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

Posted on September 25, 2019 by admin

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

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

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

Posted on September 25, 2019 by admin

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

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR Georgia Football Podcast – Featuring Lawrence Morgan of NWGA Football

Posted on September 25, 2019 by admin

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

 

 

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

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Week 5 – GHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on September 22, 2019 by admin

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Posted on September 18, 2019 by admin

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

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

 


 

The Skinny

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

Posted on September 18, 2019 by admin

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

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

Posted on September 18, 2019 by admin

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

Coach Glisson:  0:20

Coach Poag:  5:30

Coach Calhoun: 15:20

 

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

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Week 5 – TFR Cherokee County Football Previews

Posted on September 18, 2019 by admin

It’s Week 5 and our Cherokee County Football previews are here. All six of the county teams are in action this week. The Cherokee Warriors will host Class 4A No.1 Cartersville. This preview will be featured in our “Eight Greats Around the State” segment on Wednesday evening, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, Etowah travles to Powder Springs to face Hillgrove. The Hawks are flying high and both teams have proved they can light up the scoreboard, but do the Eagles have enough offense to keep pace with the Hawks? Something has to give this week when 0-3 River Ridge hosts 0-3 Osborne. Which team will get their first win of the season? The Dalton ground machine comes to town as Creekview hosts the Catamounts and Jahmyr Gibbs. Can the Grizzlies derail Dalton?

Sequoyah will look to get on track in a non-region game against Campbell. Can the Chiefs get the run game going this week? Finally, Woodstock travels to face North Paulding as a great secondary faces a pretty good passing attack. Recent UGA commit David Daniel and his friends in the Woodstock secondary will be busy defending the North Paulding passing attack. Please make sure to get out and support these young men on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading.  Comments and discussion are always welcome!

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Etowah Eagles got back to .500 this week as they won a shoot-out with Pebblebrook. Dalton Miller passed for over 300 yards and 3-TDs in the win. Nick Maddox led the way on the ground for the Eagles with 74 yards rushing and 2-TDs and also had 5 receptions for 57 yards, while Klivert Many chipped in 53 yards on the ground. Jackson Manns had a big day receiving with 8 receptions for 149 yards and 2-TDs.

 

Meanwhile, the Hillgrove Hawks come into this game undefeated and sport a very impressive defense. The Hawks have only allowed 13 points all season and shut out Pebblebrook back on August 30th. Matthew McCravy has had a lot of success through the air with receivers Traven Reese and Tre Walker. The Etowah Eagles are averaging 30.7 points per game, but we think they’ll have a hard time getting to that number against Hillgrove’s defense. We like the Hawks by two touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Osborne Cardinals will travel to Woodstock to take on the River Ridge Knights. Both teams will be looking for their first win and first region win this week, so something has to give. The Osborne Cardinals scored more points in the second half against Creekview on Monday than they have all season, although those scores came after the game was already well in hand. Nevertheless, it is something for Osborne to build on.

 

Meanwhile, the River Ridge Knights have been shutout by their last two opponents, Allatoona and Harrison. However, these were also two of the top teams in the region as well as two of the Top-10 teams in the state in Class 6A. We believe that this could be a breakout game for Amehre Morrison and Chase Begin. We like Coach Collins and the Knights this week to pick up their first win of the season. River Ridge by three touchdowns.

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Creekview Grizzlies will play two games in a five-day span this week. After the Grizzlies beat Osborne on Monday, they now turn their attention to the Dalton Catamounts and perhaps one of the leading candidates for Player of the Year in Class 6A, running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Creekview got on track this week offensively and is averaging 29 points per game on offense. At the skill positions, Quarterback Brody Rhodes and “do-everything” Ethan Dirrim will be called upon to help lead the Grizzlies against a stingy Dalton defense. Don’t forget backs Cole Hasty and Tyler Stephens. Stephens had a big game on Monday night. They’ll have the luxury of running behind Clemson commit John Williams.

 

The Dalton Catamounts will be out of the friendly confines of Northwest Georgia for the first time this season as they travel to Canton to face Creekview. As we have mentioned before, running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been on fire through three games. The Georgia Tech commit has rushed for  806 yards and 16-TDs. Maurice Howard has also had good outings in the run-game, spelling Gibbs this season. Quarterback Landon Allen has not had to throw the ball too much this season, because the Cats have usually been off to the races on the ground, but receiver Hunter Noland has proven to be a valuable weapon in the passing game. While all of this talk has been about the Dalton offense (averaging over 400 yards per game on the ground), the defense has done well only surrendering 10.3 points per games. Creekview will be the biggest test for the Cats, but we don’t believe they can slow down the Gibbs express. We think this will be closer than any of Dalton’s other games, but we like Dalton by 10 on the road.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Sequoyah Chiefs are back on the road this week as the face the Campbell Spartans, in a non-region game. Sequoyah is coming off of a road loss at Dalton and will look to get back on track Friday night. The Chiefs will look to junior Jaden Mitchell to lead the rushing attack, but they have also gotten production running the ball from senior Riley Gutmann, quarterback Colin Koprowski and sophomore Aidan Moore. Meanwhile, on defense, the Chiefs will look to Grant Gibson, Christian Kirby and Myles McGee to help slow down the Spartans.

 

Campbell will be looking for their first win of the season this week. They have had some trouble getting into the end zone early in the season, but some of that has been do to their opponents. While the Spartans are only averaging 4.6 points per game, we believe that quarterback Alex Stack and the Spartans receivers will look to challenge Myles McGee and the Sequoyah secondary. Meanwhile, Emon Padgett will try to get loose against the Chiefs defensive front. We think this game could turn into a slugfest, but we like the Chiefs over the Spartans this week by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Woodstock Wolverines will be on the road to face the North Paulding Wolfpack this Friday. This should be a great matchup in the passing game as Woodstock’s secondary, led by David Daniel and Andrew Bartolero will be matched up against the North Paulding aerial assault. The Wolverines were off last week and are still in search of their first win of the season.

 

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack comes into the game undefeated as quarterback Kyle Bird has passed for 825 yards and 5-TDs. Bird also leads the team in rushing with 183 yards and 5 rushing TDs. Tanner Bentley (14 receptions, 284 yards  1-TD) and Jarrod Wray (14 receptions 208 yards, 3-TDs) lead the Wolfpack receiving corps. Defensively, look for linebackers Matt Hoffman (12 total tackles, 3 sacks) and Tysean Morgan-Ford to put pressure on the young Woodstock quarterbacks. The Wolfpack is averaging 49.3 points per game. We don’t think they’ll get that many this week, but we do expect them to outscore Woodstock. We like the Pack by 17.

 

 

 

 

 

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Week 4 – GHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on September 15, 2019 by admin

Week- 4 of the GHSA football season is in the books. Many games across the state were either postponed or cancelled due to Mother Nature. Yet in spite of the inclement weather, there was some great action across the state as always and several games that might have raised some eyebrows.

In perhaps the biggest show down of the night in 7A, it was the Grayson Rams who defeated the No. 1 ranked Marietta Blue Devils 28-14. The win, coupled with a Colquitt County loss to Valdosta has reshuffled our top 10. Grayson is our new No. 1 team. Followed by Lowndes and then McEachern.

In 6A, Stephenson and Richmond Hill drop from the rankings after losses this weekend. Houston County got a big win over 3-A Peach County. The Bears come in at No. 9 this week while Douglas County makes their debut at No. 10. Over in the 5A poll, Starr’s Mill dropped from the rankings after losing to Chapel Hill. Kell drops to No. 10 after falling just short to Rome on Friday night. Wayne County makes their debut in our poll this week at No. 9.

The 4A poll remains unchanged this week. Meanwhile, there was some shuffling in the 3A poll as Peach County was upset by Houston County as we mentioned earlier. The Peach County loss, coupled with Cedar Grove’s loss to 7A McEachern has Pierce County as our new No. 1 team this week. While there was reshuffling up top, the rankings remain unchanged with the bottom 5 teams.

There were no changes made to the 2A poll. But the Hephzibah Rebels got a big win over Screven County and perhaps validated their Top-10 ranking.

In Class A-Public, the Top-5 remained unchanged, but Wilcox County and Trion make their debut at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively. Mt. Zion Carroll drops to No. 10 after falling to 2-A Temple, while Manchester and Schley drop from the poll after losses this weekend. In Class A Private, the Top 10 remained unchanged from last 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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The TFR Georgia High School Football Podcast – Featuring Staff Sgt. Davis of the U.S. Army

Posted on September 15, 2019 by admin

Today we have a little different spin on our Georgia High School Football Podcast as we check in with Staff Sgt.Davis from the U.S. Army. Staff Sgt. Davis is an 8 year Veteran of our U.S. Army. He and members of his battalion work with some of the football teams in Dalton and the surrounding NW Georgia area during the offseason through their Warrior Athletic Challenge Program. We wanted to learn more about how their team helps prepare these young men and their teams for the football season. Please tune in and listen to this episode of the TFR. If you have any questions regarding the Warrior Athletic Challenge Program, please call Staff Sgt. Davis at 423-680-0916.

 

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