certainly know the task at hand. They’ve got to stick the ball into the endzone with more consistency. Defensively, Austin Skinner is the team’s leader in sacks with 3. 

The Roswell Hornets are 4-0 for the second time in three years. Junior quarterback Robbie Roper has thrown for 927 yards and 10-TDs. Junior running backs Ryan Stephens and Ryan Hill have combined for 567 yards and 7-TDs. Marquis Willis has been the primary target for Roper with 21 receptions for 401 yards and 3-TDs, while Michael Fitzgerald has caught 15 passes for 296 yards and 4-TDs. Roswell is averaging 35.7 points per game so far this season. We believe Etowah will hold Roswell under their average of 35 points per game, but we aren’t sure if they’ll be able to score enough to keep pace. We like Roswell by 11. 

The Skinny

The Sequoyah Chiefs will be back home at Skip Pope Stadium this Friday night. The Chiefs have used two quarterbacks early in the season. Junior Conner Gelatt  has completed 71.4% of his passes while sophomore Matthew Traynor has thrown for a team high 251 yards and 4-TDs. While the quarterback position might still be unsettled, most everyone knows that Jaden Mitchell is the workhours for the Chiefs. The senior has rushed for 337 yards and 3-TDs and has also caught a team high 9-passes; showing his versatility in multiple facets of the game. Joseph Silva, Jack Blackmon and Jonah Haney lead the team in total tackles. In their last two outings, the Chiefs defense is trending in the right direction, allowing an average of 14.5 points per game. 

The Creekview Grizzlies defense has allowed a total of two offensive touchdowns all season. Last time out, they got their first shutout of the season. Grant Anderson and Isaac Hubert are among the county’s top sack leaders with 6 and 4.5 respectively. Sam Minozzi is not far behind with four sacks of his own. Offensively, Tyler Stevens and Brody Rhodes have been the big threats to opposing defenses. Rhodes has rushed for almost 250 yards and thrown for over 520 yards while Stevens has rushed for 358 yards. A lot of times we’d expect opposing teams to have trouble with Sequoyah’s Wing-T, but the Grizzlies have had an extra week to prepare. We think it will be a defensive battle early, but we like Creekview by 10.    

The Skinny

The Riverwood Raiders will look to get back on track this week after dropping a region game to Johns Creek. Despite the loss last week, Riverwood is still averaging 39.5 points per game, while the defense is only giving up 15 points per game. Quarterback Avery Smith is listed as a pro-style quarterback, but the junior can beat you with both his arm and his legs. His main target this season has been Donovan Logan. Logan is tough to bring down in the open field. Expect for Riverwood’s passing attack to give River Ridge some fits on Friday.

The River Ridge Knights are 4-0 for the first time since 2011 and have now won four consecutive games for only the second time in school history. The Knights offense is powered by junior running back Amehre Morrison with 827 yards rushing and 12-TDs. Quarterback Carson Lathem has thrown for 580 yards and 7-TDs, with Jackson Head and Riley Caines as the top two receivers for the Knights. Hunter Deriso and Brian Bradley lead the team in sacks with three each. They will both be instrumental this week in getting a pass rush on the Riverwood quarterback to disrupt the passing game. We believe the Knights will pass this test. We like them by 9 this week over Riverwood.

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Georgia High School Football Poll Week-6

Posted on October 11, 2020 by admin

We have reached the halfway point of the season for most teams across the state. We are starting to get a clearer picture in our Georgia High School Football Poll. Region play is getting underway, so the coming weeks will give us a clearer understanding of the playoff picture.

In Class 7A North Gwinnett is back in the Top-10 after a win over North Cobb as they check in at No. 7. Norcross is up to No. 6, while Cherokee makes their debut this week at No. 10. However, there are a few other teams just on the cusp of the Top-10 with impressive victories this season including East Coweta, Hillgrove and Roswell. We wouldn’t be shocked to see one of those three enter at some point this season.

In Class 6A, Carrollton finds it way back into the poll with an impressive win over Rome last Friday. Lee County takes over the top spot after Valdosta fell to Lowndes. Down in Class 5A, Blessed Trinity takes claim to the No. 1 ranking after a Warner Robins loss, but there were no new entrants this week.

There was a little shuffling in Class 4A, but no-one dropped from the poll. Jefferson did assert it’s dominance over Flowery Branch, dropping the Falcons down to No. 8 this week. Over in our 3A poll, we welcome back Appling County and welcome Thomson this week at No. 7 and 8 respectively. Hart County remains in the poll at No. 9 despite their 1-3 record.

Meanwhile, our Top-5 in Class 2A remains unchanged. Toombs County finds their way into the rankings for the first time this season; they check in at No. 10. Meanwhile in Class A-Public, Irwin County lays claim to the No. 1 spot with a big win over Brooks County. Finally down in Class A-private, the Holy Innocents’ Bears are back in the Top-10 at No. 10 this week.

As always, thank you for reading. We appreciate all feedback and comments.

All helmet images are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project. To see all of their work, please visit: http://www.gahelmetproject.com

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Football Fridays at the Tavern – Cherokee County Football – Episode 8

Posted on October 9, 2020 by admin

We are at the halfway point of the high school football season. This week, Von and I talk about Cherokee County Football and recap the six county teams and the direction that we think they are headed as we start the second half of the season. We also hear from the coaches, as Coach Shaw of Cherokee and Coach Collins of River Ridge spend some time with us to talk about their team’s success and what they have to do in the second half to continue to be successful. Don’t forget to follow Von Brown on twitter (@CederwoodTavern) and Art Mosley editor of the Turd Furgeson Report (@Turdfurgesonrpt). Thanks for listening, please feel free to comment and share.

Podcast Index

1:03 – Overall Season in Review

4:07 – Cherokee Recap

10:52 – Coach Shaw Interview

22:55 – Cherokee Moving Forward

25:12 – Etowah Recap

31:12- Woodstock Recap

35:52- Coach Collins Interview

41:30 – River Ridge Recap

51:02 – Sequoyah Recap

57:50 – Creekview Recap

1:04:02 –  Look Around the Regions

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