Conversations with Coaches – Tyler Wynn – River Ridge Knights

Posted on August 14, 2018 by admin

Like many teams across the state, the River Ridge Knights will be looking to fill several holes with the losses of graduation. In today’s podcast, we talk to Coach Wynn about some of the challenges that the Knights will face this season. We also talk about players that stand out on the field and in the community. Coach Wynn also tells as about what it means to be R-E-A-L for him and within the River Ridge Football Program.

 

 

 

In case you missed it, you can check out our River Ridge Football Preview here: River Ridge Football Preview

Please remember to visit our segment sponsor HilStrides(https://www.facebook.com/HilStrides/). Make sure you tell them you heard about them from The Turd Ferguson Report!

Please feel free to share and follow us on Twitter: @turdfurgesonrpt and on the web at https://turdfurgeson.com

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2018 Class 2A Region Previews

Posted on August 13, 2018 by admin

Our 2A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

Short Take

 

Thomasville looks to be primed for another deep run into the playoffs this season. We believe they will hoist another region trophy this season. We think that Brooks County will give the Bulldogs all they want on October 5th, but the Thomasville should prevail.

 

Short Take

 

We don’t expect for anyone to be upset that Benedictine has moved on to Class 3A. We believe the region will be more up for grabs this season, but we give the nod to Toombs County. Swainsboro, Vidalia and Jeff Davis should be in the mix all season long.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

Dodge County is our pick to win region 3. We expect for Washington County and Dublin should battle it out for the number two seed in the region.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

We expect a little bit of a drop off from defending region champ, Screven County. With the addition of Hephzibah coming down from class 4A, this region just got a little tougher. We are buying in to the Hephzibah hype, but Jefferson County should be the class of the region in 2018.

 

 

Short Take

 

We have region 5 as a two-horse race, between Heard County and Callaway. The two teams will face off on October 19th, and we believe this game will decide the region champion. Heard County gets the nod for as region champ.

 

Short Take

 

Graduation took a toll on Hapeville Charter, but we still expect the Hornets to be on top of the region. Douglass and KIPP Collegiate, shouldn’t be too far behind this season. Don’t be shocked if one of these two teams sneak up on the Hornets this season.

 

 

Short Take

 

Rockmart is our pick here for to repeat as region champ. The Yellow Jackets return several weapons for an offense that averaged over 40 points per game last season. Pepperell, Chattooga, Model and Coosa should be in the mix for playoff spots. Gordon Central should be much improved and are our dark horse to qualify for a playoff spot.

 

 

Short Take

 

Rabun County is our pick for to win the region again this year. Elbert County could be a team that challenges Rabun County, but we just think the Wildcats return to much for the Blue Devils, or anyone else to unseat them.

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2018 Class 4A Region Previews

Posted on August 13, 2018 by admin

Our 4A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

 

We like for Cairo to bounce back and claim the region title this season in Region 1. However, we don’t believe it will be easy. Americus-Sumter should run neck and neck with the Syrupmakers all season.

 

 

Short Take

 

Mary Persons looks to be at the head of the class in Region 2. We anticipate that West Laurens and Spalding to battle it out again for second place this season.

 

 

Short Take

 

Burke County is our pick for region champion in Region 3. Thomson should be nipping at their heels also season long. We expect that Baldwin will have some say in this before the dust settles on November 2nd.

 

 

Short Take

 

Woodward Academy is our pick this season to top Region 4. Last season, Eastside gave them all they wanted. If Eastside is going to hoist the region title, they’ll have to find a way to get past Woodward in College Park on October 5th. Don’t count out Salem, either. We believe the Seminoles have enough talent to challenge both Eastside and Woodward.

 

 

Short Take

 

We are drinking the Troup County Kool-Aid this season. We go out on a limb and think Troup will be able wrestle away control of the region this season from Cartersville. We expect Cedartown and Sandy Creek to round out the top four.

 

Short Take

 

We like the Ridgeland Panthers to repeat as region 6 champions. They should face some stiff competition from Pickens and Southeast Whitfield. Can the Panthers new head coach pick up where Wesley Tankersley left off? (We think so.)

 

 

Short Take

As if this region wasn’t difficult enough, Flowery Branch was re-classified this year and now joins the fray. We expect the Blessed Trinity Titans to claim the region title this season. You can never count Marist out, either. Denmark, the newest Forsyth County school will also compete in region 7.

 

 

Short Take

 

St. Pius is our pick to once again hoist the region title at the end of the season. While it may not be a run away this season, the Golden Lions should have enough fire power to keep Madison, Oconee and Stephens County at bay. Stephens County is our dark horse.

 

 

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Conversations with Coaches William Harrell – Hephzibah Rebels

Posted on August 13, 2018 by admin

The Hephzibah Rebels enter the 2018 season with some holes to fill on both sides of the football. Coach William Harrell is in his 3rd season at Hephzibah and is holding his rebels to a high standard. Coach Harrell was honored as the Region Coach of the Year in 2017.  This year, the Rebels drop down two classifications, but there are still some question marks for the Rebels. Tune in as Coach Harrell gives us an in-depth preview of the Rebels for the upcoming season.

 

 

In case you missed it, you can check out our Hephzibah Preview here: Hephzibah Football Preview

Please remember to visit our segment sponsor http://www.yourganizeit.com Make sure you tell them you heard about them from The Turd Furgeson Report!

Please feel free to share and follow us on Twitter: @turdfurgesonrpt and on the web at https://turdfurgeson.com

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2018 Class 7A Region Previews

Posted on August 12, 2018 by admin

Our 7A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

Colquitt County appears to be the usual suspect here to win the region. While the Packers finished third in the region last season, they return plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to make another deep run into the state tournament. Our surprise, which might not be a surprise, will be Camden County. We think the Wildcats will improve enough to return to the playoffs in 2018.

 

 

 

Short Take

The Pebblebrook Falcons are in the midst of a resurgence. But we believe this is still Westlake’s region for the taking. We know we aren’t going out on a limb with the top four teams here, but these look like a safe bet. It’s up to East Coweta and Wheeler to prove us wrong.

 

 

Short Take

 

On paper, there really isn’t much reason to doubt that Marietta is the best team in the Region. Hillgrove and McEachern should have enough talent to make things interesting. But we believe there is just too much offensive firepower for most teams in the region to keep up. But if there’s anyone that will give Marietta  a test, we believe it will be the McEachern Indians, who have a talented but raw sophomore at quarterback who’s looking to step in to the limelight himself.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

This region should be Walton’s for the taking. They return a very talented quarterback and receiver tandem. Probably too much for any region opponent to keep in check. The real battle will be for the last three playoff spots. We like Etowah, because they return an experienced back and a pretty good offensive line. We expect Woodstock and Roswell to be somewhere in the mix come late-October.

 

 

Short Take

We believe that this will be a two-horse race ultimately between Milton and South Forsyth. The South Forsyth Eagles do get hit a little bit with the opening of Denmark High, but we think they’ll play well enough to be in contention for a region title. The October 12th matchup with Milton should go a long way in determining the region champion.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

North Gwinnett is the defending 7A state champion. This region is no cake-walk, but we think that North Gwinnett will bring home another Region Title. We expect for Mill Creek and Mountain View to contend for the 2nd spot in the region. Peachtree Ridge and Discovery should be improved, but not enough to make the top four this season.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

If there is a trend in Region 7 it would be the youth movement. Brookwood, Norcross and Parkview are perennial powers. We give Brookwood the edge this season over both Norcross and Parkview, but it won’t be a run-away. The last two games between the Panthers and Broncos have been decided by a total of 4 points. Meadowcreek had an amazing run in 2017, but lose one of the best backs in the state to graduation.

 

 

Short Take

 

The Grayson roster is littered with talent on both sides of the ball. We expect the Rams to get the best of Archer this season. We really believe that this is a two-horse race. And it should be decided on October 12th.

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2018 Class 5A Region Previews

Posted on August 12, 2018 by admin

Our 5A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

 

We expect Warner Robins to be right back at the top of Region 1 when the season ends. We expect a shift in power below Warner Robins. Look for Harris County and TCC to be improved over last season. October 19th should be a big date in the region which will answer a lot of questions.

 

 

Short Take

 

We expect for Wayne County and Ware County to be at the top of the class this season. Quite frankly, we’d be shocked if either of them had a region loss come their November 2nd contest. We gave Wayne the nod again. But we won’t be surprised if Coach Stephens has the Gators ready to reclaim the top spot in the region.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

We like Griffin to lay claim to the region title this season, but it won’t be a run away. Starr’s Mill has to replace a lot of talent from a season ago. We think Whitewater could be a team that challenges the Bears. Our sleeper team is McIntosh. They’ve got a pretty good signal caller under center. While McIntosh won’t surprise folks in Peachtree City, they could be a surprise team for the rest of the state.

 

 

Short Take

 

Jones County and Stockbridge are our picks to battle for the top spot in Region 4. We think that Ola is a team on the risen this region. But ultimately, we believe the region will be decided by the November 2nd game between Stockbridge and Jones County.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

Wa believe Arabia Mountain will be right back on top in Region 5 when the dust settles. We don’t expect for Miller Grove or Southwest DeKalb to go quietly into the night. Look for these teams to battle it out all season long.

 

Short Take

 

The Carver Panthers are our pick to top Region 6 this season. They return perhaps the best running back in the region and we believe that will be just enough to edge out Banneker and Jackson.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

It’s no surprise that we selected Rome to be on top of Region 7. They are also our pick to repeat. Perhaps their QB does not get as much press as he should, but I’m sure that the Wolves signal caller is just fine guiding his team to victories. Carrollton has a couple of outstanding linebackers and will probably present the biggest challenge for Rome on September 14th. Hiram is our sleeper team here to make the playoffs. While we have them finishing outside of the top 4, they’ve got a senior quarterback and could be re-energized with a new head coach.

 

Short Take

 

Buford looks to be best in class again in region 8. They look to be the closest thing to a sure bet outside of Rome and Warner Robins. We believe Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals will be battling it out for second and third place. Loganville gets our nod to round out the top four.

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TFR Pre-Season GHSA Football Top-10 Rankings

Posted on August 12, 2018 by admin

Each Sunday, we will release our Top-10 poll in each classification. Polls are fun and can provide spirited and healthy conversation. We welcome all poll feedback each week.

The schools that top the TFR pre-season poll in each classification are: Grayson (7A); Lee County (6A); Rome (5A); Blessed Trinity (4A); Greater Atlanta Christian (3A); Hapeville Charter (2A); Irwin County (A-Public); and Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (A-Private).

Week one should really give us a good indication of where these teams stand out and who we may have overlooked or over-ranked in the pre-season. Most teams have compelling arguments to be in the poll, but ultimately, it’s the region standings at the end of the season that determine a birth in the post season. With that said, please enjoy the poll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2018 Class 3A Region Previews

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

Our 3A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

 

Crisp County is our pick for region champion. Much like last season, we believe that this should be a run-away for Crisp. Expect for Monroe and Cook to battle it out for the number two spot.

 

Short Take

 

This region looks like it will come down to the Liberty County vs. Pierce County match-up at the end of the season on November 2nd. Appling County should be much improved, but they are probably a year away from challenging Liberty or Pierce.

 

 

Short Take

 

Benedictine moves up in classification this season, but we still believe that they will claim the top spot in region 3. Southeast Bulloch and Jenkins should battle for the second seed. We just think Benedictine is too strong, even with the losses that they suffered from last season.

 

Short Take

 

Perhaps our most unconventional pick in Class 3A, we like Westside Macon to shake things up in region 4 and replace Peach County at the top of the region. We think that the November 2nd match-up between Peach and Westside will determine the region champ.

 

 

Short Take

 

We believe that once again, it will be Cedar Grove atop the region, and everyone else will be playing for second place. It should be a three horse race for the remaining playoff spots behind Cedar Grove, with Lovett, Pace and Westminster battling it out.

 

Short Take

 

Calhoun won the class 3A state title last season, so it should be no surprise that the Jackets top our list of Region 6 teams. North Murray should contend along with Adairsville and Ringgold. But we don’t think any of these teams will be in reach of Calhoun in 2018.

 

Short Take

 

Greater Atlanta Christian looks to be the class of region 7. They sport an imposing offensive and defensive line. Dawson County should head up the best of the rest. The Tigers could have the best shot at knocking of GAC, but we just don’t think that will happen this season.

 

 

 

Short Take

The Jefferson Dragons drop down in classification, and like Benedictine, we expect for them to be at the top of the region when the dust settles. It won’t be a run away, as Morgan County and Monroe Area should have plenty of talent to compete with the Dragons.

