Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 4 – Part I

Posted on September 8, 2021 by admin

We enter the second quarter of the Georgia High School Football season with another slate of great games. Here are our Eight Greats Around the State for their week. First up the Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines hosts the Holy Innocents’ Bears. The Wolverines will look to keep rolling through the air, while the Bears will try to control the ground and the clock with the triple option who will prevail? Next up in a clash of titans, the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes will host the Creekside Seminoles. Can the Seminoles get another big win and slay another giant this week or will Cartersville hold serve at home?

Down in Cordele, the Crips County Cougars and E.L.C.A. Chargers will tangle as oddly enough, both teams are in search of their first win on the season. Finally, down in Eastman, Dodge County hosts Fitzgerald in a Class-2A top-100 matchup. Dodge County is riding the hot hand of freshman quarterback Duke Johnson, but will Fitzgerald’s defense but an end to their run?

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Skinny

After an opening round defeat at the hands of upstart Calvary Day, Prince Avenue Christian has rolled up some really big offensive numbers of the past two weeks. Despite being g held to 13 points in Week-1, the Wolverines are averaging 47 points per game this season. Quarterback Aaron Philo, (who is just a sophomore), has already thrown for 1,115 yards and 11-TDs. He has seemingly picked up where his predecessor, (Brock Vandagriff) left off. Bailey Stockton, Ethan Christian and Elijah DeWitt have been his man targets, combining for 42 receptions, 780 yards and 9-TDs. 

The Holy Innocents Bears have also been impressive in their own right. In their two games this season, the Bears are averaging 43 points per game and while the defense has already recorded a shutout. Holy Innocents is led by running backs Jacobi Murray and Drew Bomar. The two backs seem to work well in the triple option attack for Holy Innocents. Murray is a load to bring down at 240lbs and is a punishing runner. Holy Innocents won’t pass much, but they do have a budding star in Zach Jackson at receiver. 

This game will be a big contrast in styles. If it’s low scoring, we like Holy Innocents; if it’s a shootout we lake Prince Avenue. We’ll take Prince Avenue by 13.

The Skinny

The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes seem to have not missed a beat from last year’s run to the finals. Quarterback Jake Parker has completed 62.5% of his passes while backs Malachi Jeffries and Khristian Lando have been getting the lion’s share of the carries, combining for 211 yards and 7-TDs. Collin Fletcher and Brynen Wilkins lead the Canes in receiving with 14 receptions for 223 yards and 2-TDs. 

The Creekside Giant Killers…aka the Creekside Seminoles come off of impressive wins defeating the reigning 7A stare champ Grayson in week one. And then to prove it wasn’t a fluke  the beat 6A semifinalist Westlake last week in a thrilling ballgame. Quarterback Nyqua Lett leads the offense as he’s demonstrated an ability to make plays both with his arm and his legs. While Lett was impressive perhaps even more impressive was the Creekside secondary that recorded 10 pass break ups last Friday night. That should come as no surprise as they boast two of the top defensive backs in the state in Roderick McCrary and Dainsus Miller. 

Weinman Stadium is a tough place to play with the Canes winning 49 consecutive home regular season games dating back to November 4th, 2011. We don’t expect for Creekside to be intimidated. We like the Noles by 6.

The Skinny

The Crisp County Cougars will be looking for their first win of the season. The road doesn’t get any easier this week with one of the toughest Class A-Private schools in the state coming to Cordele this Friday. The Cougars have a relatively balanced attack. Last week, it was Ahmad Brown taking snaps under center. Senior Marquis Palmer is the bell cow for this offense with 144 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown. Kevon Merrell continues to lead Crisp in total tackles.

The ELCA Chargers are also in search of their first win of the season. Similar to Crisp they have faced tough competition from higher classifications in their first two games. Quarterback Charlie Gilliam has thrown for 442 yards and 2-TDs. R.J. Johnson and Jacque Holley are the teams leading receivers with a combined 12 catches for 276 yards and 2-TDs. ELCA had done most of their damage through the air this season, averaging 221 yards per game through the air. 

Since joining the GHSA in 2004 ELCA has only started the season 0-3 once. This will be another tough test for the Chargers. If Crisp County can get Palmer going in the run game, it could be another long night for ELCA. This game should be much closer than last season’s 20-point margin of victory. We like ELCA by 4. 

The Skinny

The Dodge County Indians are 3-0 for the first time since 2018 and they are getting it done with  a freshman quarterback. Duke Johnson has thrown for 364 yards and 4-TDs and has added 154 yards and 3-TDs on the ground. Demron Gordon is Dodge’s overall leading rusher while Jalon Jaynes less the Indians in receiving. The Indians defense is allowing 9.6 points per game. 

The Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes had a little easier time this past weekend as they downed Turner County. Look for Fitzgerald to continue to use the ground game with the duo of Jakorrian Paulk and Sylon Davis while Sultan Cooper continues to get comfortable at quarterback. E.J. Lightsey leads a defense that is allowing 13.5 points per game. 

This game could be a low scoring defensive battle with both teams looking to control the tempo on the ground. Dodge County looks to have something working with the freshman quarterback. We believe they’ll do just enough to outlast Fitzgerald this Friday. Indians by 4.

