Week 4 – GHSA Football Previews – TFR Eight Greats Around the State – Part 2 of 2

Posted on September 11, 2019 by admin

This is Part II of our GHSA Football Previews. This week, Brooks County will face their second State Champion in as many weeks as they travel to Bainbridge to face the defending 5-A State Champions.  In a big Region 2-4A matchup, Screen County hosts the Hephzibah Rebels. Screven County running back Gary Hawkins has already rushed for over 400 yards this season. Can the Rebels slow him down? In a big Public vs. Private Class A matchup, Mt. Paran Christian will host the Irwin County Indians. Irwin County has been been playing without their fullback DJ Lundy due to an injury, but don’t seem to have missed a beat. Will the long trip to metro Atlanta have any effect on the Indians? Finally, in perhaps the biggest game in South Georgia, the Valdosta Wildcats will face the Colquitt County Packers. Last year, the Packers shut out the Wildcat. Will the Wildcats get revenge on their South Georgia rival this week?  As always, thank you for reading…please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writer Association 

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Brooks County Trojans will face their second defending state champion in as many weeks as they travel to Bainbridge to face the Bearcats. Brooks County fell to 1-A state champion Clinch County last week. It was a 3-point game going into the 4thquarter before Clinch pulled away. Once again, we expect the Trojans to look to Devin Edwards and Omari Arnold to help carry the Trojans offense.

 

Meanwhile, the Bainbridge Bearcats are sitting at 3-0 and are perhaps looking for revenge as they were upset last year by Brooks County. Quarterback Quayde Hawkins has passed for 591 yards and 5-TDs while Rashad Broadnax has rushed for 302 yards and 6-TDs to pace the Bearcats on offense. Michael Ryan (10 receptions, 239 yards, 3-TDs) and Braxton Johnson (9 receptions 231 yards, 1-TD) are the leading receivers for Bainbridge. Eric Sanders and Zion Bouie lead the team in solo tackles, while Deyon Bouie and Jaylan Peterson lead the secondary with two interceptions each. Brooks County should keep this game close again, but we Bainbridge might be a little more dynamic on offense. We like the Bearcats at home by 6 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

While we know it’s much to early in the season to call this a make or break game, this week one battle of Region 4-2A opponents could go a long way in determining the region title this season. Both Screven County and Hephzibah are two of our favorites to win the region. The Screven County Gamecocks will have the fortune of hosting this year’s game over in Sylvania. The Gamecocks have done the bulk of their work on the ground as senior Gary Hawkins has rushed for 427 yards and 7-TDs while quarterback Austin Markovcic has added 118 yards and 2-TDs and Shemar Cheever has rushed for 117 yards. Linebacker Amaree Kemp leads the defense with 20 total tackles while Kris Gadson has recorded 2.5 sacks on the season.

 

Meanwhile the Hephzibah Rebels will play only their second regulation contest this week. Against Savannah two weeks ago, the Rebels gained 197 yards on the ground. Javeon Harris paced Hephzibah with 100 yards rushing, while Jordan Wright added 50 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. Quarterback Marshall Chambers passed for 98 yards and 1-TD and rushed for 45 yards and 2-TDs in the win. The Rebels defense recorded 8 sacks and Jaiden Wofford picked off two passes in the win over Savannah, but we don’t expect for Screven to throw the ball too much this week. So far this season the Gamecocks have been more productive on offense. We expect this game to be close, similar to Screven’s first two games. We like the Gamecocks to edge the Rebels by 3 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Mt. Paran Christian Eagles will host two time Class A Public state finalist Irwin County this week in Kennesaw. In their only game of the season to date, Mt. Paran beat Our Lady of Mercy soundly, 63-7 on August 30th. Quarterback Niko Vangarelli was efficient in one half of work with 4 passing TDs and 2 rushing as well. Meanwhile the Mt. Paran defense stymied OLM all night.

 

However, Irwin County is a huge step up in competition. The 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. Something has to give here. Will it be the Mt. Paran offense or the Irwin County defense. We believe the Irwin Count defense has the edge. We like the Indians by two touchdowns on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

In perhaps the biggest game in South Georgia this weekend, the Colquitt County Packers travel to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium to face the Valdosta Wildcats. The Packers have won six straight against their South Georgia rival and return several players off of their potent offense from a year ago. Colquitt County quarterback Jaycee Hardin has passed for 464 yards and 5-TDs, while Daijun Edwards has rushed for 166 yards and 3-TDs. Lemeke Brockington (7 receptions, 121 yards, 2-TDs) and Tahj Sanders  (7 receptions, 119 yards, 1-TD) lead the team in receiving. The Packers defense has tallied 5 sacks thus far on the season, while only surrendering 9 points total in their two games.

 

The Valdosta Wildcats are off to a fast start at 3-0 this season. Last week, quarterback Tate Rodemaker passed for over 200 yards with 4-TDs. Santavious Gatlin was on the receiving end of two of those touchdown passes. Jaheim Bell also accounted for two touchdowns. The Cats offense is averaging 45.6 points per game., but the Packers will offer a much stiffer challenge than the Columbia Eagles. This game should be closer than last year’s matchup and we believe Valdosta has the talent to compete with the Packers. But we also believe Colquitt is  a little deeper and that’s why we like the Packers on the road by 9 this week.