 

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2018 Class 6A Region Previews

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

Our 6A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

 

Lee County is the defending state Champion in 6A. We believe that they have enough fire power to hold off Coffee, who was the runner-up last season. We expect a bit of a bounce back from Valdosta. The Cats could challenge for a number 2 seed in a very challenging region.

 

 

Short Take

This region felt like a toss-up between the Glynn County schools, Brunswick and Glynn Academy. We like Glynn Academy, but it won’t be a run-away for the Red Terrors. We expect for both Brunswick and Richmond Hill to be in the mix all the way down the stretch.

 

 

Short Take

 

We are really buying in to the Grovetown Warriors and Coach Damien Postell. They might just have enough fire power to knock off the defending region champs, but don’t count Evans out. The November 2nd match-up should determine the Region Champion.

 

 

 

 

Short Take

 

We expect this region to come down to one game, November 2nd when Tucker and Stephenson tangle. Tucker might not be as talented as they have been in years past, but we believe the return enough fire-power to best Stephenson and the rest of the region.

 

 

 

Short Take

The Mays Raiders will look to defend their 2017 region title. In order to do so, they will need to replace several starters on offense and defense. The Raiders return a couple of pieces to the puzzle at the skill positions. Just enough, we believe, to maintain the stranglehold on the top seed. Don’t expect Douglas County, Hughes or Alexander to go quietly into the night. We believe that any four of these teams has a legitimate shot to hoist a region trophy at the end of the season.

 

Short Take

 

This region no longer has to deal with Justin Fields. That’s good news for everyone in Region 6, but Harrison. We believe Allatoona is poised to wrestle the top spot in the region away from Harrison. We feel the Bucs sport the best quarterback in the region and Sequoyah’s quarterback is not too far behind. If Creekview and Sequoyah can match Allatoona’s physicality, then perhaps they will be able to claim the top seed. Both Harrison and Dalton are well coached, so we can’t count them out either. South Cobb will be knocking on the door this season. We’ll take them as our dark horse.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

We selected Centennial as our region champ because we believe they return the best quarterback in region 7. Pope should close the gap a bit with Alpharetta. But we feel pretty confident in the Centennial, Alpharetta, Pope and Chattahoochee all to be in the top 4 at the end of the season.

 

 

 

 

We have Dacula as our region winner and of course, we will stick by that pick. Habersham Central is a team that’s trending up, so don’t be surprised to see the Raiders to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. We expect Gainesville and Lanier to battle it our for the fourth spot in the region.

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Brookwood Broncos Football Preview

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

 

**Don’t forget to listen to our podcast interview with Coach Jones. The link is here: Coach Philip Jones Interview**

 

The Skinny

 

The Brookwood Broncos made an impressive run into the the state semi-finals before falling to Colquitt County last season. While expectations are generally high at Brookwood, each season does present a new set of challenges.

Coach Jones said, “replacing 20 starters from last year’s team.” (will be the biggest challenge).

However, there is plenty of talent left on the Brookwood roster that should be poised to step up in 2018

Perhaps the top returner on offense for the Broncos is lineman Aiden Perkins. The junior is a load at 6’2” 287.  Sean Hill is also a player on the offensive line that could provide some significant contribution up front for the Broncos.

Running Backs Chris Carter and Eli Kohll will look to replace the production Brookwood lost to graduation. MeKal Fuller joins the Broncos this season and should be a productive player for Coach Jones. Last season, Fuller had 489 receiving yards and 4 Tds for Lanier. Omajuwa Etiwe is another wide receiver that could help the Brookwood offense.

 

 

CB Michael Killebrew returns as one of the leaders on defense. Killebrew is a sure tackling ball-hawking defensive back . Linebacker Tony Ward is another player to watch for the Broncos. Ward is a physical attacking linebacker that will also be called upon to step up with the losses that the Broncos had to graduation.

We asked coach Jones if there were any games that were circled on the schedule. There were two that stood out.

“(the) Opener vs. North Gwinnett in Mercedes Benz Stadium,” he said, (and to no ones surprise), “Game 8 vs. Parkview.”

What will make 2018 a successful season for the Broncos?

Jones said, “Loving each other sacrificially and competing daily to be the very best we can be!”

 

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