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.

 

Please feel free to share! Follow us on Twitter: @turdfurgesonrpt and on the web at turdfurgeson.com

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Week 4 – GHSA Football Previews – TFR Eight Greats Around the State – Part 2 of 2

Posted on September 11, 2019 by admin

This is Part II of our GHSA Football Previews. This week, Brooks County will face their second State Champion in as many weeks as they travel to Bainbridge to face the defending 5-A State Champions.  In a big Region 2-4A matchup, Screen County hosts the Hephzibah Rebels. Screven County running back Gary Hawkins has already rushed for over 400 yards this season. Can the Rebels slow him down? In a big Public vs. Private Class A matchup, Mt. Paran Christian will host the Irwin County Indians. Irwin County has been been playing without their fullback DJ Lundy due to an injury, but don’t seem to have missed a beat. Will the long trip to metro Atlanta have any effect on the Indians? Finally, in perhaps the biggest game in South Georgia, the Valdosta Wildcats will face the Colquitt County Packers. Last year, the Packers shut out the Wildcat. Will the Wildcats get revenge on their South Georgia rival this week?  As always, thank you for reading…please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writer Association 

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Brooks County Trojans will face their second defending state champion in as many weeks as they travel to Bainbridge to face the Bearcats. Brooks County fell to 1-A state champion Clinch County last week. It was a 3-point game going into the 4thquarter before Clinch pulled away. Once again, we expect the Trojans to look to Devin Edwards and Omari Arnold to help carry the Trojans offense.

 

Meanwhile, the Bainbridge Bearcats are sitting at 3-0 and are perhaps looking for revenge as they were upset last year by Brooks County. Quarterback Quayde Hawkins has passed for 591 yards and 5-TDs while Rashad Broadnax has rushed for 302 yards and 6-TDs to pace the Bearcats on offense. Michael Ryan (10 receptions, 239 yards, 3-TDs) and Braxton Johnson (9 receptions 231 yards, 1-TD) are the leading receivers for Bainbridge. Eric Sanders and Zion Bouie lead the team in solo tackles, while Deyon Bouie and Jaylan Peterson lead the secondary with two interceptions each. Brooks County should keep this game close again, but we Bainbridge might be a little more dynamic on offense. We like the Bearcats at home by 6 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

While we know it’s much to early in the season to call this a make or break game, this week one battle of Region 4-2A opponents could go a long way in determining the region title this season. Both Screven County and Hephzibah are two of our favorites to win the region. The Screven County Gamecocks will have the fortune of hosting this year’s game over in Sylvania. The Gamecocks have done the bulk of their work on the ground as senior Gary Hawkins has rushed for 427 yards and 7-TDs while quarterback Austin Markovcic has added 118 yards and 2-TDs and Shemar Cheever has rushed for 117 yards. Linebacker Amaree Kemp leads the defense with 20 total tackles while Kris Gadson has recorded 2.5 sacks on the season.

 

Meanwhile the Hephzibah Rebels will play only their second regulation contest this week. Against Savannah two weeks ago, the Rebels gained 197 yards on the ground. Javeon Harris paced Hephzibah with 100 yards rushing, while Jordan Wright added 50 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. Quarterback Marshall Chambers passed for 98 yards and 1-TD and rushed for 45 yards and 2-TDs in the win. The Rebels defense recorded 8 sacks and Jaiden Wofford picked off two passes in the win over Savannah, but we don’t expect for Screven to throw the ball too much this week. So far this season the Gamecocks have been more productive on offense. We expect this game to be close, similar to Screven’s first two games. We like the Gamecocks to edge the Rebels by 3 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Mt. Paran Christian Eagles will host two time Class A Public state finalist Irwin County this week in Kennesaw. In their only game of the season to date, Mt. Paran beat Our Lady of Mercy soundly, 63-7 on August 30th. Quarterback Niko Vangarelli was efficient in one half of work with 4 passing TDs and 2 rushing as well. Meanwhile the Mt. Paran defense stymied OLM all night.

