TFR GHSA 3-A Semifinal Playoff Preview

Posted on November 28, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA 3-A-Semifinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Pierce County-Cedar Grove and Peach County-Calhoun. Pierce County and Cedar Grove are two of the state’s top defenses. Can the Bears contain one of the nation’s best wide receiver…And in Calhoun, we get a rematch of the 2017 state title game…Can the Trojans avenge last seasons loss in the Benz…Best of luck to these final four teams as they compete on Friday night.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Pierce County Bears upset Monroe Area last week to advance to their first semifinals in school history. Pierce County was led last week by John Jones (188 yards rushing, 2-TDs) and quarterback Jermaine Brewton (185 yards passing). Jones leads the team in rushing with 1,664 yards and 25-TDs on the season. Brewton has passed for 1,813 yards and 21-TDs. For the season, the Bears are averaging 41.9 points per game, while the defense is allowing 9.4 points per game. The Bears will travel to Decatur to face the Cedar Grove Saints at Godfrey Stadium. Cedar Grove blanked Benedictine last week as they recorded their second shutout of the playoffs and 7th shutout of the season. Jaden Haselwood has 990 receiving yards on the season. Robert Jones is up to 903 yards rushing on the season. The Cedar Grove defense is only allowing 8.4 points per game. Cedar Grove’s only loss this season was to Class 7-A McEachern. Pierce County might be the best defense that Cedar Grove has faced since McEachern. It might be close at the half, but we like Cedar Grove in this matchup this week by two touchdowns.


 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Peach County and Calhoun will meet in a rematch of the 2017 state championship game that Calhoun won. (There was a controversial call in that game that led to some central Georgia lawmakers to call for replay in the state title game.) Calhoun returns several starters from the 2017 state title team including quarterback Gavin Gray, running back Brannon Spector, and receiver Bralin Barton. Last week, Gray led the way for the Calhoun Yellow Jackets with two touchdown passes. The Jackets are averaging 44 points per game on the season, while their defense is only allowing 7.5 points per game. We keep harping on Peach County and their lack of “star” power they have, but the Trojans have been successful for a long time, with or without the some of the top line players in the state. Peach County is in the semifinals for the third consecutive year. Last week, the Trojans got another 100-yard game from Tijah Woolfolk. The Trojans have won nine consecutive games and come into this week’s matchup averaging 38.2 points per game on the season. We think that this game will be closely contested, but we believe Calhoun edges the Trojans by a field goal for a chance to defend their title.

 


 

 

 

 

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TFR GHSA 4-A-Semifinal Preview

Posted on November 27, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA 4-A-Semifinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Marist-Cartersville and Troup-Blessed Trinity. The only teams remaining are from Region-5 and Region -7…Blessed Trinity is looking to return to the finals to defend their title…While Marist and Cartersville would certainly love a rematch with Blessed Trinity, if the Titans can get past Troup. If you are anywhere near Cartersville or Roswell, you should definitely check one of these games out. We’ve had a chance to see 3 of the 4 teams play this season and they can certainly put on a show. Best of luck to these final four teams as they compete on Friday night.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Marist War Eagles and Cartersville Hurricanes have not met since 1930. The War Eagles will be making their 4thsemifinals appearance in 7 years. Last week, Marist got 83 yards on the ground and a touchdown run from quarterback Connor Cigelske. The Marist defense limited Mary Persons to 182 yards of total offense. On the season, Marist’sdefense is allowing just 10.5 points per game. Meanwhile, Cartersville is looking to get back to the state finals for the third time in four years. The Canes got off to a slow start on the road last week at Baldwin, but scored 35 unanswered points to move on to the semifinals for the 5thtime in 7 years. Cartersville got a big night from running back Marcus Gary who rushed for 196 yards and 3-TDs. We haven’t talked a ton about Cartersville’s defense, but perhaps we should. They are allowing only 6.6 points per game, while the offense has averaged 39.7 points per game this season. It will be interesting to see if the Cartersville offense can get the run game going against a very good Marist defensive line. If they can, then it could be a long night for Marist… and they will hear a lot of “Gary on the carry” over the loud speakers at Weinman Stadium. But if not, it could be a low scoring grind it out kind of game. Either way, we like Cartersville to edge Marist by 4 points.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Blessed Trinity Titans are one win away from getting back to the state title game. The Titans beat Eastside soundly last week in their quarterfinal matchup. The game was really never in doubt as the Titans controlled the game from the start. It was Jackson Hamilton with the big night rushing, tallying 162 yards and 3-TDs while Steele Chambers added 124 yards and 2-TDs in the win. On the season, Blessed Trinity is averaging 37.6 points per game. The defense is only allowing 13 points per game.  The Titans really have not been challenged to this point in the playoffs as they are outscoring their opponents by an average of 30 points. The Troup Tigers might be the most athletic team that the Titans have faced on the season. Troup’s defense is led by Alabama commit King Mwikuta and lineman Andy Boykin. Offensively, dual threat quarterback Kobe Hudson has passed for 3,152 yards on the season and rushed for 1,206. (Hudson, a junior, is a verbal commit to Auburn as a wide receiver.) Hudson and Troup’s fast break offense will keep the Blessed Trinity defensive backs busy as the try to cover Jamari Thrash, Joko Willis (who converted to WR from LB) and Jarrell Smith.  We think the Titans will be able to get pressure on Hudson and disrupt the passing game. We like the Titans by 13 at home this week.