Posted in 2021 GHSA Weekly Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cherokee County Football Previews Week-4

Posted on September 8, 2021 by admin

Week-4 of the Georgia High School football season is upon us. Here is a look at the Cherokee County Football previews for this week. First up, the Etowah Eagles travel to North Forsyth. Last week, Etowah’s defense looked much improved but will they have a repeat performance and slow down an explosive North Forsyth offense? Next, Woodstock will travel to Smyrna to face Campbell. The Wolverines are looking to get their first victory, but Campbell is not the pushover they have been in recent years. Will this be the breakout week for Woodstock? Finally, Cherokee will host Creekview. So far the Grizzlies have bullied their way to victory over the county’s other 7-A schools. Will Cherokee put an end to the Grizzlies recent run or are the Grizzlies for real?

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The North Forsyth Raiders are coming off of a big win last week against Dalton. The Raiders racked up 438 yards on the ground last week with a pair of rushers going over the 100-yard mark. Quarterback Drew Aucoin threw for 123 yards and rushed for 160 to lead the way last week. Patrick Corrigan also added 130 yards and 2-TDs in the big victory. Garett Achilles is the teams current receiving leader with 155 yards and 1-TD. Corrigan is also the teams leading tackler.  

The Etowah Eagles are looking to change their fortunes as the go on the road this week. Etowah’s defense was very impressive last week, holding the explosive River Ridge Knights to just 22 points. Perhaps more impressive is that they were able to keep the Class 6-A leading rusher from last season in check for most of the game. For Etowah to have repeat success, they will need another big game from their front seven. Ryan Lee, Jaiden Maddox, Billy Hendrix, Will Pailthorpe and Alex Kirby were all instrumental in really stuffing the run game a week ago. Offensively, the Eagles might have something working sophomore Elijah Washington. He seems to get stronger the more they feed him the ball.

We said this last week about Etowah, and believe it applies again this week. Ball control and sustained drives will be the key for their success. For North Forsyth, another big game from Aucoin could mean another big victory. Etowah’s offense improves this week, but North Forsyth prevails. Raiders by 17.

The Skinny

The Campbell Spartans are 2-0 for the first time since 2015. Their two wins to date already match their win total from last season. So it certainly can be surmised that the Spartans are playing with a lot of confidence. Quarterback Luke Marble has thrown for 445 and 4-TDs in two games. Running back Jomouri Phillips has continued to prove he can be a feature back for the Spartans as well. The 56 points scored last week are the most Campbell has scored since 2005.  

Woodstock comes into this game looking to continue to find their stride on offense. The Wolverines were shut out for the second time this season last week. Much of the Wolverines success this week will depend on how long quarterback Dan Comeau will have to throw. As we have mentioned in prior weeks, he has some weapons on the outside (Adonis Garcia, Nick Rule, Brady Williams, Alex Hendricks), but the big question is will the Wolverines be able to have success on the ground. 

Both teams will probably air the ball out this week and test the opposing secondaries. The edge might be with Campbell and their advantage on the ground. Woodstock should show some marked improvement this week, but we like the Spartans, Campbell by 6. 

The Cherokee Warriors will be in the friendly confines of Tommy Baker Field for the first time this season. Cherokee is coming off of a difficult game against one of the best defenses in the state. The Warriors were only able to muster 7 points against Rome with the bright spot being Caleb Richardson’s long touchdown reception. Cherokee’s defense performed relatively well, despite the scoreboard as they kept the explosive plays for Rome in check. 

The week off two weeks ago did not have any ill-effect on the Creekview Grizzlies as they picked up where they left off. The Grizzlies have now outscored their first two opponents 90-7. Last week, Tyler Stevens found pay dirt 4 times while the “Gang Green” defense only allowed 33 yards of total offense. (That’s downright dominant!) Perhaps even more impressive than the 33 yards of offense is the five turnovers that the defense forced. The Creekview Grizzlies just aren’t going to beat themselves. 

This week is definitely a step up in competition for Creekview as Cherokee has a much more potent offense than the Grizzlies first two opponents. If the Warriors can establish Zi Johnson on the ground and find a way to neutralize Issac Hubert, then Cherokee could come out on top. Something tells us that the Grizzlies are the real deal this season. This one won’t be a run away, but we like Creekview by 6.

Posted in 2021 Cherokee County Previews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

TFR GHSA Week 3 Football Poll

Posted on September 5, 2021 by admin

Week three brought some big surprises across the state in all classifications. Our Week-3 GHSA Football Poll reflects some of those surprises. In Class 7-A, there was no change in the poll as all teams playing won. Meanwhile in 6A it was Westlake falling to the Creekside “Giant Killer” Seminoles by seven. The loss drops Westlake one spot this week while the Creekview Grizzlies make their debut at No. 10 after their second rout of a Class 7-A opponent.

Over in Class 5-A, it was Creekside with another big win as we mention previously. However, the Seminoles did not move up because of the impressive wins of Ware County and Woodward Academy. Decatur had a huge win over G.A.C. while it was St. Pius downing Blessed Trinity to enter the poll at No. 9 for the first time this season. Meanwhile, Griffin is back in at No. 10 this week. In the Class 4-A poll, Marist drops one spot after their loss to Woodward. The Stephenson Jaguars make their debut this week at No. 9.

