Week 7 – TFR Cherokee County Football Previews

Posted on October 2, 2019 by admin

We’ve turned the calendar to the month of October and that means it’s time for region play. Five of the six county teams are in action this week and our Cherokee County Football game previews are here. The county’s oldest rivalry renews this year for the 36th time as the Cherokee Warriors host the Etowah Eagles. Can the Warriors bounce back from the defeat at Cartersville and which Etowah team will we see this Friday; the one that took Hillgrove to overtime or the one that had trouble against North Cobb early in the season? Meanwhile, River Ridge will travel to Dalton. The Knights have strung together two consecutive victories but step up in competition as they visit the Catamounts. Can River Ridge slow down Jahmyr Gibbs? Finally, Creekview makes the short ride down East Cherokee Drive to face the Sequoyah Chiefs. The Grizzlies have dominated this series and this game has big playoff implications as neither team can afford to lose too much ground in the standings. Please make sure to get out and support these young men on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading.  Comments and discussion are always welcome!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Cherokee County’s oldest rivalry renews for the 36th time this Friday night as Etowah travels to Cherokee. This is the first week of region play for both teams. The Etowah Eagles have been up and down this season. The Eagles offense has been pretty consistent, averaging 29.4 points per game. Going into the bye week, quarterback Dalton Miller was one of the state’s leading passers with 1,065 yards on the season. However, the Etowah defense, which historically has been the team’s hallmark is allowing 29.2 points per game. In Etowah’s last outing, they took a very talented Hillgrove team to overtime.

 

Meanwhile, the Cherokee Warriors had won 4 straight before falling to Cartersville. The Warriors are averaging 22 points per game this season. Quarterback A.J. Swann has passed for 857 yards and 6-TDSs, while Keith Adams Jr. has carried the load on the ground with 468 yards and 5-TDs. Sophomore Adarrius Harshaw leads the team in receiving with 19 catches for 241 yards and 1-TD. The Warriors defense has been stout this season recording 2 shutouts and only allowing 7 points per game. The Warriors are only allowing 204.6 total yards to date. Brandon Byrd, Patrick Dahlen and Braesen Parker lead the Warriors in solo tackles. Dahlen also leads the secondary with 3 interceptions. We don’t expect offensive an explosion this week with these two defenses, but we do like the Warriors by 4 at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The River Ridge Knights travel to Dalton to take on the Catamounts. River Ridge has string together back-to-back wins and outscored their last two opponents 83-7. Last week it was quarterback Chase Begin and running back Amehre Morrison leading the way for the Knights. River Ridge is now averaging 19.2 points per game, but their defense is still allowing 26.2 points per game.

 

Dalton, however is in a different class than River Ridge. The Catamounts will surely be happy to be playing in the friendly confines of Bill Chappell Stadium after consecutive road trips to Metro-Atlanta. Jahmyr Gibbs has rushed for 1,364 yards and 24-TDs , including 220 yards in last week’s loss to Harrison. Behind Gibbs, the Cats are averaging 48 points per game. Meanwhile, the defense is allowing 18.4 points per game, with the bulk of those coming against Harrison. We believe the Cats get back to their winning ways and look for Gibbs to have another big night this week. Dalton by 24.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Sequoyah Chiefs and Creekview Grizzlies will battle this weekend as neither team can afford to lose any more ground in region play. The Chiefs will look to establish the run out of their Wing-T offense. They are lead by backs Jaden Mitchell (228 yards, 3-TDs) and Aidan Moore (126 yards, 1-TD). Sequoyah is averaging 22.7 points per game on offense, while the defense is allowing 15.7 yards per game. The Chiefs defense is paced by linebackers Christian Kirby (23 total tackles) and Grant Gibson and corner Myles McGee, (a recent NIU commit).

 

The Grizzlies are looking to get back on track this week after falling to Dalton their last time out. They are led on offense by dual threat quarterback Brody Rhodes, who has passed for 821 yards and leads the team in rushing with 313. He has accounted for 9 total TDs for the Grizzlies. Sophomore Tyler Stephens has added 203 yards and 3-TDs on the ground.  Meanwhile, Ethan Dirrim (28 receptions, 410 yards, 6-TDs and Andrew Cloy (19 receptions, 243 yards, 2-TDs) leads the Creekview receiving corp.  On defense, Lake Bowman and Cale Williams lead the team in total tackles, while Freshman Isaac Hubert leads the team in sacks with 7. The Grizzlies have recorded 29.5 sacks already this season. The big question this week, is can the Chiefs contain Creekview’s Rhodes & Dirrim…That’s a tall order to ask of most teams. We like Creekview by 6 this week.

