GHSA 6A Football Championship Preview

Posted on December 8, 2019 by admin

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Class 6A GHSA Football Championship game features a matchup between region rivals Harrison and Allatoona. This game is a rematch of the October 11th matchup which Harrison won at home by 4.

 

The Harrison Hoyas have advanced to the finals for the first time since 2000. The Hoyas are also 14-0 for the first time in school history. Harrison has defeated two No. 4 seeds, a No. 3 seed and a No. 1 seed on their way to the finals. In the playoffs, Harrison is averaging 40.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 14.5 points per game. Offensive leaders from last week where quarterback Gavin Hall, running backs David Roberts, Mason Baybay and Jay Ziglor. The Harrison offense has been on a tear for most of the season. They’ve scored 35 points or more in 12 of their 14 games. A win this week would earn the Hoyas their first state title in school history.

 

The Allatoona Buccaneers are in the finals for the first time since 2015. The Bucs are winners of their last seven games and needed an overtime frame and a Jude Kelly field goal to advance last week. In the playoffs, Allatoona is averaging 28.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 8.5 points per game. Dante Marshall threw for  102 yards and 2-TDs in the win last week. The Bucs only tallied 70-yards on the ground. On the season, Marshall has thrown for over 1,800 yards and 23-TDs. Alex Wilson leads the Bucs in rushing with over 1,200 yards while Das has over 1,000 yards receiving. Calvin Rucker, Eric Carty and Cam Carty continue to lead the defense, coming into last week, they’d combined for 20 sacks and over 250 total tackles. Brett Bloomquist also has a team high 7 interception on the season. Allatoona has not allowed over 21 points in a game this season. A win this week would earn the Bucs their first state title since 2015.

 

Both teams are playing great defense, but we believe Harrison’s offense is a little more potent. We like the Hoyas by 6.

 

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GHSA A-Private Semifinal Football Previews

Posted on December 5, 2019 by admin

Today, we preview the Class A-Private GHSA Football semifinals. Only two of the top-4 seeded teams still remain. Wesleyan, the No. 9 seed is the highest seeded team to advance. Meanwhile, Region 5 has three teams in the semifinals.  Holy Innocents will host ELCA in a rematch of a 1-point nail biter that Holy Innocents won in the regular season. Meanwhile Fellowship Christian will host Wesleyan, (the third Region-5 team) in Roswell on Friday night. Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Holy Innocents Golden Bears are in the semifinals for the first time in school history. The Bears have also won a school record 12 games and are 12-0 for the first time in school history. Four different Golden Bears scored touchdowns last Friday to help propel them through their quarterfinal matchup. Michael Cox and Matt Davis have been stalwarts for the Golden Bears on offense. But don’t forget about the Holy Innocents’ defense, which pitched their sixth shutout of the season last week. In the playoffs, the Bears defense has been downright dominating, allowing only a field goal in two playoff games, while the offense is averaging 35 points per game in the postseason. A win this week would put the Golden Bears in the finals for the first time in school history.

 

The Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (ELCA) Chargers are in the semifinals for the ninth season in a row. The Chargers have now won 8 consecutive games. Quarterback Gabe Wright threw for 137 yards and  1-TD and also rushed for another and Josh Rogers rushed for 2-TDs while Keaton Mitchell led the way on the ground with 81 yards to help propel the Chargers to victory. ELCA’s defense tallied five sacks last week against Athens Academy.  Wright has now thrown for 1,873 yards and 23-TDs while Mitchell leads the ground game with 1,647 yards and 38-TDs. The Chargers have knocked off two of the top teams in the state, both from Region-8 in the playoffs. In their two-playoff games, ELCA has outscored their opponents 90-67. A win this week would put the Chargers in the finals for the sixth year in a row. Holy Innocents won the first game by 1 and we don’t believe the margin of victory will be much greater than that this week, but we like ELCA in the rematch by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Fellowship Christian Paladins advanced to the semifinals for the second time in in four years. The Paladins are also 12-0 for the first time since 2016. Last week, the Paladins churned out 282 rushing yards and 5-TDs on their way to the quarterfinal victory. Murphy Reeves led the way with 129 yards and 2-TDs while Jayven Hall added two more scores. Reeves is over 1,500 yards on the season with 17 rushing TDs. Backs Jayven Hall, Josh Cole and quarterback Eli Hildebrandt have combined to rush for 38-TDs this season. The 28 points that Hebron Christian scored was the most against the Paladins in a game all season. In two playoff games, the offense is averaging 24.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 14 points per game. A win this week would put the Paladins is the finals for the second time in four years.