Down in Class 3-A, Crisp County drops out of the poll after their loss to Class 4-A Perry. Monroe Area takes their place at No. 10 this week, but watch out for Stephens County and a host of other teams vying for a spot in the poll. Over in Class 2-A, Dodge County had a big come from behind win over Class 4-A West Laurens which propelled the Indians to a 3-0 record on the season. The win also propelled them into the Top-10 after Vidalia dropped out of the poll this week.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in Class A-Public was Schley County’s shutout victory over Wilcox County. The win catapults the Wildcats in at No. 6 this week. Finally, in Class A-Private, it was Trinity Christian all over Fellowship Christian in a battle of Top-10 teams. Trinity really looks like a wrecking crew this season and might be difficult to find a team that can outscore them!

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Posted in 2021 TFR GHSA Rankings | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 3 – Part II

Posted on September 1, 2021 by admin

Believe it or not after this Friday, we will be done with one quarter of the GHSA regular season schedule. Here is part two of our GHSA Football Previews we call Eight Greats Around the State.

First up in Marietta, both Marietta and McEachern will be looking to get back in the win column. Two big time quarterbacks square off in this matchup in McEachern’s Bryce Archie and Marietta’s Tyler Hughes. Who will have the hot hand on Friday night? Down in Fairburn, the Creekside Seminoles will host Westlake. The Seminoles shocked the state in their Week-1 victory over Grayson, but Westlake is one of the hottest team’s in the state. Does Westlake keep rolling or is Creekside a real giant killer?

Meanwhile in Cordele, the Crisp County Cougars will host the Perry Panthers. Crisp lost a lot of talent from last year’s team while Perry’s stock has steadily been rising. Will Crisp have enough to get their first win or will they be overpowered by Perry? Finally, it’s a battle of War Eagles as Marist hosts Woodward Academy. Marist’s defense limited Blessed Trinity to under 200 yards of offense last week. Will they be able to keep Damari Alston and the Woodward ground game in check as well?

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Marietta Blue Devils will get back on the field after a bye week. Marietta got a big game from quarterback Tyler Hughes who threw for 302 yards and 4-TDs. Cameron Overton was the beneficiary of many of those passes as he caught 7 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. On defense, it was Emmanuel Olaitan who helped pace the defense with 10 total tackles including 3 tackles for loss. 

The McEachern Indians will try to bounce back after being held to seven points last week. Quarterback Bryce Archie was limited to 115 yards passing in the loss. On the season he has thrown for 296 yards and 3-TDs. Archie has a big play threat on offense in Kaleb Webb who has caught 12 passes for 182 yards. ( He was held to just 36 yards receiving last week.) The Indians also have a one-two punch at running back with Makari Bodiford (123 yards, 2-TDs) and Peja Womack (122 yards, 1-TD). 

We believe this game should be a shoot-out with two offenses that can put up some points. Marietta has not beaten McEachern at home since 2005…We believe that streaks comes to an end on Friday. Blue Devils by 3. 

The Creekside Seminoles were off last week after shocking the state with a win over the defending Class 7-A Champions Grayson. Creekside quarterback Nyqua Lett was efficient in the victory, completing 63% of his passes for 88 yards and 2-TDs. Perhaps the biggest story however was the Seminoles defense as they limited the Grayson offense to 169 total yards. Linebacker Vincent Hill led the team with 16 total tackles including five for loss. Creekside recorded six sacks in the game last week and also forced three turnovers.

The Westlake Lions went on the road last week and put an end to Colquitt’s 23 game home winning streak. While R.J. Johnson was steady last week (67% completions, 203 yards passing, 1 rushing TD), the combination of running backs Joshua Taylor and Jai’den Thomas combined for 125 yards and two TDs. The Westlake defense also forced three turnovers in the victory. 

From the outside looking in, this might be a defensive struggle as both teams have shown they can fly around the field on defense. Westlake looks to be a little more explosive on offense, and in our opinion, that gives them a slight edge. We like the visiting Lions by a touchdown.

The Skinny

The Crisp County Cougars will look to get back on track this week after falling last week in their opener. The Cougars lost a lot of talent on defense off of last years team but do have future stars in Amir Dwight, Ke’von Merrell and Barry Walker. On offense, look for the Cougars to rely on the legs of Marquise Palmer again this week as he helps with the transition of new starting quarterback Jack Carter.

The Perry Panthers had a big opening week as they took down Houston County. Quarterback Armar Gordon went off in Week-1 as he threw for 302 yards and 3-TDs. Receiver Daequan Wright caught four passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile it was running back by committee for Perry in Week-1 as seven backs combined to run for 165 yards and 2-TDs. 

Expect for the Crisp defense to be a little more stingy this week against Perry, but the Panthers have too many weapons on offense. We like Perry by 10 this week. 

The Marist War Eagles opened up their 2021 season with an impressive victory over Blessed Trinity Last week. Andrew Mannelly led the way with 94 yards rushing in the victory. He can be a real weapon for the ground oriented attack as he’s a bruising back that also can run away from defenders in the open field. Marist was dominant on defense keeping Blessed Trinity in check for most of the game and allowing less than 200 yards of total offense.