 

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Week 4 – GHSA Football Previews – TFR Eight Greats Around the State – Part 1 of 2

Posted on September 11, 2019 by admin

The high school football season rolls on in Georgia. This is Part I of our GHSA Football Previews that we like to call Eight Greats Around The State. Our first preview features the Marietta-Grayson matchup. This is perhaps the biggest game in the state in terms of star talent on both sides of the field. The defending 3A State Champion Cedar Grove Saints will make a return trip to face 7-A power McEachern. The Saints are fresh off of a big win in Colorado. Will they be road weary or will they have enough in the tank for revenge against McEachen this season. There’s a big Region 7-5A matchup this week as Kell travels to Rome on Friday night. Rome looks to be back on track, but can they slow down the Kell freshman running back? Our last preview features the Appling County Pirates and the Dodge County Indians. Coach Tomberlain has the Pirates looking like a contender this year in 3-A, but will Dodge County edge the Pirates as they did a year ago? As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writer Association 

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Grayson Rams and Marietta Blue Devils will face off this weekend in a battle of Class 7A powers. Both teams come into the game undefeated. Grayson got the best of Marietta last season, but the Blue Devils look the part of a title contender this season. Harrison Bailey has passed for 882 yards and 9-TDs, while Kimani Vadal has rushed for 239 yards and 4-TDs. Arik Gilbert leads the Blue Devils with 24 catches and 415 yards receiving. Ricky White has also caught 21 balls for 270 yards. On defense, seniors Rashad Torrence and BJ Ojulari lead the team in total tackles with 26 and 24 respectively. Ojulari also leads the team with 2.5 sacks.

 

Grayson was off last week, but proved that they aren’t just a one-trick pony in their win against Tucker two weeks ago. LaFayette Gurvin rushed for over 180 yards and scored on the ground and through the air, for a total of three offensive touchdowns to help pace the Rams offense. Quarterback C.J. Dixon also threw three touchdown passes in the win against Tucker. Dixon has passed for over 475 yards and 5-TDs on the season. This game has all of the makings of a state title match-up. Both teams should be able to score plenty of points. However, we believe Bailey will out-duel Dixon. We like the Blue Devils by a touchdown on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cedar Grove Saints return to action in Georgia this week. Last week, the Saints beat the defending Colorado 5A State Champs, Valor Christian on the road. This week, they will get their chance again as they visit 7A power McEachern. Chavon Wright rushed for 129 yards, while Janiran Bonner caught 5 passes for 78 yards and 1-TD last week. Meanwhile Tee Denson had the highlight of the night for the Saints as he returned an interception 100-yards to seal the victory for the Saints. We believe they will need another big outing from Denson and the rest of the defense in order to slow down McEachern.

 

Meanwhile, the McEachern Indians are off to a hot start offensively. Junior quarterback Carlos Del Rio has passed for 457 yards and 4-TDs while Jordan Simmons has rushed for 75 yards and 4-TDs. Javon Baker leads the Indians in receiving with 9 receptions for 177 yards and 2-TDs while Dacari Collins has caught 7 passes for 160 yards and 2-TDs. The McEachern defense has tallied 5 sacks in their first two games and is only giving up 5 points per game. This should be another great contest similar to last year’s game, but we like the Indians to pull away in the second half. McEachern by 10.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Region 7-5A gets started in a big way as the Kell Longhorns travel to Barron Stadium to face the Rome Wolves. The Kell defense pitched a shutout last week against Lassiter and also kept Mays in check for most of the game in Week-1. The Longhorns defense returned an interception for a touchdown in the game last week. The big question for the Longhorns is whether they can get freshman running back David Mbadinga going on offense.

 

Rome also had a big win last week as the knocked of North Clayton 63-6. The Wolves scored all of their touchdowns on the ground last week and did it by committee. EJ Burks and Trey Lawrence each had three touchdowns in the victory. This week will certainly be a step up in competition for the Wolves. Rome proved they can light up the scoreboard, but how will they fair against a Kell defense that has only surrendered 12 points this season? We do believe the Kell defense will test Rome, but we think the Rome offensive line will wear them down. We like the Wolves by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Appling County Pirates host the Dodge County Indians this Friday in Bagley. Appling is averaging 366 yards on the ground in their first two games. A trio of juniors leads the team in rushing, Sharode Roberts (150 yards, 1-TD), quarterback Jeremiah Holmes (117 yards, 2-TDs) and Keyshawn Walker (104 yards , 1-TD). Senior R.J. Connaway has chipped in 88 yards and 2-TDs on the season. The Pirates have only attempted 13 passes in the two games they’ve played to date. Sharode Roberts also leads the team with 10 total tackles  while defensive end Darris Smith leads the team in sacks with 2.5.

 

The Dodge County Indians will be looking to bounce back after last weeks loss to West Laurens. Daylon Gordon leads the way for the Indians offense on the ground. The junior has rushed for 369 yards and 4-TDs. Although last week he was bottled up by the West Laurens defense and only rushed for 47 yards. Mikhail Carr and Keldrick Beck have been the top receivers for Dodge County combining for 13 catches and 200 yards. Beck has also picked off 3 passes in the secondary for the Indians. We believe that both of these teams will score more than the 21 points combined last season, but we also like the home team Pirates by six this week.