 

The Wesleyan Wolves have advanced to the finals for the first time since 2010. The Wolves have now won seven consecutive games. Their only losses were two Holy Innocents and ELCA…two of the top teams in A-Private. Quarterback J.C. French threw for 126 yards and 1-TD and rushed for 78 and another TD, but it was Griffin Caldwell who had 188 yards on 27 carries and found the end zone four times in the victory. French has thrown for 2,408 yards and 28-TDs on the season while Caldwell is closing in on the 1,000-yard mark and has rushed for 11-TDs on the year. In three playoff games, the Wolves are averaging 37 points per game while the defense is allowing 19 points per game. A win this week would put Wesleyan in the finals for the first time since 2008. Wesleyan looks to have the hot hand this week, but we will take the Paladins ground game at home. Fellowship Christian by 6.

 

 

 

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GHSA A-Public Semifinal Football Previews

Posted on December 4, 2019 by admin

Today, we preview the Class A-Public GHSA Football semifinals. Three of the top seeded teams still remain and Pelham, the #6 seed, is not what we’d call a Cinderella be any stretch.  Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, Clinch County vs Irwin County in the playoffs. The last two seasons, these region rivals fought it out for the state title. This year, the rematch game happens in the semis. Irwin County has won each of the last three regular season meetings, but Clinch beat them in the finals. Will this year be any different. In the other semifinal. Pelham travels to face Marion County . Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Marion County Eagles have advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive year. The Eagles have now won seven games in a row. Trice McCannon threw two touchdown passes and rushed for 165 yards and 1-TD to help propel Marion County to the quarterfinal victory over Lincoln County. McCannon has now thrown for 1,954 yards and 28-TDs and rushed for 894 yards and 16-TDs. Meanwhile, Brandon Thomas has rushed for 886 yards and 6-TDs and Jamil King leads all Marion County receivers with 39 catches for 586 yards and 8-TDs. In two playoff games, Marion County is averaging 31.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 24 points per game. A win this week would put the Eagles into the finals for the first time since 2013.

 

The Pelham Hornets have advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive year.  The Hornets have won two games in a row and got redemption against county rival Mitchell County last week. (Mitchell County beat Pelham in the last regular season game.) Kendrick Patterson threw for 132 yards and 2-TDs and rushed for 149 yards and 1-TD. The Pelham defense tallied seven sacks and three interceptions in last week’s victory. On the season, Patterson has thrown for 1,814 yards and 24-TDs. He’s also intercepted a team high 5 passes on defense. As a team, the Hornets have intercepted 20 passes this year. Darrell Starling has added 619 yards on the ground and 8-TDs. Starling, Jeremiah Stewart and Doug Curles have led the receiving corps for the Hornets. The trio has combined for 68 receptions for 880 yards and 13-TDs. In two playoff games, the Hornets are averaging 36 points per game while the defense is allowing 28 points per game. A win this week would put the Hornets into the finals for the first time in school history. This has the makings of a high scoring game, with both team’s scoring points in the 30s, but we like Pelham to edge Marion County by 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Irwin County Indians have advanced to the semifinals for the sixth time in seven years. The Indians are also 11-0 for the second consecutive year. Last week, Irwin County raced out to a commanding 41-point halftime lead and cruised to victory. DJ Lundy scored four touchdowns and Garland Benyard scored on a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown to help propel the Indians to victory. In two playoff games, Irwin County is averaging 50.5 points per game in the playoffs while the defense is allowing 17 points per game. A win this week would put the Indians into the finals for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in six years.