 

 

 

 

 

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TFR GHSA 5-A-Semifinal Preview

Posted on November 26, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA 5-A-Semifinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Bainbridge-Stockbridge and Rome-Warner Robins. Some things of note this week…Like Class 6-A and 7-A, we could have an all Region-1 final…Bainbridge has made a great run in the playoffs, certainly surprising us here at the TFR…Can Warner Robins avenge last seasons state championship loss…They will get a chance to do it in front of the home crowd this Friday. Best of luck to these final four teams as they compete on Friday night.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

At one point in the season, the Bainbridge Bearcats lost four consecutive games. However, they have now won six of their last seven games and find themselves in the semifinals for the second time in four years. We certainly did not expect a deep playoff run from the Bearcats, but the keep believing, keep winning and keep advancing. Caleb McDowell scored three touchdowns (two rushing and one kickoff return), to lead the Bearcats over Buford last week. Bainbridge has been led on offense by three sophomores, quarterback Quayde Hawkins, and running backs McDowell and Rashad Broadnax. Through the second round of the playoffs, Hawkins had passed for 1,264 yards, while McDowell and Broadnax have combined for 1,397 yards.  Defensively, Roman Harrison and Anthony Brooks have combined for 15 sacks. The Bearcats will travel north to take on the Stockbridge Tigers. The Tigers are in the semifinals for the third time in five years. While Stockbridge has generally done most of their damage on the ground, last week quarterback Jevon McDonald passed for 205 yards and 3-TDs. McDonald did add two rushing touchdowns. The Stockbridge defense was solid last week as they held Carrollton to a field goal. On the season, the Stockbridge defense is only allowing 10.1 points per game. We don’t think that Stockbridge will hold Bainbridge to 10 points, but we do believe they will advance this week. We like the Tigers by a touchdown.



 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Rome and Warner Robins will meet up in a rematch of the 2017 state championship game. Rome dominated the game last season, shutting out the Demons. In most games this season, Rome has not been challenged. They did get a stiff test from the Dutchtown Bulldogs last week. Dutchtown held Rome to their lowest point total of the season. Rome’s defense is allowing 13.6 points per game. That’s really good, but it’s not as good as the 9.4 points they allowed in 2017. Nevertheless, Rome has won 40 consecutive games. Knox Kadum ran for three touchdowns while Jamious Griffin added another to pace the Wolves. Through last week, Kadam has passed for 1,375 yards and rushed for 519. During that same period, Jamious Griffin has rushed for 2,424 yards and 36-TDs. Derricus Smith leads the defense in tackles, while Montrell Milsap leads the team in sacks. Warner Robins comes into this game with two losses on the season. (One of those was a forfeit for playing an ineligible player.) Dylan Fromm has passed for over 3,700 yards, with 40-TDs. Jahlen Rutherford is closing in on 1,000 rushing yards, while Marcayll Jones has caught 92 passes for 1,744 yards. We don’t think that Rome will shut out Warner Robins this time around. But we still like the Wolves by 10 this week on the road.