The Woodward Academy War Eagles are coming off of a big victory of their own, shutting out Hapeville Charter. Damari Alston leads the War Eagles on the ground with 183 yards and 3-TDs, although he was limited to 27 yards last week. Alston is also tied with the team lead in receiving with C.J. Burton. (Both with six receptions for a combined 160 yards.) The Woodward defense has been pretty good through two games allowing only 14 points.

The big questions is will Woodward have enough on defense to slow down the Marist run game. We believe it’s close early, but expect for Mannelly and Marist to grind out another win this week. Marist by 13.

Posted in 2021 GHSA Weekly Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 3 – Part I

Posted on September 1, 2021 by admin

Welcome to another week of previews as we close in on the first quarter of the regular season here in Georgia. This week our Georgia High School Football Previews has gone from Eight Greats Around the State to Seven Greats as the ELCA-Rabun County game has been called off due to…you guessed it Covid. Nevertheless, we did preview three really good games in Part I including Ware County-Baldwin, Colquitt-Cedar Grove and Trinity Christian-Fellowship Christian.

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Ware County Gators are off to another fast start this season. Dual threat quarterback Thomas Castellanos has completed 68% of his passes for 475 yards and 2-TDs. He’s also added 147 yards and 3-TDs on the ground. Running back Cartevious Norton has added 258 yards and 3-TDs on the ground and compliments Castellanos well. The duo has helped power the offense to an average of 52 points per game early in the season.

The Baldwin Braves get back on the field this week after their game against Washington County was called off. The Braves had big games from quarterback Derrick Lewis and running back Jeamiyah Scott in Week-1 to help lead the offense. While their defense was stout two weeks ago.

Baldwin’s defense will need a similar performance as their opening week if they are going to slow down the Gators offense. Castellanos is going to get his yards, but can they keep Ware out of the end zone? We believe Thomas Castellanos will be too tough to tame. Ware by 10.

The Colquitt County Packers had their 23 game home winning streak snapped last week as they fell to Westlake. Quarterback Neko Fann seems to be settling in as he tossed two touchdown passes while Charlie Pace went over the 100-yard mark again last week. Pace has 313 yards and a touchdown on the season. The Packers defense has already recorded 11.5 sacks in just two games.  

The Cedar Grove Saints opened their season with a big victory last week over Tucker. The Saints are led on offense by elusive running back Rashad Dubinion who has made a habit of leaving defenders floundering in his wake. Janiran Bonner leads a talented group of wide receivers. As talented as Cedar Grove is on offense, the defense might be one of the best in the state. They are led by linemen, Christen Miller, Carlton Madden, Adonijah Green and linebacker Everett Roussaw, Jr. and Donavan Johnson in the secondary. The way they fly around on defense is downright scary.

Depth might be the biggest key. Cedar Grove certainly has the talent to compete with Colquitt, but are they deep enough and will the long trip to Moultrie be the equalizer? We think so, it will be close, but we like Colquitt by 4. 

The Trinity Christian Lions look like a team on a mission early in the season. The Lions are averaging 56.5 points per game early in the season. They are getting it done through the air and on the ground. Quarterback David Dallas has thrown for 478 yards and 9-TDs with no interceptions while Dominick Cosper has rushed for 155 yards and 3-TDs. The defense has been just as impressive, allowing 10 points in the first two weeks of the season.

The Fellowship Christian Paladins were off last week, but they look to pick up where they left off in Week-1. Running back Josh Cole led the way for the Paladins with 168 yards on 25 carries and 2-TDs in their victory. Quarterback Caleb McMickle was efficient, completing 67% of his passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. 

Fellowship Christian might be walking into an ambush down in Sharpsburg. We expect for Fellowship to be competitive, but Trinity Christian is just too talented across the board. We like Trinity by 20.

Posted in 2021 GHSA Weekly Previews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cherokee County Football Previews Week-3

Posted on August 31, 2021 by admin

Week three of the high school football season is upon us in Cherokee County. Here are our Cherokee County Football Previews as all six county teams are in action this week.

Sequoyah travels to Cass this week as they’ll face a Colonels team that is coming off of a heartbreaking game of their own. Which team has recovered and which team will have the hangover? Woodstock will travel to Creekview in search of their first victory this season. Will the Grizzlies have rust from the off week or will they be able to stymie the Woodstock air attack? The Etowah Eagles will host the River Ridge Knights. Etowah is looking to build momentum; will the have an answer for the talented River Ridge squad? Finally Cherokee travels to Rome. The Warriors escaped Hickory Flat last week but a Rome Wolves team is up in Baron Stadium waiting to ambush them and exact revenge from last year.

As always thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Sequoyah Chiefs will be on the road this week in their last test before the region schedule begins. Sequoyah, executed their offense to perfection, using a combination of backs like Peyton Lucas, Jack Piscorz, Jackson Hancock, Tyler Bell and of course quarterback Matthew Traynor. Traynor rolled up 140 total yards and rushed for two TDs and threw for another last week. Meanwhile, the defense limited Cherokee to 135 yards passing. The defensive front will have their work cut out for them again as they will be busy trying to apply pressure to Cass’ dual threat quarterback.