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Week 4 – TFR Cherokee County Football Previews

Posted on September 11, 2019 by admin

The Week 4 Cherokee County Football previews are here. Five of the six county teams are in action this week and all Region 6-6A teams play in all important region games this week. Woodstock is off after a heartbreaking defeat in the final seconds against Cambridge last week. Sequoyah will be on the road to face Jahmyr Gibbs and the rest of the Dalton Catamounts. Can the Sequoyah defense slow down Gibbs this week? He’s been nearly unstoppable in his first two games. River Ridge will face another tough test as they host the Allatoona Buccaneers. For the second week in a row, the Knights will face a Top-10 team. Etowah will host Pebblebrook as they look to stop their two-game skid. Creekview is on the road again this week as the Grizzlies travel to Osborne this Friday.  The Grizzlies will be looking to bounce back after last week’s outing. Finally, Cherokee will be on the road this week at Kennesaw Mountain High School. The Warriors have not surrendered an offensive touchdown in 8 quarters. Will they keep that streak going this week? 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

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writer Association 

NR – Not Ranked

 

The Skinny

 

The Sequoyah Chiefs will make the long trip up to Dalton this week to take on the undefeated Catamounts in a Region 6-6A battle. Sequoyah got a big win last week against Osborne. The Chiefs racked up 185 yards on the ground against Osborne as they were often working with a short field. Jaden Mitchell scored touchdowns on the ground and through the air and sophomore Aiden Moore led the Chiefs with 66 yards rushing. The Sequoyah defense pitched their first shutout and is only surrendering 7 points per game on the season.

 

Meanwhile, if you haven’t heard of Jahmyr Gibbs, then we aren’t quite sure where you’ve been. Perhaps a well kept secret through his junior season, Gibbs has come out with two outstanding performances to open up his senior campaign. In two games, he has rushed for 603 yards and 12-TDs. Junior Maurice Howard has also chipped in 227 yards and 2-TDs. Quarterback Landon Allen has not had to throw too much, but he is completing 67% of his passes for 308 yards and 4-TDs. The Cats leading receiver is junior Hunter Noland. He’s caught 8 passes for 157 yards and 1-TD. Caleb Hernandez and Mauricio Quintero lead the Catamounts in total tackles on the season, both with 18. This game will come down to whichever team can have the most success running the football. That’s what both teams do best. Sequoyah will be the best defense that Dalton has faced to date. We believe the Cats are a little more experienced this season and that should be the difference. We like Dalton by two touchdowns at home.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The River Ridge Knights will look to bounce back after last weeks loss to Harrison, one of the top teams in Class 6A. It doesn’t get any easier as the Allatoona Buccaneers come calling this week. If River Ridge is going to pull the upset this week, we suspect it will involve a lot of Amehre Morrison. The sophomore runs with a combination of power and speed and is always a threat to break a long run. But the Knights will have to get the passing game going to keep the Bucs off balance.

 

Last week against Creekview, Allatoona got a big night from senior running back Alex Wilson who rushed for 116 yards on 16 carries. Meanwhile, Asante Das caught three passes for 123 yards and a touchdown for the Bucs. From all accounts it was a bend but don’t break performance in last weeks victory. We expect for the Bucs to be physical again this week. Defensively, Eric Carty and Calvin Rucker will surely make it difficult for the Knights to get going. We like the Bucs by four touchdowns this week against the Knights.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Etowah Eagles look to put the brakes on a two game losing skid this week as they host the Pebblebrook Falcons. By all accounts, the Eagles have their full compliment of running backs available in Remington Adams, Klivert Many, and Nick Maddox. These backs, coupled with Dalton Miller’s ability to pass accurately should make for a lethal combination once the Eagle’s enter region play. Miller passed for over 300 yards in last week’s heart-breaking loss to South Forsyth.

 

The Pebblebrook Falcons were off last week and had some time to regroup after being downed by Hillgrove back on August 30th. The Falcons were able to get some points on the board in Week-1 against rival South Cobb, but we believe that quarterback Jaquavios Jones will have his hands full with the Etowah defense. For both Etowah and Pebblebrook, turnovers doomed them in their last respective outings. Etowah is our pick to win this game this week. We like the Eagles by 10 over an athletic, but young Pebblebrook squad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Creekview Grizzlies will look to bounce back this week as the travel to Osborne in another Region 6-6A matchup. The Grizzlies connected for some big plays, but costly turnovers did them in against Allatoona. Brody Rhodes continues to lead the Grizzlies in passing (536 yards 6-TDs) and rushing (247 yards 1-TD) on the young season. Junior Cole Hasty has also chipped in 118 yards on the ground. We probably sound like a broken record, but Ethan Dirrim will probably be the best athlete on the field again this week. He leads the team with 20 catches for 252 yards and 3-TDs, while Andrew Cloy has caught 12 passes for 161 yards and 2-TDs. Senior Linebacker Lake Bowman continues to lead the defense with 25 total tackles on the season. The Grizzlies defense has racked up 17.5 sacks already in just 3 games. The bulk of those have come from senior lineman Nick Weeks (5.5 sacks), senior linebacker Jackson Partain (4 sacks) and freshman linebacker Isaac Hubert (5 sacks).

Meanwhile the Osborne Cardinals will look to get into the win column for the first time this season. Last week, the Cardinals were shut out by the Sequoyah Chiefs, 48-0. If Osborne is going to get a win this week, they’ll need to find some way to get more points on the board. Through three games, the Cardinals are only averaging 5 points per game. They are still going through some growing pains under second year head coach Russ Isham. We don’t expect the Grizzlies to make it much easier this week. Osborne might have the better band this week, but this could get out of hand on the field. We like the Grizzlies by six touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cherokee Warriors are 3-0 for the first time since 2007. This week, they head over to Kennesaw to battle the Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs. The Warriors defense was up to the task of keeping North Hall’s offense out of the end zone last week as the Trojan’s only score came on special teams. AJ Swann had a big night last week passing for 248 yards and a touchdown, while Keith Adams rushed for 81 yards and 2-TDs. Brasean Parker (43 total tackles), Patrick Dahlen (36 total tackles) and Brandon Byrd (35 total tackles) continue to lead a Warriors defense that has not allowed an offensive touchdown in 8 quarters.

