TFR 2018 7-A Playoff Preview 4 of 4

Posted on November 5, 2018 by admin

Our final 7-A first round playoff previews feature matchups between McEachern-Newnan, Etowah-Colquitt County, Newton-West Forsyth and Central Gwinnett-North Gwinnett. Some of the story lines in this preview include the McEachern Indians facing off against the Newnan Cougars for the first time since 1993. Can McEachern get a win on the road or will Newnan defend home turn…Etowah has the unenviable task of facing possibly the best team in the state, the Colquitt County Packers. Does David have any chance to slay Goliath…The Newton Rams will travel to Cumming to face the West Forsyth Wolverines. Newton will be playing without head coach Terrance Banks who resigned on Monday. Will the team circle the wagons or will this be a distraction for the upcoming week…Finally, old county rivals collide as North Gwinnett hosts Central Gwinnett. North is looking to defend their state title. We are sure the Knights want to spoil any of North Gwinnett’s plans for a repeat…

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

**The GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Newnan Cougars will host the McEachern Indians this week. It’s been 25 years since these programs have squared off. The Indians haven’t had much trouble scoring this season, as they are averaging 37 points per game. Jeffrey Clark and Jamil Burroughs anchor the defensive line. They will need to find a way to get pressure on Newnan quarterback Michael Maginnis. Maginnis has passed for 1,500 yards and 14-TDs. His primary receiver is Woody Waters who has hauled in 37 passes for 585 yards. Sophomore Bryson Moss leads the team in rushing with 636 yards and 9-TDs. Our biggest question is if Newnan can outscore McEachern…We don’t think they can. McEachern wins on the road by 10.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Etowah Eagles draw they short straw in the playoffs and will face quite possibly the best team in the state. The Eagles will need to rely on their physical offensive line to neutralize Brian Merritt, Rashard Revels and the rest of the Colquitt defense that is surrendering 8.7 points per game. The Colquitt defense has recorded 68 sacks and 13 interceptions. Kendrick Neloms leads the team in sacks with 12 and Revels is close behind with 11. Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald has connected on 80% of his field goal attempts with a long of 57 yards. The Etowah offense will need to find a way for Nick Maddox to get loose. That seems to be the only chance the Eagles have of pulling the upset. Even if Maddox has a career night, it still might not be enough to hang with the Packers. We like Colquitt by four touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Perhaps the biggest news coming into this game is the resignation of Newton Head Coach Terrance Banks on Monday. You can read more about that in this article from Gabriel Stovall of the Covington Sports News here: Banks Resigns. The Rams were 4-6 on the season, but still garnered the No. 3 seed. L.T. Stowers has passed for 1,336 yards and 18-TDs. Adarious Thomas has rushed for 844 yards on the season to lead the Rams. Stephon Bland leads the West Forsyth Wolverines with 795 yards and 5-TDs, while Abraham Camara leads the team in receiving yards with 616 and 8-TDs. We thought this game was a toss-up before the news of the resignation, but we think West Forsyth has the edge this week with stability at the head coaching position. We’ll take the Wolverines by a touchdown this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

North Gwinnett will start their title defense at home against county rival Central Gwinnett. The Bulldogs have won 6 straight since dropping a game to Walton back in September. Ty Goodson and Josh Downs help lead a North Gwinnett offense that is averaging 36.7 points per game. Perhaps, the most impressive team stat is the 9.7 points per game that the Bulldogs are yielding on defense. That should make tough sledding for the Central Gwinnett offense. The Knights Justin Fomby has passed for 1,489 yards and 13-TDs, but he has also been intercepted 13 times. In order to pull the upset this week, Fomby will need to be accurate and Daedae Reynolds, Justin Wilkins, and Kameron King will need to have big nights. Even with that said, we think that North will win this Gwinnett County battle by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 7-A Playoff Preview 3 of 4

Posted on November 5, 2018 by admin

Our third 7-A playoff previews feature matchups between East Coweta-Marietta, Tift County-Roswell, Forsyth Central-Archer and Collins Hill-Parkview. Some of the story lines include, East Coweta possibly facing a hobbled Marietta team. Will the Blue Devils get their star quarterback back this week…Tift County won the at-large bid. They earn a trip to Roswell. Tift might be the best at-large team since the system has been in place…Forsyth Central had the longest playoff drought of any of the 7-A football teams. The Archer Tigers will be no easy foe…Finally Collins Hill travels to Parkview. The Panthers are undefeated and seem primed for a deep playoff run…

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

**The GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

 

The Skinny

 