 

The Clinch County Panthers are in the semifinals for the fifth year in a row. The Panthers have won eight consecutive games coming into this week. The Panthers jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead before closing out Warren County in the second half. Tyler Morehead and Michael Walker lead the scoring with two touchdowns each. In two playoff games, the Panthers are averaging 41 points per game while the defense is allowing 18.5 points per game. A win this week would put the Clinch in the finals for the third year in a row. These two 1-A powers are region rivals and have met for the state title for the last two years. Each time, Irwin County won the regular season matchup, while Clinch went on to win in the state title game. As in the two previous years, Irwin beat Clinch in the regular season matchup, but this year, we believe the worm has turned, and we like Irwin County by 11 over Clinch this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GHSA 2A Semifinal Football Previews

Posted on December 4, 2019 by admin

Up next, we preview the 2A GHSA Football semifinals. There are three No. 1 seeds and 1 No. 2 seed that make up the final four. There are two teams from Region-1 remaining. Perhaps the biggest surprises to us are the Brooks County Trojans. We did not expect them to get past Rockmart two weeks ago, but now they’ve defeated two No. 1 seeds and face perhaps the best team in Class AA all season this week. Matchups this week are Thomasville-Dublin and Callaway-Brooks County . Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Thomasville Bulldogs have advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1993. The Bulldogs have now won seven consecutive games. Thomasville’s run is impressive considering they lost a ton of seniors and their star freshman quarterback from last year’s team. Nevertheless, Coach Grage has the youngBulldogs moving on in the post season. Last week, quarterback Ronnie Baker threw for 227 yards and 2-TDs and freshman running back Ricky Fulton rushed for 128 yards and 2-TDs and also caught 1-TD pass to help lead the way for the Bulldogs. Thomasville’s defense sacked Rabun’s Gunner Stockton 13 times last week. Baker has now passed for 2,207 yards and 17-TDs while Fulton has now rushed for 883 yards and 10-TDs and Ricardo Johnson has caught 53 passes for 781 yards and 8-TDs. In three playoff games, the Bulldogs are averaging 42.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 21.3 points per game. A win this week would put the Bulldogs into the finals for the first time since 1993.

 

The Dublin Fighting Irish are in the semifinals for the first time since 2007. The Fighting Irish got a pair of touchdowns from Jacques Evans and Marcus Adams to help propel them to victory over Hapeville Charter. The Fighting Irish held the high-powered Hornets to their lowest point output all season. As they have in years past, Dublin is powered by their ground game. Coming into last weeks game, the Irish had only attempted 33 passes all year and had rushed for over 4,800 yards as a team. Dublin sports three 1,000-yard rushers in Evans, Adams and Zion Kemp. In three playoff games, Dublin is averaging 37.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 15.6 points per game. A win this week would put the Irish in the finals for the first time since 2006. We generally would like Thomasville at home, but it’s hard to think they can bottle up three 1,000-yard running backs. We like Dublin by 4 this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Callaway Cavaliers have advanced to the semifinals for the third time in four years. The Cavaliers have now won twelve games in a row and have not lost to a team in the state of Georgia this season. Running back Tank Bigsby scored four times in the victory last week to help lead the way. Bigsby, Charlie Dixon and quarterback Demetrius Coleman have helped lead the way for Callaway this season. In three playoff games, the Cavs are averaging 48.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 19.6 points per game. A win this week would put Callaway into the finals for the first time in school history.

 

The Brooks County Trojans have advanced to the semifinals for the second time in three years and Coach Freeman has led the Trojans to the semifinals five times in his current tenure. The Trojans have now won six games in a row and have defeated two No. 1 seeds in their playoff run. Last week, quarterback Ni’tavion Burrus completed 76% of his passes for 114 yards and 2-TDs and also added a rushing TD while Omari Arnold rushed for 161 yards and 1-TD to help lead the Trojans to victory. Burrus has now passed for 1,759 yards and 19-TDs and Arnold has rushed for 1,540 yards and 19-TDs. However, the story the last few weeks has certainly been the Trojans defense. In three playoff games, they are allowing only 7.6 points per game while the offense is averaging 39.3 points per game. A win this week would put the Trojans into the finals for the first time since 1994. The Trojans have been road Warriors these last two weeks, knocking off two No. 1 seeds, but the Cavs have two running backs that will be tough to slow down. We like Callaway by 10 at home this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GHSA 3A Semifinal Football Previews