 

Meanwhile, the Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs enter Friday’s contest in search of their first win. The Mustangs graduated a very large senior class this past spring and for many of the players stepping in, it’s been a trial by fire in the early going. The Mustangs defense made improvements from week one, but the offense is still not firing on all cylinders. Coach Carmean does have some young talent, but the Cherokee defense will be a tough matchup for the young Kennesaw Mountain quarterback. We think the Mustangs defense will keep them in the game early, but expect for Cherokee to wear them down. We like the Warriors by 17 this week.

 

 

 

 

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Week 3 – GHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on September 8, 2019 by admin

Our GHSA Week-3 Top-10 Poll has been published. There were some great games in Week-3 of the GHSA football season. In 7A, Marietta got tested by Collins Hill, but come out victorious setting up a big matchup this week at Grayson. Lowndes got a big win over Parkview and moves up to No. 5 in this week’s poll. Milton dropped a close game to Buford and falls a few spots, while Hillgrove enters the poll for the first time this season at No. 10.

The surprise of the weekend might have occurred down in Ft. Valley as traditional 3A power Peach County knocked off the two-time 6A State Champion, Lee County, 40-17. In other Top-10 action, Allatoona downed Creekview 37-7. The loss drops the Grizzlies from the poll and Richmond Hill replaces them at No. 10.

The 5A poll remained unchanged this week, while in 4A, Pickens drops from the Top-10 after their loss to 2A Pepperell. The Pickens loss makes way for Flowery Branch to enter the poll for the first time this season. Meanwhile, Blessed Trinity drops two spots after falling to Woodward Academy on a field goal in the closing seconds of the game.

There was a little shuffling at the bottom of the 3-A poll, as Crisp County lost a close game to the Dutchtown Bulldogs. The loss drops the Cougars to No. 10 this week. Meanwhile in 2-A, there are four new teams making their debut in the poll this week. The Douglass Astros come in at No. 7, followed by the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets at No. 8, the Union County Panthers are our No. 9 team while the Hephzibah Rebels round out the Top-10.

In Class A- Public, Green County drops from the Top-10, making room for the Bowdon Red Devils at No. 10 this week. In Class A Private, Wesleyan picked a big win after downing Prince Avenue Christian. The Wolves are our No. 4 team this week.

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

(Special thanks to David Hayes at the Georgia High School Helmet Project for providing all of the helmets we use site wide. You can find his work here: http://www.gahelmetproject.com )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Milton vs. Buford – GHSA Football Bonus Preview

Posted on September 5, 2019 by admin

We originally posted our Milton vs. Buford preview in Week-1, but decided this game was too good not to revisit. For those unfamiliar, this game was part of the Corky Kell Classic scheduled to be played at Cool-Ray field. Mother Nature had other plans, and it was rescheduled for this Friday. Milton won the coin toss to determine the home venue. These teams have not met since 1983. (Almost 36 years to the day.) Buford is breaking in a new head coach, but Coach Appling is no stranger to the Wolves and has been a big part of their success. Meanwhile, Milton will look to defend their home turf, as they have gone from the hunter, to being the hunted after winning the first football state title in school history. You can check out our preview below.  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

 

This game was initially scheduled for week-1, but Mother Nature had other plans. Bryant Appling takes over as head coach for the Buford Wolves and he had them looking good last week against Jonesboro. Buford lost their starting quarterback from a season ago to transfer, but Jarvis Evans has stepped in nicely. The junior southpaw tossed three touchdowns in last week’s win. Gabe Ervin had a big day at running back, eclipsing the century mark and scoring 1-TD. Ervin had success running behind Seth McLaughlin and the rest of the Buford offensive line. Perhaps the most dynamic player for the Wolves is DB/WR T Lee. He will certainly make things difficult for the Milton passing attack.

 

Speaking of Milton…The Eagles are coming off of their first State Title win in school history. But like Buford, the Eagles will be trotting out a new quarterback as last year’s starter is now playing at Georgia Tech. Ahmad Junearick is the Eagles leading offensive producer from last season. Last week, against rival Alpharetta, he rushed for 201 yards and 3-TDs. The Eagles back will have the luxury of running behind Paul Tchio and Anthony Minella. Defensively, Jack Rhodes and Stephen Michaels will lead the Milton linebackers while Marcos Rangel will help anchor the defensive line. Both of these teams proved they can light up the scoreboard last week. We like the home team this week in a close battle…Milton by 3.