Marietta’s season has gone in fits and starts. Star quarterback Harrison Bailey has passed for over 2,800 yards and 29-TDs on the season. He was injured during the Hillgrove game and did not play last week against Kennesaw Mountain. If Bailey cannot go, the Blue Devils will turn to freshman Tyler Hughes. The Blue Devils hope to have Tennessee commit Ramel Keyton back for the game. Kimani Vidal has helped to pick up the slack rushing for 842 yards and 10-TDs on the season. Quarterback Nathan Cronic (1,447 yards passing) and running back Gerald Green (1,099 yards rushing) have led the East Coweta Indians this season. The Indians will need one of their best defensive efforts of the season if they are going to slow down the Marietta Express. But based on the numbers, we don’t know if that’s in the cards this week for East Coweta. Even without Bailey or Keyton, we think Marietta wins this one by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Tift County Blue Devils will make the trek to Metro-Atlanta to take on the Roswell Hornets. The Blue Devils are the at-large bid in Class 7A, but don’t take the Blue Devils lightly. They play in highly competitive Region-1. The played No. 2 Parkview to within 3 points earlier in the season as well. Mike Jones leads the ground game with 905 yards rushing and 10-TDs. The Blue Devils are averaging 29.7 points per game on the season. Roswell has rebounded from last season and were able to win the region after missing out on the playoffs last season. Ethan Roberts has passed for 1,852 yards and 19-TDs while Kamonty Jett has rushed for 1,033 yards and 12-TDs. Doneiko Slaughter leads the Roswell defense with 7 sacks. This game might be one of the best matchups in Class 7A. Roswell might be ripe for an upset, but we think that they edge the Tift County at home; Hornets by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Frank Hepler has the Forsyth Central Bulldogs back in the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Most of the Bulldog’s offense has come on the ground, as the team has rushed for over 2,000 yards on the season. The Bulldogs defense has been respectable, only giving up 16.3 points per game. This includes two shutout victories earlier in the year. However, Archer presents a new set of challenges. Both Forsyth Central and Archer dropped games to Milton this season. But Archer is just as talented as Milton. Quarterback Carter Peavey has passed for well over 1,700 yards on the season. He leads an offense that is averaging 36.1 points per game. Although the Central defense has been good, we think that the Archer offense will be able to have success against them this week. We like Archer by 17.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Parkview Panthers have run through the regular season undefeated. Their high-powered offense is averaging 41.6 points per game while the defense is only giving up 11.9 points per game. Quarterback Jordan Williams spearheads the attack with over 1,600 passing yards on the season, while Cody Brown has crossed the century mark, with 1,156 yards and 19-TDs. We can’t talk about Parkview without talking about Malik Washington, he has scored by passing, rushing, and receiving. Coach Godfree said Washington is one of the most athletic football players in the state. Collins Hill will look to keep their rushing attack hot this week. Isaiah Love and Deangelo Oliver have combined for 1,231 yards and 8-TDs on the season. Tomari Fox has recorded 8 sacks and Chris Quaites has picked off 4 passes. In spite of all of that, Parkview looks like they are primed to make a deep run. We like the Panthers by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 7-A Playoff Preview 2 of 4

Posted on November 5, 2018 by admin

Our second 7-A playoff previews feature matchups between Camden County and Walton, Pebblebrook-Hillgrove, Brookwood-Mill Creek and South Gwinnett-Milton. Some of the story lines include, the Camden County being back in the playoffs. Their game with Walton is could be one of the best in this classification… Over in Cobb County, Pebblebrook gets a second chance to knock off Hillgrove this season…Brookwood is looking to make another deep run but Mill Creek and the running of Chancellor Lee-Parker stands squarely in their way…Meanwhile, the Milton Eagles look like they are back on the right track. They’ll host South Gwinnett and their dual threat quarterback Trey Truitt for a chance to move on to round two…

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

**The GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Bob Sphire has the Camden County Wildcats back into the post season after a two-year hiatus. Logan Watson has passed for 1,714 yards and 17-TDs. Logan Berryhill and Shawn Hardy have combined for over 1,250 yards receiving this season. The Wildcats are averaging 29.8 points per game. Meanwhile, the Walton Raiders also have a vaunted passing attack of their own. Quarterback Austin Kirksey has passed for 1,250 yards on the season. He’s missed a few games due to injury, but looked to be back in good form with 224 yards passing last week. DJ Soyoye gives the Raiders a legitimate rushing threat. At question will be whether Camden can slow down Kendall Alford and Dominick Blaylock. We think Camden is a year away from making a deep run in the playoffs. We like the Raiders by a touchdown at home.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Pebblebrook and Hillgrove will face off for the second time this season. Hillgrove won the first matchup back in August and have not looked back since. The Hillgrove Hawks have done most of their damage on the ground this season. As a team they’ve run for over 2,000 yards on the season. Issaiah McCray and Trevor Smith lead the way for the Hawks. The Hillgrove defense is giving up 15.1 points per game. Pebblebrook is back in the playoffs this year, but in order to get past the first round this season, the offense will probably need to score more than their 20.1 points per game they’ve been averaging on the season. We think Hillgrove is playing better football this season. We like the Hawks by two touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Despite graduating a large senior class last season, Coach Philip Jones has the Brookwood Broncos back in the playoffs in 2018. Chris Carter and Eli Kohl have led the Broncos in rushing, combining for over 1,400 yards on the season. In their three losses, the Broncos are only averaging 6 points per game. The Mill Creek Hawks come into the game averaging 30.3 points per game. Chancellor Lee-Parker leads the ground game with over 1,100 yards on the ground. Mill Creek’s only losses were to 3 top-10 teams. We think this game will be closely contested, but like Mill Creek to win by 10 when the dust settles.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