The Cass Colonels also lost a heartbreaker last week as they will try to recoup. Cass is lead by quarterback Devin Henderson. As we mentioned, he can beat team’s with both his arm and his legs. Henderson’s primary receiver is Sacovie White, who has put up some impressive numbers in the first two weeks of the season. He is already over 260 yards receiving coming into this Friday.  

This game will be a contrast of styles. We saw Sequoyah’s Wing-T run almost flawlessly last week with all scoring drives covering more than 10 plays and chewing up a lot of clock. If they can repeat that performance, it might be enough to keep the explosive Henderson and the Cass offense on the sidelines. We believe Sequoyah does just enough this week. Chiefs by 6. 

The Creekview Grizzlies will be back in action this Friday after an early season bye week. The Grizzlies are coming off of a big game in which their defense seemed to already be in mid-season form. Mason Hicks had his coming out party, throwing for 4-TDs to help lead the way on offense. While success in the passing game was a welcome sight for Grizzly fans, let’s not forget about their bell-cow Tyler Stevens. For the Grizzlies to have success over the course of the year, the Grizzlies will need to have continued success on the ground. 

Woodstock comes into this game after finding a little more success last week. The Wolverines were able to get on the board against River Ridge to record their first points of the season. We saw Adonis Garcia get involved in the passing game. He along with the growth of receivers Nick Rule, Ryan Burke and Brady Williams should help steady the Woodstock air attack. Defensively, Woodstock will have another tough test in trying to slow down Tyler Stevens and the Creekview ground game. Expect Carson Gray, Preston Lawrence and Benji Shackleford to help lead the defensive effort again this week.

For Creekview to win, they will need to get pressure on Woodstock’s Comeau and force him to rush his throws. For Woodstock to win, they’ll need to take care of the football and slow down Stevens. We believe Woodstock will be improved, but we like the Grizzlies defense early in the season. Creekview by 24.

The Etowah Eagles get back on the field this week as they host the RIver Ridge Knights. Not much changes from last week with regards to the game plan. The Eagles will need to take care of the football and not get behind the chains if they want to be successful on offense. Defensively it is going to be an uphill battle slowing down the potent River Ridge offense. 

Speaking of River Ridge, the Knights went over to Woodstock last week and walked away with a 49-14 victory. Amhere Morrison rushed for 96 yards and 3-TDs and added 27 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown to help lead the way. Quarterback Carson Lathem has thrown for 274 yards and 4-TDs with no interceptions on the young season. Defensive linemen Dylan Persuad leads the team in total tackles while Brian Bradley has already recorded seven tackles for loss. 

Perhaps ball control will be the key for Etowah to keep the potent Knights offense on the sideline. That’s probably a bit too much to ask for the Etowah offense this week. River Ridge has a spoil of riches on both sides of the ball. We like River Ridge by four touchdowns. 

The Rome Wolves return from the bye week ready to avenge last season’s loss to the Cherokee Warriors. The Wolves defeated Rockmart in Week-1 as Reece Fountain looked sharp completing 64.7% of his passes for 195 yards and 3-TDs with no interceptions. Martel Height was his main target so we wouldn’t be surprised if Rome will look to exploit any advantage in the secondary. Shaun Nelson is the workhouse on the ground for Rome. Expect him to test the Warriors front seven. 

The Cherokee Warriors come into this game after surviving a wild game against rival Sequoyah. The Warriors were able to establish a bit of a run game against the Chiefs and we expect them to lean on Zi Johnson to help balance the passing game. Johnson rushed for 134 yards in last weeks victory. Credit the offensive line for making holes for Johnson!

We haven’t talked much about defenses yet, but this one will come down to whether or not Rome can force Cherokee to be one dimensional or vice versa. Even if they do, will it be enough to stop A.J. Swann, one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the state? The home field of Baron Stadium should come into play here. We like the Wolves by 1.

Posted in 2021 Cherokee County Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TFR GHSA Week-2 Football Poll

Posted on August 29, 2021 by admin

The second week of high school football did not disappoint. In spite of covid continuing to wreak havoc on rosters and schedules, we were treated to a great slate of games this past weekend. Here is a look at our top-10 GHSA Football teams in each classification.

In Class 7-A perhaps the biggest surprise was North Cobb dominating the Milton Eagles. The win vaults the Warriors to No. 3 in the poll while Milton drops to No. 7. Meanwhilee Grayson got a big bounce back win over McEachern to rise to No. 8, while Colquitt County dropped 6 spots after a defeat to Westlake. The Top-10 in Class 6-A remains unchanged this week.

Over in Class 5-A, Ware County claims the top stop after Blessed Trinity fell to Marist of Class 4-A. Meanwhile, Coffee and Starr’s Mill make their first appearance in this year’s poll at No. 8 & No. 9 respectively. There was a little shuffling in the bottom half of the Class 4-A poll; Flowery Branch was the biggest riser, moving from No. 9 to No 6.

Class 3-A remains relatively unchanged, with no no entrants into the Top-10 this week. However, Class-2A was shaken up with Bremen’s loss to Bowdon. That dropped Bremen from the Top-10. Teams making their debut this week in the 2-A poll are Heard County (No. 7), Putnam County (No. 9) and Bleckley County (N0.10).