 

However, Irwin County is a huge step up in competition. The 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. Something has to give here. Will it be the Mt. Paran offense or the Irwin County defense. We believe the Irwin Count defense has the edge. We like the Indians by two touchdowns on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

In perhaps the biggest game in South Georgia this weekend, the Colquitt County Packers travel to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium to face the Valdosta Wildcats. The Packers have won six straight against their South Georgia rival and return several players off of their potent offense from a year ago. Colquitt County quarterback Jaycee Hardin has passed for 464 yards and 5-TDs, while Daijun Edwards has rushed for 166 yards and 3-TDs. Lemeke Brockington (7 receptions, 121 yards, 2-TDs) and Tahj Sanders  (7 receptions, 119 yards, 1-TD) lead the team in receiving. The Packers defense has tallied 5 sacks thus far on the season, while only surrendering 9 points total in their two games.

 

The Valdosta Wildcats are off to a fast start at 3-0 this season. Last week, quarterback Tate Rodemaker passed for over 200 yards with 4-TDs. Santavious Gatlin was on the receiving end of two of those touchdown passes. Jaheim Bell also accounted for two touchdowns. The Cats offense is averaging 45.6 points per game., but the Packers will offer a much stiffer challenge than the Columbia Eagles. This game should be closer than last year’s matchup and we believe Valdosta has the talent to compete with the Packers. But we also believe Colquitt is  a little deeper and that’s why we like the Packers on the road by 9 this week.

 

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Week 4 – GHSA Football Previews – TFR Eight Greats Around the State – Part 1 of 2

Posted on September 11, 2019 by admin

The high school football season rolls on in Georgia. This is Part I of our GHSA Football Previews that we like to call Eight Greats Around The State. Our first preview features the Marietta-Grayson matchup. This is perhaps the biggest game in the state in terms of star talent on both sides of the field. The defending 3A State Champion Cedar Grove Saints will make a return trip to face 7-A power McEachern. The Saints are fresh off of a big win in Colorado. Will they be road weary or will they have enough in the tank for revenge against McEachen this season. There’s a big Region 7-5A matchup this week as Kell travels to Rome on Friday night. Rome looks to be back on track, but can they slow down the Kell freshman running back? Our last preview features the Appling County Pirates and the Dodge County Indians. Coach Tomberlain has the Pirates looking like a contender this year in 3-A, but will Dodge County edge the Pirates as they did a year ago? As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writer Association 

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Grayson Rams and Marietta Blue Devils will face off this weekend in a battle of Class 7A powers. Both teams come into the game undefeated. Grayson got the best of Marietta last season, but the Blue Devils look the part of a title contender this season. Harrison Bailey has passed for 882 yards and 9-TDs, while Kimani Vadal has rushed for 239 yards and 4-TDs. Arik Gilbert leads the Blue Devils with 24 catches and 415 yards receiving. Ricky White has also caught 21 balls for 270 yards. On defense, seniors Rashad Torrence and BJ Ojulari lead the team in total tackles with 26 and 24 respectively. Ojulari also leads the team with 2.5 sacks.

 

Grayson was off last week, but proved that they aren’t just a one-trick pony in their win against Tucker two weeks ago. LaFayette Gurvin rushed for over 180 yards and scored on the ground and through the air, for a total of three offensive touchdowns to help pace the Rams offense. Quarterback C.J. Dixon also threw three touchdown passes in the win against Tucker. Dixon has passed for over 475 yards and 5-TDs on the season. This game has all of the makings of a state title match-up. Both teams should be able to score plenty of points. However, we believe Bailey will out-duel Dixon. We like the Blue Devils by a touchdown on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cedar Grove Saints return to action in Georgia this week. Last week, the Saints beat the defending Colorado 5A State Champs, Valor Christian on the road. This week, they will get their chance again as they visit 7A power McEachern. Chavon Wright rushed for 129 yards, while Janiran Bonner caught 5 passes for 78 yards and 1-TD last week. Meanwhile Tee Denson had the highlight of the night for the Saints as he returned an interception 100-yards to seal the victory for the Saints. We believe they will need another big outing from Denson and the rest of the defense in order to slow down McEachern.