We thought that the Milton Eagles might be a little over-rated when they lost to Roswell earlier in the season, but Roswell has turned out to be a pleasant surprise in 7-A. Milton is led Georgia Tech commit Jordan Yates. Yates has passed for 1,2730 yards and rushed for 578. He’s accounted for 26 TDs. Joshua Edwards has rushed for 923 yards and 14-TDs. Allen Walker leads the defense with 9 sacks. It’s a defense that’s surrendering 17.6 points per game. The South Gwinnett offense has struggled a bit to score points this season, but a lot of that is due to the competition they’ve faced. The Comets will need a big night from Trey Truitt if they are going to pull the upset this week. We believe the Eagles will cruise this week; Milton by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 7-A Playoff Preview 1 of 4

Posted on November 5, 2018 by admin

We begin our 7-A playoff previews this week. Our first preview will feature matchups between Cherokee-Lowndes, North Pauling-Westlake, Mountain View-Norcross and South Forsyth Grayson. Some of the story lines include, the Cherokee Warriors are back in the playoffs this year but will have their hands full with Lowndes…Can Westlake make another run into the playoffs. The Lions have been overlooked by some polls. First thing is first, they’ve got to get past North Paulding…Mill Creek and Norcross both have had challenging regular season schedules…waiting in the wings for both of them is a potential match with Grayson. The Rams looked to be poised for a deep run. And no disrespect to South Forsyth, but can the take down the talent filled roster of Grayson…

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

**The GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

The Skinny

The Cherokee Warriors will make the 264-mile trek to take on the Lowndes Viking. Cherokee have had resurgence this season after going winless in 2017. If the Warriors are going to win this game, they’ll need to slow down Lowndes running back Travis Tisdale. Tisdale has rushed for 1,459 yards and 18 TDs on the season. Quarterback Andrew Koenemann has missed the last few weeks, so that may provide an opportunity for the Warriors to key in on the run game. Lowndes is averaging 40.2 points per game. We don’t think the Warriors can outscore them. The Warriors defense does fly around and we think they can certainly compete, but if they can’t keep Tisdale in check, it could be a long night. This game should be close through three-quarters, but we expect Lowndes to pull away and win by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

Westlake has been getting snubbed in most local polls, but now in the second season, the polls don’t matter. If Westlake is going to advance past the first round, Malachi Miller, Asher Spivey and Myles Farmer will have to slow down the passing attack of Ross Malmgren and the North Paulding Wolfpack. Malmgren has passed for 2,589 yards and 26-TDs with only 3 interceptions. His main targets are Kellan Autenrueth and Jarod Ray. Westlake is averaging 40.2 points per game will North Paulding is averaging 31.1 points per game. We don’t believe either one of these teams will get to their average this week, but we like Westlake to win a tightly contested game by 4 points.

 

 

 

The Skinny

Mountain View will travel to Norcross to take on the Blue Devils. The Bears offense has been powered by Davian Criss this season. He has rushed for 1,257 yards and 17-TDs. The Bears are averaging 25.6 points per game on offense. Jacob Lund leads the defense with 6.5 sacks. Norcross is led by the arm of Louis Williams; he has passed for 1,901 yards and 19-TDs. The offense is averaging 30 points per game. Both teams have a common opponent, in Parkview. Norcross fared better against Parkview than did Mountain View. We think the Blue Devils will be able to hold off the Bears this week and advance. We like Norcross by 10.

 

 

The Skinny

There is scarcely enough room in our preview to talk about the stars that will line up for the Grayson Rams on Friday night. The Rams feature several D-1 prospects including the like of offensive linemen Wanya Morris, Trent Hones and Jakai Clark. They’ve paved the way for over 1,800 rushing yards for the Rams backfield.  J’kori Jones has passed for over 1,600 yards on the season for Grayson.  Visiting South Forsyth is led by running back Jordan Brunson and quarterback Drew Morris. The War Eagles are averaging 22.1 points per game. We think they will need a big night on offense in order to best the Rams this week. That’s a tough task considering Grayson is giving up 15.8 points per game. We just don’t see a scenario playing out that South can slow down Grayson. We like the Rams by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR Week-12 GHSA Football Poll

Posted on November 4, 2018 by admin

Our Week-12 polls have been published and are listed below. With the playoffs beginning this Friday, this is the final regular season poll that we will publish.

Milton is back in our top-10 this week. The Eagles clinched the Region 5-7A title with a big win over North Forsyth. Westlake moves up one spot in the poll, while the rest of the poll remains unchanged.

In 6-A., the Creekview Grizzlies and Stephenson Jaguars got big wins this week to secure region titles. The Creekside Seminoles debut in the poll at No. 10 this week; they are the Region 5-6A champions.

The Banneker Trojans make their debut in the 5-A top 10. The come in at No. 10 this week. Carrollton jumps two spots to No. 8 while Jones County drops one spot after a loss to Stockbridge. Meanwhile, Warner Robins had to forfeit a win due to a self reported violation. The forfeit has no impact on their ranking this week.

In Class 4A the Cartersville defense flexed it’s muscle to win the Region 5-4A title.  There were no new entrants into the poll, but Troup drops to No. 8 this week.

