Week 7 – GHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on October 6, 2019 by admin

Week-7 is in the books and our GHSA High School Football Poll has been published. There were no changes to our 7A poll this week. Meanwhile, in 6A, the only Top-10 team to lose was Coffee, as they fell to Godby High out of Tallahassee. The loss drops the Trojans down to No. 6.

In 5A, Bainbridge lost to 7A Tift County. The loss drops the Bearcats down to No. 6 this week. Buford continues to impress and has jumped to No. 4. while Wayne County is back into the poll after Griffin’s loss to Starr’s Mill dropped them from the poll.

Sandy Creek had a big win over Troup this week in a Top-10 battle in Class 4A. Troup’s loss drops them to No. 10 this week. There were no new entrants into the poll. The 3A poll remains unchanged this week. However, in Class 2-A, Hephzibah lost to Jefferson County, which paved the way for Fitzgerald to enter the poll at No. 10 this week. Hapeville Charter downed Dougalss in a Top-10 battle in Region 6. The loss dropped the Astros to No. 9 this week.

The Class A Public poll remains unchanged. While in Class A Private, there was reshuffling in the bottom five, but there were no new entrants 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 – 7 GHSA Football Previews – Eight Greats Around the State – Part 1 of 2

Posted on October 3, 2019 by admin

This is Part I of our GHSA Football Previews called Eight Greats Around The State. As we take a look at some of the previews for Week-7,  we noticed that some of the best games are in Class A-Private this week. Our first preview features the Darlington Tigers and Christian Heritage Lions. The Lions are looking to break through and finally get a win against Darlington. The winner is sure to get a big boost in the GHSA Class A-Private power rankings. In Class 4A, Troup and Sandy Creek face off in region play. These are certainly two of the top three teams in the Region. Can Troup get the offense rolling again against a stingy Sandy Creek defense?  Hapeville Charter and Douglass face off in a Region 6-AA battle. Can Douglass knock off the reigning region champ? Over in Region 8-AA, Union County will host Elbert County. Will it be another big night for UC quarterback Pierson Allison? Or will Elbert slow down the Panther express? As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Two of the top teams in both Region 6 and Class A Private will match up as The Christian Heritage Lions travel to Rome to take on the Darlington Tigers. For Darlington, Kolin Rogers has rushed for 491 yards and 10-TDs, while quarterback Griffin Brewster leads the team with 512 passing yards and 6-TDs. The Darlington offense is averaging 39.4 points per game while their defense has two shutouts to their credit and is only allowing  8.6 points per game.

 

Christian Heritage also comes into this game undefeated. They are led by sophomore quarterback Christian Thomas, who has passed for 615 yards and 6-TDs. Gage Leonard has rushed fro 459 yards and 5-TDs and also caught 13 passes for 176 yards and 2-TDs. Evan Lester leads the team in receiving yards with 225 and 3-TDs. The Lions got their first shutout in their last outing and are only allowing 5 points per game on defense. If there was ever a year for Christian Heritage to beat Darlington, this might be one of their best chances…but we like the Tigers at home in another close game…Tigers by 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Troup County will get another test in Region 4-4A as the Sandy Creek Patriots come calling on Friday night. Troup continues to be led by quarterback Kobe Hudson (999 yards passing, 558 yards rushing, 17-TDs) and Tre Williams who has rushed for 723 yards and 8-TDs. The Tigers leading receivers are Zy Varner (10 receptions, 325 yards, 5-TDs), Marquavious Kelley (10 receptions, 193 yards, 1-TD) and Luke Purnell (12 receptions, 136 yards, 2-TDs). The Tigers are averaging almost 320 yards on the ground per game and averaging 45.2 points per game on offense, while the defense is allowing 25.4 points per game.