In Class A Public, Georgia Military College was the biggest mover jumping from No. 9 to No. 5 while Pelham debuts at No. 6 for the first time after their win over Early County. Bowdon also makes their first appearance in the Top-10 at No. 9 this week. Finally, in Class A-Private, Calvary Day jumps all the way to No. 2 this week after ELCA drops one spot to No. 3. Meanwhile, North Cobb Christian and Brookstone make their debut at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Posted in 2021 TFR GHSA Rankings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 2 – Part II

Posted on August 25, 2021 by admin

We are in Week-2 off the Georgia High School Football season and have already been treated to some great games this past weekend. Unfortunately, covid has claimed several games across the state forcing teams to scramble and reschedule. This is Part-II of our Georgia High School Football Previews. We like to call this the Eight Greats Around the State where we take a look at eight intriguing matchups each week. 

North Cobb will host the high flying Milton Eagles. Many believe these teams are two of the best in Class 7-A. Will North Cobb be able to find their stride against an extremely talented Milton team? In Roswell, the Blessed Trinity Titans and Marist War Eagles will square off for the 6th time. Will the Marist Wing-T rule the day or will Justice Haynes and Blessed Trinity run wild? Down in Ocilla, the Irwin County Indians will host the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes. Both teams graduated a lot of offensive firepower and this is the season opener for both teams. Which squad will hit their stride first this week? Finally, down in Pelham the Pelham Hornets will host the Early County Bobcats. The Hornets passing game already looks to be in midseason form, can the Bobcats disrupt the air attack this week?

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Skinny

The North Cobb Warriors will look to bounce back after they were unable to hang on in the second half against Buford last week. Much has been said about the transfers in to North Cobb, but let’s not forget about the mainstays. Quarterback Malachi Singleton is about as good as they come in this year’s junior class. Last week he threw for 218 yards and 3-TDs and added 91 rushing yards and 1-TD. On the defensive side of the ball Caleb Jenkins and Latrell Bullard paced the team with 7.5 and 5.5 total tackles respectively. Reggie Givhan led the team with 11 receptions for 107 yards, while Newcomer,  Denylon Morrissette caught two passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. 

The Milton Eagles got off to a great start as they blanked visiting Hapeville Charter last week. The Eagles also look to be a legitimate contender for a state title. Their offense is powered by quarterback Devin Farrell and Jordan McDonald in the backfield. They will line up behind linemen GIles Tchio, Maurice Clipper Jr. and center Kayden Richardson. Milton also returns top receivers Adam Freas, Debron Gattling and tight end Jack Nickel…And then there’s the defense…Milton will likely be without L.T. Overton but there is plenty of star power to fill in the gaps. Look for Cam Cainion and Bryce Thornton in the secondary to make passing difficult for the Warriors.

This is a matchup that we could find ourselves watching again late in the playoffs in December. If North Cobb is going to defeat Milton, they’ll will have to establish the ground game and force the Milton secondary to help out with run-support. At this point in the season, we believe Milton is a little more fluid on offense. Eagles by 8.

The Skinny

The Blessed Trinity Titans started their new era under coach Thomas Hall last week with a 34-6 win over Woodland (Stockbridge). The Titans are paced on offense by senior quarterback J.C. French and junior running back Justice Haynes. Haynes is one of the top running backs in the junior class rushed for 154 yards and 2-TDs in the victory. The Titans will lean on Kieren Davis and Deldrick Franklin on the defense to attempt to slow down the Marist run game.

The Marist War Eagles open up their season with their old region foe. Marist is coming off of a state title season and also return one of the top offensive linemen in the state in Steve Nahmias as well as bruising fullback and linebacker Andrew Manelly. Quarterback Champ Davis also returns under center for the War Eagles this season. Expect rising junior O’keefe McKinney to see a bigger role on the defensive line for the War Eagles. Marist is a well coached team and generally will not beat themselves. 

This game will be won in the trenches. If Nahmias and the War Eagles can push around Blessed Trinity and control the clock, perhaps they can keep the explosive Haynes on the sideline. That’s easier said than done. We like the Titans by a field goal in what we believe will be an extremely close ball game.

The Skinny

The Irwin County Indians are the two time Class A-Public state champions, but if they are going to make it a third straight title game, they will have to replace nearly all of their offensive productive on the ground. Fortunately for the Indians, they do return junior quarterback Cody Soliday, who threw for 1,908 yards and 23-TDs last season. The Indians will look to several backs to help pace their ground game including freshman Shane Marshall, Matthew Payne and Bernard Herring among others. Malachi Hadden is the team’s leading receiver from a year ago. 

The Fitzgerald Hurricanes will also look to get back into the finals after they fell just short to Callaway in the title game. They’ll need to replace do everything player Chance Gamble who graduated after last season. Look for Sultan Cooper to take the reins as the new quarterback for the Canes. Meanwhile on defense, linebacker E.J. Lightsey is about as good as they come in any classification in Georgia. He will lead a defense that allowed just aver 12 points per game last season. 

While the Indians should have the nod at quarterback, we believe the Canes defense will do just enough to contain the Indians. Fitzgerald by 8. 

The Skinny

The Pelham Hornets got their season off to a great start with a victory over their county rival Mitchell County last Friday. Senior quarterback Zane Touchton had a big day in his debut, leading the Hornets with 270 yards passing and 1-TD while also leading the team with 62 yards and another TD on the ground. His leading receiver last week was Came’ron Daniels who caught eight passes for 105 yards. 