For the second consecutive week, there were no changes in the Class 3A.

The Douglass Astros debut at No. 10 in the Class 2-A poll. They are the only new entrant into the poll.

In 1A-Public, the ECI Bulldogs fell out of the top-10 this week, making room for the Trion Bulldogs, who have been in and out of the top-10 this season. Greene County was the biggest mover, vaulting two spots to No 7.

Mount de Sales Academy comes in at No. 10 this week, replacing Aquinas in the Class 1A-Private poll this week. Savannah Christian is all the way up to No. 4 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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TFR Week-12 Eight Greats Around the State Part II

Posted on November 1, 2018 by admin

Week-12 ushers in the end of the regular season for GHSA football. In part two of our Eight Greats Around The State, we look at two games which will determine the region champion, one game that could determine the title or muddy up the playoff picture and one game that will  decide which team will host a first round playoff game and which team will be on the road. Heard County hosts Bremen on Friday night with a lot at stake. A Heard County win will secure a region title for the Braves, while a Bremen win will force a tie breaker to determine the region winer…Mitchell County and Pelham will tangle for the 103rd time this weekend. Mitchell County has dominated the series, but Pelham has been soaring this season. A lot at stake in this one including a region title, county bragging rights, and improved standing in the power ranking…The winner of the Stockbridge-Jones County game will not region title, but the winner will host a home playoff game…Meanwhile, Wayne County and Ware County will battle for a region title in Jessup. Will MJ Fuller run wild or will the youth movement of the Ware County Gators prevail…

 

Please feel free to share and comment. Thanks for reading through the entire season. As always, please send any feedback!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Heard County Braves will travel to Bremen with a chance to clinch  their 5th region title in 7 years. Since a 33-point set back to Rockmart, the Braves have beaten all-comers including a three-point win over Callaway. Heard County is averaging 33.5 points per game in their seven wins. In their two losses, they’ve combined for 3 points total. While Aaron Beasley isn’t the sole reason for Heard County’s success, he is a big reason. The two-way star makes big plays from his safety position on defense and can break a long run in an instant.

Regardless of the outcome of the game this Friday, the Bremen Blue Devils have proved they are a team to be reckoned with in Class 2A. They served notice in week one with a win over Rabun County. With a win this Friday, Bremen will almost certainly send the region into a three-way tie for first. The Blue Devils have their own two-way star in Jalen Dallas. Bremen leads the region in points scored on the season, with 347; and have given up the fewest points per game (10) on the season. This game should come down to one possession. We give the nod to Bremen at home, by a field goal.

 

 

 

The Skinny

County rivals will face off for the 103rd time this week as Mitchell County travels to take on the Pelham Hornets. After a game one loss to Brooks County, the Eagles have won eight straight games. In that span, they’ve shutout four opponents. They are giving up 8.3 points per game. Quarterback James Thomas has passed for 959 yards with 15-TDs and only 1-pick. Thomas also leads the team in rushing with 584 yards and 9-TDs. As a team, Mitchell County has rushed for 1,870 yards on the season. Eric Caison leads the team in receiving with 17 receptions and 466 yards.

On the south side of the county, the Pelham Hornets have put together an impressive season. They lead the region in scoring, averaging 56.7 points per game while only giving up 6.5 points per game. Kendrick Patterson and Darrell Starling have split time at quarterback this season. The juniors have combined for over 1,300 yards passing on the season. Patterson also leads a host of Hornets in rushing. The team has rushed for over 1,900 yards this season. We are not sure how difficult the schedule has been for either team, but we think that Pelham should be able to outscore Mitchell County. We like the Hornets at home by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

While a region title is not on the line on Friday night, a home playoff game is the reward for the winner of the Stockbridge-Jones County game. The teams play a contrasting style as Stockbridge has been more geared towards the run, while Jones County likes to air it out.  Stockbridge quarterback Jevon McDonald has passed for 935 yards on the season. But McDonald also leads the team in rushing with 735 yards and 11-TDs. The Stockbridge defense is giving up 11 points per game this season. John Prince has recorded 7 sacks and leads Stockbridge.

Jones County leads Region 4-5A in points per game as they average 38.5 a game.  Junior quarterback Hunter Costlow has passed for over 2,200 yards with 30-TDs. Jontavis Robertson leads the Greyhounds in receiving with 45 receptions for 865 yards and 10-TDs. Senior Semaj Ingram does provide some balance in the run game, he has rushed for 634 yards and 4-TDs. Defensive lineman Jadarian Boykin leads the team in sacks with 12. He might not get many chances for sacks this Friday, but Boykin and the rest of his line mates will need to stuff the Stockbridge run game. We believe that Jones County wins this game at home. Stockbridge won’t make it easy, but the Hounds win by 6.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

These two teams have split the previous two region titles with Wayne County taking the title last year. Ware County won’t make it easy for the Yellow Jackets to repeat. MJ Fuller has rushed for over 900 yards on the season. Fuller is a back that runs with a mix of both power and speed. Shamar Taylor has passed for over 1,200 yards on the season for the Jackets. His top receiver is senior Ashby Cribb. On defense, Wayne is surrendering 13.5 points per game.

