Week 1 – GHSA High School Football Poll

Posted on August 25, 2019 by admin

What a great opening weekend to High School Football in the great state of Georgia. Our Week 1 GHSA High School Football Poll is listed below. There is certainly still a lot to be sorted out before we get to region play and beyond, but we did get an idea of where some teams stand early in the season. In 7-A there was not much movement in the poll, as all but one team in action won this weekend. The Milton Eagles showdown with Buford was been postponed due to weather and will be played on September 6th, at Milton.

In 6A both Allatoona and Creekside lost close games this weekend, but do not drop out of the poll. Over in 5-A, Rome dropped it’s game to Class 7A No. 1 Marietta. The Wolves drop two spots to No. 3, but we think Rome will be just fine facing the rest of their slate this season. Cartersville remains atop the 4-A poll after just getting by 6-A Allatoona. Burke County enters the 4-A poll this week after winning their shootout with Benedictine at Paulson Stadium on Saturday night.

The Lovett Lions got a big Week-1 win over GAC in overtime Friday night and make their debut at No. 5 in this weeks 3-A poll. Meanwhile in 2-A, Fitzgerald and Washington County enter this weeks poll at 7 and 8 respectively. Rabun County is our new No. 1 team in 2-A after Hapeville Charter and Calloway were both competitive, but dropped their 2019 openers. Manchester is the only new entrant in our Class A-Public poll, while Class A-Private did not have any new entrants, but there was some reshuffling.

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 1- TFR Cherokee County Football Game Previews

Posted on August 22, 2019 by admin

High school Football is finally back in Cherokee County! This week we continue our Cherokee County Football game previews. Our matchups in Week-1 are Woodstock vs. North Cobb, River Ridge vs. Etowah, Creekview vs. Cambridge and Cherokee vs. North Forsyth. Sequoyah is off this week. Thanks for reading. Please make sure to get out and support these young men on Friday night. As always comments and discussion are welcome!

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Woodstock Wolverines will host the North Cobb Warriors on Friday night at the Woodshed. Woodstock will be looking to find their grove under center as the team has been looking for the right fit at quarterback this off-season. Whoever takes the first snaps will have some experienced receivers returning in Brooks Bortle and Wes Bruno while De’Andre Turner could be an emerging star for the Wolverines. The Woodstock secondary might be the best in the county with Top-100 DB David Daniel and his teammate Andrew Bartolero patrolling the secondary for Woodstock. D.J. Thomas could be the next big thing along the Wolverines defensive front.

 

North Cobb lost a lot of production form last season when Christian Singleton graduated. The Warriors do return an experienced quarterback in junior Trevor Lovett. While Lovett won’t have Singleton in the backfield, he will have receiving threats such as Jevon Johnson at receiver and Kalen Carver at tight-end. This game should be closer than last season’s matchup, but we still like the Warriors this week by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The River Ridge Knights will start the Mike Collins era on Friday night as they host the Etowah Eagles.  The Knights had a good showing in their scrimmage last week and are looking for their first win over a County rival in program history.  We expect for Kofi Reeves-Miller and Ahmere Morrison to share the load at running back to help ease Chase Begin return at quarterback. Begin is a threat to pass and has shown an ability to scramble, so we know he will keep the Etowah defense on their toes. Aiden Ali should be one of his primary targets through the air.

 

The Etowah Eagles have been one of the most consistent programs in Cherokee County in recent history, qualifying for the playoffs  in each of the past six years. We believe that Dalton Miller is one of the best quarterbacks in the county. Nick Maddox should lead the way on the ground for the Eagles. Porfinio Acosta will anchor the offensive line and should help open lanes for the Eagles rushing attack. On defense, look for Raymone Devezin and Cole Milovanovic to set the tone for Etowah. We don’t think that Etowah will shut out River Ridge this season, but we do like the Eagles by 17 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Creekview Grizzlies will make the short trip over to Milton to face the Cambridge Bears. The Grizzlies have not lost in the series. New head coach Trevor Williams looks to have his team geared up as they looked impressive in their scrimmage against Cherokee last week. Brody Rhodes will lead the Grizzlies offense once again in 2019. Rhodes was the teams leading passer while splitting time with Ethan Dirrim. The duo passed for over 1,400 yards last season. Clemson commit, “Big” John Williams will anchor the offensive line. Lake Bowman is the Grizzlies leading returning tackler from a year ago.

