Week 6 – Eight Greats Around the State (Georgia High School Football Previews) – Part 2

Posted on October 7, 2020 by admin

Week 6 marks the midway point of the high school football season in Georgia. Several teams have begun or will begin the all important region play this week. Here is Part II of our Eight Greats Around the State.

First up, in Quitman, the Brooks County Trojans and Irwin County Indians will tangle. Irwin County is the defending Class A Public Champs while Brooks County played for the 2A state title last year. Now both teams are in the same region in Class A Public. There’s still plenty of season left, but we believe whoever wins this game will have an inside track to the region title.

Next up in Waycross, Ware County will host Benedictine as these two teams meet for the first time. Can Benedictine slow down Thomas Castellanos and the Gators? Over in Athens, the Athens Academy Spartans are sure to get the best from Hebron Christian Lions. Can Hebron slow down Deion Colzie and Palmer Bush and pull the upset?

Finally, Flowery Branch will host Jefferson. This is another game that could determine the region title. We know it’s odd to say that so early in region play, but both teams are playing at the top of their game. Will the Jefferson ground game continue to run wild this week?

We wish all of the teams competing this weekend the best of luck. As always thanks for reading and 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 Brooks County Trojans are undefeated with an offense that is averaging 33.5 points per game. Ni’Tavion Burrus has thrown for 544 yards and 8-TDs; he’s also rushed for 224 yards and 4-TDs. Meanwhile, Omari Arnold has rushed for 438 yards and 4-TDs. Willie Brown, Joaquinn Dawson and Arnold are the top receivers for the Trojans combining for 26 receptions for 466 yards and 7-TDs. Camron Priest leads the team in total tackles and tackles for loss (28 and 10). He’s also tied for the team lead in sacks with J’Shawn Baker, both with 4.5 sacks. Brooks County is allowing 23 points per game this season.

Irwin County got back to their winning ways after dropping their first two games of the season. They’ve now won two consecutive games with the latest being a win over neighboring Class 7A, Tift County.  The Indians scored on both offense and defense en route to last week’s wins. Kam Ward shined in both sides of the ball at running back (1 rushing TD and at linebacker (3 interceptions, 1-TD). Ward is a physical back who is rarely stopped with arm tackles.  Cody Soliday is continuing to improve at quarterback and having receivers such as Gabriel and Garland Benyard certainly makes us think he will continue that trajectory. The Indians certainly have the experience, but then again, so do the Trojans. We like Brooks County by 4 this week and to grab the inside track to the Region 2 title.

The Skinny

The Ware County Gators are 4-0 for the first time since 2015. The Gators were on the good side of a come from behind victory last week to stay undefeated. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos was up to his old tricks, passing for 296 and 3-TDs while rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown. Ware County is averaging 267 yards through the air and 161 yards on the ground this season. The defense is allowing 19.2 points per game this season.

The Benedictine Cadets will roll into Waycross with an unblemished record of their own. The Cadets are averaging 43.6 points per game behind a balanced offensive attack, (averaging 209 yards passing and 211 yards rushing). Holden Geriner has passed for 942 yards and 12-TDs and no interceptions, completing 68.5 percent of his passes. Trent Broadnax (22 receptions, 430 yards, 9-TDs) and Zaquan Bryan (14 receptions, 325 yards, 3-TDs) are the top two receivers. LeShon Brooks and Justin Thomas lead the way on the ground with a combined 742 yards and 9-TDs. Holden Sapp leads the team in total tackles (53), tackles for loss (11.5) and sacks (8.5). As a team, the Cadets have amassed 18 sacks on the season. They’ve also forced 8 turnovers. This game is shaping up to be a real dogfight, but we like Ware to edge Benedictine by 5.

The Skinny

The Athens Academy Spartans have not lost a regular season game since 2017. (That’s a span of 34 consecutive regular season games.) The Spartans look poised to make another deep run. They are averaging 41 points per game on offense. Palmer Bush was threw three touchdown passes last week and seven different Spartans found pay dirt in the victory. All eyes on Deion Colzie as the Spartans receiver just recommitted to Notre Dame. But let’s not forget about the Athens Academy defense that is surrendering only 10.7 points per game. 

Hebron Christian also has a few high-level offensive players on their roster, quarterback Colton Gauthier is a South Carolina commit. The senior has thrown for 788 yards and 7-TDs through three games. Demetrius Rogers leads the team in rushing with 116 yards while Jack Lutrell (19 receptions, 317 yards, 1-TD) and Jaiden Avery Stowers (9 receptions, 257 yards, 4-TDs) lead the team in receiving. Hebron Christian has bounced back from a week-1 setback and the defense has played well in their last two outings, but we don’t know if they can slow down Colzie Bush and the rest of the Spartans. We like Athens Academy by 17 this week.

The Skinny

The Flowery Branch Falcons are winners of their last three games. The Flowery Branch offense is averaging 34 points per game. Quarterback David Renard has thrown for 1,280 yards and 7-TDs on the season. Connor Larson, Baxley O’Brien and Sal Sengson lead the team in receiving. Meanwhile Jaizen Ellingham and Myles Ivey make for a strong tandem in the backfield. Ellingham had two rushing touchdowns in last week’s victory. On defense the Falcons are allowing 27 points per game. 