Ware County is looking to get back on top of the region this Friday. They have done it primarily with a youth movement on offense at the skill positions. Freshman QB Thomas Castellanos leads the team in passing (867 yards, 7-TDs) and rushing (575 yards, 11-TDs), while sophomore Dream Gainer is second on the team in rushing with 459 yards on the ground. Jeremiah O’hara leads the Gators in receptions (34) and receiving yards (337). Senior Logan Braucht leads the Gators defense with 91 total tackles. Braucht also leads the team in sacks with 4. Wayne County is playing this game at home, we think that’s worth at least a field goal. We like the Jackets to edge the Gators this week and claim their second consecutive region crown.

 

 

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TFR Week-12 Eight Greats Around the State Part I

Posted on November 1, 2018 by admin

Week-12 ushers in the end of the regular season for GHSA football. In part one of our Eight Greats Around the State, we preview four games in which the winner will claim the region title. First we check in with DeKalb county traditional powers Tucker and Stephenson. The teams have only met four previous times. Both teams have pretty good defensive lines, but which team will be able to break through and impose their will…Lowndes will travel to Colquitt for the Class 1-7A title. No one has been able to slow down the Packers this season, does Lowndes have what it takes…Up in Northeast Georgia, The Union County Panthers have quietly put together an impressive undefeated season. But now comes what should prove to be the most difficult test for the Panthers; a date with the defending region champ Rabun County…In our final game, we preview the Troup-Cartersville game. Coach Glisson told us earlier this season in a podcast that this game really isn’t a rivalry until Troup beats Cartersville a few times. Is this the start of that trend or will the Canes maintain their stranglehold on region titles.

 

Please feel free to share and comment. Thanks for reading through the entire season. As always, please send any feedback!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

Stephenson and Tucker will meet in a game that will determine the Region 4-6A champion. The Tucker Tigers got off to a bit of a slow start this season with losses to two of the top programs in Georgia. Yet the Tigers have gotten the job done in region play and have a chance to make it two consecutive wins against the Jaguars. Donny Harris and Tyler Hughey lead the Tigers on the ground. Combined, the two backs have rushed for 1,501 yards and 16-TDs. The Tigers might not have some of the same star power they have in the past, but Derrick McLendon is a star for the Tigers on defense. McLendon leads the Tigers in sacks this season.

Stephenson has also reeled off seven consecutive wins after dropping a week two matchup to county rival Southwest DeKalb. The Jaguars are averaging 36.5 points per game. Ryan Ingram and Jevon Goff have filled in for the injured Deandre Jackson this season. The two backs have combined for 1,085 yards and 16-TDs. The Jaguars defense is only giving up 11 points per game. Omari Terry leads the team in total tackles. The defensive line is probably one of the best in DeKalb county led by Jamal Andrews, Nazir Stackhouse and Joshua Black. This game really looks like a toss-up. We think points will be at a premium this week. But we like Stephenson to win by 4.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lowndes Vikings and Colquitt County Packers will meet to decide the Region 1-7A champion. The Vikings were the last team to beat Colquitt in the regular season; that happened back in October of 2017. Lowndes is led by Travis Tisdale, who has rushed for 1,391 yards and 18-TDs. As a team, the Vikings are averaging 300 yards on the ground.

Colquitt County has won convincingly all season long. The offense is averaging 43 points per game while the defense is only giving up 9 points per game. We have talked about the Colquitt offensive players in past previews, but we wanted to spotlight a couple of young men that lead the defense. Rashard Revels has recorded 119 total tackles from his linebacker position. Revels is also second on the team with 10 sacks. Kendrick Neloms leads the Packers in sacks with 11 and is second on the team in tackles with 103. It’s also worth mentioning that 90% of Ryan Fitzgerald’s kickoffs go for touch-backs and he’s averaging 40.3 yards per punt. He’s also 10 of 12 on field goals with a long of 57 yards. No shocker here, we like Colquitt by 13.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Union County Panthers will travel to Tiger, Georgia to take on the Rabun County Wildcats. The Panthers were reclassified from Class 3A last season and have really dominated most of their competition this season. Junior quarterback Pierson Allison has passed for almost 2,474 yards and 20-TDs. Allison also leads Union County in rushing with 597 yards and 8-TDs. While Chad Buzzard has also rushed for 521 yards and 11-TDs. Allison’s top receivers have been Sawyer Drake (746 yards, 6-TDs) and Kyle Morlock (608 yards, 6-TDs). Sloan Sutton has recorded 101 total tackles on the season and leads the team in sacks with 5. He and the rest of the Union defense are giving up 10.4 points per game.