 

 

 

 

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Week 6 – GHSA High School Football PollGHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on September 29, 2019 by admin

Week-6 brought us more big games across the state of Georgia. In perhaps the biggest matchup in 7A, Colquitt County beat Grayson. Grayson was our previous No. 1 drops to No. 4. Lowndes is the new No. 1 as they blanked Valdosta in the Winnersville Classic. In another battle of Top-10 teams, Parkview topped Milton in a defensive battle. The loss dropped Milton out of the poll while North Gwinnett makes their first appearance in the poll at No. 9, and Archer rounds out the Top-10 after an overtime defeat at the hands of Class 5A Buford.

In 6A, Harrison defeated Dalton to take over the No. 1 position in the poll. Valdosta dropped one spot to No. 2 after their loss to Lowndes.  The only change to the 5A poll was Buford moving up one spot after defeating Archer. There were no changes in the 4A poll this week.

There were no new entrants into the 3A poll, although there was some shake up. Cedar Gove took control of Region 5 with a big win over Lovett.  Meanwhile Appling County fell to 5A Wayne County. Those losses dropped Lovett to No. 8 and Appling to No. 9. Crisp County holds at No. 10 after losing by 5 to defending 5A State Champs, Bainbridge.

The Top-10 in Class 2A remains unchanged. Class A-Public had some shake up. Manchester jumps back into the poll at No. 7 after a big win over Marion County. Claxton who was ranked  No. 10 drops out of the poll this week although they were on bye. Class A-Private saw North Cobb Christian fall to Bowdon and Holy Innocents put their stamp on Region 5 with a shutout win over Wesleyan. The losses drop Wesleyan to No. 8 and North Cobb Christian to No. 9.

Polls are fun and can provide for spirited and healthy conversations and debates. We welcome any and all poll feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Week 6 – TFR Cherokee County Football Previews

Posted on September 25, 2019 by admin

It’s Week 6 of the high school football season and our Cherokee County Football previews are here. Only two teams are in action this week and both are on the road. The River Ridge Knights got their first win last week and travel to Chamblee to take on the Bulldogs. Will they keep the momentum going this week? Meanwhile, Woodstock travels to Cumming to face North Forsyth. The Wolverines are in search of their first win of the season, while the Raiders are in search of their first win in the series. Please make sure to get out and support these young men on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading.  Comments and discussion are always welcome!

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Head Coach Michael Collins will take his River Ridge Knights on the road this week as they travel to take on the Chamblee Bulldogs. (Collins coached at Chamblee from 2008-2009.) River Ridge picked up their first win of the season last week as they defeated the Osborne Cardinals. Amhere Morrison had a big week in the win as we went for over 150 yards and 2-TDs. This could be another game for the Knights to get any kinks worked out before they return to region play next week at Dalton.

 

Meanwhile, Chamblee has struggled in their three games this season, only scoring 13 points in total while their opposition has averaged 41.3 points per game. The Bulldogs biggest threat on offense is senior receiver Jeremiah Brown. If the Knights can contain Brown it should be another big win for River Ridge. We expect another big game from Amehre Morrison and expect the Knights to roll. River Ridge by 24 this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Woodstock Wolverines will be on the road again this week as the face the North Forsyth Raiders this Friday. Quarterbacks Walker Ormsby and Robbie Roper have combined to pass for 708 yards and 7-TDs on the season. V’ontae Hampton leads the Wolverines with 308 yards rushing and 2-TDs. Meanwhile, Wes Bruno (11 receptions, 146 yards, 1-TD and De’Andre Turner, 10 receptions, 140 yards) lead the Wolverines receiving corps.

 

Meanwhile, North Forsyth comes into this game seeking their first win in the series. After their Week-1 loss to Cherokee, the Raiders have won three straight games. The Raiders will come with a balanced attack on offense. Quarterback Brady Meitz has passed for 590 yards and 4-TDs while Jared Lucero has rushed for 371 yards and 2-TDs. Nicky Dalmolin continues to pace the North Forsyth receivers with 16 receptions for 210 yards and 2-TDs. If Woodstock is able to take away Dalmolin, will North Forsyth be able to find another answer at receiver? This should be a very competitive contest…we like the Raiders to get their first win in the series this week; North Forsyth by 4.