The Jefferson Dragons continued their winning ways last week. As a team the Dragons have churned out 1,345 rushing yards. They are led by junior quarterback Malaki Starks, who’s rushed for 513 yards and 7-TDs. We’ve mentioned this before but the Dragons have only attempted 25 passes through four games. Kolton Jones, Jordan Perry and Reese Johnson are the other top backs for Jefferson. Spencer Neese leads the team in receptions, receiving yards and TDs. Jefferson’s defense is holding teams to 11.7 points per game. No surprise to see Paxton Corkery and the aforementioned Starks at the top of the tackling leaders for the team. Corkery also leads the team in sacks (3). The Dragons have forced seven turnovers. The winner of this game is our favorite to win the region. Yes, we said it, even if this is the first region game for both teams. We hope the scoreboard operator is ready, both these teams can score in bunches…But we like Jefferson by 4 on the road.

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Week 6 – Eight Greats Around the State (Georgia High School Football Previews) – Part 1

Posted on October 7, 2020 by admin

Week 6 marks the midway point of the high school football season in Georgia. While it seems like the season just got underway, several teams have begun or will begin the all important region play this week Here is Part I of our Eight Greats Around the State.

First up, Rome travels to Carrollton in a game that features perhaps the two favorites to win Region 5. Can Rome get a win down in Grisham Stadium or will Carrollton defeat the Wolves for the second consecutive season?

Down in Valdosta, the Winnersville Classic will be played at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Is there any way for Valdosta to derail Jacurri Brown and the Vikings this season? Meanwhile, in Leesburg, the Lee County Trojans will host the Warner Robins Demons. Lee County has not lost a regular season home game since October of 2016. Are the Demons a threat to end that streak this week?

Finally, the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes will host the Pierce County Bears. Pierce County was in a dogfight last week. It certainly doesn’t get any easier for them down in Fitzgerald on Friday.

Best of luck to all of the teams competing on Friday night. As always, we welcome any comments or 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

The Skinny

The Carrollton Trojans broke a string of three consecutive losses to Rome last season. The old region foes find themselves together again after both teams jumped up to Class 6A. Carrollton beat Dalton last week. The Trojans were up big before Dalton attempted to mount a rally with under 4 minutes in the game. James McCauley has passed for 262 yards and 3-TDs while Christian Lett and Keyshawn Ridley have combined for 256 yards and 5-TDs to lead the rushing attack. As mentioned before, the Trojans had limited Dalton to 10 points, until the final four minutes of the game. 

The Rome Wolves got Region play off to a good start with a win over South Paulding. Rome had an extremely challenging first three weeks of their schedule with opponents such as Rockmart, Cherokee, and Collins Hill. Rome’s offense will be powered by running back E.J. Lackey, quarterback Caleb Ellard and receiver Jay Wise. Coming into the game last Friday night, Lackey and Freshman Caden Williams had combined for 444 rushing yards, with Lackey responsible for the bulk of them. Jameion Leath leads the Wolves in total tackles and tackles for loss. While some of the star power might be missing on both sides of the ball, this game should go a long way in determining the region champion. Carrollton will be tough to beat at home and James McCauley seems to be settling in at quarterback, but we like Rome in a low scoring defensive battle this week. Wolves by 6.

The Valdosta Wildcats will host the Winnersville Classic this season and will do so with out quarterback Jake Garcia who was ruled ineligible by the GHSA. Amari Jones has stepped in to take the reigns at quarterback and has passed for 360 yards and 4-TDs in his two appearances this season.  Tajh Sanders will join Jones in the backfield. Sanders is also a receiving threat and compliments receivers Aalah Brown and Javonte Sherman. The Valdosta defense is allowing 18.6 points per game. Jaylen Alderman and Ty’li Lewis are among the team leaders in tackles. Lewis also leads the ‘Cats in sacks with 4.

Meanwhile, the Lowndes Vikings have put up some dominant performances under new coach Jamey DuBose. The Vikings are averaging 38.7 points per game and are led by dual threat quarterback, Jacurri Brown.  The Junior signal caller has thrown for 467 yards and 4-TDs  and rushed for 346 yards and 7-TDs. Israel Mitchell (162 yards, 2-TDs) and Justin Lee (295 yards, 5-TDs) usually get the lions share of the carries outside of Brown. Chase Belcher and Dominique Marshall are the top receiving threats for Lowndes. They have combined for 23 receptions, for 507 yards and 6-TDs. Jalon Baker, T.J. Quinn and Matthew Trimble are tops in tackles on a team that allows only 14.2 points per game. Leon Williams has 6 sacks on the season and Tylar Belcher leads the team in interceptions with 3. Last year, Valdosta was shut out for only the 6th time in the series. We believe the ‘Cats will get on the scoreboard this week, but we still like Lowndes big this Friday…Vikings by 20.

The Skinny

The Skinny

Last Week, the Lee County Trojans got back to their winning ways with a big win over Lithia Springs.  The Trojans are averaging 44.6 points per game on offense. Smith Pinson led the way at quarterback last week, but we’ve also seen Chauncey Magwood take snaps there as well. The Lee defense is allowing 11 points per game and have shutout two of their four opponents. Last week, they held Lithia Springs to 62 total rushing yards and intercepted two passes. 

The Warner Robins Demons have reeled off three consecutive wins and may have begun to hit their stride. The Demons are averaging 39.5 points per game this season. Quarterback Jalen Addie has passed for 695 yards and 7-TDs and rushed for 300 yards and 4-TDs. Meanwhile, Jahlen Rutherford and Malcom Brown have combined to carry the rest of the load on the ground for Warner Robins.  Daveon Walker and Armon Porter are the team’s leading receivers.  On the opposite side of the ball, the defense is allowing 11.2 points per game. Jay Carter and Vic Burley are tops on the team in tackles. Entering the Houston County game last Friday, Warner Robins had sacked opposing quarterbacks 19 times and forced 6 turnovers. We believe Warner Robins can certainly keep pace with Lee County, but we will take the Trojans at home. Points may be at a premium. Trojans by 4.