The Rabun County Wildcats have won eight straight games since an opening round loss to Bremen. Freshman QB Gunner Stockton has had a pretty good season by most accounts, passing for 1,924 yards and 24-TDs. Brison Beck will look to go over the thousand yard mark this week as he sits on 952 yards. Braxton Hicks leads the team in receiving with 541 yards and 9-Tds. The Rabun County defense is giving up 15.4 points per game. Jackson Webb leads the team with 10.5 sacks. He could cause some troubles for Union’s Pierson Allison, if the Panthers offensive line don’t account for him.. This is another game that could be high scoring. We like Rabun County to win at home by 10 and claim their 5th consecutive region title.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Region 5-4A title will be on the line as undefeated Troup will travel to Cartersville to take on the defending region champs, the Cartersville Hurricanes. The Troup Tigers have a high-powered offense that averages 40.4 points per game. First year quarterback Kobe Hudson has passed for over 2,400 yards on the season with 25-TDs. Hudson also leads the team in rushing with 772 yards and 11-TDs. Trey Williams is second on the team in rushing with 575 yards. Jamari Thrash leads an electrifying group of receivers with 615 yards and 9-TDs. Linebackers King Mwikuta and Joko Willis lead a defense that’s only giving up 15.4 points per game.

The Canes from Cartersville perhaps have an even more impressive defense, as they are only giving up 5.5 points per game. The Canes have four shutouts on the season. Offensively, Cartersville is averaging a hair under 40 points per game. There are plenty of offensive weapons for the Canes including QB Tee Webb, and running backs Quante Jennings and Marcus Gary. We don’t know if Cartersville can hold the high scoring Troup offense to less than a touchdown. In fact, we think this game is going to be  a track meet. We think Troup will finally change the tide of  this series and leave Cartersville with a 6-point win in a high scoring game.

 

 

 

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TFR Week-12 Cherokee County Football Preview

Posted on October 31, 2018 by admin

It’s Week-12 of the high school football season, as the regular season comes to an end. Four of the county teams are still jockeying for playoff position. Sequoyah will travel to Allatoona as they look to get back on track. At stake this week for the Sequoyah Chiefs and Allatoona Bucs is a chance to host a home playoff game. An Allatoona win will secure a first round home game for the Bucs. While Sequoyah will need to win and then get help from Creekview and win the tie-breaker… River Ridge will host Sprayberry this week as the young Knights look to close out the season against a battle tested Sprayberry team. While both teams are out of contention for a playoff spot, they will both try to finish the season with momentum going into the offseason…Perhaps one of the biggest games in the state will take place when Harrison travels to Creekview. It’s a winner take all game, as the winner will claim the region title…Woodstock will host Walton to close out the season. Can the Wolverines stop the high-powered Walton offense? Walton’s sputtered a little bit last week. Will there be more of the same against Woodstock…Cherokee is at home and will host Lassiter this week. A win will secure the No. 3 seed in Region-4 play for the Warriors. A loss could make things a little more interesting in terms of seeding…Etowah will host Roswell this week. Currently the Eagles are slotted as the No. 4 seed in the Region-4. With an upset of Roswell and a Cherokee loss, the Eagles could find themselves as the 3 seed. Can the Eagles upset the Hornets…

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

The Skinny

At stake this week for the Sequoyah Chiefs and Allatoona Bucs is a chance to host a home playoff game. An Allatoona win will secure a first round home game for the Bucs. Sequoyah will need to win and then get help from Creekview. That would force a three-way tie between Sequoyah, Harrison, and Allatoona. Allatoona has won both of the prior matchups against Sequoyah and has really been the more physical team in those games. The Bucs struggled early in the season, but they have reeled off seven straight wins. In those seven wins, The Allatoona defense is only giving up 8.4 points per game. On offense, the Bucs have relied on the legs of Daniel Parsons, who has rushed for 928 yards on the season. The Bucs are averaging 229 yards on the ground per game. So it will be paramount for the Chiefs to slow down the Bucs ground game. Junior kicker Jude Kelley has a big leg and could prove to be an x-factor for the Allatoona.

Meanwhile, the Sequoyah offense has put up some big numbers this season. In their two losses, the Chiefs have not scored over 17 points. Perhaps that‘s a trend tp take note of. On the season, the Sequoyah offense is averaging 34.3 points per game. The Chiefs will need to clean up on some of the miscues that ultimately did them in last week against the Hoyas. Can the Chiefs match Allatoona’s physicality on both lines of scrimmage? We think the Chiefs can, but the Bucs won’t make it easy. We like Sequoyah by 3.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 Sprayberry and River Ridge will face off on Friday as both teams will finish the season outside of the playoff conversation. The young River Ridge Knights have gone through some growing pains. They’ve played one of the most difficult…if not the most difficult schedule in the county. Chico Ward and Amehre Morrison have been bright spots on the offense. Last week Morrison scored twice and the Knights will need more of that to close out the season with a win. River Ridge will also be looking to play a cleaner game, limiting turnovers and miscues.

The Sprayberry Yellow Jackets have played all of the top teams in Region-6 extremely close. The Yellow Jackets are probably a better team than their record indicates. Myles Worthy is a tough back to bring down so River Ridge will have to key in on him. We think that the Jackets are a little too experienced for the Knights this week, Sprayberry wins it by 13.