 

Meanwhile, head Coach Brett Garvin has the Sandy Creek Patriots moving in the right direction this season as the Patriots are undefeated coming into their region opener. The storyline for the Patriots this season has been their defense. Sandy Creek is allowing 5 points per game on defense. Meanwhile, quarterback Matt Williams has a couple of talented receivers in Brian Branch (Alabama Commit) and Ahmad Jackson who will definitely put pressure on the Troup secondary. This game could certainly be a slugfest this year. We give the nod to Troup at home, but not by much…Tigers by 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Hapeville Charter will host the Douglass Astros on Friday night. While we are only at the midway point of the season, this game could decide the region champion or at least give the winner an inside track to the region championship.  The Hornets again have a plethora of talent on this year’s squad. Quarterback Jeremy Stephens has passed for 603 yards and 5-TDs. His top receivers include Na’Sean Dickerson (7 receptions, 195 yards, 2-TDs), Jaquez Smith (9 receptions, 144 yards, 3-TDs) and Rico Powers Jr. (6 receptions, 123 yards, 2-TDs). Meanwhile Marcus Carroll has rushed for 372 yards and 5-TDs. Defensive lineman Robert Lee has recorded 8 sacks on the season. The Hornets are allowing 9.7 points per game.

The Douglass Astros are 5-0 for the second consecutive season. They have done most of their damage on offense in the run game. Quintavious Lockett has rushed for 715 yards and 11-TDs, While quarterback De’Andre Watson has passed fir 356 yards and rushed for 395 yards and accounted for 15 total TDs. Dre Towns is the Astros leading receiver with 175 yards and 3-TDs. Douglass is averaging almost 300 yards per game on the ground. If the Astros can use their ground game to keep the explosive Hornets offense off the field, this game could get very interesting late. We think Hapeville is still the top dog in Region 6. Hornets by 10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Union County Panthers host the Elbert County Blue Devils in beautiful Blairsville on Friday night. Union County quarterback Pierson Allison, one of the top passers in the state, has thrown for 1,553 yards and 18-TDs with no interceptions. Running back Jonah Daniel has rushed for 798 yards and 10-TDs, while Kyle Morlock (21 receptions, 528 yards, 6-TDs) and Sawyer Drake (27 receptions, 465 yards, 6-TDs) lead the Panthers in the receiving statistical categories. The Panthers are averaging a very healthy 53.8 points per game on offense.

 

We suspect that the Elbert County Blue Devils will be the toughest opponent to date for the Panthers. Elbert’s only losses were to North Oconee and Hart County; two teams that are ranked in the Top-10 in various polls in their respective classifications. The Blue Devils are averaging 35.8 points per game and quarterback DJ Ardister is a dangerous weapon as well in his own right. We just don’t believe that the Blue Devils can outscore Union County. We like the Panthers by 17 this week.

 

 

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Week – 7 GHSA Football Previews – Eight Greats Around the State – Part 2 of 2

Posted on October 3, 2019 by admin

This is Part II of our GHSA Football Previews called Eight Greats Around The State. As we take a look at the previews for Week-7,  we noticed that some of the best games are in Class A-Private this week. Our first preview takes us to Middle Georgia as West Laurens and Howard look to get a leg up in Region 2-4A play this week. Next up, we take a look at one of those Class-A Private games as Prince Avenue Christian hosts Athens Academy. Prince Avenue has been without their quarterback for the past month. Can they do enough to keep Len’Neth Whitehead and the Spartans at bay? In Region 5-A-Private, Wesleyan travels to McDonough to face the ELCA Chargers. Both teams were beaten earlier this season by Holy Innocents. This game should settle second place in the region and also give a boost to the winner in the Class A power rankings. Finally in Region 4-6A, The M.L. King Lions will face the Stephenson Jaguars. The Jaguars have not been as prolific on offense as we’ve seen in the past. Is this the season the Lions break a 6 game losing streak to their county rival? As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

If there was ever a year that traditional region power Mary Persons could be knocked off from the top of the hill, this might be it; and both West Laurens and Howard have just as good a chance as any program to do so. West Laurens hosts Howard as both teams come in with identical records. West Laurens has a pretty balanced attack and is led by quarterback A.J. Mathis (1,006 yards passing, 8-TDs) and running backs Daniel Dorsey (284 yards, 4-TDs), Christian Covin (260 yards, 2-TDs) and Shonta Burney Jr. (256 yards, 3-TDs). Brent Carr is the team’s leading receiver with 31 receptions fro 564 yards. D’Eryck Jackson leads the Raiders in total tackles with 50 and is second on the team in sacks with 4. The Raiders have recorded 25 sacks on the season. The aforementioned Dorsey also leads the defense with 3 interceptions.

 

The Howard Huskies have won four consecutive games after dropping their first of the season to Jones County. They have done much of their damage on the ground. Jeremiah Kelly leads the way with 498 yards and 4-TDs while Javarsia Meadows has added 324 yards and 8-TDs. Quarterback Jaylon Clark has passed for 556 yards and 7-TDs. Meadows is also the Huskies leading receiver with 21 receptions for 258 yards. Jason Parham leads the team with 36 total tackles and also leads the team in interceptions, with 2. We are impressed with the direction the Huskies are moving in and it looks like this could shape up to be one of the best season’s in school history, but we think West Laurens gets revenge from last year’s game this week. Raiders by 9.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Athens Academy Spartans will travel to Prince Avenue Christian in a battle of top Region 8 teams. The host Wolverines are currently playing without starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff who has been out with an injury. Freshman quarterback Lucian Anderson has stepped up in his stead and passed for 465 yards and 6-TDs. Landon Owens leads the team in rushing with 454 yards and 5-TDs while Logan Johnson (20 receptions, 359 yards, 4-TDs) and Zac Dyer (14 receptions, 366 yards, 5-TDs) lead the Prince Avenue receivers. Tyler Payne and Davis Ridings lead the team in total tackles with 49 and 46 respectively while Shane McCormick leads the team in sacks with 5.

 

Athens Academy has won the last three games in the series. The Athens Academy defense is allowing 8 points per game while their offense is averaging 43.5 points per game. Len’Neth Whitehead is a star on both sides of the ball at running back and linebacker for the Spartans. Palmer Bush has a dangerous weapon in Deion Colzie at receiver. We like the Spartans this week again, but it should be a close contest. Athens Academy by 4 on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

While Holy Innocents is almost certain to lay claim to the Region 5 crown, ELCA and Wesleyan are battling for positioning in the Class A private power poll. ELCA’s Keaton Mitchell is one of the state’s top running backs with 811 yards and 17-TDs on the season. Quarterback Gabe Wright has passed for 718 yards and 10-TDs. Justin Robinson has been the Chargers leading receiver with 19 catches for 247 yards and 4-TDs. The ELCA defense is allowing 13 points per game. Deion Fisher leads the team in total tackles with 43 and interceptions, with 2.

 

The Wesleyan Wolves opened the season with 4 straight wins before falling to Holy Innocents last week. The Wolves are led by sophomore quarterback J.C. French (646 yards passing 11-TDs) and fellow sophomore running back Griffin Caldwell. Josh Aspinwall leads the team in total tackles with 43. The Wolves look to have a strong young nucleus, but we believe the Chargers have too much firepower this week. We like ELCA by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The M.L. King Lions are undefeated through four games for the first time since 2012 when they went undefeated in regular season play. This week they host the Stephenson Jaguars. The Lions have had a lot of success on the ground. Dual threat quarterback Jacobi Haynes (715 yards rushing, 472 yards passing, 13 total TDs) and running back Michael Fearn (325 yards, 3-TDs) lead the King offensive attack. De’Ouandre Moore is the leading receiver with 12 catches for 332 yards. Linebackers Colin White and Jomel Robinson lead the team in total tackles with 43 and 34 respectively.

 

The Stephenson Jaguars have won the last six games in the series. In those last six matchups, the Jaguars are only allowing the Lions 7.3 points per game. Offensively, Deondre Jackson has rushed for 447 yards and 8-TDs. Ryan Ingram has also chipped in 167 yards and 1-TD. The Stephenson defense has been pretty stingy, only allowing 12.5 points per game. Tommy Smith leads the team with 40 total tackles and Javier Morton leads the Jaguars 2 interceptions. We think the Stephenson defense will do enough to keep them in the game for 4 quarters, but we like King by 3 this week in a low scoring battle.

 

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Week 7 – TFR Cherokee County Football Previews

Posted on October 2, 2019 by admin

We’ve turned the calendar to the month of October and that means it’s time for region play. Five of the six county teams are in action this week and our Cherokee County Football game previews are here. The county’s oldest rivalry renews this year for the 36th time as the Cherokee Warriors host the Etowah Eagles. Can the Warriors bounce back from the defeat at Cartersville and which Etowah team will we see this Friday; the one that took Hillgrove to overtime or the one that had trouble against North Cobb early in the season? Meanwhile, River Ridge will travel to Dalton. The Knights have strung together two consecutive victories but step up in competition as they visit the Catamounts. Can River Ridge slow down Jahmyr Gibbs? Finally, Creekview makes the short ride down East Cherokee Drive to face the Sequoyah Chiefs. The Grizzlies have dominated this series and this game has big playoff implications as neither team can afford to lose too much ground in the standings. Please make sure to get out and support these young men on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading.  Comments and discussion are always welcome!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Cherokee County’s oldest rivalry renews for the 36th time this Friday night as Etowah travels to Cherokee. This is the first week of region play for both teams. The Etowah Eagles have been up and down this season. The Eagles offense has been pretty consistent, averaging 29.4 points per game. Going into the bye week, quarterback Dalton Miller was one of the state’s leading passers with 1,065 yards on the season. However, the Etowah defense, which historically has been the team’s hallmark is allowing 29.2 points per game. In Etowah’s last outing, they took a very talented Hillgrove team to overtime.

 

Meanwhile, the Cherokee Warriors had won 4 straight before falling to Cartersville. The Warriors are averaging 22 points per game this season. Quarterback A.J. Swann has passed for 857 yards and 6-TDSs, while Keith Adams Jr. has carried the load on the ground with 468 yards and 5-TDs. Sophomore Adarrius Harshaw leads the team in receiving with 19 catches for 241 yards and 1-TD. The Warriors defense has been stout this season recording 2 shutouts and only allowing 7 points per game. The Warriors are only allowing 204.6 total yards to date. Brandon Byrd, Patrick Dahlen and Braesen Parker lead the Warriors in solo tackles. Dahlen also leads the secondary with 3 interceptions. We don’t expect offensive an explosion this week with these two defenses, but we do like the Warriors by 4 at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The River Ridge Knights travel to Dalton to take on the Catamounts. River Ridge has string together back-to-back wins and outscored their last two opponents 83-7. Last week it was quarterback Chase Begin and running back Amehre Morrison leading the way for the Knights. River Ridge is now averaging 19.2 points per game, but their defense is still allowing 26.2 points per game.

 

Dalton, however is in a different class than River Ridge. The Catamounts will surely be happy to be playing in the friendly confines of Bill Chappell Stadium after consecutive road trips to Metro-Atlanta. Jahmyr Gibbs has rushed for 1,364 yards and 24-TDs , including 220 yards in last week’s loss to Harrison. Behind Gibbs, the Cats are averaging 48 points per game. Meanwhile, the defense is allowing 18.4 points per game, with the bulk of those coming against Harrison. We believe the Cats get back to their winning ways and look for Gibbs to have another big night this week. Dalton by 24.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Sequoyah Chiefs and Creekview Grizzlies will battle this weekend as neither team can afford to lose any more ground in region play. The Chiefs will look to establish the run out of their Wing-T offense. They are lead by backs Jaden Mitchell (228 yards, 3-TDs) and Aidan Moore (126 yards, 1-TD). Sequoyah is averaging 22.7 points per game on offense, while the defense is allowing 15.7 yards per game. The Chiefs defense is paced by linebackers Christian Kirby (23 total tackles) and Grant Gibson and corner Myles McGee, (a recent NIU commit).

 

The Grizzlies are looking to get back on track this week after falling to Dalton their last time out. They are led on offense by dual threat quarterback Brody Rhodes, who has passed for 821 yards and leads the team in rushing with 313. He has accounted for 9 total TDs for the Grizzlies. Sophomore Tyler Stephens has added 203 yards and 3-TDs on the ground.  Meanwhile, Ethan Dirrim (28 receptions, 410 yards, 6-TDs and Andrew Cloy (19 receptions, 243 yards, 2-TDs) leads the Creekview receiving corp.  On defense, Lake Bowman and Cale Williams lead the team in total tackles, while Freshman Isaac Hubert leads the team in sacks with 7. The Grizzlies have recorded 29.5 sacks already this season. The big question this week, is can the Chiefs contain Creekview’s Rhodes & Dirrim…That’s a tall order to ask of most teams. We like Creekview by 6 this week.

 

 

 

 

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Week 6 – GHSA High School Football PollGHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on September 29, 2019 by admin

Week-6 brought us more big games across the state of Georgia. In perhaps the biggest matchup in 7A, Colquitt County beat Grayson. Grayson was our previous No. 1 drops to No. 4. Lowndes is the new No. 1 as they blanked Valdosta in the Winnersville Classic. In another battle of Top-10 teams, Parkview topped Milton in a defensive battle. The loss dropped Milton out of the poll while North Gwinnett makes their first appearance in the poll at No. 9, and Archer rounds out the Top-10 after an overtime defeat at the hands of Class 5A Buford.

In 6A, Harrison defeated Dalton to take over the No. 1 position in the poll. Valdosta dropped one spot to No. 2 after their loss to Lowndes.  The only change to the 5A poll was Buford moving up one spot after defeating Archer. There were no changes in the 4A poll this week.

There were no new entrants into the 3A poll, although there was some shake up. Cedar Gove took control of Region 5 with a big win over Lovett.  Meanwhile Appling County fell to 5A Wayne County. Those losses dropped Lovett to No. 8 and Appling to No. 9. Crisp County holds at No. 10 after losing by 5 to defending 5A State Champs, Bainbridge.

The Top-10 in Class 2A remains unchanged. Class A-Public had some shake up. Manchester jumps back into the poll at No. 7 after a big win over Marion County. Claxton who was ranked  No. 10 drops out of the poll this week although they were on bye. Class A-Private saw North Cobb Christian fall to Bowdon and Holy Innocents put their stamp on Region 5 with a shutout win over Wesleyan. The losses drop Wesleyan to No. 8 and North Cobb Christian to No. 9.

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 6 – TFR Cherokee County Football Previews

Posted on September 25, 2019 by admin

It’s Week 6 of the high school football season and our Cherokee County Football previews are here. Only two teams are in action this week and both are on the road. The River Ridge Knights got their first win last week and travel to Chamblee to take on the Bulldogs. Will they keep the momentum going this week? Meanwhile, Woodstock travels to Cumming to face North Forsyth. The Wolverines are in search of their first win of the season, while the Raiders are in search of their first win in the series. 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

 

Head Coach Michael Collins will take his River Ridge Knights on the road this week as they travel to take on the Chamblee Bulldogs. (Collins coached at Chamblee from 2008-2009.) River Ridge picked up their first win of the season last week as they defeated the Osborne Cardinals. Amhere Morrison had a big week in the win as we went for over 150 yards and 2-TDs. This could be another game for the Knights to get any kinks worked out before they return to region play next week at Dalton.

 

Meanwhile, Chamblee has struggled in their three games this season, only scoring 13 points in total while their opposition has averaged 41.3 points per game. The Bulldogs biggest threat on offense is senior receiver Jeremiah Brown. If the Knights can contain Brown it should be another big win for River Ridge. We expect another big game from Amehre Morrison and expect the Knights to roll. River Ridge by 24 this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Woodstock Wolverines will be on the road again this week as the face the North Forsyth Raiders this Friday. Quarterbacks Walker Ormsby and Robbie Roper have combined to pass for 708 yards and 7-TDs on the season. V’ontae Hampton leads the Wolverines with 308 yards rushing and 2-TDs. Meanwhile, Wes Bruno (11 receptions, 146 yards, 1-TD and De’Andre Turner, 10 receptions, 140 yards) lead the Wolverines receiving corps.

 

Meanwhile, North Forsyth comes into this game seeking their first win in the series. After their Week-1 loss to Cherokee, the Raiders have won three straight games. The Raiders will come with a balanced attack on offense. Quarterback Brady Meitz has passed for 590 yards and 4-TDs while Jared Lucero has rushed for 371 yards and 2-TDs. Nicky Dalmolin continues to pace the North Forsyth receivers with 16 receptions for 210 yards and 2-TDs. If Woodstock is able to take away Dalmolin, will North Forsyth be able to find another answer at receiver? This should be a very competitive contest…we like the Raiders to get their first win in the series this week; North Forsyth by 4.

 

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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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