The Skinny

The Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes are 4-0 for the first time since 2016. The ‘Canes are averaging 24.5 points per game and are led by Mario Clark who leads the team in rushing with 328 yards and accounted for both touchdowns their last time out.  Defensively, Fitzgerland is only allowing 10.2 points per game and only surrendered 71 yards rushing to Jefferson County.  

The Pierce County Bears have now won 24 consecutive regular season games. Senior quarterback Jermaine Brewton is completing 72.5% of his passes for 495 yards and 7-TDs while sophomore D.J. Bell leads the team in rushing with 511 yards and 5-TDs. Leading receivers for the Bears are Luke Bennett and Maleek Chandel. Pierce County is averaging 26.7 points per game. Perhaps the biggest story is the defense, which is allowing a paltry 5.7 points per game and has recorded two shutouts. Spencer Woodcock continues to lead the team in total tackles while Seth Foster leads the team in tackles for loss with 14. Foster and Austin Jernigan are tied for the team lead in sacks with 4.5. As a team, Pierce County has sacked opposing quarterbacks 20 times and forced 6 turnovers. We expect Fitzgerald to be a force in Class 2A, but we really like the Bears defense. Pierce County by 9.

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Georgia High School Football Poll Week-5

Posted on October 4, 2020 by admin

Here is our Georgia High School Football Poll for each classification in the state. We have are quickly approaching mid-season, so we should start to get a better idea of where teams stand in relations to each other.

In Class 7A, Norcross makes their first appearance in the Top-10 as they look to be experiencing a resurgence this season. Milton dropped to 10 after a loss to Class 3A No. 1, Cedar Grove. There was little movement in Class 6A. Westlake drops a few spots after falling to Hillgrove (Class 7A).

The Ola Mustangs and the Cass Colonels make their first appearance in the history of our polls in Class 5A. The Mustangs are in at No. 8 while Cass is No. 10. Can both teams sustain their newfound success? Meanwhile in Class 4A, the Islands Sharks are ranked No. 10 after a big win over Jenkins.

Down in Class 3A, Westminster makes their debut after back to back victories over ranked opponents. Cedar Grove is back atop the 3A poll after a win over 7A Milton. In Class 2A, The Early County Bobcats are in the poll at No. 10 this week.

Class A-Public has almost been unpredictable this season. Both Macon County and Gordon-Lee crack the poll at No. 7 and No. 10 respectively. Of note in Class A-Public, Irwin County, (the defending Class A Public State Champs), beat Class 7A Tift County.

Finally in Class A-Private, Prince Avenue Christian avenged last year’s loss to Wesleyan and jumps to the No. 2 spot this week. There were no new entrants into the poll, but it really looks like the Top-4 in this class are starting to separate themselves from the pack.

As always, thank you for reading. We welcome any and all poll 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 – Episode 7

Posted on October 2, 2020 by admin

We are approaching the halfway point of the high school football season in Cherokee County. We have a huge show as all six county teams are in action this week. We will look back on the Week-4 games and preview the Week-5 games. We bring back the “Remember the Name” Segment, with a special guest, Mike Miller, who will share the story of his brother, Mitch Miller, one of the mightiest Chiefs of them all. You don’t want to miss that. We also hear from the coaches, as Coach Buddy of Woodstock and Coach Collins of River Ridge spend some time with us to talk about their team’s and their upcoming matchup on Friday. 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.

Fact Checks

*This week we learn that Art can’t do simple math…28+18 is actually 46, not 36. One day he will figure it out.

**Also, the Head Coach for North Cobb is Coach Shane Queen. Not McQueen. (Art must have been thinking of Lightening McQueen…)

Game Streams for Friday Night

Cherokee vs. Cartersville (Radio Broadcast) – wljaradio.com

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

Johns Creek vs. Sequoyah (Radio Broadcast) – https://network1sports.com/station/chaseshaffersports

North Cobb vs. Etowah (Radio Broadcast) –northcobbfootball.com

Calhoun vs. Woodstock – calhountdclub.com/listen

Podcast Index

1:34 – Week 3 Recap

13:05 – Remember the Name – Mitch Miller

32:06 – Etowah-North Cobb Preview

36:09 – Coach Budde Interview

44:16- Woodstock-Calhoun Preview

50:03 – Cherokee-Cartersville Preview

58:04 – Sequoyah-Johns Creek Preview

1:02:00 – Creekview-Cambridge Preview 

1:08:00 – Public Service Announcement 

1:08:10 – Coach Collins Interview

1:18:15 – River Ridge-Chattahoochee Preview

1:24:58 – A Look Around the Region

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Week 5 – Eight Greats Around the State (Georgia High School Football Previews) – Part 1

Posted on September 30, 2020 by admin

Believe it or not, we are working our way to the midpoint of the high school football season here in Georgia. This is Part 1 of our Weekly game previews that we like to call Eight Greats Around the State. We take a look at a few of the intriguing matchups throughout the state.

In our first preview, the Cherokee Warriors will host the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes. (Can someone from Cartersville or Monroe Area or Fitzgerald clue us in on what exactly is a “Purple Hurricane”?) Both teams had to stave off late rallies last week. Can the Warriors halt the Cartersville regular season win streak?

Next up Wesleyan hosts Prince Avenue Christian in a battle of Top-10 Class A-Private teams. Is there anyway the Wolves can slow down P.A.C and Brock Vandagriff? Meanwhile, down in Thomasville, the Bulldogs will host the Oconee County Warriors. The Warriors haven’t seemed to miss a beat early in the season. Does Thomasville have the dogs to slow down the Weeks boys and the rest of the Warriors?