 

 

 

The Skinny

Coach Adam Carter has changed the personality of the Creekview Grizzly program. With a win this Friday against Harrison, the Grizzlies will secure their first region title in program history. Standing in the way of a perfect regular season is the defending region champ, Harrison Hoyas. They Hoyas escaped Hickory Flat last week with a narrow win over the Sequoyah Chiefs. Harrison didn’t have a pretty game last week, but they got enough offense from Gavin Hall and David Roberts to put themselves in position at a chance for another region title this week.

Creekview has used a formula of disciplined, attacking defense and a steady dose of Cade Radam on offense to help guide them to nine wins. Radam had  a big week against Sprayberry last Friday as he rushed for 210 yards and 2-TDs. On the season Radam his rushed for over 1,300 yards. He has the luxury of running behind Clemson commit John Williams and perhaps one of the top unsigned linemen in the state, Nick Pendley as well as Tanner Taranto and John Clenney among others. The Creekview defense is surrendering 10 points per game on the season. We like that trend to continue this week. This might not be a pretty game, but we like Creekview to win by 6 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Woodstock Wolverines will host the Walton Raiders to close out the season. Walton has won 7 of the last 8 in the series. Some injuries at key skill positions set the Wolverines back a bit earlier then in the season and ultimately made for an uphill battle for Woodstock to make the post season. Ryan Martin and Trevor Stephens will look to close out with an upset of the Walton Raiders. Walker Ormsby will have a chance to continue to improve as he looks to be the future at quarterback of the future for Coach Budde.

Although the Walton Raiders have already clinched the No. 2 seed in the region, they will look to find a rhythm this week against Woodstock. Walton is averaging 35.5 points per game on offense. Dual threat quarterback Austin Kirksey has a couple of talented wide receivers in Kendall Alford and Dominick Blaylock; these two will certainly be a challenging matchup for the Wolverines defense. It goes without saying that Walton wants to get out of this game healthy to prepare for the post-season. We don’t think that will make them tentative. We like Walton by 14 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lassiter Trojans close out the season on the road at Tommy Baker Field against the Cherokee Warriors. It’s been a long season for the Trojans, but Lassiter can play a bit of a spoiler against the Warriors this Friday. The Trojans have some weapons on offense led by quarterback Mitch Storm and running back Nnamdi Orijoke. However, they have had some trouble putting points on the board as they are averaging 11.5 points per game.

Cherokee will be looking to avoid the upset and hang on to the No. 3 seed and avoid a potential first round match-up with the No. 1 team in Class 7-A. The Warriors went win-less last season, so it’s nice to see them back in the post season. Cherokee’s defense held Walton to 27 points last week, which tied a season low for Walton. We would expect another strong performance from the Warriors defense this week. This could be a big senior night for the likes of Grant Hornbuckle, McKinley Hunter, Grant Mogelnicki  and Kerwin Majano. We like the Warriors by 17 this week and a shutout by the Warriors defense certainly wouldn’t surprise us either.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Etowah Eagles will play their final home game of the season this Friday as they host the Roswell Hornets. Both teams have clinched a playoff berth and while an Etowah win coupled with Cherokee loss would move the Eagles to the 3-seed. But before we get to next week in the playoffs, Etowah will need to slow down a Roswell offense that’s averaging 36.7 points per game. Etowah’s defense has recorded two shutouts on the season.

Meanwhile the Etowah offense has had some fits and starts on offense. They are averaging 17.2 points per game. If Etowah can control the clock and keep this game low scoring, those 17 points could be plenty. We think it might be too tall of a task to ask of the Eagles. Too much Ethan Roberts and Kamonty Jett…we like Roswell by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

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TFR Week-11 GHSA Football Poll

Posted on October 28, 2018 by admin

Our Week-11 polls have been published and are listed below.

There was not much movement in Class 7A. The Westlake Lions make their debut in our poll this week as the come in at No. 10. The Lions will be looking to wrap up the Region 2-7A title this coming Friday.

In Class 6A, the Harrison Hoyas won a pivotal matchup against the then 6thranked Chiefs. The Hoyas are up to No. 6 this week. Meanwhile, Dacula makes their debut at No. 10 this week.

There where no changes in the Class 5A poll. No 1 ranked Rome closed out their regular season schedule undefeated.

Class 4A No. 1 Blessed Trinity outlasted Marist 10-7 last week to claim the Region 7-4A title. The loss dropped the War Eagles one spot to No. 8 while Pickens moves up to No. 8.

There were no changes in the Class 3A poll this week.

The Class 2A poll remains unchanged as well. There are big matchups in both Region 5-2A (Bremen vs. Heard Co.) and Region 8-2A (Rabun Co. vs. Union Co.) this week as the playoff picture will become crystal clear by Saturday morning.

In 1A-Public, the ECI Bulldogs picked up a big win over Montgomery County. The win vaults the Bulldogs into the top-10 this week. Commerce drops two spots to No. 6 after a 1-point loss to Riverside Military Academy.