 

 

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Week 3 – GHSA Football Game Previews – TFR Eight Greats Around the State – Part 2 of 2

Posted on September 4, 2019 by admin

This is Part II of our GHSA Football Previews. Brooks County hosts the defending Class-A Public state champion, Clinch County Panthers. Brooks leads the series, but Clinch got the best of them last season. In a big Class 4-A matchup, Woodward Academy travels to Blessed Trinity to face the defending champions. Do the Titans have enough on defense to slow down Woodward quarterback Mark Wright? Woodward has not beaten Blessed Trinity in three tries. Will this Friday be any different? Crisp County will host the Duthctown Bulldogs. There might not be a tougher schedule than Crisp’s and Dutchtown might be the most talented team they face this season. Finally, Swainsboro travels to Dublin to face the Fighting Irish in a big Class 2-A battle of top-10 teams. Does Swainsboro have enough on defense to slow down the Dublin ground machine or will the arm of Kade Youmans carry the Tigers to victory.   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

 

Last season, Clinch County beat Brooks County going away en route to winning the state title in Class A-Public. This season, the Brooks County Trojans will be looking for redemption as they host the Clinch County Panthers in Quitman this Friday. Both teams are off to a good start and sit at 1-0. Brooks County won a shoot out in Week-1 against Mitchell County. Both Devin Edwards and Omari Arnold had big days for the Trojans as they each rushed for 143 yards. Edwards scored 5-TDs while Arnold added 1. Quarterback Ni’tavion Burrus also threw for 142 yards and 2-TDs. Cameron Priest led the defense with 8 solo tackles.

 

Clinch County looked impressive in their Week-1 victory. They scored in all three phases of the game. The Panthers used big plays to jump to an early lead. Michael Walker started the scoring with a 79-yard TD-run. Perry Williams returned an interception 70 yards. Tyler Morehead returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. The Panthers will certainly need more of those big plays come Friday night. Tyler Morehead might be the most explosive player on the field. We believe he gives the Panthers the edge. We like Clinch County by 9 in a much closer contest than 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Blessed Trinity Titans will host the Woodward Academy War Eagles in a showdown of two of the top teams in Class 4-A. Blessed Trinity, the two time defending 4-A State Champs held off a determined South Forsyth team last week to win 34-31. Freshman Justice Haynes rushed for 161 yards and 3-TDs in last weeks win. There is no doubt the Titans lost a lot of talent from last year’s team, but they are still a well-coached talented squad. If Haynes can find ways to duplicate last week’s performance, it could be a lethal one-two punch at running back down the road.

 

Meanwhile, Woodward Academy is flying high and also comes into the game undefeated. Quarterback Mark Wright has passed for 417 yards and 4-TDs so far this season. Wright has spread the ball around to several receivers this season. In all, 10 Woodward players have caught a pass this in the first two games. Damari Alston leads the way for the Eagles on the ground with 110 yards and 2-TDs. Senior linebacker Aaron Washington has recorded 16 solo tackles in two weeks, while Adam Thrasher is 2nd on the team in tackles with 10 solos. We think this game will certainly be much closer than last year’s contest. Woodward definitely has the edge at quarterback, but we believe the Titans have the better ground game. The War Eagles are a little more experienced and we believe that gives them a slight edge. We like Woodward by 1 on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Crisp County Cougars will again step up in classification this week as they host the Dutchtown Bulldogs. The Cougars narrowly lost to Class 4-A, West Laurens last week. A.J. Lofton and Jack Carter have combined to pass for 435 yards and 2-TDs. Sirad Bryant leads the receivers with 10 receptions for 173 yards. On defense, linebacker Chris Paul and the aforementioned Bryant lead the team in solo tackles.

 

The Dutchtown Bulldogs might be the most talented team that Crisp County will see in the regular season. The Bulldogs are averaging 53 points per game. Over the past few seasons, we’ve come to know Dutchtown to be a defensive juggernaut, but quarterback Arendez Fedd seems to be coming into his own. Last week Fedd passed for 356 yards and 5-TDs. He’s got capable weapons like NC State commit Nate McCollum at receiver and running back Javorri Mack. While Fedd and the offense are in their groove, the defense is no slouch either. Up front, the Bulldogs are led by Alabama commit William Anderson,  and Louisville commit Dezmond Tell. Meanwhile, Corey Minner and Tyler Nelome make passing difficult for the Bulldogs opponents. We believe that Crisp County will be competitive, but there’s just too much talent and experience on Dutchtown’s sideline. We like the Bulldogs by 20.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Swainsboro Tigers will make the 33-mile trip to face rival Dublin this Friday night. It will be a clash of styles as the Irish will look to control the game on the ground while the Tigers will rely on the arm of Kade Youmans. Dublin won it’s season opener two weeks ago in a game that was shortened by weather. The key to this game for the Irish might be how well defensive end Romello Height and linebacker Jaques Evans are able to disrupt the Swainsboro passing attack.

 

The Tigers got a big win over Jefferson County last Monday. Kade Youmans passed for 237 yards and 4-TDs. Robert Allen also carried the ball 26 times for 126 yards and one touchdown. Ja’von Brown led the way at receiver with 5 catches for 111 yards and 3-TDs. We believe that Swainsboro has enough offense to keep this game close again, but we think that Dublin’s run game will help keep Youmans on the sidelines and that might be the difference this week. Dublin by a touchdown.

 

 

 

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Week 3 – GHSA Football Game Previews – TFR Eight Greats Around the State – Part 1 of 2

Posted on September 4, 2019 by admin

Week-3 of the high school football season get’s under way this week. This is Part I of our GHSA Football previews. Peach County hosts the defending 6-A state champion, Lee County. Does Peach have the weapons to derail Lee County? Parkview makes the long trip to Valdosta to face the Lowndes Vikings. The Vikings lead the series, but Parkview got the best of Lowndes last season. Will the Lowndes Vikings get revenge? Hapeville Charter will travel to Franklin to face the defending 2-A State Champion Heard County Braves. Our last preview looks at a big matchup in Middle Georgia as Dodge County hosts the West Laurens Raiders. 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 Peach County Trojans will host the Lee County Trojans this week. Last week Peach beat Northside Warner Robins for the second year in a row. The Trojans had a big week from running back Tijah Woolfolk who rushed for 100 yards and 2-TDs. Senior running back Noah Whittington also added 87 yards on the ground and was the workhorse for Peach last week. Sergio Allen made his impact felt on defense as he racked up 11 total tackles including an interception he returned for a touchdown.