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TFR GHSA 6-A-Semifinal Preview

Posted on November 25, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA 6-A-Semifinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between  Northside-Dacula and Lanier-Lee County. Some things of note this week…Will it be an all Region-1 final…No one was really talking about region 8 this season, but they have two teams in the semifinals and both semifinals will feature Region-1 vs Region-8…Can Lanier find the formula to knock off Lee County…Will Northside have enough offense on the road against Dacula…Best of luck to these final four teams as they compete on Friday night.

 

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

The Skinny

 

For most of the game last week, the Northside Warner Robins Eagles were flying all over the field on route to a 30-6 victory to put them into the semifinals for the 9th time in 14 years. Northside was led by quarterback Jadin Daniels who rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown. Daniels only threw the ball 4 times on Friday, but the weather conditions in Canton last week did not make for a pass friendly environment. Senior running back Daniel Neal added 112 yards and a touchdown as well.  The Northside defense stymied Sequoyah for most of the game last week; holding the Chiefs to only one touchdown. Northside sacked Sequoyah’s quarterback seven times last week and defensive lineman LaFrederick Chappell made an athletic play to intercept a screen pass. The Eagles will need to make another staunch effort from the defense this week as they travel to take on the Dacula Falcons. Dacula is in the semifinals for the first time since 2005 and have won 10 games in a row. The Falcons ran for almost 400 yards last week against Valdosta. Kyle Efford led the way with 189 yards on 11 carries. Jarrett Jenkins passed for 161 yards and 2-TDs. The Falcons defense is allowing 13.7 points per game. Dacula may be one of the more underrated teams in the state. Weather should not be a factor on Friday night, so this game could turn into a shoot-out. We like the Falcons in what some might see as an upset, Dacula by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lee County Trojans continue their march toward a second straight final’s appearance. This week, the Lanier Longhorns will make the trip down to Leesburg to attempt to do something no other team has done in 19 games…and that’s defeat the Trojans. Lee County got three touchdowns from quarterback Kyle Toole as the Trojans downed Creekview down in Leesburg. Lee County did allow more points to the Grizzlies than any other team this season, but the Trojans are still only allowing 5.3 points per game. Lee County has play makers all over the field and maybe as deep as any other team in the state. The Lanier Longhorns scored 27 unanswered points to defeat Coffee last week. They are making their first semifinals appearance in school history. Zach Calzada accounted for two touchdowns to help lead the Longhorns to victory. Before last Friday’s game, Calzada has passed for 1,470 yards through 10 games, with 13-TDs. Taj Barnes has led the way on the ground this season with over 1,100 yards rushing this season. It will take a lot of ball control for Lanier and perhaps some turnovers for them to help them pull the upset. But even then, we think Lee is too tough for them to beat. We like the Trojans this week by 20.

 

 

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TFR GHSA 7-A-Semifinal Preview

Posted on November 25, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA 7-A-Semifinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between  Lowndes-Milton and Archer-Colquitt County. Some things of note this week…Milton is making their first semi-finals appearance…Will it be an all Region-1 final…No matter, there will be a new state champion in 7-A as the defending champ was dethroned last week. Best of luck to these final four teams as they compete on Friday night.

 

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

The Skinny

 

Last week, Milton quarterback and Georgia Tech commit Jordan Yates only passed for 75 yards, but he had a big game on the ground rushing for 149 yards on 17 attempts. But it was Josh Edwards who scored the game-winning touchdown last week to help Milton Edge Hillgrove 20-19, and earn their first semifinal appearance in school history. Edwards ended the game with 44 yards and 2-TDs.The Eagles defense stepped up big, holding Hillgrove well under their season average in point total. Milton will certainly need another big defensive performance as they host the Lowndes Vikings this Friday. Lowndes is coming off of a 20-15 win over Grayson. Travis Tidsale ran for 130 yards and Jacurri Brown and Gary Osby rushed for touchdowns to lead Lowndes past Grayson. Lowndes has been up and down this season, but the Vikings are certainly playing well, knocking off two number one seeds en route to their semi-finals matchup. This will be the Vikings first semi-finals appearance since they won the state title back in 2007. This will be the second week in a row that the Eagles will face a team who is reliant on the run. Will the Viking be road-weary, as they make their third consecutive trip to Metro-Atlanta? We think so, but we think they will have just enough in the tank to edge the Eagles. We like Lowndes by 1.