Finally down in Waycross, the Ware County Gators will host Bainbridge in the swamp. Will the Bearcats contain Thomas Castellanos or will the junior quarterback run wild again?

As always, thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. We wish every team competing this weekend 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

The Cherokee Warriors are off to a 4-0 start for the second consecutive season. Last week, Cherokee’s defense held the Creekview offense to one touchdown. A.J. Swann has now passed for 804 yards and 8-TDs. Keith Adams Jr. was the bell cow again last week going over the century mark for the third time this season. The Warriors held the Grizzlies scoreless for just over three and a half quarters. Braesen Parker and Toby Thompson continue to lead the Warriors on defense. Cherokee’s defense is allowing 14 points per game. 

The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes are also off to a 4-0 start. Quarterback Stratton Tripp has thrown for 716 yards and 7-TDs while Quante’ Jennings has rushed for 341 yards and 8-TDs. Sam Phillips (23 receptions 245 yards, 2-TDs) and Devonta Ross (16 receptions, 300 yards, 4-TDs) lead the receiving corps. Cartersville may have one of the top secondaries in North Georgia with the aforementioned Phillips, Ross, Amarai Orr and Evan Slocum patrolling the secondary. Cartersville’s defense is allowing 9.5 points per game. This looks to be another slugfest for Cherokee this week. Three physical games have had to take their toll on the Warriors. We believe it will be nip and tuck, but we like Cartersville by a field goal on the road. 

The Skinny

The Wesleyan Wolves are off to their second consecutive 4-0 start to the season. The Wolves defense has already recorded two shutouts. They have limiting opposing teams to a mere 21 points all season, (that’s 5.3 points per game). Tanner Bivins leads the Wolves in sacks while J.D. Chipman leads Wesleyan in solo and total tackles. On offense, quarterback Ryan Rose has thrown for 812 yards and 7-TDs. Griffin Caldwell has rushed for 468 yards and 4-TDs while Cooper Blauser has caught 14 passes for 294 yards.

Prince Avenue Christian bounced back from a Week-2 loss to Class 2A Rabun County. The Wolverines have scored over thirty points in all four of their games this season. They are averaging 45.3 points per game and two weeks ago, their defense posted their first shutout of the season. Quarterback Brock Vandagriff is off to a torrid start, passing for 937 yards and 14-TDs. He’s also rushed for 255 yards and 4-TDs. Landon Owens leads the team on the ground with 297 yards and 3-TDs. Owens, Zach Dyer and Logan Johnson are the leading receivers for Prince Avenue Christian. Davis Ridings leads the team in total tackles and the secondary has intercepted ten passes this season. Vandagriff has been tough to slow down and we aren’t sure if the Wolves can outscore the Wolverines…We like Prince Avenue by 10 this week. 

The Skinny

The Thomasville Bulldogs wrap up their pre-region schedule this week. Last week, the Bulldogs were limited to 221 yards on offense. (They are averaging 262 yards per game in the young season.) Ronnie Baker has thrown for 620 yards and 4-TDs and also rushed for 106 yards and 3-TDs. Ricky Fulton leads the team with 137 yards rushing. The Thomasville defense limited Bainbridge to 178 total yards last week. Dimitrius Myrick is tops on the team with 37 total tackle while Ty Anderson leads the team in solo tackles with 25. 

The Oconee County Warriors are coming off a bye week but enter the game undefeated. The Warriors have outscored their first three opponents 86-14. Oconee County has appeared to found a replacement for Max Johnson with a combination of athlete West Weeks and Jacob Wright. Weeks, an Auburn commit, also headlines the Warriors defense. (Weeks was sidelined with an injury and it remains to be seen if he will play this week.) Last time out it was C.J. Jones that carried the load for the Warriors tallying 140 yards on 29 rushes with 2-TDs. Jake Johnson is a big target for Wright; he stands at 6’6”. In other news, did we mention that the defense is allowing 4.6 points per game? This game could be a defensive struggle. A stat of note, in Thomasville’s two wins, they have scored 30+ points… In their two losses, they’ve been held to no more than 14 points. It’s a long road trip, but we like the Warriors by 10.

The Skinny

The Ware County Gators are off to their first 3-0 start since 2015. The Gators offense is clicking behind quarterback Thomas Castellanos. The junior has thrown for 753 yards, rushed for 324 and accounted for 13 total TDs, (7 passing, 6 rushing). Nine different receivers have caught passes this season for Ware County. Jerry Wilkins and Raiden Kennedy lead the team in total receiving yards and both have 2 receiving TDs. The Gators defense is allowing 15.6 points per game.

The Bainbridge Bearcats brutal pre region schedule continues this week. The Bearcats got their first win of the season last week after dropping games to 5A Coffee and 6A Valdosta. Quayde Hawkins threw two touchdowns last week and has now thrown for 317 yards and 4-TDs this season. Rashad Broadnax leads the Bearcats in rushing with 212 yards.  Tahari Tate and Dontavious Broadnax lead the Bainbridge defense in total tackles. The Bears have sacked opposing quarterbacks twelve times this season and Zion Bouie has intercepted two passes on the young season. Good quarterback play will be key for Bainbridge, even though, we don’t know if they have enough to slow down Castellanos and the Gators offense. We like Ware County by a touchdown at home. 

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Week 5 – Eight Greats Around the State (Georgia High School Football Previews) – Part 2

Posted on September 30, 2020 by admin

As we mentioned in Part I of our Eight Greats Around the State, we are working our way to the midpoint of the high school football season here in Georgia. This is part two of our weekly game previews where we take a look at a few of the intriguing matchups throughout the state.

First up, Milton will host the two time defending Class 3A State Champ as Cedar Grove comes to town. These to teams have not locked horns since 1977. Will Cedar Grove show signs of rust from the long layoff? Next, the Ola Mustangs host Dutchtown. The Dutchtown Bulldogs have dominated this series, but Ola seems to be closing the gap. Is this the year, they knock off Duthctown and position themselves for a run at the region title?

Down in Blackshear just across the Alabaha River, the Pierce County Bears will host the Eagle’s Landing Christian Chargers. No one can say the Chargers are beating up on also rans. Do they have enough in the tank to weather the long bus ride and the Bears offense?

Finally, Hart County will host the high powered Jefferson Dragons. Both teams will rely on the run, but Jefferson looks to have the triple option working. Is there a way for the Bulldogs to put the clamps on Malaki Starks?

As always, thank you for reading. Please feel free to share and comment. Best of luck to all the teams competing this weekend!

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 Milton Eagles have scored 72 points in their first two games as they are off to an undefeated start. Offensively, quarterback Devin Farrell (402 passing yards, 3-TDs) and running back Jordan McDonald (237 yards, 4-TDs) have led the charge for the Eagles. Receivers Adam Freas (8 receptions, 120 yards) and Freshman Debron Gatling (7 receptions, 109 yards) are the top receivers. Milton’s defense has been just as impressive, allowing 18 points in two games. (The first game being a shutout.) Dylan Miller and L.T. Overton lead the team in total tackles. Overton sports a team high 7.5 tackles for loss and also leads the team in sacks with 5.5. 

Meanwhile, this will be the first game of the season for the two time defending Class 3A State Champs. The Saints will return several top prospects on both sides of the ball this season. Austin Smith is back at quarterback to lead the offensive attack. He will be joined by Rashad Dubinion in the backfield. Dubinion is fleet of foot and is effective in between the tackles and also dangerous when he gets to the edge. Additionally, he’s shown his prowess as a receiver. Speaking of receivers, Janiran Bonner is one of the top receivers in the class of 2022. The Saints offensive line is anchored by Keon Watson and Christian Anderson. Cedar Grove may have one of the most talented defensive lines, not only in 3A, but also in the state. Expect for Carlton Madden, Jr., Christian Miller, Joshua White, Demarius Jackson and the rest of the Saints defense to make things pretty uncomfortable for the Milton offense. Cedar Grove looks to have all of the pieces in place for another deep playoff run, but this is a tough opening week opponent. However, we like Milton this week in a relatively close game. Eagles by 4.

The Skinny

The Ola Mustangs are off to their second 3-0 start in school history. The Mustangs offense has been outstanding, averaging 46 points per game in the young season. Dual threat quarterback Jake Hall has thrown for 400 yards and 3-TDs and also rushed for 330 yards and 4-TDs. Running backs Micah Bell and Naziq Dahniya have combined for 504 yards and 9 TDs on the ground. Meanwhile, sophomore, Jaden Barnes is the team’s leading receiver with 12 receptions for 136 yards and a TD. The Mustangs defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 11 times this season led by Chris Ramos and Devin Lee, both with 4. Legend Doggett leads the secondary with 2 interceptions.

The Dutchtown Bulldogs will look to get back into the win column this week after their bye week. The Bulldogs were in a defensive struggle with Douglas County last time out. Their offense has not put up big numbers, but a lot of that has to do with the schedule. Quarterback Arendez Fedd will look to get Dutchtown back on track this week. While the offense is only averaging 7 points per game, the defense has been stout, allowing only 9 point per game. Until the offense finds it’s groove, expect for the defense to keep most of Dutchtown’s games close. With that said, we do expect for Dutchtown to keep this game close, but look for Ola to pull a minor upset and get only their second win in this series. Mustangs by 3.

The Skinny

Since 2018, the Pierce County Bears have amassed a record of 27-2. The Bears are off to another fast start this season. They have done it with defense, allowing only 10 points this season with two shutouts to their credit. Spencer Woodcock and Austin Jernigan lead the team in total tackles while Seth Foster leads the team in tackles for loss with 9. The Bears have sacked opposing quarterbacks 14 times this season. On offense Jermaine Brewton is completing 75.7% of his passes for 429 yards and 6-TDs. D.J.  Bell is tops on the team in rushing with 342 yards and 3-TDs while Luke Bennett and Maleek Chandel are the top two receivers through the first three games of the season.

Eagle’s Landing Christian might have played one of the toughest schedules to date with games against teams like Woodward, Blessed Trinity and Crisp County. The Chargers led the game late, but could not hang on. By now, we should know that E.L.C.A will look to get the ground game going with Josh Rogers. He’s rushed for 587 yards and 9-TDs. While the Chargers don’t pass much, it should be noted that eight different players have recorded a reception this season. Mac Craig leads the group in yardage with 158 on 6 receptions. This is another tough test for the Chargers. We believe this game will be tightly contested, but think the Bears have the edge at home. We like Pierce by 4.

The Skinny

The Hart County Bulldogs will be back in action this week after last week’s game with Greater Atlanta Christian was cancelled. In their last outing, the Bulldogs picked up their first win of the season. They raced to 35 first half points in route to a 55-point outing. Hart County got a big outing from Malachi Thomas who scored three times while J. Len Lackey scored twice. Hart County also got two special team’s touchdowns and a pick 6 in the victory. Thomas has accounted for seven TDs will Lackey has recorded 4-TDs. The Bulldogs are averaging 38 points per game, but are also allowing 33.6 points per game. 