 

Lee County’s defense has picked up where it left off in 2018. The two-time defending 6-A State champions have shutout both opponents thus far this season. (Last season, the Trojans shutout 6 of their opponents.) Lee County had solid performances from the usual suspects last week. Quarterback Kyle Toole passed for 176 yards and 2-TDs, James Hopson had 6 receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Baron Hopson was a force against Life Christian. Last year, Lee County shut out Peach County. We don’t think that will be the case this week. This game should be a little closer, but we think the Trojans are a little deeper and a little more talented across the board. Even on the road, we like Lee County by 13.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lowndes Vikings will host the Parkview Panthers in a battle of top ten 7-A teams this Friday. The Vikings have outscored their opponents 113-20 in their first two games. Last week, Jalon Baker grabbed headlines as he returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the win. The Vikings have used two quarterbacks this season, both sophomores, Tristan Bohler and Jacurri Brown. Brown is a dual threat quarterback that will certainly give Parkview some different looks and challenges this week.

 

The Panthers were off last week after their Week-1 victory over Mountain View.  Cody Brown ruched for 164 yards in the victory, while Jordan Williams passed for 194 yards and 4-TDs. CJ Daniels was the primary target for the Panthers as he caught 7 balls for 127 yards and all 4-TDs. Defensively, Kobe Wilson had 13 solo tackles in their victory, so expect him to be all over the field again. Both Wilson and fellow linebacker Tony Ward should have their hands full trying to contain the Lowndes QBs. Playing at Martin Stadium will certainly be an advantage for the Vikings. We believe it will be just enough to upset the Panthers. Lowndes by 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Both the Heard County Braves and Hapeville Charter Hornets find themselves in search of their first win of the regular season. Heard County was beaten by a resurgent LaGrange team, while Hapeville Charter fell to the defending Class 3-A State Champion Cedar Grove Saints. The Braves are the defending Class 2-A state champions, but lost a lot of talent from last year’s team. Look for Alex Boyd and Kesean Johnson to get the bulk of the carries on offense. Quarterback Leroy Marsh will also have a few new receivers looking to break through while, tight-end Alex Boyd is one of the only returning receiving threats for the Braves.

 

Hapeville Charter also lost a lot of talent to graduation, but do have several playmakers at the skill positions. Running Back Marcus Carroll, a Coastal Carolina commit, has a great balance of power and speed, while quarterback Jeremy Stephens can wreak havoc with his arm and with his scrambling ability. Rico Powers also gives the Hornets another threat at receiver. The Hapeville defense also flies around and is an opportunistic bunch. This game should be much closer than last season’s score, but we still like Hapeville by two touchdowns on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Perhaps one of the more intriguing matchups in middle Georgia will take place in Eastman, as the Dodge County Indians host the West Laurens Raiders. West Laurens held off a late surge by Crisp County last week to improve to 2-0 on the young season. A.J. Mathis threw two touchdown passes to Brent Carr and Cam Coup added a short field goal. West Laurens defense is led by linebackers D’Eryck Jackson (Kentucky commit) and Javen Ashe.

 

Dodge County outdueled Bradwell Institute two weeks ago to get their season started out on the right foot. Daylon Gordon was the star of the night with 322 yards on 13 carries and 4-TDs. Elijah Williams and Jamal Mahan picked up where they left off last season defensively. Both players led the Indians in tackles last season and each did so again against Bradwell. West Laurens is definitely improved from a season ago, and we think Coach McClain’s Raiders are a favorite to win Region 2-4A, but we like Dodge County by a field goal in this game.

 

 

 

 

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Week 3 – TFR Cherokee County Football Previews

Posted on September 4, 2019 by admin

The Week 3 Cherokee County Football previews are here. All six county teams are in action this week. Woodstock hosts Cambridge as both teams will be looking for their first win of the season. Sequoyah hosts Osborne in a Region 6-6A matchup. River Ridge will travel to Harrison as the Knights take on one of the top ranked teams in the state. Etowah will host South Forsyth over at Eagle Mountain, while Creekview travels to Allatoona in an important Region 6-6A contest between two Top-10 teams. Finally, Cherokee will face their second consecutive Wing-T offense this week as the North Hall Trojans come to Tommy Baker Field this Friday. 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 GSWA Poll was not available at the time of publishing so it was not included in this week’s previews.

 

 

The Skinny

 

Both the Woodstock Wolverines and Cambridge Bears come into this week’s game in search of their first win in 2019. Both teams were in the same predicament a season ago. Cambridge had a bye week last week and will look to get Phillip Michael Collins going this week. Last season, Collins rushed for just over 1,000 yards and 11-TDs. He’s a back that doesn’t mind contact and regularly breaks through arm tackles.