 

 

The Skinny

 

Archer edged Tift County last week in overtime to advance to the semifinals for the second time in school history. Semaje Banks 2-yard touchdown run in overtime proved to be the game winner. Banks finished the game with 118 yards and 2-TDs. On the season, the Archer offense is averaging 36 points per game, so there is certainly some explosiveness for the Tigers. Their defense is allowing just over two touchdowns a game on average. Meanwhile, it seemed to be business as usual for Colquitt County, as they avenged last year’s state title loss at the hands of North Gwinnett. The Packers blanked the defending champs 45-0.  Ty Leggett led the way with 137 yards on just 9 carries and scored 5 total touchdowns, (4-rushing and 1-receiving). Quarterback Jaycee Harden passed for 220 yards, completing 70% of his passes in the win. While it was only the second shutout that Rashard Revels, Brian Merritt and company has pitched in 2018; the Packers defense is only allowing 9.3 points per game. We think the Packers will have another big game defensively this week. We like Colquitt by 16.

 

 

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TFR GHSA Class-A-Private Playoff Preview

Posted on November 22, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA Class-A-Private-Quarterfinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Calvary Day-Athens Academy, North Cobb Christian-Prince Avenue Christian, Fellowship Christian-Savannah Christian, and Darlington-Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (ELCA).  Congratulations to these final 8 teams on a successful season. Best of luck to you all as you compete this Friday.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

The Skinny

 

The Athens Academy Spartans will host the Calvary Day Cavaliers The Spartans reached the finals last year and are looking to get back for the second consecutive season. Len’Neth Whitehead and Payton Bowles have led the way for the Spartans. Athens Academy is averaging 32.2 points per game while their defense is allowing 15 points per game. Calvary Day has won five consecutive games and last week got 154 yards and 3-TDs from Jalen Leary to help in the win over Holy Innocents. The Cavaliers amassed 328 yards on the ground last week and averaged 11.7 yards per carry. We think that Bowles and Whitehead will out-duel the Calvary Day backs this week. We like Athens Academy by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Upstart North Cobb Christian is in the playoffs for the first time in school history. Their quarterfinal opponent will be the Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines. Sharnard Banks led the way last week with 104 yards on the ground for the Eagles. The North Cobb offense is averaging 26.6 points per game while their defense is allowing 16.4 points per game. Their opponent, Prince Avenue Christian is averaging 45.5 points per game. Last week Brock Vandagriff passed for 166 yards but also rushed for 155 yards and 5-TDs to lead the Wolverines to victory. On the season, Vandagriff has passed for 2,803 yards and 26-TDs. Prince Avenue is in the quarterfinals for the 8th consecutive season. We don’t think the Eagles can out score the Wolverines. We like Prince Avenue by 10 this week.

 


 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Savannah Christian outlasted Hebron Christian last week to advance to their third quarterfinals in five years. Coach Baker Woodward has led the Raiders to their first region title since 2011. Coincidentally, that’s the last time the Raiders won the state title. Last week, it was Spencer Robicheaux who passed for 186 yards and Marquell Brown who rushed for 113 yards and 1-TD. The Raiders have rushed for 2,705 yards on the season. Their opponent, Fellowship Christian has been led by running back Murphy Reeves this season, but last week he was limited to 8 yards on 2 carries. Cameron Gill picked up the slack rushing for 111 yards and 1-TD. The Paladins are averaging 38.9 points per game. If they can get to that number, we think they have a good chance of beating Savannah Christian. But we don’t believe they will get to that number. We like Savannah Christian by a field goal.