 

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Week – 6 GHSA Football Previews – Eight Greats Around the State – Part 1 of 2

Posted on September 25, 2019 by admin

We begin to reach the midway point of the GHSA Football season. This is Part I of our GHSA Football Previews called Eight Greats Around The State. Our first preview features the Harrison Hoyas and Dalton Catamounts. The Dalton offense is powered by Jahmyr Gibbs who’s already reached 1,000 yards rushing. Can Harrison’s defense put the clamps on Gibbs and maintain control in region 6-6A? The Milton Eagles will host the Parkview Panthers in a matchup of Top-10 teams. This is the last week of non-region please for both 7A schools. Will this year’s game match up to last season’s exciting contest?  The Buford Wolves will host the Archer Tigers. The Wolves seem to have everything clicking, The Tigers however are also playing well. Which defense will prevail this week? Finally, Crisp County travels to defending 5-A Champ, Bainbridge for yet another tough match-up. Crisp shutout the Bearcats last season. Will Bainbrdige be ready to return the favor? As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Two of the favorites in Region 6-6A will face off as the Dalton Catamounts visit the Harrison Hoyas. Both teams come into the game undefeated. Gavin Hall continues to lead the Hoyas offensive attack. Last week Hall passed for 153 yards and 2-TDs. Meanwhile, the Harrison defense is as stingy as ever, allowing only 7.4 points per game through five games.

 

That might be a difficult number to uphold for Harrison’s D, as the Catamounts come to town led by Jahmyr Gibbs and his 1,144 rushing yards and 23 total TDs. Last week, Gibbs crossed the 1,000 yard threshold as he rushed for 315 yards and 6-TDs. Perhaps the most impressive thing we saw with Gibbs last week is that he ran just as hard in the 4th quarter as he did in the 1st quarter. The Catamounts only attempted two passes with quarterback Landon Allen sidelined, so expect for the Hoyas to see a steady dose of Gibbs. Dalton is averaging 51.2 points per game. We believe Gibbs will get his yardage, but like Harrison to hold off the Cats…Harrison by 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Milton Eagles got back into the win column last week after two losses by a combined 6-points. This week, Milton has their final tune-up game before region play. It doesn’t get any easier for the Eagles this week as they host Top-10 ranked Parkview. Milton continues to be lead by Ahmad Junearick with 382 rushing yards and 6-TDs. Dual threat quarterback Devin Farrell has also come on as of late running as well, as he is averaging 6.3 per carry. Meanwhile on defense, Jack Rhodes and Jonathan Pittman pace the Eagles. Pittman leads the team with 4 sacks while Rhodes leads the team in total tackles with 24.

 

The Parkview Panthers also got back to their winning ways last week after defeating Tift County. Kobe Wilson was the star on defense for the Panthers with an incredible 13 solo tackles. Jordan Williams has passed for 512 yards and 5-TDs while Cody Brown has rushed for 350 yards and 2-TDs. CJ Daniels leads the receivers with 16 receptions, for 229 yards and 4-TDs. We believe  this game will be as close as last year’s, but we don’t believe as many points will be scored. We like Milton by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Buford Wolves will face their third 7A opponent this season as they host the Archer Tigers this Friday. The Wolves are averaging 35.5 points per game this season. Last week against Newton, Jarvis Evans threw for 138 yards and 3-TDs while Elijah Turner rushed for 128 yards and 2-TDs. On the season, Turner has rushed for 260 yards and 5-TDs while Gabe Ervin Jr. has rushed for 258 yards and 3-TDs. Evans has passed for 523 yards on the season with 9-TDs.

 

The Archer Tigers are coming off of a big win against Norcross last week as they shut out the Blue Devils for the second consecutive season. The Tigers only loss came on  a weather shortened game. Carter Peevy has passed for 528 yards and 6-TDs while Jordan Swain (240 yards, 2-TDs) and Schmari Campbell (235 yards, 6-TDs) lead the Tigers rushing attack. On defense, Kameron O’Rourke leads the team with 31 total tackles. Archer is only allowing 6.7 points per game. Buford just might be the Tigers biggest test before region play. This game should be much closer than last years 24-point margin of victory. We like the Tigers by 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Bainbridge Bearcats will travel to face the Crisp County Cougars this week. The Bearcats were off last week after edging Brooks County two weeks ago. Rashad Broadnax has carried the load on offense, rushing for 528 yards and 7-TDs this season, while quarterback Quayde Hawkins has passed for 725 yards and 7-TDs. Michael Ryan (11 receptions, 262 yards, 4-TDs) and Braxton Johnson (9 receptions, 231 yards, 1-TD) lead the Bainbridge receivers. Deyon Bouie has already intercepted 3 passes in the Bearcats secondary this season, while Tevin McCrary and Amari Peterson lead the team in tackles.