The Early County Bobcats also started their season off with a victory in the opening week. This season the Bobcats will be looking to replace production from now graduated Ladarrius Caesar. In last week’s victory, they rolled up 229 yards on the ground with Jeremiah Hutchins leading the way with 81 yards on just 6 carries. Meanwhile, Ryan Foster intercepted two passes in the victory. 

It will certainly be a clash of styles on Friday night as the Bobcats will try to wear down the Hornets with the ground game while the Hornets will attempt to spread Early County out and take advantages of mismatches through the air. We like the Hornets at home this week by 6.

Posted in 2021 GHSA Weekly Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 2 – Part I

Posted on August 25, 2021 by admin

We are in Week-2 off the Georgia High School Football season and were already treated to some great games this past weekend. Unfortunately, covid has claimed several games across the state forcing teams to scramble and reschedule. This is Part-I of our Georgia High School Football Previews. We like to call this the Eight Greats Around the State where we take a look at Eight intriguing matchups each week. 

First up Colquitt County will host the Westlake Lions. Can the Colquitt defense slow down R.J. Johnson and the Westlake passing attack? Down in Cochran, Bleckley County will look to avenge last year’s loss to Wilcox County? Will the Royals have enough on defense to slow down Wilcox QB Abe Stowe? Meanwhile the Coffee Trojans will host the Bainbridge Bearcats. Coffee won this one last year; but will the Bearcats and dynamos Zion and Deyon Bouie get their revenge? Finally over in Carrollton, the Trojans will host the Johns Creek Gladiators. Johns Creek is talented but unproven; is this their breakthrough week?

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment and share. 

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Skinny

The Colquitt County Packers will be in the friendly confines of Mack Tharpe Stadium after escaping Marietta with a 3-point victory last week. Colquitt was led offensively by running back Charlie Pace and sophomore quarterback Neko Fann in the opening week. Pace rushed for over 100-yards to help ease first game jitters for new starter Fann. The Packers defense held Marietta to just one touchdown in the second half. 

The Westlake Lions shocked many folks across the State of Georgia as they downed class 7-A Archer last week in the Corky Kell Classic. The Lions were led on the ground by sophomore Jai’Den Thomas who rushed for 129 yards while last season’s leading rusher Zinah Mulbah also added 34 on the ground for the Lions. Quarterback R.J. Johnson threw for 126 yards and two scores and also rushed for two touchdowns in the victory. On defense, Gannon Weathersby made his presence known with his new team and picked up where he left off last season with seven total tackles and two sacks. 

The Packers will have their work cut out for them this week. The biggest question is will quarterback Neko Fann be settled in enough to withstand a stout Lions defense. We believe the long road trip could play a factor in this one, but we are going with the visiting Lions to shock the state again…Westlake by 2.

The Skinny

The Bleckley County Royals went on the road to defeat West Laurens last week for their 4th consecutive season opening victory. The Royals will be paced by quarterback James Teston (114 yards, 1-TD) and running back Jahvon Butler (68 yards, 1-TD). Teston looked very comfortable in the pocket last week in the Royals spread offense. David Dent and the rest of the defense will be called upon to get pressure on the Wilcox County passing attack this week.

Speaking of Wilcox County, this will be the Patriots season opener. They will be without the services of the versatile Martez Thrower who is now plying at the University of Kentucky. Fortunately for the Patriots, they do return their starting quarterback Abe Stowe who is one of, if not the top passer in Region-4. Stowe will have one of his top targets from a year ago in Jahsun Coley while Dayshawn Lawson is set to be one of the primary rushing threats. Kassidy Deans and run stopper Isaiah Turner return along the defensive front to help pace the swarming Wilcox County defense.

These are two teams that boast very good quarterbacks and we believe the one that finds his rhythm the soonest will lead his team to victory. We like the Royals by 5 in another close matchup.

The Skinny

The Coffee Trojans will open up their season taking on south Georgia rival Bianbridge on Friday night. The Trojans offense returns their top two running backs from a year ago in Maurice Turner (689 yards, 12-TDs) and A.J. Franklin (509 yards, 6-TDs), Turner was also the team’s leading receiver in 2020 with 42 receptions for 712 yards and 6-TDs. The Trojans do not return any quarterbacks with much varsity experience this season, so expect them to rely on Franklin and Turner to ease the load for whoever takes over under center. The Trojans also return their three top tacklers from a year ago in Anthony Gaskin (54 solo tackles), Brandon High (55 solo tackles) and Jacob Lindsey (57 solo tackles).

Meanwhile the Bainbridge Bearcats are looking to make a deep run in Class 4-A. It feels like we have been hearing about Zion and Deyon Bouie for years now. The Bouie boys will enter their senior season looking to lead their team to another state title like they did as freshmen four years ago. But the Bearcats will be looking to replace their leading passer and rusher from a year ago as Rashad Broadnax and Quayde Hawkins were lost to graduation. Bainbridge could turn to Dontavious Broadnax at running back and they’ll need Bo Smith to grow up fast as QB1.

The Bainbridge senior class certainly has the experience and the talent to put plenty of points on the board. Yet Coffee returns a couple of backs that can certainly put the team on their back. We’ll take Coffee by 7.