 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Darlington Tigers will travel to McDonough to take on ELCA. ELCA has won 3 consecutive state titles behind the leadership of senior QB Brayden Rush. The Chargers are averaging 52.8 points per game this year.  The Darlington Tigers are averaging 23.1 points per game. There’s not a whole lot of analysis here. The rain might help slow down the Chargers, but we still think they come away with a victory this week. We like ELCA by 23.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR GHSA Class A-Public-Quarterfinal Playoff Preview

Posted on November 22, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA Class-A-Public-Quarterfinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Commerce-Irwin County, Greene County-Pelham, Commerce-Marion County, and Clinch County-Mt. Zion, Carroll. Congratulations to these final 8 teams on a successful season. Best of luck to you all as you compete this Friday.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

 

The Commerce Tigers will travel down to Ocilla to take on the No. 1 ranked Irwin County Indians. Last week it was quarterback Zach Smith (134 passing yards, 2-TDs), wide receiver Jamorri Colson (111 yards, 2-TDs) and running back Jamal Paulk (67 yards, 1-TD). On the season, Irwin County is averaging 43.5 points per game, while their defense is allowing only 7.2 points per game. The Irwin County defense has recorded 4 shutouts on the season. The Commerce Tigers dropped their last two regular season games, but did go in to Mitchell County last week and got the 2-point victory to advance to the quarterfinals. The Tigers are in the quarterfinals for the fourth time in five years. On the season, Commerce is averaging 34.9 points per game, while the defense is allowing 12.6 points per game. While we think those are great numbers, we don’t believe that the Tigers will have enough defense to slow down D.J. Lundy and the rest of the Indians. We like Irwin County by 14.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Greene County Tigers are back in the quarterfinals after missing the playoffs entirely in 2017. Greene County is in the midst of an 8-game win streak. During the regular season, dual threat quarterback C’darius Kelley led the team with 1,449 yards passing and 930 yards rushing. Kelley accounted for 28 total TDs. The Pelham Hornets will be next up for the Tigers. Pelham is undefeated coming into this game, but had to come from behind last week to get past ECI. The Hornets have a host of underclassmen that provide significant minutes and contribute to the success the team has had. But last week, it was senior Javoris Williams who led the way with 155 yards rushing and 2-TDs. Junior receiver Jordan Bennett went over the 100-yard mark receiving with 104 yards and 2-TDs through the air. We expect that Greene County will be the toughest opponent that the Hornets have faced this season. We like the Tigers this week by a field goal in a mild upset.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

There is an old saying that “the third time is a charm”. The Schley County Wildcats are hoping that is the case, as they will face the Marion County Eagles for the 3rd time this season. Marion County won the first two matchups 28-7 and 21-6. Last week against Montgomery County, Marion’s Trice McCannon passed for 138 yards and rushed for 223 yards with 4-total TDs. The 223-yard rushing performance put McCannon over the 1,000-yard mark on the season. As a team, the Eagles have rushed for over 3,200 yards on the season, led by Travon Matthews with 1,540 yards. The Schley County Wildcats had another big game on the ground. As a team, the Wildcats rushed fro 321 yards and scored 6-rushing TDs. Schley has rushed for over 3,000 yards this season. Tra Sampson and Zamon Ross have led the way on the ground this season, with the two backs combining for 2,097 yards and 30-TDs. On the season, Schley is averaging 278 rushing yards per game. In their two losses, Marion is only allowing them 137 yards per game. We think this game will be closer than the first two, but we like Marion by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Clinch County Panthers will log some 550+ miles (round trip) this week as the travel out to Mt. Zion Carroll. Last year it was Clinch who ended the Eagles season in the semifinals. Mt. Zion will be looking to return the favor. The Eagles are in the quarterfinals for the fourth time in five years. A win would give them their second consecutive trip to the semifinals. The Eagles rely primarily on the run, but Iaan Cousin is an effective passer in certain situations. Clinch County has won seven straight games since a loss back in mid-September to No. 1 ranked Irwin County. Clinch is averaging 36.7 points per game, while the defense is allowing 13.4 points per game. Both Clinch and Mt. Zion have a common opponent in Dooly County. Both teams beat the Bobcats; Clinch by 34 and Mt. Zion by 21. We think that Trezman Marshall and the Clinch County Panthers will leave Carroll County with a win. We like Clinch County by 9.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR GHSA 2-A-Quarterfinal Playoff Preview