North Cobb Christian was the big winner in Class 1A-Private. They beat then No. 5 Darlington by two scores. In a Top-10 matchup, Prince Avenue beat George Walton Academy by 3. George Walton remains at No. 8 this week in spite of the loss.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR Week-11 Eight Greats Around the State Part II

Posted on October 24, 2018 by admin

Week-11 looks to help settle a lot of the uncertainty in the regions standings. In Class-A, Claxton will face Savannah Christian and with a win by the Tigers, they would calm a share of the sub-region crown. While Savannah Christian can claim the sub-region outright with a win…Clinch County and Charlton County won’t be playing for a region title, but the long-time rivals will be playing to improve their seeding in the postseason…In a rematch of the 2017 Class 4A state title game, the Marist War Eagles and Blessed Trinity Titans will face off once again for the region title. Can the War Eagles maintain their hot streak, or will it be Blessed Trinity to the talks claim to the region crown…Finally, Brooks County and Fitzgerald will face off for the Region 2-2A title. Both of these teams control their own destiny. Whose rushing attack will reign supreme this week…These questions and much more will be answered this week.

Please feel free to share and comment. Thanks for reading!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Claxton Tigers are one of the teams that has reversed their fortunes in 2018. Last season the Tigers went 3-7, but this season the Tigers sit at 6-1 and with a win on Friday could potentially force a three-way tie atop the region. On top of that, the Tigers sit firmly at No. 11 in the latest Class-A Public Power rankings. If that holds, the Tigers would host a first round playoff game. Karon Taylor and Myles Freeman have done most of the damage for Claxton this season. Shakari Denson has been a ball hawk in the Tigers secondary. He could certainly cause problems for the Raiders passing attack.

First year Coach Baker Woodward has led Savannah Christian to a 7-1 record and with a win this week, would clinch a sub-region title. Nate Moon, Jordan Grant and Marquell Brown have combined to run for 1,784 yards and 22-TDs on the season. NC State commit Dylan McMahon anchors the offensive line for the Raiders. Omar Burroughs leads the Raiders secondary with 5 picks on the season. The Savannah Christian defense is only yielding 11.1 points per game. If Claxton is going to win this one, this game will have to be low scoring. We don’t think that will be the case. We like the Raiders by 11.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

Both Clinch County and Charlton County are in line to earn a spot in the post season. The two South Georgia rivals will face off for the 57thtime. A win would improve either teams standings in the power rankings. Trezman Marshall and Dantonio Robinson help spearhead the be Clinch County Attack. Jeremiah Johnson can also be a mismatch in the passing game for the Panthers. Johnson stands at 6’7”. The Panthers defense has given up 13.8 points per game on the season. Their only loss on the season was to No. 1 ranked Irwin County.

Charlton County may get lost in the shuffle behind Clinch County and Irwin County, but the Indians will be a contender in Class-A Public in the post season. Raykwon Anderson and Michael Elliott have been mainstays for the offense and have helped lead Charlton County to a 6-2 record. One of those losses came at the hands of the aforementioned Irwin County and the other to Appling County. The Indians are averaging 27.3 points per game. We think that they might need to score 30 to outlast Clinch, we just don’t believe the Panthers will give up that many. We like Clinch by 9.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Marist War Eagles will travel to Roswell to take on the Blessed Trinity Titans in a game that should determine the region champion. As most everyone knows, these two teams met up in the state final game in 2017, with Blessed Trinity claiming the championship. Since then these teams have been on a collision course. The Titans are led by handful of two-way players including Steele Chambers (813 yards rushing, 15-TDs, 54 total tackles), Ryan Davis (412 yards receiving, 16 total tackles, 1-Int) and Jake Smith (991 passing yards 8-TDs and 2-Ints on defense). JD Bertrand (54 tackles) J.R. Bivens (22 tackles) and Quinton Reese (28 tackles) help lead a defense that is giving up 9.5 points per game.

Marist will be looking to claim their 25th region title with a win on Friday night. Much of their success will depend on how well that QB Connor Cigelske can execute the offensive attack. Cigelske has been the leading rusher for the War Eagles, but Marist does have a playmaker in WR/DB Kyle Hamilton. While Cigelske will need to be effective on offense, the Marist defensive line of Ryan Mannelly, Dean Colton and Adam Pozzobon will be tasked with slowing down Steele Chambers. Marist has reeled off five consecutive wins since the loss to St. Pius, including a shutout last week of Flowery Branch. The prior three meetings have been decided by a combined 12-points. We think  momentum swings back to Marist and believe the War Eagles will pick up the win on the road by 2 points.

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes and Brooks County Trojans will face off in a Quitman for the Region 1-2A title. The Hurricanes have won four straight games since their September 14th loss to Dodge County. The ground-oriented attack of Fitzgerald is averaging 30.6 points per game on the season. Their biggest victory to date may have been a come from behind victory two weeks ago over Thomasville.

With a win on Friday, Brooks County will clinch it’s first region title since 2015.  Quarterbacks Jacolby Brown and Ni’tavion Burrus have combined to pass for 1,194 yards and 13-TDs on the season. Wide receiver Deon Fountain might be the best offensive weapon for the Trojans. He leads the team in rushing 306 yards and has also caught 48 passes for 605 yards and 12 total TDs. On defense Darryl Gallon has recorded 9 sacks this season for a defense that is giving up 16.6 points per game. We think Fitzgerald has closed the gap on the Trojans, but we still like Brooks County by a touchdown this week.

 

 

 

 

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