 

The Cambridge Bears were very young last season. Both Zach Harris and Stratton Tripp took snaps for the Bears in 2018. They combined for 1,705 yards through the air and 14-TDs. The Bears lose their top three receivers from a year ago, but Hayden Gardella seems poised to lead the receiving corps in 2019. Cambridge does return last year’s leading running back, Phillip Michael Collins. In 2018, Collins rushed for 953 yards and 11-TDs. We expect for the Grizzlies to see a steady dose of him on Friday night. We also expect this game to be much close than last season, but we still like the Grizzlies to come out on top, Creekview by 8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cherokee Warriors will host the North Forsyth Raiders on Friday at Tommy Baker field. The Warriors will have a new quarterback under center in sophomore A.J. Swann. Swann will have the luxury of having Cherokee’s two top receivers from a season ago, Devin Ellison and Brady Bocherer back for 2019. Keith Adams Jr. should get a bulk of the carries for the Warriors. Meanwhile, there was a lot of talent and leadership that graduated on the defensive side of the ball. Ebony Jackson and Patrick Dahlen will provide skill and leadership in the secondary for the Warriors, but who else we step up for the Warriors this season?

 

The North Forsyth Raiders will also have a new quarterback under center in Brady Metz. Like Cherokee’s Swann, Metz will have the Raiders top receiver from a year ago returning in Nicky Dalmolin (47 catches, 514 yards).  The Raiders rushed for almost 230 yards per game last season, but lose their top four running backs to graduation. Linebacker Jack Tucker is the leading returning tackler for the Raiders while Tyler Cunningham will patrol the secondary at safety. Mason Butcher and Max Bryant will help anchor the North Forsyth defensive line. We think this matchup will be close again this year, but we like the Warriors by a field goal.

 

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

Posted on August 21, 2019 by admin

Today we will start our weekly segment GHSA Football previews that we call Eight Greats Around the State. Each week, we will take 8 of the more intriguing GHSA Football match-ups and preview the games. The segment will be split into two parts, this is Part 2 of 2. Our second matchups feature the Buford vs. Milton game, Cedartown vs. Rockmart, Hapeville Charter vs. Cedar Grove and Jefferson vs. Oconee County. As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

 

 

The Skinny

Bryant Appling takes over as head coach for the Buford Wolves. Buford lost their starting quarterback from a season ago to transfer. Elijah Turner does return at running back while Seth McLaughlin will anchor the offensive line. Perhaps the most dynamic player for the Wolves is DB/WR T Lee. He will certainly make things difficult for the Milton passing attack.

 

Speaking of Milton…The Eagles are coming off of their first State Title in school history. But like Buford, the Eagles will be trotting out a new quarterback as last year’s starter is now playing at Georgia Tech. Ahmad Junearick is the Eagles leading offensive producer from last season. The Eagles back will have the luxury of running behind Paul Tchio and Anthony Minella. Jack Rhodes and Stephen Michaels will lead the Milton linebackers while Marcos Rangel will help anchor the defensive line. We think the offenses may struggle early in this game but we like Milton to edge Buford by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

This Polk County rivalry will renew for the 75th time on Friday night as the Rockmart Yellow Jackets travel over to Cedartown to face the Bulldogs. Cedartown has dominated the series, but it was Rockmart getting the win last season. The Yellow Jackets will turn to Javin Whatley under center. Juke Boozer, last year’s hero for Rockmart is back at receiver. Reed Couch is also a receiving threat for Rockmart. Deacon Allen should make things difficult for the Cedartown ground game as he looks to clog up the interior defensive line.

 

The Bulldogs will counter on offense with running back Kobe Pryor (a Clemson commit). Dual threat quarterback Taji Hudson will also present some challenges for the Rockmart defense. Hudson is committed to ECU. Chadriq Neal is a dangerous wide receiver who can make the big catch and also spells trouble taking pitches out of the backfield once he gets to the edge. We think the Jackets will have quite a time chasing him around this Friday. We like the Bulldogs this week to return the favor and win by 10.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Hapeville Charter Hornets and the Cedar Grove Saints will face off for the first time ever, this Saturday over at Buck Godfrey Stadium. Both of these teams have been at the top of their respective classifications for the past few seasons. The Hornets will be led by returning quarterback Jeremy Stephens, while Marcus Carroll, the teams leading rusher also returns. Newcomer Rico Powers should also be another weapon at receiver.

 

Austin Smith looks to take over full time at quarterback for the Saints. They will be looking for someone to fill the shoes of star wide receiver, Jadon Haselwood who graduated last season. Perhaps Nae’Saan Dickerson will be the name that folks around Ellenwood will be talking about this season. Until the offense gets settled, it may be up to the Cedar Grove defense, led by linebacker Isaiah Ratcliff, lineman Alvin Williams, defensive back Tee Denson. This matchup will come down to whether the Cedar Grove defense can slow down the Hapeville Charter offense. We think it will be close, but we like Hapeville Charter by 4 this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Oconee County Warriors will travel to Jefferson on Friday to take on the Dragons. For the Warriors, all eyes will be on LSU commit, Max Johnson. Ben Noland was one of Johnson’s top targets last season and we expect for them to pick up where they left off. Jimmy Boswell also returns for Oconee County to add balance in the run game.

 

The Jefferson Dragons also return some of their top playmakers from a year ago. Both Colby Clark and Carter Stephenson saw time under center last season. However, the Dragons did much of their work on the ground last season on the legs of Clark, Donsha Gaither and Paxton Corkery. They helped lead the time to over 260 yards per game on the ground. We think there could be a lot of offense in this game. We like Jefferson at home to avenge last season’s loss. Dragons by 6.

 

 

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

Posted on August 21, 2019 by admin

Today we will start our weekly segment GHSA Football previews that we call Eight Greats Around the State. Each week, we will take 8 of the more intriguing GHSA Football match-ups and preview the games. The segment will be split into two parts, this is Part 1 of 2. Our first matchups feature the Thomasville vs. Cairo game, North Gwinnett vs. Colquitt County, Savannah Christian vs. Athens Academy and Marietta vs. Rome. As always, please feel free to share and comment.

 

 

The Skinny

The Thomasville Bulldogs will host Cairo on Friday night. The Bulldogs lost around 90% of their offensive production from last season. Ronnie Baker will take over at quarterback and should have a couple of weapons in tight end Payten Singletary and WR Kevin Cochran. Defensively, KD Johnson and Jayshawn Thornton will be the bell cows for the Bulldogs. They Bulldogs have a lot of talent, but are their young players ready for the big stage?

 

Last season, after dropping their first two games of the season, the Cairo Syrupmakers ran off 10 consecutive wins all the way to the quarterfinals in what some may have seen as a rebuilding year. Cairo will counter on offense with quarterbacks Robert Matthew Peters and Ronnie Baker. Tay Solomon returns for the Syrupmakers. Last season he led the team with 778 yards and 10-rushing TDs. This game went down to the wire in 2018, but we think Cairo is a little more experienced than Thomasville and that will be the difference. We like Cairo by 6 on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The North Gwinnett Bulldogs and Colquitt County Packers will square off in the Benz on Saturday afternoon. These teams last met in the quarterfinals of the 2018 playoffs where Colquitt got the best of North Gwinnett. The Bulldogs return quarterback J.R. Martin who passed for almost 1,700 yards last season. His primary targets should be Joshua Downs and newcomer Bobby Ezzard. Devin Crosby should also get the bulk of the carries as he is the teams leading returning rusher.

 

Meanwhile, Justin Rogers takes over as head coach for the Packers. They reached the state finals in 2018. Colquitt returns their leading passer (Jaycee Harden, 2,498 yards, 22-TDs), leading running back (Daijun Edwards 1,480 yards, 26-TDs) and leading receiver (Lemeke Brockington 30 catches, 604 yards 6-TDs), from the 2018 season. The Colquitt defense registered 82.5 sacks in 2018. While most of those leaders on last years defense are gone, Laquavian Haynes returns with his 8.5 sacks, while Nyquann Washington will lead the secondary. We don’t believe that Colquitt’s defense is as good as last year’s, we do think that the offense returns enough fire power to get past a tough North Gwinnett squad on Saturday. We like the Packers by 10.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Athens Academy Spartans travel down to Pooler to take on the Savannah Christian Raiders. Last season, the Spartans were knocking on the door of a state title but were denied by the ELCA Chargers. The Spartans return several key pieces from last year’s team including star running back/linebacker Len’Neth Whitehead. Quarterback Palmer Bush will return under center for the Spartans. One of his primary targets should be wide receiver Deion Colzie. Perhaps one of the biggest weapons for the Spartans might be senior kicker James Williams who is committed to Syracuse.

 

The host Raiders also return some key pieces from their semi-final team last season. Last season, quarterback Spencer Robicheaux passed for 1,737 yards. Running backs Nate Moon and Marquell Brown combined for over  1,785 yards and 23-TDs on the ground as well. Colby Quinney and Walker McDonald will be tasked with opening up holes along the offensive line. We believe that the long drive for Athens Academy will play to Savannah Christians favor, but we like the Spartans by a James Williams field goal in this one.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Marietta Blue Devils may be as talented as the come this season. They will be looking for redemption as they face the Rome Wolves for the second consecutive year in The Corky Kell Classic. Blue Devils quarterback Harrison Bailey (2,809 yards, 29-TDs) will have several weapons at his disposal including Taji Johnson (661 yards, 3-TDs), Arik Gilbert (88 catches, 1,210 yards, 14-TDs) and Ricky White. Kimani Vidal returns as the teams leading rusher with 954 yards and 11-TDs in 2018.

 

For the first time in 3-years, the Rome Wolves will have a new quarterback under center. We believe that will be  Caleb Ellard. Whoever is taking snaps for Rome will have the benefit of passing behind the blocking of Quintavious Leslie and Aiden Gaines. Trey Lawrence looks to be the heir apparent at running back. Last season he rushed for 560 yards and 14-TDs. Defensively for the Wolves, linebacker Nick Burge is the teams returning tackler while Rayquan Jones returns on the defensive line. We believe that the balance of power has shifted in this game and we like the Blue Devils by two touchdowns.

 

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McIntosh Chiefs – Conversations with Coaches – Featuring Coach Lee Belknap

Posted on August 21, 2019 by admin

Coach Lee Belknap returns to the podcast to talk McIntosh Chiefs football. The Chiefs get their season kicked off this Friday as they play the Mundy’s Mill Tigers. Coach Belknap spent some time talking about some of the Chiefs who will lead the team on the field and in the community and gives us a some insight to their matchup this Friday.

 

 

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

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Thomasville Bulldogs – Conversations with Coaches – Featuring Zach Grage

Posted on August 21, 2019 by admin

We are glad to have Coach Zach Grage join us on the podcast this week. The Thomasville Bulldogs head coach gave us some insight into last season and the challenges and opportunities that 2019 brings. Tune in as we talk about players on the field, players in the community and get a preview of the 2019 Thomasville Bulldogs.

 

 

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

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Brookstone Cougars – Conversations with Coaches – Featuring Coach Blair Harrison

Posted on August 20, 2019 by admin

Earlier this week, we had a chance to talk to Coach Blair Harrison about the Brookstone Cougars. Coach Harrison is in his 12th season overall as the head coach for Brookstone. Last season, the Cougars one their first road playoff game in several years. Coach Harrison talks about this years team and gives us some insight on what to expect from the Cougars.

 

 

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

 

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Haralson County Rebels – Conversations with Coaches – Featuring Coach Scott Peavey

Posted on August 20, 2019 by admin

We were fortunate to have Coach Scott Peavey spend some time with us to talk Haralson County Rebels Football on this episode of Conversations with Coaches. The Rebels had one of the more successful seasons in school history in 2018. Coach Peavey and his staff are working hard preparing his young men for the 2019 season. Tune in and listen as he gives us some insight on the Rebels 2019 football team.

 

 

 

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

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Carrollton Trojans – Conversations with Coaches – Featuring Coach Sean Calhoun

Posted on August 19, 2019 by admin

The Carrollton Trojans are a football program steeped in rich tradition. Today on Conversations with Coaches, Sean Calhoun joined us to talk about the West Georgia power. The Trojans have high hopes for the 2019 season. Coach Calhoun spends some time telling us about some of the things going on around the program and he gives us some insight to the 2019 Carrollton football team. Tune in as we talk Carrollton Trojans football on the TFR.

 

 

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

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Brantley County Herons – Conversations with Coaches – Featuring Coach Geoff Cannon

Posted on August 18, 2019 by admin

Coach Geoff Cannon is in his second season as the head coach for the Brantley County Herons. The East Cobb native has found a home down in southeast Georgia and is looking to change the football culture for the Herons. We had a chance to chat with Coach Cannon about the challenges and opportunities that the Herons have in 2019.

 

 

 

Tune in as we talk Brantley County Herons Football. Please feel free to share! Follow us on Twitter: @turdfurgesonrpt and on the web at turdfurgeson.com

 

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