Posted on November 22, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA 2-A-Quarterfinal playoff previews are listed below. Defending state champ Hapeville was knocked out of the playoffs last week by the Callaway Cavaliers. So the field is even more wide open as we head into round-3. This preview features matchups between Fitzgerald-Rabun County, HeardCounty-Dublin, Rockmart-Jefferson County, and Washington County-Callaway. . Congratulations to these final 8 teams on a successful season. Best of luck to you all as you compete this Friday.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes will journey to Tiger, GA to take on the Rabun County Wildcats. Fitzgerald is in the quarterfinals for the ninth time in eleven years. Last week, the Purple Canes got a solid performance from the defense as they forced 3 turnovers, including an interception returned for a TD. On the season, Fitzgerald is averaging 31.75 points per game. They come into this game winning six of their last seven games. Meanwhile, Rabun County has not lost a game since a 3-point week-1 defeat at the hands of Bremen. Rabun County is led by Freshman QB Gunner Stockton who has passed for 2,727 yards and rushed for 677 yards with 49 total TDs. Last week against Chattooga, he had 299 all-purpose yards.  Brison Beck leads the team in rushing and also had a big game last week with 182 yards and 2-TDs.  Rabun County is averaging 48.4 points per game. Fitzgerald will need another big performance from the defense. They spent plenty of time in the Swainsboro backfield last week. However, we think it will be Rabun County and the freshman quarterback that prevails. We like the Wildcats by 13.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Dublin Fighting Irish are back in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2011. As we’ve mentioned before, the Irish have used the Wing-T to power their offense this season. Defensively Dublin is surrendering 7.6 points per game. Their only loss is a 3-point defeat to Brooks County. The Irish will play host to the Heard County Braves. Heard County got off to a bit of a slow start early in the season, but have rebounded nicely and wave won 9 consecutive games. Defensively, Heard County is allowing 13.3 points per game. We think that this game will be close at the half, but we like for the Dublin run game to wear down the Heard County defense, we like Dublin by 12.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

This game between Jefferson County and Rockmart has the potential billing of a state title game. Unfortunately, this matchup will take place in the quarterfinals. Rockmart got big games last week from Juke Boozer, Zabrion Whatley, and Markus Smith. Rockmart has really dominated most of its competition this season. The Jackets are averaging 47 points per game, while their defense is allowing 7 points per game on the season. The twelve point margin of victory against Bremen was the closest game of the season for Rockmart since their Week-1 6-point win over Cedartown. Jefferson County is making their second quarterfinals appearance in four years. Jaden Jenkins led the Warriors last week with 268 yards and 1-TD. On the season, he has rushed for 1,977 yards and 29-TDs. The Jefferson County offense is averaging 34.8 points per game this season. We think they might need all of those points and then some against Rockmart. We like the Jackets by 9 in a shootout.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Callaway Cavaliers will be at home as they take on Washington County this week. Callaway knocked off defending state champion, Hapeville last week, in a game that they dominated from start to finish. Tank Bigsby led the way for Callaway rushing for 4-TDs in the victory. On the season, the Cavaliers are averaging 33.6 points per game. Their only two losses are to Troup and Heard County, both of whom are still alive in the playoffs. The Washington County Golden Hawks have won four of their last five games. They are averaging 36 points per game, while their defense is allowing 19.8 points per game.  The electrifying Dyquan Bloodsaw leads the way with over 1,526 yards and 23 total TDs. He has also picked off 3-passes on defense this season.  We think this game is nip and tuck. We expect for Bloodsaw and Bigsby to put on a show, but we believe Callaway edges Washington County by the slimmest of margins…call it a 1-point victory for the Cavaliers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR GHSA 3-A-Quarterfinal Playoff Preview

Posted on November 21, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA 3-A-Quarterfinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Monroe Area-Pierce County, Cedar Grove-Benedictine, Westminster-Peach County, and Jenkins-Calhoun. Congratulations to these final 8 teams on a successful season. Best of luck to you all as you compete this Friday.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