 

Meanwhile, the Crisp County Cougars are an intriguing team. Their only losses came at the hands of West Laurens and Dutchtown by a combined total of 5 points. They have two wins over 7A programs as well…and lest we forget, they did shot out Bainbridge back in 2018. A.J. Lofton and Jack Carter continue to split time at Quarterback for the Cougars. They have combined to pass for 704 yards and 4-TDs. Marquise Palmer leads the team in rushing with 399 yards and 5-TDs while Sirad Bryant has 16 receptions for 285 yards and 1-TD. Chris Paul Jr. has been a tackling machine as he has tallied 64 total tackles on the season. The aforementioned Bryant has also intercepted 4 passes on defense this season. This game should be much closer than last year’s matchup. We give the edge to the Bearcats, even on the road. Bainbridge by 4.

 

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Week – 6 GHSA Football Previews – Eight Greats Around the State – Part 2 of 2

Posted on September 25, 2019 by admin

This is Part II of our GHSA Football Previews. Our first preview features the Colquitt County Packers and Grayson Rams in a clash of 7A Titans. Can Coach Carters Rams keep it rolling our will Colquitt win this showdown of North vs South Georgia. Next up, the 58th edition of the Winnersville Classic, as Lowndes hosts Valdosta. If memory serves us correctly, this is the first time these two teams are both undefeated in this matchup since 1980 (outside of the times they met to open the season). Can Valdosta sweep it’s 7A circuit? In a battle for supremacy in Region 5 Class A, Wesleyan hosts Holy Innocents. Holy Innocents pulled off a big upset last week. Can they do it again? Finally, in Region 5-3A the Cedar Grove Saints will travel to face the Lovett Lions. This game should go a long way in determining the the region champion. As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

The Skinny

 

Two of the titans of Class 7A face off this Friday as the Colquitt County Packers host the Grayson Rams. The Packers senior quarterback Jaycee Harden has passed for 1,216 yards and 14-TDs this season. He’s averaging 304 yards passing per game. His primary targets have been Lemeke Brockington (22 receptions, 328 yards, 6-TDs), Tahj Sanders (19 receptions, 314 yards, 3-TDs), and Tyler Walker (15 receptions, 182 yards, 1-TD). Daijun Edwards continues to provide balance for the Packers rushing attack with 366 yards and 4-TDs on the season. Defensively, Ty French leads the Packers with 42 total tackles. Colquitt County is allowing 18.2 points per game, but the bulk of those points came against Valdosta. In the other 3 contests, the have given up a total of 23 points.

 

Meanwhile, Coach Adam Carter will bring his undefeated Grayson Rams down to Moultrie looking to stay unscathed. The Rams were in a dogfight with a talented Westlake team last week before pulling away in the second half. While Phil Mafah has been sidelined with an injury, senior running back Lafayette Gurvin has made the most of his opportunity. Gurvin has rushed for 539 yards and 8-TDs and has also caught 12 passes for 143 yards and 2-TDs. Fellow senior quarterback C.J. Dixon has passed for 849 yards and 8-TDs. The Rams defense is allowing14.5 points per game. We expect the long road trip to have some effect on the Rams, but we still like Grayson by a field goal over Colquitt.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Winnersville classic will be played this Friday night at Martin Stadium on the campus of Lowndes High School. Lowndes won big last season, but Valdosta seems to be clicking on all cylinders right now. Outside of the games in which these rivals faced off in the first game of the season, both teams come into the game undefeated for the first time since 1980. As a team, the Lowndes Vikings are averaging over 290 yards per game on the ground. Dual threat quarterback Jacurri Brown has passed for 287 yards and rushed for 616 yards and has accounted for 9-TDs. Israel Mitchell has rushed for 305 yards and 3-TDs while senior Gary Osby has added 216 yards and 7-TDs on the ground. Ghetti Brown is the team’s leading receiving threat with 10 receptions for 109 yards on the season. The Vikings defense is allowing just over 10 points per game and has tallied 19 sacks on the season. Jacques Hunter leads the way with 4 sacks while Jalon Baker has picked off 3 passes for the Vikings secondary.

 

The Valdosta Wildcats have been explosive on offense, averaging 48 points per game thus far this season. Last week, quarterback Tate Rodemaker passed for 378 yards and 5-TDs. Unofficially, we have Rodemaker with over 1,160 yards passing on the season; with last week being his best outing to date. Save for the shoot-out victory over Colquitt County, the Cats defense has been very respectable. In all, they are allowing 19.4 points per game and look to complete their tour of Region 1-7A undefeated before heading into region play on October 11th.  We expect this game to be much closer this season, but there still should be plenty of points scored. We like the Vikings by a touchdown at home.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Both Holy Innocents and Wesleyan have won some big games this season. The Wesleyan Wolves have knocked off 7A Meadowcreek and Class A power Prince Avenue Christian, while Holy Innocents might have won one of the biggest shockers last week, knocking off No. 1 ranked Eagles Landing Christian. The Holy Innocents Bears are 4-0 for the first time in school history. They have been led offensively by quarterback Matt Davis and fullback Michael Cox. Cox has rushed for 636 yards this year including 214 yards in last weeks win against ELCA. The Bears are allowing 15.5 points per game and have two shutouts to their credit.

 

Meanwhile, the Wesleyan Wolves begin a two game gauntlet that very well might determine the region champion. Wesleyan has won the last 5 games in the series with Holy Innocents. Quarterback J.C. French has passed for 610 yards and 11-TDs this season while Griffin Caldwell has rushed for 338 yards and 2-TDs. Micah Smith (16 receptions, 215 yards, 2-TDs) and Cooper Blauser (10 receptions, 158 yards, 3-TDs) lead the Wolves statistically in receiving.  The Wesleyan defense is allowing 11.5 points per game and is led by Josh Aspinwall who has 34 total tackles on the season. This might be one of the most underrated games in the state this week. We like Wesleyan at home by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lovett Lions and Cedar Grove Saints are two of the top contenders for the Region 5-3A title this season. Lovett has the honor of hosting this week’s matchup as they look to slow down the Saints. Prior to the win against Mary Persons, Blaine McAllister had passed for 577 yards and 4-TDs, while Henry Beery leads the Lions in rushing yards (158), receptions (11), and receiving yards, (156). (McAllister added 3-TD passes in the win against Mary Persons.) Lovett’s only loss came at the hands of Marist.

 

Meanwhile, defending 3A state champion Cedar Grove comes in with a .500 record. Both of their losses came at the hands of top-ranked opponents 7A McEachern and 7A Central (Phenix City, Alabama). Austin Smith has passed for 505 yards and 5-TDs, while Janiran Bonner leads the team in receiving with 280 yards and 4-TDs.  Chavon Wright leads the Saints with 426 yards rushing and 3-TDs. Coming into last week, Isaiah Ratcliff was first in DeKalb County (Public Schools) with 47 total tackles. Antonio Taylor and Tee Denson will make passing the ball against Cedar Grove a dangerous proposition. We like Lovett’s chances at home, but we still think Cedar Gove is a little more talented. Saints by 8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR Georgia Football Podcast – Featuring Lawrence Morgan of NWGA Football

Posted on September 25, 2019 by admin

When it comes to spotlighting high school football players in Northwest Georgia, there’s nobody better than Lawrence Morgan. We had an opportunity to speak with Mr. Morgan about his site, NWGA Football and some of the new programming they are working on. Two of the biggest new additions are his Friday Nights in NW Georgia preview show with Michael Atwater and the Elite Recruits Page contained on the NWGA Website nwgafootball.us. Listen in as we talk Georgia High School Football with Mr. Lawrence Morgan. Please feel free to share.

 

 

Follow us on Twitter: @turdfurgesonrpt and on the web at turdfurgeson.com

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Week 5 – GHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on September 22, 2019 by admin

There were some big showdowns this past Friday that shook up this week’s GHSA High School Football poll. However, in 7A, there were no upsets. Perhaps some surprises, but no upsets in our Top-10.

In 6A, Houston County and Douglas County drop from the rankings; they are replaced by South Paulding (#9) and John’s Creek (#10). There was a little shake up in the 5A poll as Bainbridge is our new No. 1 team after Warner Robins fell to 7A power Colquitt County. Carrollton also picked up a big win over Rome and moves up to No. 3 this week. Meanwhile, the Griffin Bears make their debut at No. 10.

In 4A Troup lost in a shoot out to 2A Callaway. The loss drops the Tigers down to No. 7. Meanwhile, Oconee County is back in the poll at No. 10. Class 3-A Power Calhoun lost their first region game since 2001, falling to North Murray 31-7 in perhaps the biggest shocker of all games this past Friday. The loss drops Calhoun to No. 8.

The Swainsboro Tigers are back in the Class AA Top-10 after a big win over Washington County. The Top-5 in AA remains unchanged. In Class A-Public, Irwin County beat rival Clinch County 14-0. The Indians are our new No. 1 team this week. The loss drops Clinch down to No. 3. Meanwhile, the Claxton Tigers make their debut in our poll this week after a 40-25 win over Montgomery County.

In Class A-Private, the Holy Innocents Bears knocked off perennial power and region foe Eagle’s Landing Christian. The win propels the Bears to No. 4 in this week’s poll. We will be the first to admit that we did not see this one coming. The loss drops ELCA all the way down to No. 6 this week, but we suspect they will bounce back. Athens Academy was off last week, but is our new No. 1 this week.

Polls are fun and can provide for spirited and healthy conversations and debates. We welcome any and all poll feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Week 5 – GHSA Football Previews – TFR Eight Greats Around the State – Part 2 of 2

Posted on September 18, 2019 by admin

This is Part II of our Week-5 GHSA Football Previews. First up, another rivalry game as the Callaway Cavaliers take on the Troup Tigers down in LaGrange. Both teams are extremely talented across the board. These teams have the potential to really light up the scoreboard. Our next preview features a rematch of the 2017 & 2018 Class A-Public state title game, as region rivals Irwin and Clinch clash this week. We expect the winner of this game to go on to win the region. But the last two seasons, it was Clinch that captured the coveted state title. Colquitt County will look to rebound after last weeks heartbreaker to Valdosta, but Warner Robins won’t make it easy. Do the Demons have enough to knock of the 7A power?  Finally…we preview another Region 6 Class A matchup as North Cobb Christian visits Trion in a battle of two Top-10 teams. As always, thank you for reading…please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

**The GSWA Poll was not available at the time of publishing so it was not included in this week’s previews.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Troup Tigers and Callaway Cavaliers will face off Friday night for the 10th time. Both teams are at or near the top of the polls in their respective classifications this season.  Since their 10-7 loss to Opelika, the Callaway Cavaliers have been scoring points like their hair is on fire. The Cavs outscored LaGrange and Cross Keys 125-10. Through three games, Callaway is only allowing 6.6 points per game. There are plenty of superstars on both sides of the ball, but the two bell cows for Callaway might be running back Cartavious “Tank” Bigsby and lineman Tate Johnson. Bigsby has rushed for over 450 yards so far on the season. Both he and Johnson are committed to Auburn.

The Troup Tigers are just as talented as Callaway. Their star on offense, quarterback  Kobe Hudson, is also an Auburn commit. Hudson has passed for 640 yards and rushed for another 411 yards and has accounted for 13 touchdowns. Trey Williams leads the Tigers in rushing with 479 yards and 4-TDs. While Zy Varner, Luke Purnell, and Mark Anthony Dixon are the statistical receiving leaders for Troup. The Tigers are averaging 53 points per game this season. We think they will need to get close to that mark this week. We expect this game will be a shoot out. But we like Troup and perhaps some Kobe Hudson magic to win this one in the closing minutes. Troup by a two.

 

 

 

 

 


 

The Skinny

Irwin County and Clinch County have met for the state title in 2017 & 2018 and once before in 2015. The Irwin County Indians have been playing without their star fullback, D.J. Lundy, but have not seemed to miss a beat. Gabriel Benyard has shown his explosiveness with the ability to make defenders miss while Kam Ward regularly breaks through arm tackles and exhibits a balance of both power and speed. Garland Benyard and Jamorri Colson have also contributed to the Irwin County rushing attack. The Irwin County defense is only surrendering 7.5 points per game. The Indians game last week was cancelled due to weather so we will see if that has any impact on them this week.

 

Clinch County has looked impressive in their first three games as well. They do most of their damage on the ground, similar to Irwin County. Clinch is averaging 43.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 18. That’s a little off of the pace from where they were last season at this point defensively, but we wouldn’t say that’s cause for alarm. We fully expect for Clinch to be in the conversation for a state title come December. We like Clinch in a nip and tuck battle. Panthers by 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Colquitt County returns home to the friendly confines of Mack Tharpe Stadium as they face the Warner Robins Demons. Colquitt is coming off a heartbreaking loss to South Georgia rival Valdosta. On the season, quarterback Jaycee Harden has passed for 883 yards and 10-TDs while Daijun Edwards has rushed for 337 yards and 4-TDs. Lemeke Brockington continues to leads Colquitt’s receivers with 13 receptions for 230 yards and 3-TDs. Prior to last week, the Packers defense had only allowed 9 points in two games. Ty French and  Callon Kubiak lead the team in total tackles. Colquitt’s defense has 9 sacks on the young season and everyone seems to be getting in on the action.