 

While we expect the Woodstock defense dot get a steady dose of Phillip Michael Collins, they will be trying to settle in at quarterback. Both Robbie Roper and Walker Ormsby have shown some promise under center. If they have time to get the ball into their playmakers hands at receiver, we think that the Wolverines can pick up their first win of the season. Don’t forget about V’ontae Hampton in the backfield either. He showed some promise as well last week against Creekview. We believe that this game will be closer than last year’s contest. But we like for Coach Budde and the Wolverines by 9 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Sequoyah Chiefs will open region play as they host the Osborne Cardinals. The Chiefs dropped their opener last week and were shut out for the first time since their 2016 playoff loss to Dacula. Sequoyah will look to get Jaden Mitchell going this week. He had a few tough runs last week, but was bottled up pretty good by the Cherokee defense. Aiden Moore, also showed some promise in the run game. Riley Gutmann had an impact at receiver last week for the Chiefs and complimented Myles McGee well. The Chiefs defense had a pretty good outing last week. They seemed to wear down just a bit late in the ball game.

 

Meanwhile, the Osborne Cardinals have not beaten the Chiefs and three tries and have not won a game since they beat Forest Park back on October 21, 2016. Last week it was Ron Freeman who got into the endzone for the Cardinals, but it wasn’t enough as they fell to KIPP. The Cardinals will have to limit turnovers this week if they want to get into the win column; that has been one of their bugaboos early in the season. We believe the Chiefs will get the victory this week, and we don’t believe it will be that close. Chiefs by four touchdowns

 

 

The Skinny

 

The River Ridge Knights will travel over to West Cobb to take on the Harrison Hoyas this Friday night in a Region 6-6A matchup. After taking a week off, the Knights are looking to bounce back after falling to Etowah in Week-1. River Ridge did show a lot of promise under new head coach Michael Collins. Chase Begin showed some poise under center while Amehre Morrison is a star in the making at running back for the Knights.

 

The Harrison Hoyas will present a difficult challenge for the Knights this week. The Hoyas enter the game ranked between 2nd and 6th in the state depending on the poll.  The Hoyas defense has only surrendered 10 points in two games. Meanwhile, Gavin Hall has passed for over 250 yards and 3-TDs in the first two games. Hall has several weapons at receiver including Jay Ziglor, Marques Owens and Mason Babay. We expect another stout performance from the Hoyas defense, led by Ryan Smith and Victor Pless. We like them by three touchdowns this week over the Knights.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Etowah Eagles will be looking to bounce back this week as they host the South Forsyth War Eagles on Friday. Quarterback Dalton Miller did throw for over 250 yards and 1-TD, but was sacked seven times. Jackson Manns led the way at receiver, catching 7 passes and going over 100 yards receiving. In Week-1 it was Remington Adams who carried the load for the Eagles at running back, last week Klivert Many was the workhorse.

 

The South Forsyth War Eagles had a furious comeback attempt fall just short last week against Blessed Trinity, one of the top teams in Class 4-A. For the War Eagles, both Joe Slott and Kyle Durham have led the way at quarterback. The duo is completing 65% of their passes for 610 yards and 3-TDs. But they’ve also been intercepted 5 times. So minimizing turnovers will be key against the Etowah defense. Tre Green has rushed for 193 yards and 5-TDs on the season, so we’d expect for that trend to continue. He’s averaging 4.6 yards per carry. We expect for Etowah to bounce back from last week, but we still think the War Eagles win this one. We like South by 5.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Creekview Grizzlies travel to face the Allatoona Buccaneers this Friday in another Region 6-6A showdown. The Grizzlies have opened the season with two big wins and a win this week will get them off to a great start in Region play. Brody Rhodes had another big game last week as he eclipsed the century mark in passing and rushing. Meanwhile, Ethan Dirrim is probably the most versatile athlete on the field having an impact on both sides of the ball. Last week, Dirrim had two touchdowns on offense and also had an interception on defense.

 

The Allatoona Buccaneers had last week off after narrowly losing to Cartersville in Week-1. Dante Marshall will need to be accurate this week, as he only completed 45% of his passes against Cartersville. Sophomore Jylan Thomas got the bulk of the carries at running back for the Bucs in Week-1. Allatoona’s strength will again be their defense. They have always been a physical team. Expect the same this week from guys like Eric Carty, Calvin Rucker and Cam Carty. An “x-factor” in this game could be Allatoona kicker Jude Kelly. Kelly set the school record with a 54-yard field goal against Cartersville. He’s also averaging 49 yards per punt. We think this game will be much closer than last year. This game might come down to a Jude Kelly field goal; but we like the Grizzlies by two in a mild upset on the road.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cherokee Warriors will host the North Hall Trojans as the two teams square off for only the second time. Cherokee is coming off a big win against county rival Sequoyah. Keith Adams Rushed for 100 yards and 1-TD and AJ Swann passed for 102 yards and 1-TD.  While the Warriors offense did get into the endzone twice last week, it was the defense that was most impressive. Patrick Dahlen made plays all over the field and intercepted two passes including one to seal the game late in the endzone. Meanwhile TJ Parks, Braesean Parker, Toby Thompson and the rest of the Warriors defensive were harassing the Chiefs quarterback all night.

 

But don’t expect for North Hall to test the Warriors secondary too much. The Trojans are a run first team. In their first two games, the Trojans are averaging 314 yards per game. Quarterback Trey Sanders has only attempted 9 passes. Senior running back J.T. Fair leads the team with 283 yards on the young season. Cody Smith and Jacob Dickey have also combined for 300 yards on the ground and 2-TDs. The Trojans defense also recorded a shutout last week as they blanked Jackson County 16-0. Two questions this week that we believe will determine the outcome: 1. Whether North Hall’s offensive line will wear down Cherokee’s young front; and 2. Can A.J. Swann be a little more accurate on his downfield throws? Either way, we like the Warriors by 4 this week.