The Jefferson Dragons will roll into Hartwell with an impressive ground attack that is averaging right at 400 yards per game this season. The Dragons are averaging 43 points per game and are led by quarterback Malaki Starks and his 462 rushing yards and 7-TDs. Kolton Jones, Reese Johnson and Jordon Perry make up most of the Dragons rushing attack outside of Starks. The trio has combined for 434 yards and 3-TDs. Defensively, Jefferson is holding their opponents to an average of 9.3 points per game, with 14 being the most they’ve given up, and that was to an explosive Rabun County team. Paxton Corkery is the team’s leader in solo and total tackles. He’s also recorded a team high 3 sacks on the season. We like the Jefferson ground game this week to chew up yards and clock en route to a win. Dragons by 16.

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Cherokee County Football Previews – Week 5

Posted on September 29, 2020 by admin

It’s hard to believe, but we are approaching the halfway point to the 2020 season. Here are our Week-5 Cherokee County Game Previews. (The Cherokee-Cartersville game will be previewed with our Eight Greats Across the State Preview on Wednesday.) First up, Chattahoochee looks to bounce back from last weeks as the host the red-hot River Ridge Knights. Both teams have an explosive offense, but are the Knights contenders or pretenders?

The Battle of the Bears will take place in Milton as Cambridge hosts Creekview. This will be the 9th meeting between the two teams. Creekview has dominated the series winning all of the eight previous meetings. Can Cambridge but the skids on that streak?

Johns Creek hosts Sequoyah as both teams look for their first win of the season. Which ground game will reign supreme on Friday night? Meanwhile, the Woodstock Wolverines will take a long ride up I-75 to take on the Calhoun Yellow Jackets. With the Wolverines passing attack be enough to upend the Jackets?

Finally, the North Cobb Warriors host the Etowah Eagles. North Cobb looks to continue their winning ways. Can the upstart Eagles pull the big upset this week?

As always, thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. Best of luck to all of the teams competing this Friday.

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

After lighting up the scoreboard in Week-1, Chattahoochee was limited to one touchdown after facing a very talented Alpharetta squad last week. The lone score came on a Jaylen Smith run. But don’t be fooled be the Cougars low point output in Week-2. Smith and the offense can put up big numbers. In Week-1 he passed for 334 yards and 5-TDs and also rushed for an additional 2-TDs. The Cougars also put up 56 points in Week-1. Additionally, the Chattahoochee defense limited Alpharetta to 21 points last week and kept the team in the game throughout. 

The River Ridge Knights are perhaps the hottest team in Cherokee County. The Knights have outscored their opponents 109-45 in the first three games of the season. Amehre Morrison leads the Knights with 509 yards and 7-TDs while quarterback Carson Lathem is second in Cherokee County in passing with 486 yards and 6-TDs. The Knights receiving trio of Jackson Head, Riley Caines and Andrew Bingham have been steady all season. On defense, Brian Bradley, Liam Bruton, Hunter Deriso and Scotty Rutherford are always around the ball making plays on defense. The Knights have been pretty good on defense, but they will need to be great to keep Chattahoochee from lighting up the scoreboard. We think there will be a lot of points scored this week. We like the Knights on the road by 2. 

The Skinny

The Cambridge Bears open up region play with a familiar opponent as they host the Creekview Grizzlies. The Bears struggled a bit last week to get a consistent ground game going against North Forsyth. Phillip Michael Collins and Christian Isibor had big games on the ground in Week-1, combining for 191 yards and 4-TDs. Hayden Gardella is a big threat at receiver for the Bears. He is coming off of a junior campaign with over 800 yards receiving. 

The Creekview Grizzlies will look to get back into the win column after falling to cross-county rival Cherokee last week. The Grizzlies offense was able to move the ball a good bit, but they were snake bit by penalties and a stingy Cherokee defense once they got inside the redzone. We expect for Creekview to establish their rushing attack behind Tyler Stevens. Stevens was tough inside the tackles last week where yards were at a premium. Dual threat quarterback Brody Rhodes found his way into the end zone last week with his feet. He also had 130 yards through the air. The Creekview defense has been downright stingy this season. They allowed one offensive score last week and are allowing 9.67 points per game. Owen Mello and Cale Williams blanketed the Cherokee receivers for most of the game last week, while Grant Anderson was flying to the ball all night. The defensive front made it very difficult very A.J. Swann to get much time in the pocket. There is an old saying in sports that defense travels. We think that applies this week and like the Grizzlies defense to slow down the Bears this week. Creekview by 10.

The Skinny

The Johns Creek Gladiators will be looking for their first win of the season on Friday. The Gladiators had a very challenging pre-region schedule including games against two top ranked teams in 6A & 7A. Dylan Parr found pay dirt last week but it was not enough to defeat a very talented West Lake team. Johns Creek defense has been put to the test in the opening weeks. Although they are surrendering 25 points per game, their opponents were high-powered offenses (Milton and Westlake).

The Sequoyah Chiefs return to action after a week off last week. The Chiefs have used two different quarterbacks this season. Matthew Traynor and Connor Gellat are a combined 25/43 for 289 yards and 3-TDs. The workhorse for the Chiefs offense has been Jaden Mitchell, with 297 rushing yards, 93 receiving yards and 5 total TDs. Mitchell is joined in the backfield by Aidan Moore and Jack Piskorz who have combined to rush for 144 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs defense answered the bell last week, surrendering only 15 points. However, on the year, Sequoyah is allowing 32.3 points per game. Both teams will look to establish the run this week. Whoever has the most success on the ground should be in good position to win this one. Points may be at a premium, but we like Johns Creek by 8.

The Skinny

It’s homecoming week in Calhoun. The Yellow Jackets are coming off of a huge over Ridgeland last week in their home opener. Jerrian Hames led the way a week ago with 152 yards and 3-TDs. He’s certainly been the bell cow early in the season for Calhoun, but don’t lose sight of Will Seamons. He set the school record in receiving yards two week’s ago against McCallie (TN) with 221 yards on 7 catches with 2-TDs. Perhaps the biggest threat for Calhoun is the versatile Jake Prather, who will line up at linebacker, safety, quarterback and wide receiver for the Yellow Jackets. Calhoun is averaging 34.2 points per game while the defense is surrendering 14.7 points per game. 

The Woodstock Wolverines got back to .500 last week as they topped Campbell 48-7. The Wolverines handed quarterbacking duties to sophomore Dan Comeau and he responded by throwing for 281 yards and 5-TDs. (What a way to make a statement!) The Wolverines appear to have found rhythm in the passing game and that certainly could spell trouble for their opponents later on this season. The Woodstock defense continues to improve each week. After surrendering 57 points in the first two weeks, they’ve now given up 23 points in the last two games. Calhoun’s defensive backs will be tested by the Woodstock air attack and Woodstock’s defense will have to slow down Jerrian Hames. Both are easier said than done, but we believe Calhoun is just too tough at home this week…Yellow Jackets by 3.

The Skinny

The North Cobb Warriors had their first bye week and are 3-0 for the second consecutive season. The Warriors scored big wins against Buford and Alpharetta in the previous two weeks. Quarterback Malachi Singleton powers an offense that is averaging 32.3 points per game. Wide receiver Christian Moss had 11 receptions and 133 yards in Week-2 against Buford. Defensively, linebacker Joshua Josephs seems to always find his way to the ball. His last time out, he had 10 tackles, five QB hurries and two interceptions. 

The Etowah Eagles come in to the game looking for their first win of the season. The Eagles are 0-3 for the first time since 2005, which is also the last time Etowah was held scoreless in a game. In spite of some the struggles the Eagles have had on offense, running back Klivert Many was able to reach the century mark in rushing last week. The Etowah defense is allowing 26.6 points per game. Last week they limited North Forsyth to three offensive touchdowns, (with the fourth coming on special teams). Etowah’s young starters are growing up, but North Cobb is an extremely talented team. We like North Cobb at home this week by three touchdowns. 

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Georgia High School Football Poll – Week 4

Posted on September 27, 2020 by admin

Our Georgia High School Football poll highlights some of the top teams in each classification. There was a full set of games this weekend with some eyebrow raising results. Many of those games had an impact on this week’s poll.

Perhaps the biggest surprise all weekend was North Gwinnett falling to Class 6A Lovejoy. Maybe the Bulldogs were looking ahead, in any event the loss only drops them two positions this week. The Newnan Cougars crack the Top-10 for the first time in a long while after a 3-0 start.

In 6A both Valdosta and Lee County dropped games to Class 7A opponents, but they remain at the top of the poll, The aforementioned Lovejoy Wildcats comes in at No. 9 this week. In Class 5A the Calhoun Yellow Jackets make their debut in the 2020 poll. They are undefeated this season and look to be rounding back into form.

Last week saw Class 4A Hapeville Charter drop their second game to a Class 7A team. The loss drops the Hornets to No. 8 this week. The Northwest Whitfield Bruins crack the Top-10 as they are off to a 4-0 start. Class 3A has a new top team as the Crisp County Cougars jump Cedar Grove. Cedar Grove has yet to play, while Crisp beat Class A-Private No. 1 E.L.C.A. on Friday.

Meanwhile in Class 2-A, there was a little shuffling in the poll, but no teams dropped out. Thomasville fell to 4A Bainbridge, but remains at No. 4 while Pace drops a couple of spots after falling to Westminster. In Class A-Public, Taylor County scored a big win over Schley last week and debuts at No. 7 this week.

Finally, in Class-A Private, Eagle’s Landing Christian holds on to the top spot, even after falling to Class 3-A Crisp County. Aquinas makes their debut in the 2020 poll. They will be tested this week as they host Strong Rock Christian, (another team on the verge of cracking the Top-10).

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Football Fridays at the Tavern Podcast – Episode 6

Posted on September 24, 2020 by admin

It’s Fall Break for the Cherokee County School District, but that doesn’t mean a break for football. Four of the six county teams are in action and we are here to talk about them this week on Football Fridays at the Tavern. This week, we are back to talk about last week and then look ahead to Week-4. We also had a chance to talk with Coach Shaw from Cherokee and Coach Williams from Creekview. Both coaches let us in on what they’ll need to do to find success in their matchup on Friday night. Don’t forget to follow Von Brown on twitter (@CederwoodTavern) and Art Mosley editor of the Turd Furgeson Report (@Turdfurgesonrpt). 

*Art erroneously mentioned that Campbell was in Marietta…actually it’s in Smyrna.   ?‍♂️

Game Streams for Friday Night

Creekview vs. Cherokee – wljaradio.com

Etowah vs. West Forsyth – https://etowahfootball.tv/etowah-eagles-football-2020/

Podcast Index

1:34 – Week 3 Recap

17:06 – Offensive Stat Leaders

18:10 – Etowah-North Forsyth Preview

22:16 – Woodstock-Campbell Preview 

26:02 – Coach Shaw Interview

33:11 – Coach Williams Interview

38:01 – Creekview-Cherokee Preview

47:09 – A Look Around the Region

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Week 4 – Georgia High School Football Previews – Part 2

Posted on September 23, 2020 by admin

As strange as it might seem, this week ushers in Week-4 of the High School Football season in Georgia. This is Part 2 of our previews which we like to call Eight Greats Around the State.