 

Meanwhile, the McEachern Indians are off to a hot start offensively. Junior quarterback Carlos Del Rio has passed for 457 yards and 4-TDs while Jordan Simmons has rushed for 75 yards and 4-TDs. Javon Baker leads the Indians in receiving with 9 receptions for 177 yards and 2-TDs while Dacari Collins has caught 7 passes for 160 yards and 2-TDs. The McEachern defense has tallied 5 sacks in their first two games and is only giving up 5 points per game. This should be another great contest similar to last year’s game, but we like the Indians to pull away in the second half. McEachern by 10.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Region 7-5A gets started in a big way as the Kell Longhorns travel to Barron Stadium to face the Rome Wolves. The Kell defense pitched a shutout last week against Lassiter and also kept Mays in check for most of the game in Week-1. The Longhorns defense returned an interception for a touchdown in the game last week. The big question for the Longhorns is whether they can get freshman running back David Mbadinga going on offense.

 

Rome also had a big win last week as the knocked of North Clayton 63-6. The Wolves scored all of their touchdowns on the ground last week and did it by committee. EJ Burks and Trey Lawrence each had three touchdowns in the victory. This week will certainly be a step up in competition for the Wolves. Rome proved they can light up the scoreboard, but how will they fair against a Kell defense that has only surrendered 12 points this season? We do believe the Kell defense will test Rome, but we think the Rome offensive line will wear them down. We like the Wolves by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Appling County Pirates host the Dodge County Indians this Friday in Bagley. Appling is averaging 366 yards on the ground in their first two games. A trio of juniors leads the team in rushing, Sharode Roberts (150 yards, 1-TD), quarterback Jeremiah Holmes (117 yards, 2-TDs) and Keyshawn Walker (104 yards , 1-TD). Senior R.J. Connaway has chipped in 88 yards and 2-TDs on the season. The Pirates have only attempted 13 passes in the two games they’ve played to date. Sharode Roberts also leads the team with 10 total tackles  while defensive end Darris Smith leads the team in sacks with 2.5.

 

The Dodge County Indians will be looking to bounce back after last weeks loss to West Laurens. Daylon Gordon leads the way for the Indians offense on the ground. The junior has rushed for 369 yards and 4-TDs. Although last week he was bottled up by the West Laurens defense and only rushed for 47 yards. Mikhail Carr and Keldrick Beck have been the top receivers for Dodge County combining for 13 catches and 200 yards. Beck has also picked off 3 passes in the secondary for the Indians. We believe that both of these teams will score more than the 21 points combined last season, but we also like the home team Pirates by six this week.

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Week 4 – TFR Cherokee County Football Previews

Posted on September 11, 2019 by admin

The Week 4 Cherokee County Football previews are here. Five of the six county teams are in action this week and all Region 6-6A teams play in all important region games this week. Woodstock is off after a heartbreaking defeat in the final seconds against Cambridge last week. Sequoyah will be on the road to face Jahmyr Gibbs and the rest of the Dalton Catamounts. Can the Sequoyah defense slow down Gibbs this week? He’s been nearly unstoppable in his first two games. River Ridge will face another tough test as they host the Allatoona Buccaneers. For the second week in a row, the Knights will face a Top-10 team. Etowah will host Pebblebrook as they look to stop their two-game skid. Creekview is on the road again this week as the Grizzlies travel to Osborne this Friday.  The Grizzlies will be looking to bounce back after last week’s outing. Finally, Cherokee will be on the road this week at Kennesaw Mountain High School. The Warriors have not surrendered an offensive touchdown in 8 quarters. Will they keep that streak going this week? 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

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writer Association 

NR – Not Ranked

 

The Skinny

 

The Sequoyah Chiefs will make the long trip up to Dalton this week to take on the undefeated Catamounts in a Region 6-6A battle. Sequoyah got a big win last week against Osborne. The Chiefs racked up 185 yards on the ground against Osborne as they were often working with a short field. Jaden Mitchell scored touchdowns on the ground and through the air and sophomore Aiden Moore led the Chiefs with 66 yards rushing. The Sequoyah defense pitched their first shutout and is only surrendering 7 points per game on the season.

 

Meanwhile, if you haven’t heard of Jahmyr Gibbs, then we aren’t quite sure where you’ve been. Perhaps a well kept secret through his junior season, Gibbs has come out with two outstanding performances to open up his senior campaign. In two games, he has rushed for 603 yards and 12-TDs. Junior Maurice Howard has also chipped in 227 yards and 2-TDs. Quarterback Landon Allen has not had to throw too much, but he is completing 67% of his passes for 308 yards and 4-TDs. The Cats leading receiver is junior Hunter Noland. He’s caught 8 passes for 157 yards and 1-TD. Caleb Hernandez and Mauricio Quintero lead the Catamounts in total tackles on the season, both with 18. This game will come down to whichever team can have the most success running the football. That’s what both teams do best. Sequoyah will be the best defense that Dalton has faced to date. We believe the Cats are a little more experienced this season and that should be the difference. We like Dalton by two touchdowns at home.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The River Ridge Knights will look to bounce back after last weeks loss to Harrison, one of the top teams in Class 6A. It doesn’t get any easier as the Allatoona Buccaneers come calling this week. If River Ridge is going to pull the upset this week, we suspect it will involve a lot of Amehre Morrison. The sophomore runs with a combination of power and speed and is always a threat to break a long run. But the Knights will have to get the passing game going to keep the Bucs off balance.

 

Last week against Creekview, Allatoona got a big night from senior running back Alex Wilson who rushed for 116 yards on 16 carries. Meanwhile, Asante Das caught three passes for 123 yards and a touchdown for the Bucs. From all accounts it was a bend but don’t break performance in last weeks victory. We expect for the Bucs to be physical again this week. Defensively, Eric Carty and Calvin Rucker will surely make it difficult for the Knights to get going. We like the Bucs by four touchdowns this week against the Knights.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Etowah Eagles look to put the brakes on a two game losing skid this week as they host the Pebblebrook Falcons. By all accounts, the Eagles have their full compliment of running backs available in Remington Adams, Klivert Many, and Nick Maddox. These backs, coupled with Dalton Miller’s ability to pass accurately should make for a lethal combination once the Eagle’s enter region play. Miller passed for over 300 yards in last week’s heart-breaking loss to South Forsyth.

 

The Pebblebrook Falcons were off last week and had some time to regroup after being downed by Hillgrove back on August 30th. The Falcons were able to get some points on the board in Week-1 against rival South Cobb, but we believe that quarterback Jaquavios Jones will have his hands full with the Etowah defense. For both Etowah and Pebblebrook, turnovers doomed them in their last respective outings. Etowah is our pick to win this game this week. We like the Eagles by 10 over an athletic, but young Pebblebrook squad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Creekview Grizzlies will look to bounce back this week as the travel to Osborne in another Region 6-6A matchup. The Grizzlies connected for some big plays, but costly turnovers did them in against Allatoona. Brody Rhodes continues to lead the Grizzlies in passing (536 yards 6-TDs) and rushing (247 yards 1-TD) on the young season. Junior Cole Hasty has also chipped in 118 yards on the ground. We probably sound like a broken record, but Ethan Dirrim will probably be the best athlete on the field again this week. He leads the team with 20 catches for 252 yards and 3-TDs, while Andrew Cloy has caught 12 passes for 161 yards and 2-TDs. Senior Linebacker Lake Bowman continues to lead the defense with 25 total tackles on the season. The Grizzlies defense has racked up 17.5 sacks already in just 3 games. The bulk of those have come from senior lineman Nick Weeks (5.5 sacks), senior linebacker Jackson Partain (4 sacks) and freshman linebacker Isaac Hubert (5 sacks).

Meanwhile the Osborne Cardinals will look to get into the win column for the first time this season. Last week, the Cardinals were shut out by the Sequoyah Chiefs, 48-0. If Osborne is going to get a win this week, they’ll need to find some way to get more points on the board. Through three games, the Cardinals are only averaging 5 points per game. They are still going through some growing pains under second year head coach Russ Isham. We don’t expect the Grizzlies to make it much easier this week. Osborne might have the better band this week, but this could get out of hand on the field. We like the Grizzlies by six touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cherokee Warriors are 3-0 for the first time since 2007. This week, they head over to Kennesaw to battle the Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs. The Warriors defense was up to the task of keeping North Hall’s offense out of the end zone last week as the Trojan’s only score came on special teams. AJ Swann had a big night last week passing for 248 yards and a touchdown, while Keith Adams rushed for 81 yards and 2-TDs. Brasean Parker (43 total tackles), Patrick Dahlen (36 total tackles) and Brandon Byrd (35 total tackles) continue to lead a Warriors defense that has not allowed an offensive touchdown in 8 quarters.

 

Meanwhile, the Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs enter Friday’s contest in search of their first win. The Mustangs graduated a very large senior class this past spring and for many of the players stepping in, it’s been a trial by fire in the early going. The Mustangs defense made improvements from week one, but the offense is still not firing on all cylinders. Coach Carmean does have some young talent, but the Cherokee defense will be a tough matchup for the young Kennesaw Mountain quarterback. We think the Mustangs defense will keep them in the game early, but expect for Cherokee to wear them down. We like the Warriors by 17 this week.

 

 

 

 

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Week 3 – GHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on September 8, 2019 by admin

Our GHSA Week-3 Top-10 Poll has been published. There were some great games in Week-3 of the GHSA football season. In 7A, Marietta got tested by Collins Hill, but come out victorious setting up a big matchup this week at Grayson. Lowndes got a big win over Parkview and moves up to No. 5 in this week’s poll. Milton dropped a close game to Buford and falls a few spots, while Hillgrove enters the poll for the first time this season at No. 10.

The surprise of the weekend might have occurred down in Ft. Valley as traditional 3A power Peach County knocked off the two-time 6A State Champion, Lee County, 40-17. In other Top-10 action, Allatoona downed Creekview 37-7. The loss drops the Grizzlies from the poll and Richmond Hill replaces them at No. 10.

The 5A poll remained unchanged this week, while in 4A, Pickens drops from the Top-10 after their loss to 2A Pepperell. The Pickens loss makes way for Flowery Branch to enter the poll for the first time this season. Meanwhile, Blessed Trinity drops two spots after falling to Woodward Academy on a field goal in the closing seconds of the game.

There was a little shuffling at the bottom of the 3-A poll, as Crisp County lost a close game to the Dutchtown Bulldogs. The loss drops the Cougars to No. 10 this week. Meanwhile in 2-A, there are four new teams making their debut in the poll this week. The Douglass Astros come in at No. 7, followed by the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets at No. 8, the Union County Panthers are our No. 9 team while the Hephzibah Rebels round out the Top-10.

In Class A- Public, Green County drops from the Top-10, making room for the Bowdon Red Devils at No. 10 this week. In Class A Private, Wesleyan picked a big win after downing Prince Avenue Christian. The Wolves are our No. 4 team this week.

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

(Special thanks to David Hayes at the Georgia High School Helmet Project for providing all of the helmets we use site wide. You can find his work here: http://www.gahelmetproject.com )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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