 

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Week 2 – GHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on September 1, 2019 by admin

The second week of the regular season is in the books and our Week 2 GHSA High School Football Poll is listed below. As we mentioned last week, there is certainly still a lot to be sorted out before we get to region play and beyond. In 7-A Marietta validated their No. 1 ranking by knocking off nationally ranked St. Joseph’s Prep 21-17. Like last week, there was not much movement in the 7-A poll, as all but one team in action won this weekend. The Collins Hill Eagles make their debut at No. 10 this week.

In 6A, Northside Warner Robins and Creekside fall from the top-10, but we don’t believe for one moment we’ve heard the last of them this season. The Dacula Falcons debut at No. 8, while the Creekview Grizzlies make their debut at No. 10. The Grizzlies have a big region matchup this Friday at No. 9 Allatoona. Over in 5-A, all of the Top-10 teams held serve, so there is no change this week.

The bottom third of the 4-A poll gets shaken up a bit this week. New entrants include West Laurens at No. 8 and Denmark at No. 9, while Cairo drops to No. 10 after a close loss to Class 5-A No. 2, Bainbridge. Hart County makes their debut at No. 10 in this week’s 3-A poll.

Meanwhile in 2-A, Fitzgerald drops out of this weeks poll, while Dodge County debuts at No. 10. In Class A- Public, no teams dropped out of the Top-10, but Greene County did slip to No. 6 after their loss to Morgan County. Class-A Private saw both Hebron Christian and Savannah Christian drop from the rankings. Holy Innocents and Mt. De Sales Academy replace them at No. 10 and No. 9 respectively.

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 2- TFR Cherokee County Football Game Previews

Posted on August 29, 2019 by admin

Our Week-2 Cherokee County Football previews are here. Matchups in Week-2 are Etowah @ North Cobb, Creekview vs. Woodstock and Sequoyah vs. Cherokee. The River Ridge Knights are off this week. Please make sure to get out and support these young men on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading.  Comments and discussion are welcome!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Creekview Grizzlies will host the Woodstock Wolverines as the two squads face off for only the second time. Creekview won the first meeting last season and are off to a fast start as they beat Cambridge handily last week. Brody Rhodes tossed three touchdown passes, while Andrew Cloy and Ethan Dirrim both caught 6 passes for a combined total of 205 yards and 3-TDs. Perhaps the most impressive performance was the Grizzlies defense which limited Cambridge to 3 points in the game. Defensive end Nick Weeks recorded four sacks in the victory.

 

The Wolverines will be looking to get to .500 this week. All three of the Wolverines quarterbacks had a chance to lead the team in last weeks loss to North Cobb. Junior running back V’ontae Hampton lead the Wolverines in rushing with 90 yards on 19 carries. We believe that once one of the Wolverines quarterbacks separates himself from the others, the team will find more success. Fortunately, the Wolverines have some time to get that sorted out before region play begins. We think Creekview has the edge in this game at quarterback and that should be the difference. Grizzlies by 10.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cherokee Warriors visit Skip Pope Stadium to take on the Sequoyah Chiefs this Friday night. The Chiefs have won the last two in the series by a combined score of 55-7, but lost a lot of offensive production to graduation. Sequoyah’s Wing-T will rely heavily on the legs of junior fullback Jaden Mitchell. Colin Koprowski will lead the Chiefs at quarterback. Sequoyah also has two talented receivers in Myles McGee and Christian Hodgins that should provide balance on offense. Defensively, Grant Gibson is a tackling machine and looks to repeat his performance from a year ago as he led the Chiefs in tackles in 2018.

 

The Cherokee Warriors got their season off on the right foot with a win over North Forsyth last week. After a slow start A.J. Swann and the Warriors offense seemed to find their rhythm. The Warriors used explosive plays on offense to take control of the game in the second half. Cherokee has plenty of playmakers on offense including receivers Landon Ergle, Devin Ellison and Adarrius Harshaw. All three found their way into the endzone last Friday. Will Sequoyah’s secondary be able to contain this trio? And will Cherokee’s defense be able to slow down Jaden Mitchell and put pressure on quarterback Colin Koprowski? We think the Warriors are just a little ahead of the Chiefs right now. We like Cherokee to reverse their fortunes against the Chiefs from the past two season. Warriors by 7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

 

The North Cobb Warriors got a big win over Woodstock last week to open the season. Quarterback Trevor Lovett had over 170 yards of total offense and scored twice on the ground for the Warriors. The North Cobb defense also got in on the scoring action as Kendall Drake returned an interception for a touchdown. The Warriors defense did a good job keeping Woodstock out of the end-zone until late in the 4th quarter. The biggest question is whether or not they can do it against an Etowah team who is a little more settled at quarterback.

 

Etowah was in a dog-fight with River Ridge for the first half last week’s game before pulling away in the second half. Dalton Miller led the Eagles with 159 yards and 2 passing TDs. Sophomore Remington Adams scored on a 66-yard run and also had a special teams touchdown to open the second half. Adams ended the game with 119 rushing yards. The Eagles will step up a bit in competition as they face a North Cobb team that should match up better physically and overall at each skill position. We expect this to be a low scoring physical contest, similar to last year’s game. One key stat that might be the difference is penalties, Etowah was flagged over 10 times last week. If they don’t clean those penalties up, it could be the edge that North Cobb needs. We believe they’ll clean them up just enough to edge the Warriors this week. We like the Eagles by a field goal.

 

 

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