The Skinny

 

Monroe Area will travel down to Blackshear to take on the Pierce County Bears. Monroe Area is led by dual-threat quarterback Chandler Byron, who last week, passed for 111 yards, rushed for 244 yards and scored 5 total TDs. As Byron has gone, so has the Monroe Area offense this season as he has generated 3,836 yards of total offense. The Purple Hurricanes defense has also played very well this season. They are allowing 11 points per game. Monroe Area has outscored their opponents 518 to 132 on the season, so if the Pierce County Bears are going to get the win, they will need to bear (no pun intended) the onslaught that typically occurs early and often. Pierce County was led last week by Jermaine Brewton who passed for 153 yards and 1 TD and John Jones who rushed for 109 yards and 2-TDs. On the season the Bears are averaging 43.4 points per game. Both Brewton and Jones have been the statistical leaders for Pierce County. We think that Byron will just be too much to handle for Pierce County. We like Monroe Area by 10 this Friday.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cedar Grove Saints will make their fourth consecutive trip to the quarterfinals. They will face the Benedictine Cadets. Neither team has lost a game to a class AAA opponent this season. The Saints boast the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver prospect in Jadon Haselwood. But they are not just a one man show. Austin Smith and Kendall Boney have combined to pass for over 2,100 yards and 29-TDs, while Robert Jones leads the team in rushing with 870 yards and 10-TDs. Haselwood and Rashard Jordan have combined for over 1,400 yards receiving and 18 receiving TDs. On defense for the Saints, Dante Walker leads the way with 8.5 sacks, while Haselwood has picked off 3 passes in the secondary. Meanwhile, down in Savannah, Benedictine has taken much of the success they’ve had in AA and continued that as the moved to Class AAA play this season. Backs Rico Powers (133 yards, 3 total TDs) and Jakeen Harris (143 yards, 3-TDs) lead the offensive attack in last weeks win over Westside, Macon. Benedictine is averaging 41.4 points per game. While the Cadets defense is allowing only 10.5 points per game. Cedar Grove is one of our picks to be in the state title game, we like the Saints by a touchdown on the road over Benedictine this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Westminster Wildcats find themselves back in the quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive season. Last week, they picked up their second win of the season against Greater Atlanta Christian. Westminster has been up and down this season. In their 8 wins, their offense is averaging 40.1 points per game, in their 4 losses, they are only averaging 11.7 points per game. Their opponent this week is Peach County. The Trojans have ended Westminster’s season in back to back years. Peach County is back in the quarterfinals, a place where they certainly feel comfortable. As we’ve mentioned before, there is not the same star power in terms of top ranked recruits, but the Trojans are well coached and still a very talented team. Quarterback Jaydon Gibson has passed for 1,704 yards and 17-TDs, while Kapien Everett has rushed for 557 yards and 12-TDs to lead the Trojans ground game. Last week, junior, Tijah Woolfolk rushed for 156 yards and 3-TDs. Woolfolk has 457 yards rushing in 4 games this season. We think that Peach will be able to control the line of scrimmage in this matchup, but this won’t be a runaway; Trojans by 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Jenkins Warriors are in the quarterfinals for the third time in school history. They are one of two teams still alive from Region-3. (The other is Benedictine.) The Warriors will travel to Calhoun to take on perennial power, Calhoun. Jenkins is led by Jeremy Smith on offense. He’s well over the 1,000 yard mark rushing on the season and has 9-TDs. Meanwhile, Calhoun has made it to the quarterfinals for eleven consecutive seasons. The Jackets have been playing at a high level all season. They shook off a slow first half start against Ridgeland in week one and really haven’t looked back since. The Jackets are winners of their last 24 games. On the season, they are averaging 46.4 points per game, while their defense is only allowing 7.1 points per game. Their smallest margin of victory this season was last week’s 15-point win over Lovett. Will the long bus ride to Jenkins put them behind the 8-ball? We think so, along with Calhoun’s defense. We like the Jackets by 20.

 

 

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TFR GHSA 4-A-Quarterfinal Playoff Preview

Posted on November 21, 2018 by admin

Our GHSA 4-A-Quarterfinal playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Mary Persons-Marist, Baldwin-Cartersville, Eastside-Blessed Trinity, and Cairo-Troup. Congratulations to these final 8 teams on a successful season. Best of luck to you all as you compete this Friday.

As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Marist War Eagles avenged an early season loss to St. Pius last week to advance to the quarterfinals for the sixth time in seven years. Marist was led by quarterback Connor Cigelski and WR/DB Kyle Hamilton. Cigelskie rushed for 155 yards and 2-TDs, while Hamilton added 76 rushing yards and 1-TDs. The Marist offense is averaging 34.7 points per game on the season; while their defense is only giving up 10.8 points per game. Mary Persons put up some big numbers last week against Woodward Academy. J.T. Hartage passed for 255 yards and 2-TDs, while Quen Wilson had 162 yards on 13 carries with 3-TDs. Mary Persons is averaging 49.2 points per game while the defense is allowing 11.3 The Bulldogs will have home field advantage, but will that be enough to get past a stingy Marist defense. We think Marist’s schedule has been a little tougher than Mary Persons. So we don’t think Marist will be intimidated by the Bulldogs record or athletes; but we still like the Bulldogs to win a close game. Mary Persons by 2.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cartersville Hurricanes have fared very well in their first season after the Trevor Lawrence era. Tee Webb has passed for 2,466 yards and 32-TDs on the season. Last week, he had 203 passing yards and 4-TDs. Marcus Gary (1,179 yards, 15-TDs) is perhaps one of the most underrated backs in Class 4-A. But more impressive than Cartersville’s offense has been their defense. They are allowing 6.1 points per game on the season, and in the first two games of the playoffs, they are right on pace, surrendering only 7 points per game. The Baldwin Braves have continued to surprise us this season. They dropped their first 5 games, but have been on fire as of late, winning their last 7-contests. Perhaps the folks in Baldwin are not surprised at all. We’d imagine the Braves and their fans expect to be alive at this point in the season. The Braves are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2008. Home field advantage should help Baldwin, but we think the Hurricanes will blow into Baldwin and get the win this week. We like Cartersville by 15.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

 

The defending state champs will visit Covington this week as they take on Region-4 No. 1 and state rank No. 5 Eastside Eagles. Coach Troy Hoff has engineered one of the best seasons in Eastside history. Last week, it was quarterback Noah Cook who led the way for the Eagles, with 231 yards passing and 3-TDs. If Eastside is going to tie their deepest playoff run in school history, they will need to slow down Blessed Trinity’s Steele Chambers. Chambers has gotten most of the work out of the backfield, as an injury has sidelined his backfield mate, Elijah Green. Blessed Trinity comes into the game winners of their last 18 games dating back to last season. They are averaging 37.3 points a game on offense, while their defense, led by Chambers, J.D. Bertrand, J.R. Bivens, and Quinton Reese are only giving up 9.6 points per game. We think Eastside will give BT a heck of a ball game on Friday. Sharp Stadium should be electric. We wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles upset the defending state champs, but for the record, we like Blessed Trinity by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Troup Tigers will take their fast pace offence on the road again this week in hopes of make it to the semi-finals for the first time since 2001. Kobe Hudson, a first year starter at QB, has passed for 3,007 yards and 28-TDs on the season. Last week, he threw for 201 yards and rushed for 127 yards. Hudson accounted for 5-TDs.  The Troup defense is led by Alabama commit King Mwikuta and Andy Boykin, as the duo help lead a defense that is allowing 18.6 points per game. They held high-powered Pickens to 14 points last week. The host Cairo Syrupmakers are back in the quarterfinals for the 2nd time in 3 years. Last week, Cairo was led by quarterback Robert Matthew Peters added 101 yards through the air and 91 yards on the ground with 3 rushing TDs. Tay Solomon added 82 yards on 11 carries. . The Cairo defense is allowing 10.3 points per game. Cairo has won 10 straight games, but we think that Troup might be the most athletic bunch they’ve seen this season. Like many other games around the state, rain could be a factor. We like Troup this week in a mild upset by a touchdown.

 

 

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