 

Warner Robins enters this weeks game undefeated Jalen Addie has seen the bulk of the reps at quarterback and has passed for 613 yards and 8-TDs. Addie has also rushed for 141 yards, but it has been Jalen Rutherford leading the way with 189 yards on the ground. Marcayl Jones (14 receptions 202 yards) and Ty’larrious Carr (9 receptions, 204 yards) lead the Demons receivers. The Warner-Robins defense is allowing just over 10 points per game this season. They will need another stout performance to stymie Colquitt. We think this one will be closer than last year’s tilt, but we like Colquitt to bounce back and win this one by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Trion Bulldogs will host the North Cobb Christian Eagles this Friday night at McCain Stadium. There were several questions that Coach Brown had about his 2019 Bulldogs coming in to the 2019 season. So far the seemed to have been up to the task. The Trion defense is allowing just under 9 points per game. Leaders on the defense include names like Wallin, Baker, Wyatt, Crabbe and Stewart. Meanwhile, Lincoln Maddox continues to direct the Trion offense at quarterback and Rob Brown seems to be fitting in nicely to the offense as well. Trion is averaging just over 31 points per game.

 

Meanwhile, the North Cobb Christian Eagles are winners of their first three games as well. They were tested last week against Monticello, but got a late touchdown in the closing moments of the game. The Eagles are averaging 25.3 points per game, while their defense is only allowing 11.6 per game. North Cobb will run the ball more often than not, similar to Trion. So the big question is which offensive line will take control of the game. We like the home team this week, Trion by 6.

 

 

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Week 5 – GHSA Football Previews – TFR Eight Greats Around the State – Part 1 of 2

Posted on September 18, 2019 by admin

We have another week of high profile games across the state. This is Part I of our GHSA Football Previews that we call Eight Greats Around The State. Our first preview features the the Cherokee Warriors and Cartersville Hurricanes. The Canes are looking every bit the part of a title contender in 4A. But the Cherokee defense has been downright stingy. Can the upstart Warriors take down the Canes? A big rivalry takes place in North Fulton as the defending 7A  State Champs visit long-time rival, Roswell. Milton has dropped two games in a row; can they get back on track this week? In 5-A Rome travels to Carrollton after surviving Kell at home. A Rome win puts them squarely in poll position for the remainder of the region schedule. Is Carrollton get over the hump? Our last preview keeps us in Carrollton as the Mt. Zion Carroll Eagles face region foe Christian Heritage. The Lions beat Mt. Zion in a see-saw battle last year. Can the Eagles get revenge on their home field? As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

**The GSWA Poll was not available at the time of publishing so it was not included in this week’s previews.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cherokee Warriors defense has been pretty stingy this season. They have recorded two shutouts on the young season and are holding teams to under 80 yards per game rushing. (That includes two teams who were primarily run reams.) The Warriors have also not allowed an offensive touchdown in 12 quarters of play. Leading the way for the Warriors on defense are names like Parker, Dahlen, and Byrd. The Warriors have forced 13 turnovers this season including 8 interceptions. On offense, quarterback A.J. Swann (750 yards passing; 6-TDs) and running back Keith Adams Jr. (366 yards rushing; 6-Total TDs) lead the way for Cherokee. But we suspect the Cartersville will be the most difficult team that Cherokee will face to date.

 

The Canes were in the 4-A state finals last season. They are led on offense by senior quarterback Tee Webb, who has passed for 502 yards and 7-TDs, and is also completing 71% of his passes. Quante’ Jenning Jr. leads the Canes rushing attack with 228 yards and 4-TDs on just 24 carries. Meanwhile, Sam Phillips (9 receptions, 194 yards, 4-TDs) and Devonte Ross (9 receptions, 158 yards, 2-TDs) are the top receivers for the Canes. The Canes defense also has two shutouts to their credit and are only allowing 4.3 points per game. Amarai Orr, Marquail Coaxum and Marko Dudley make up a very talented secondary. It maybe the most talented unit that A.J. Swann will face this season. In a game like this, we like to take a look at experience. And that favors Cartersville…We like the Canes by 8