Posted on December 3, 2019 by admin

Today, we preview the 3A GHSA Football semifinals. There is no Cinderella in this group, as all No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final-4. We will have a first time finals participant as neither Crisp or Jenkins have made it to the finals, and they’ll square off in Cordele on Friday. Meanwhile on the other side of the bracket, Cedar Grove and Greater Atlanta Christian have made several finals appearances. Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Brad Harber has coached the Crisp County Cougars back to the semifinals for the second time in four years. Crisp has won seven games in a row and has not allowed more than 21 points in a game this season.  Last week, the Cougars got most of their offensive production on the ground, as they have done most of the season. As a team, they’ve rushed for over 200 yards in seven straight games. Quarterback A.J. Lofton had a hand in all of the Cougars scoring last Friday, rushing for two scores, passing for one and converting a two-point attempt. But it was Marquise Palmer who did a lot of the heavy lifting, rushing for 137 yards on 23 carries. This season, Palmer has rushed for 1,396 yards and 16-TDs while Lofton has added 954 yards and 11-TDs on the ground. In three playoff games the Cougars are averaging 36.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 7.6 points per game. A win this week would put the Cougars into the finals for the first time in school history.

 

The Jenkins Warriors have advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1966 and only the second time in school history. The Warriors are winners of their last 11 heading into this week. Quarterback Patrick Blake threw for 1-TD and rushed for three while Damozzio Harris rushed for 196 yards and 1-TD to help propel the Warriors last Friday. Blake has now thrown for 1,823 yards and 22-TDs and Harris has rushed for 1,656 yards and 26-TDs this season. The Warriors defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 37.5 times and intercepted 15 passes this season. In their three-playoff games, Jenkins is averaging 41.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 7.6 points per game. A win this week would put the Warriors into the finals for the first time in school history. We believe this one will be a defensive battle, but we like the Cougars at home to win by the slimmest of margins…Crisp County by 1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cedar Grove Saints have advanced to the semifinals for the fifth straight season. The Saints have now won nine in a row. Last week, the Cedar Grove defense stifled Peach County, holding them to just a field goal. The Saints defense scored two touchdowns and added a safety en route to the victory. Before Friday’s game, running back Chavon Wright had rushed for 1,486 yards and 19-TDs while quarterback Austin Smith had thrown for 1.259 yards and 16-TDs. (Smith added another TD pass in the win on Friday.) In three playoff games, Cedar Grove has outscored their opponents 121-23. A win this week would put the Saints back into the finals for the third time in four years.

 

The Greater Atlanta Christian (GAC) Spartans have advanced to the semifinals for the sixth time in eight years. GAC has now won 12 games in a row. The Spartans got a fourth quarter touchdown pass from Jackson Hardy to clinch the win. Hardy threw for 150 yards and 2-TDs and also added 54 rushing yards in last week’s game. He has now thrown for 2,519 yards and 27-TDs on the season, while Tyler Bride is still the team’s leading rusher with 1,150 yards and 15-TDs. Choe Bryant Strother continues to lead the defense with 93 total tackles while Spencer Helms leads the team with 11 sacks. In three playoff games the Spartans have outscored their opponents 90-30. A win this week would put GAC back into the finals for the first time since 2016, (a game which they lost to Cedar Grove). The Cedar Grove defense should be the difference this week, but expect GAC to keep it close. We like the Saints to pull away late. Cedar Grove by 9.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GHSA 4A Semifinal Football Previews

Posted on December 2, 2019 by admin

The playoff field continues to be whittled down. Up next, we preview the 4A GHSA Football semifinals. Similar to Class 7A, 6A and 5A, there are three No. 1 seeds and one No. 2 seed that make up the field. There is no real Cinderella in the Final-4. We will have a rematch of a regular season tilt between Woodward Academy and Blessed Trinity. The other matchup features Oconee County hosting Sandy Creek. Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Oconee County Warriors are in the semifinals for the first time since 1999. Oconee County has now won 11 straight. The Warriors got 206 yards passing and two touchdown passed from Max Johnson to help lead the way to victory while the defense held Marist to their lowest point production all season. Max Johnson has now thrown for 1,891 yards and 26-TDs. The Warriors defense picked off Marist twice last week and has now tallied 17 interceptions on the season. In three playoff games, Oconee County is averaging 32.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 9.3 points per game. A win this week would put the Warriors into the finals for the first time since 1999.

 

The Sandy Creek Patriots are in the semifinals for the first time since 2012. Quarterback Matthew Williams threw three touchdown passes en route to the big win over Madison County last week. Running back Rashad Amos also found pay dirt in the victory. The Patriots have now won six games in a row heading into this weeks matchup. Sandy Creek’s offense continues to put up points in bunches as they went over the 40 point mark for the 11th time this season. In three playoff games, Sandy Creek is averaging 46.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 7 points per game. A win this week would put the Patriots into the finals for the first time since 2012. This will certainly be the toughest test for Sandy Creek in the playoffs, and the travel to Watkinsville won’t make things any easier, but we believe they have enough defense and balance on offense to get past the Warriors this week. We like Sandy Creek by 8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Woodward Academy War Eagles battled back from deficits all game long and finally scored the go ahead touchdown with just over a minute left to play to defeat Cartersville on the road to advance to the semifinals for the third time in six years. Woodward is also 13-0 for the first time since 2015. Going into Friday’s game, quarterback Mike Wright had passed for 2,166 yards and 33-TDs and rushed for 593 yards and 11-TDs. On Friday, he passed for three touchdowns and ran for another and showed tremendous poise leading the War Eagles to victory. Perhaps, the unsung heroes of the game were the Woodward defense, who stiffened up after halftime. In three playoff games, the offense is averaging 36.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 21 points per game. A win this Friday would put the War Eagles in the finals for the first time since 1980.

 

The Blessed Trinity Titans got their first shutout of the season as they advanced to the semifinals for the third consecutive year. The Titans got rushing scores from Justice Haynes and Elijah Green to help lead the way on Friday night. Coming into last Friday’s game, Elijah Green had rushed for 1,093 yards and 14-TDs while freshman Justice Haynes had rushed for 1,458 yards. The two have combined for 33-TDs on the season making one of the best running back duos in the state. Prior to Friday’s game, the Titans defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 32 times. In three playoff games, Blessed Trinity is averaging 35.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 5.6 points per game. A win this week would put the Titans in the finals for the third year in a row. Woodward Academy won the first matchup by a field goal. We believe Mike Wright and the War eagles had steadily improved since that victory. However, Blessed Trinity played that game without Elijah Green. We believe he along with Justice Haynes will be the difference this week. We like the Titans by 6 on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GHSA 5A Semifinal Football Previews

Posted on December 2, 2019 by admin

The playoff field continues to be whittled down. Today, we preview the 5A GHSA Football semifinals. Similar to Class 7A & 6A, there are three No. 1 seeds and one No. 2 seed make up the field for the semifinals. There is no real Cinderella, although Starr’s Mill has the most losses (3) of any of the four semifinal teams. The matchups this week are Warner Robins-Starr’s Mill and Jones County-Buford. Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Warner Robins Demons have advanced to the finals for the third year in a row. The Demons have now won nine consecutive games. Last week, Jalen Rutherford and James Smith had big games on the ground as both went over the 100-yard mark to help pace the Demons. Quarterback Jalen Addie threw for 106 yards and 2-TDs in the win. The Demons defense also came up big with two defensive scores on Friday. Rutherford and Smith have combined to rush for over 2,000 yards on the season while Addie has passed for 2,142 yards to lead the Demons. The 49 points that Warner Robins scored on Friday was the most they’ve scored all season. In the playoffs, the Demons are averaging 34 points per game while the defense is allowing 12.6 points per game. A win this week would put the Demons in the finals for the third year in a row.

 

The Starr’s Mill Panthers have advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2010. The Panthers have also won nine consecutive games coming into this week. Starr’s Mill needed overtime to outlast Dutchtown and converted on a two-point conversion run by Kalen Sims to earn the victory. Sims scored two TDs in the victory and Ben Bodne added another rushing touchdown. In three playoff games, the Panthers are averaging 32.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 19.6 points per game. This will be the first week that Star’s Mill will be on the road in the playoffs. If Starr’s Mill can keep the ground game going we believe they can keep the game within striking distance. But we like the Demons to edge them this week in a close contest. Warner Robins by 5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Jones County Greyhounds have advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1961. The Greyhounds have also set a school record with 12 wins on the season. They scored 42 unanswered points in the second half last week to defeat Griffin at home. Hunter Costlow threw for 3-TDs and caught 1-TD and Receiver Jontavis Robertson caught 6 passes for 93 yards and 2-TDs and also tossed a touchdown pass to lead the comeback for the Greyhounds. Costlow is completing 65% of his passes and has thrown for 2,832 yards and 29-TDs. Andrew Carner leads the rushing attack with 1,119 yards and 9-TDs while Robertson has caught62 passes for 1,131 yards and 9-TDs. In the playoffs the Greyhounds are averaging 30.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 11 points per game. A win this week would put the Greyhounds in the finals for the first time in school history.

 

The Buford Wolves advanced to the semifinals for the 12th time in 13 years as they defeated Carrollton on a 28-yard Hayden Olsen field goal. The Wolves were able to overcome injuries to key starters to get back to the semifinals. Last week, it was back up running back Victor Venn who carried the load for the Wolves on his way to 235 yards and 2-TDs in the victory. Buford is averaging 33.6 points per game in the playoffs while the defense is allowing 10.6 points per game. A win this week would put the Wolves pack in the finals for the second time in four years and the 18th time in school history. We are unsure of the injury situation for the Wolves, but their backups have certainly proved more than serviceable. But going on the road for three weeks may take its toll. We like the Buford “Road Warriors” anyhow in another close contest. Wolves by 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GHSA 6A Semifinal Football Previews

Posted on December 1, 2019 by admin

The playoff field continues to be whittled down. Up next, we preview the 6A GHSA Football semifinals. Similar to Class 7A, there are three No. 1 seeds and one No. 2 seed that make up the field for the semifinals. There are two teams from Region 6-6A (Harrison and Allatoona), still alive and if they both win, we would have an All Cobb County final. Dacula and Richmond Hill are looking to get to the finals for the first time in school history. The matchups this week are Dacula-Harrison and Richmond Hill-Allatoona. Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Dacula Falcons have advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive season and for the fifth time in school history. The Falcons are also 13-0 for the first time in program history. Running Back Kaleb Edwards and quarterback Jarrett Jenkins helped spearhead the victory for the Falcons. Dacula’s offense has been on a roll in the playoffs as they are averaging 49 points per game while the defense is allowing 19.6 points per game. Since September 20th, the Flacons have not scored less than 34 points in a game. A win this week would put the Falcons into the finals for the first time in school history.

 

The Harrison Hoyas are in the semifinals for the first time since 2000. The Hoyas are also 13-0 for the first time in program history. Harrison’s David Roberts rushed for two-TDs while Gavin Hall tossed a touchdown to Jay Ziglor to help lead the way for the Hoyas last week. The 28-point output was the lowest point production for the offense since early October. In the playoffs, Harrison is averaging 41.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 17 points per game. A win this week would put the Hoyas in the finals for the first time since 2000. Harrison has been our No.1 ranked team for several weeks now, but we believe Dacula is clicking on all cylinders, we like the Falcons this week by 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Richmond Hill Wildcats are in the semifinals for the first time in school history. The Wildcats have also won 9 games for only the third time in school history. They have now won 8 games in a row. Jalen Rouse had 84 yards rushing to pace the Wildcats and has now rushed for 1,754 yards and 23-TDs on the year. Britton Williams added three field goals to help pace Richmond Hill in their win over Valdosta. In three playoff games, Richmond Hill is averaging 30.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 20 points per game. A win this week will put the Wildcats in the finals for the first time in school history.

 

Allatoona advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2015 and the third time in school history. The Bucs have won six games in a row and in the process, recorded their second shutout of the season. Last week, quarterback Dante Marshall’s only completion went for a touchdown to Asante Das. Marcus Taylor, Dequori Garrett and Alex Wilson led the way on the ground for Allatoona as the trio combined for 235 yards and 2-TDs. Allatoona is averaging 32 points per game in the playoffs while the defense is allowing 6.6 points per game. A win this week will put Allatoona into the finals for the first time since 2015. The long road trip may take its toll on the Allatoona offense, but we like the Bucs defense. Allatoona by 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GHSA 7A Semifinal Football Previews