Our first preview takes a look at two teams who have not been shy about scheduling a challenging early season schedule. Crisp County’s defense has been lights out, but can they slow down the ELCA ground game this week in McDonough? Meanwhile, Hart County will look to pick up where they left off last week after a dominant performance. However, we expect Greater Atlanta Christian to have different plans. Greater Atlanta will have to slow down Malachi Thomas if they want to come back to Atlanta with a ‘W’.

Down in Valdosta, Lowndes will host Lee County as two of the top teams in class 6A & 7A matchup. Lee County has been dominant on defense, but Jacurri Brown and the Vikings will be a step up in competition. Finally, in Moultrie, the Colquitt County Packers will host the Valdosta Wildcats. We don’t like to speculate, but it looks like Valdosta may be without starting quarterback, Jake Garcia. Can the Wildcats offense continue to roll or will the Packers get the best of Valdosta this season?

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 ELCA Charges are coming off of their first loss of the season after they fell to 5-A Blessed Trinity. Josh Rogers led the way on the ground with 112 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. On the season, Rogers has rushed for 523 yards and 8-TDs. Quarterback Phil Massengale has also chipped in 204 yards and 3-TDs on the ground. The Charges have only attempted 21 passes this season. The 38 points that the defense allowed last week were the first points they surrendered all season. 

The Crisp County Cougars continue with their brutal schedule this week as they travel to McDonough. The Cougars have been doing it with defense early in the season posting shutouts against Class 7-A Tift and Class 6-A Houston County. Linebackers Chris Paul Jr. and Preston Lavant lead the team with 20 total tackles each. The secondary has intercepted 6 passes, led by J’kobe Harris with 4. The Cougars have not necassirily lit up the scoreboard offensively, but they really haven’t needed to with the defense performing as it has been. A.J. Lofton leads the Cougars in rushing and passing yards while Marquise Palmer has received the bulk of the carries out of the backfield. We believe that this is the week that Crisp finally surrenders a few points on offense. We expect this game to be low scoring, but we think Crisp has one of the best defenses in Class 3A…And defense travels. We like Crisp by 6.

The Hart County Bulldogs got their first win of the season last week as they raced to 35 first half points in route to a 55-point outing. The Bulldogs had a big outing from Malachi Thomas who scored three times while J. Len Lackey scored twice. Hart County also got two special teams touchdowns and a pick 6 in the victory. Thomas has now accounted for seven TDs while Lackey has recorded 4-TDs. The Bulldogs are averaging 38 points per game, but are also allowing 33.6 points per game. 

The Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans enter this week’s game undefeated. The Spartans will bring in a balanced attack with quarterback Deymon Flemming passing for 203 yards and 2-TDs on the season, while the offense has tallied 244 yards on the ground. Trey Henry and Gannon Hearst lead the team in rushing with a combined 204 yards on the ground. Perhaps the biggest story for the Spartans is the defense which has allowed just three points in their first two games of the season. Aidan Bailey and Joseph Rose lead the team in tackles. Bailey is also tops on the team with two sacks. The Spartans have intercepted 9 passes already on the season. The Greater Atlanta Christian defense will have their hands full trying to slow down the Bulldogs one-two punch in the backfield. If Hart County can take care of the football, we think they could be in line for a minor upset this week. We like their chances to beat GAC in a shootout and avenge last year’s playoff loss. We like the Bulldogs by 4.

The Skinny

The Skinny

The Lowndes Vikings will host the Lee County Trojans in another big game between South Georgia powers. The Vikings passed another test last week defeating Oakleaf out of Orange Park, FL. Jacurri Brown has thrown for 383 yards, rushed for 196 yards and accounted for 7-TDs this season. Running backs Justin Lee and Israel Mitchell have combined for 357 yards and 6-TDs. Leon Williams leads the defense with 5 sacks while Travion Pope and Jalon Baker lead the team in total tackles. The Vikings are averaging 39 points per game while the defense is averaging just over 14 points per game.

Lee County is also undefeated coming into this week’s game. The Trojans have outscored their opponents 110-0. With no disrespect to their first two opponents, Lowndes is certainly a step up for the Trojans. Chauncey Magwood looks to have settled in under center with South Carolina commit Caleb McDowell beside him in the backfield. The Trojans had 9 different players score TDs last week and they led 40 after the first quarter. The defense held Crawford County to -51 total yards. We don’t believe there is any chance that Lee County holds Lowndes to negative total offense or even shuts out the Vikings. We expect the Trojans to attempt to bottle up the Lowndes ground game. It should be a close game throughout, but we like Lowndes at home by a touchdown.

The Skinny

After having their first two games cancelled due to COVID, the Colquitt County Packers will host the Valdosta Wildcats in a battle of South Georgia powers. The Packers got their season off to a great start with a shutout win over Banneker. Senior quarterback Xavier Williams threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the victory. Orion Bonner caught four passes for 100 yards while Dijmond Wheeler hauled in two touchdown passes. As a team, the Packers rushed for 138 yards and 4-TDs. Eight different ball carries had touches for the Pack on Friday with Nick Pace, Charlie Pace and Jamaree Hill leading the way in attempts. 

The Valdosta Wildcats enter this game undefeated as well after knocking off Bainbridge last week. Perhaps the biggest story in this game is whether or not highly touted quarterback Jake Garcia will play for the Wildcats in this game. In his absence last week, Amari Jones threw for 182 yards and 3-TDs. Tajh Sanders and Aalah Brown combined for 7 catches and 125 yards. The Wildcats defense held Bainbridge to 135 total net yards. Valdosta also sacked Bainbridge 6 teams and intercepted two passes in the victory. This game could turn into a defensive struggle. We don’t expect Coach Propst and his Wildcats to have a warm welcome in Mack Tharpe. We like the Packers in a defensive battle. Colquitt by 4.

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