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Milton Eagles will travel to face their rival, the Roswell Hornets for the 65th time this Friday night. The first game in this rivalry was played back on September 22, 1950. Last season, it was Roswell who got past the Eagles, but the Eagles made a historic run to win their first 7A state title. Yet the Eagles find themselves one game under .500 after a tough two-week stretch that saw the Eagles fall in two close contests to Buford and  JSerra Catholic out in California. The Eagles Ahmad Junearick is the feature back in the Milton offense and has rushed for 344 yards and 4-TDs. Quarterbacks Devin Farrell and Jackson Weaver have combined for 290 passing yards and 3-TDs. Will Stax has been the primary target, catching 10 balls for 108 yards and a touchdown. The Milton defense is allowing a respectable 14 points per game.

 

The Roswell Hornets have been flying high. Their game against West Forsyth last Friday was cancelled due to weather, but the Hornets come into this game undefeated, having outscored their opponents 84-10 in two games. Quarterback Ethan Roberts has hooked up with Jacob Jarrett for a few touchdown scores while newcomer Nnamdi Orjioke adds depth to the Hornets backfield. Roswell will step up in competition this week. Milton’s record should not fool anyone. But we like the Hornets in a mild upset at home over Milton by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Another big game in Region 7-5A as the Carrollton Trojans face the Rome Wolves. The Trojans defense has really stepped up early in the season, while Myles Morris continues to get more comfortable at quarterback on the offensive side of the ball. Morris has passed for 459 yards and 2-TDs. The Trojans also have a stable of running backs led by Brandon Marenco and Mecose Todd. The two have combined for 281 yards rushing. But the big story for Carrollton is their defense. As we mentioned earlier, the Trojans defense has scored three touchdowns already on the season.

 

Meanwhile the Rome Wolves come into this game looking to take control of the Region after defeating Kell last week by the slimmest of margins. Caleb Ellard passed for 183 yards and two touchdowns in the win. In the last two games, the defense has gotten back in track, giving up a total of 26 points in those two matchups. Perhaps a telling stat for this week is the fact that Carrollton has turned the ball over 11 times already this season. If that trend continues, then Rome should come out on top. But we think the worm will turn this week. We like the Trojans by a field goal this week at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

To Whom It May Concern, do not be deceived by Mt. Zion Carroll’s record. The Eagle’s have been the class of their region for a few years now. They have two of the best linemen in the region in Ben May and Jarred Morrow. JD Hindsman was on the athlete of the year watchlist in Region 6-A. Meanwhile, Dakota Browning is a playmaker on both sides of the field for the Eagles. He has made several acrobatic plays in the secondary to intercept or breakup passes.

 

Last season, Christian Heritage might have caught some teams by surprise after a tough 2017 season. But Coach Jay Poag guided the Lions to one of the best seasons in school history and they are again off to a fast start. The Lions return 18 starters from a year ago. Quarterback Christian Thomas is completing 60% of his passes for 452 yards and 4-TDs. Meanwhile, Gage Leonard leads the team in rushing with 335 yards and 4-TDs, while Evan Lester leads the team in receiving 157 yards and 2-TDs. The Lions defense is only surrendering 6.6 points per game. But when we talked to Coach Poag, he mentioned he’d like to see his defense create more turnovers. If they can turn Mt. Zion over, the should be in a great position to be successful. We think the two-hour road trip will have effect the Lions, but we like them to get things together in the second half and win by a touchdown this week.

 

 

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TFR Georgia Football Podcast – Rapid Fire featuring Coach Glisson, Poag and Calhoun

Posted on September 18, 2019 by admin

Today, we debut a new podcast segment that we are trying out. Week-5 is so big in high school football, we thought we’d catch up with a few coaches about their big match-ups this week. Coach Glisson (Troup Tigers), Coach Poag (Christian Heritage Lions) and Coach Calhoun (Carrollton Trojans) were extremely generous to spend a few minutes this week getting us caught up on their respective seasons and letting us know their thoughts on their upcoming games this Friday. Troup faces county rival Callaway; Christian Heritage travels to face Mt. Zion, Carroll; while Carrollton hosts the Rome Wolves. If you just want to fast forward to your team, year is where the are in the podcast:

Coach Glisson:  0:20

Coach Poag:  5:30

Coach Calhoun: 15:20

 

Tune in as we talk Georgia High School football. Please feel free to share! Follow us on Twitter: @turdfurgesonrpt and on the web at turdfurgeson.com

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