Posted on December 1, 2019 by admin

The playoff field continues to be whittled down. Today we preview the 7A GHSA Football semifinals. Three No. 1 seeds and one No. 2 seed make up the field for the semifinals. There are also two Gwinnett County schools on opposite sides of the bracket, meaning, we could potentially have an all Gwinnett County championship. But we are sure that south Georgia power, Lowndes and Cobb County’s Marietta Blue Devils will have something to say about that. Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. As always, please let us know if there are any corrections. Thanks as always for reading and sharing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lowndes Vikings advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive year as they held off Grayson at home. The Vikings are now 13-0 for the first time since 2004. Quarterback Jacurri Brown had a big game on the ground, rushing for 158 yards and 2-TDs. Brown has now rushed for 1,308 yards and 18-TDs. The Vikings defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 49 times and is led by Thomas Davis, who has 10.5 on the year. Lowndes is averaging 36.6 points per game in the playoffs while the defense is allowing 14 points per game. A win this week would put Lowndes in the finals for the first time since 2007.

 

The North Gwinnett Bulldogs are in the semifinals for the second time in three years. The Bulldogs have now reeled off 12 games in a row. North Gwinnett got big performances from their three offensive stars quarterback J.R. Martin, running back Devin Crosby and receiver Josh Downs. On the season, Martin has passed for over 2,100 yards and 25-TDs, Crosby has rushed for over 1,400 yards and 18-TDs while Downs has now crossed the 1,000 yard mark in receiving yards with 12 TDs. The North Gwinnett defense has not allowed more than 23 points in a game all season. They’ve also tightened up in the playoffs, allowing only 12.3 points per game. The Offense is averaging 47.6 points per game. A win this Friday would put the Bulldogs into the finals for the second time in three years. We don’t believe North Gwinnett will score 47 against Lowndes this week, but we do like them on the road. Bulldogs by 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Parkview Panthers have advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2004. The Panthers rode the legs of Cody Brown and Tyler Curtis last week as the two backs combined for over 300 yards and 4-TDs to defeat Archer. On the season, the duo has rushed for over 2,300 yards and 30-TDs. Parkview has now won eleven consecutive games on the season. In the playoffs, they are averaging 36.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 17.3 points per game. A win this week would put Parkview into the finals for the first time since 2004.

 

The Marietta Blue Devils are in the semifinals for the first time since 1994. Marietta has now won six games in a row. The Blue Devils also got a big game from their running back Kimani Vidal who rushed for 263 yards, (237 coming in the first half) to down Mill Creek last week. Vidal has now rushed for 1,429 yards and scored 22-TDs on the ground. Meanwhile, Harrison Bailey has now passed for 3,563 yards and 39-TDs. In three playoff games, Marietta is averaging 40.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 15.6 points per game. A win would put the Blue Devils into the finals for the first time since 1967. While we certainly believe Parkview can neutralize Marietta’s explosive offense by keeping them on the sideline with their own ground game, we believe the Blue Devils are clicking on all cylinders right now. We like Marietta by 6 on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GHSA A-Private Quarterfinal Football Previews

Posted on November 28, 2019 by admin

Happy Thanksgiving! Our last preview takes us to the Class A-Private GHSA Football Playoffs. Only four of the top eight teams still remain. Region 5 has three teams in the quarterfinals. The biggest “Cinderella” remaining are the Mount Paran Christian Eagles, who’ve gone on the road twice and survived each time. They are the 23rd seeded team.  The matchups this week are Wesleyan-Savannah Christian, Fellowship Christian-Hebron Christian, Holy Innocents-Mount Paran Christian and Athens Academy-ELCA. As always, please let us know if there are any errors. Thanks for reading and best of luck to all the teams competing this Friday night.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Athens Academy Spartans are in the quarterfinals for the third year in a row.  They are also undefeated for the third year in a row. The Spartans overwhelmed Brookstone last week. Their defense has been dominant this season as they have only allowed 7 points per game. The Spartans have played most of the season without standout back, Len’Neth Whitehead, but Kurt Knisley has filled in nicely in the backfield and is now over the 1,000-yard mark on the season. The Spartans are averaging 43.6 points per game. A win this week would put Athens Academy in the semifinals for the third year in a row.

 

The Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (ELCA) Chargers are in the quarterfinals for the tenth consecutive season. The Chargers have won their last seven games. Last week, they won a shootout with Prince Avenue Christian as the two teams combined to put 119 points on the board. Keaton Mitchell and Gabe Wright both had big nights as Mitchell rushed for 226 yards and 5-TDs while Wright passed fro 269 yards and 2-TDs. On the season, Wright has passed for 1,736 yards and 22-TDs while Mitchell has rushed for 1,566 yards and 38-TDs. The 57 points allowed by the defense was the most since allowing 42 points against Holy Innocents back in September. Even with those games, the Chargers are only allowing 12.9 points per game. A win this week would put ELCA back into the semifinals for the ninth straight year. ELCA has defeated Athens Academy the last two seasons to claim the Class A-Private title. This game is worthy of a state title matchup. We think this one will be much closer than the previous two meetings, but we like the Chargers to prevail again. ELCA by 4 on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Holy Innocents Golden Bears are in the midst of a special season. They are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2013. They are 11-0 for the first time in school history. The defense has held opponents to seven points or less seven times this season. On offense, they have not scored less than 28 points in a game. The Golden Bears are averaging 40.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 9 points per game. Holy Innocents relies primarily on the run and back Michael Cox has continued to deliver week in and week out to lead the Bears rushing attack. Cox is a bruising back who rarely goes down after the initial contact. A win this week would put Holy Innocents in the semifinals for the first time in school history.

 

The Mount Paran Christian Eagles are in the quarterfinals for the sixth time in seven years. The Eagles are winners of their last four games. Both of their playoff wins have been close games, with a combined margin of victory of 5 points. Quarterback Niko Vangarelli has shown the ability to beat teams with his arm and with his legs, extending plays while keeping his eyes down the field. The Eagles are now averaging 28.8 points per game while the defense is allowing 21.6 points per game. A win this week would put Mt. Paran back into the semifinals for the second time in three years. We like the Golden Bears this week at home. Just too much Michael Cox…Holy Innocents by 14.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

 

The Fellowship Christian Paladins have advanced to the quarterfinals for the fourth time in five years. The Paladins are 11-0 for the second time in school history. Last week they recorded their third shutout of the season. Fellowship Christian’s defense is only allowing 10.4 points per game this season. As a team, the Paladins have rushed for over 3,800 yards. They are led by Murphy Reeves, with 1,425 yards and 15-TDs. Jayven Hall (700 yards, 11-TDs) and Josh Cole (644 yards, 13-TDs) have also been great compliments to Reeves in the backfield. A win this week would put the Paladins in the semifinals for the second time in four years.

 

The Hebron Christian Lions are in the quarterfinal round for the first time in school history. The Lions have now won two games in a row after losing two Athens Academy in consecutive weeks to close out their regular season. The Lions defense has buckled down in those two playoff games and is only allowing 6.5 points per game. On the year, Hebron Christian is allowing 20.8 points per game. The teams that Hebron Christian lost to this season are all still alive in the playoffs. A win this week would put the Lions into the semifinals for the first time in school history. We like Fellowship Christian by 3 this week at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Wesleyan Wolves are in the quarterfinals for the second time in four years. The Wolves have won 10 games for the first time since 2010. They are also winners of their last six games entering this Friday. Sophomore quarterback J.C. French has now passed for 2,282 yards and 27-TDs on the season. Fellow sophomore Cooper Blauser leads the team in receptions (58) and receiving yards (829) while Micah Smith leads the team in receiving TDs with 12. The Wolves are outscoring their opponents 69-41 in the playoffs. A win this week would advance Wesleyan into the semifinals for the first time since 2010.

 

The Savannah Christian Raiders are back into the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Savannah Christian won their last four games and got revenge on rival Savannah Country Day last week to advance. The Raiders offense attack is tilted a little more towards the run, as Marquell Brown has rushed for 1,205 yards and 12-TDs to lead the way for a team that’s run for over 2,300 yards on the season. Quarterback Spencer Robicheaux has now thrown for 1,415 yards and 8-TDs. In two playoff games, the Raiders are averaging 33 points per game while allowing 17.5 points per game. A win this week would put Savannah Christian back into the semifinals for the second year in a row. We like Wesleyan at home this week by 8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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