The Skinny

The Carrollton Trojans started off the Joey King era with a big win over New Manchester last Friday. In his return game, quarterback M.J. Morris threw for 190 yards and 3-TDs while KeShawn Ridley rushed for two scores to help lead Carrollton on offense. Receiver Terrell Carmichael turned both of his receptions into long TDs as well, tallying 140 total receiving yards. 

The Johns Creek Gladiators opened some eyes with an impressive win over Gainesville last week. Bruising running back Tylan Johnson tallied 141 yards on the ground while Kyle Durham tossed two touchdown passes. On defense Terian Williams was active in the secondary with an interception and a pass break up. Micah Gray lead the team with 6.5 tackles.

This game has plenty of good story lines: Region 5 vs. Region 7; WR – Carmicheal vs DB -Williams; traditional power vs. up and coming team. We know that the Gladiators can play defense, but has their offense improved enough for them to make a deep playoff run? For Carrollton, will they be able to have any success against one of the top DBs in the state and the nations top pass rusher in the class of 2023? It won’t be east, but we believe the Trojans can…Carrollton by 10.

Posted in 2021 GHSA Weekly Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cherokee County Football Previews Week-2

Posted on August 24, 2021 by admin

Welcome to our Week-2 Cherokee County Football previews. The 2021 GHSA Football is underway and there was some great action last week in Cherokee County. Sequoyah, Cherokee and Creekview really impressed with big wins, while River Ridge shook off a slow start to get to 1-0. This week Woodstock will look to get into the win column against River Ridge. (Etowah was scheduled to play Forsyth County, but that game has been canceled.)

Woodstock will host the River Ridge Knights in hopes of getting revenge from last years thriller against county foe River Ridge, while Etowah will host Forsyth Central in a rematch of a late season matchup from a year ago. Our third and final preview will feature the county’s second oldest rivalry as the Cherokee Warriors make the show trip over to Hickory Flat to take on the Sequoyah Chiefs. The Chiefs will be looking to establish themselves as one of the top programs in the county will Cherokee will look to make it three consecutive wins over Sequoyah.

As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to share. Make sure to get out and support these young men and these communities this weekend!

All helmet photos are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project http://www.gahelmetproject.com

 Historical data is courtesy of Georgia High School Football Historians Association.  

The Skinny

The Woodstock Wolverines look to bounce back this week after dropping their opening week tilt to Sequoyah. The Wolverines showed promise early in the ball game last week as quarterback Dan Comeau showed a live arm, but the Wolverines struggled to make much progress when they were able to get inside of the Sequoyah 35. Preston Lawrence and Alex Hendricks demonstrated that they were capable of handling the load at running back. While Lawrence and Carson Gray showed they can also be physical against the run when they line up on defense. Expect for Nick Rule and Brady Williams to also become bigger contributors for Woodstock on offense this week and as the season progresses.

Meanwhile, the River Ridge Knights shook off a slow start to down the Lassiter Trojans in their home opener last week. Amehre Morrison eclipsed the 100-yard mark, while quarterback Carson Lathem tossed three touchdown passes, (two to Jackson Head) in the victory. The game plan for River Ridge should be simple on paper. Get Morrison the ball and let him run behind that big offensive line and then get Jackson Head involved in the passing game. Defensively, if Brian Bradley and Hunter Coleman can get pressure on Comeau, the Knights should run their county win streak to 5 games. Conversely, if Woodstock can find some success through the air, perhaps in the short and intermediate routes, it could make for an interesting night. 

We like River Ridge this week. The Knights are just too deep and too talented for this up-and-coming Woodstock squad. River Ridge by 24.

The Skinny

The Sequoyah Chiefs defense pitched their first shutout in 14 games Friday night as they downed Woodstock in week-1. The Chiefs defense was flying around the field last Friday night while the offense looked very efficient. Sequoyah will need a repeat performance from their defense if they plan to stop their two-game skid against county rival Cherokee. The Chiefs defensive front made things very uncomfortable for Woodstock’s quarterback while the secondary tallied three interceptions on the night. Meanwhile, Peyton Lucas, Jack Piskorz, Jackson Hancock and Matthew Traynor all looked very comfortable in the Wing-T offense. We believe Sequoyah can and will move the ball against Cherokee’s front, but can Plummer, Hood, Born and the rest of the Chiefs defense put pressure on the Warriors signal caller?

The Cherokee Warriors enter the game fresh off a 52-6 drubbing of the Mays Raiders. The Warriors got 4-TD passes from A.J. Swann, including two to Sequoyah transfer Aidan Moore in a 35 point-2nd quarter outburst that put the game out of reach. Cherokee’s offense did a great job capitalizing on great field position. While the Warriors didn’t need the run game last week, Zi Johnson did enough to help keep Mays honest. We believe they’ll need a little more out of the rushing attack this week to keep the Sequoyah pass rush at bay.

Cherokee cannot afford a slow start against Sequoyah. The Chiefs would love nothing more than to get a lead and grind things out on the ground. However, we don’t believe Sequoyah has an answer for receiver Adarrius Harshaw or Caleb Richardson; we like the Warriors by 9.

Posted in 2021 Cherokee County Previews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment