TFR 2018 2-A Playoff Preview 1 of 4

Posted on November 8, 2018 by admin

Our first set of 2-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Harlem-Fitzgerald, Northeast Macon-Swainsboro, Washington-Chattooga, and Spencer-Rabun County. AJ Brown and the Harlem Bulldogs will travel to Fitzgerald to take on the Purple Hurricanes. Brown has rushed for over 2,000 yards on the season…Swainsboro will host Northeast Macon Raiders. The Swainsboro defense is only giving up 12.1 points per game…The Washington Bulldogs will travel to Summerville to take on the Chattooga Indians. Can the Bulldogs defense slow down a talented tandem of young running backs for the Indians…The Spencer Green Wave will face off against a red-hot Rabun County Wildcat team. They’ve won 9 straight games. Can they make it ten this week…

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 Harlem Bulldogs will travel to Fitzgerald to take on the Purple Hurricanes. The Bulldogs will feature a very talented running back in AJ Brown. Brown leads Harlem with 2,007 yards and 22-TDs on the season. The Bulldogs are only attempting about 7 passes per game this season so Fitzgerald should expect to see a steady dose of Brown this week. While Harlem is averaging 31.9 points per game, they only have one win against a playoff team this season. The Canes are also scoring points at a high rate, as they are averaging 30.3 points per game. Fitzgerald has wins over five playoff teams this season. We think Brown helps keep this game close for Harlem, but we like Fitzgerald to win by a field goal.

 


 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Northeast Macon Raiders and dual threat quarterback Nolan Ussery will travel to Swainsboro to take on the Swainsboro Tigers. Ussery has passed for 1,073 yards, rushed for 821 and accounted for 12 total TDs. Demarcus Griffin and Brandon Watkins are Ussery’s primary receivers with a combined 925 yards and 6-TDs. Freshman D’icey Hopkins has had a big season in the secondary, picking of 5 passes, while Jacoby Hill has intercepted 4. The Raiders are averaging 19.2 points per game, but are surrendering 26.6 points per game. Swainsboro has been effective in the passing game this season. Kade Youmans has thrown for 2,018 yards and 28-TDs. RJ Phillipls has caught 37 passes for 679 yards and 12-TDs. The Swainsboro defense is giving up 12.1 points per game. We think their defense will be the difference in this game. Tigers by 10.


 

 

The Skinny

 

The Washington Bulldogs will head to Summerville to take on the Chattooga Indians. The Bulldogs defense has recorded four shutouts this season en route to allowing just 13.5 points per game. The defense is led by South Carolina commit Rodricus Fitten. The Bulldogs have also been able to score this season as well, averaging 35.4 points per game. In 8 games, senior quarterback Adrien Williams has thrown for over 1,200 yards and 17-TDs. The Chattooga Indians have done most of their damage on the ground. They have two great young running backs in sophomore E.J. Lackey and freshman Shaun Lester. The two backs have combined for 1,868 yards and 22-TDs on the ground. The Indians are only averaging 7 pass attempts per game. The big question is whether or not Rodricus Fitten and Rondarius Howard and the rest of the Bulldogs defense can shut down Chattooga’s offense. We think it will be close, but we like the Indians win this game by 4 points.


 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Spencer Green Wave will have their hands full as the travel to Tiger, Georgia to take on Rabun County. Spencer will be facing an uphill battle. The Green Wave is averaging 16.2 points per game but are allowing 22.6 point per game. Meanwhile, since a 3 point loss in week one to Bremen the Wildcats have found their stride. They are averaging 48.2 points per game with freshmen quarterback Gunner Stockton passing for over 2,200 yards and 25-TDs. Brison Beck adds balance with over 1,100 yards rushing on the season and 18-TDs. No more discussion on this one, Rabun County is primed to make a deep run. We like the Wildcats by five touchdowns this week.


 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 3-A Playoff Preview 4 of 4

Posted on November 8, 2018 by admin

Our final 3-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Jenkins-Applying County, Pike County-Crisp County, Morgan County-Lovett, and Fannin County-Calhoun. Coach Rick Tomberlain has the Appling County Pirates playing at a high level, but they have a stiff challenge this week in the Jenkins Warriors. Jenkins is giving up 9.1 points per game this season. Can Appling have success against the Jenkins defense…Pike County travels to Crisp County this week. Pike eliminated Crisp from the playoffs last season. Crisp County looks primed to return the favor this week…Morgan County will travel to Atlanta to face the Lovett Lions. Can Morgan’s quarterback Trenton Folds lead the Bulldogs past Lovett this week…Fannin County is in the playoffs for the first time in 8-years. We don’t expect the Calhoun Yellow Jackets to roll out the welcome wagon for the Rebels…

 

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

 

Coach Rick Tomberlain has his home town Appling County Pirates back in the playoffs this season and also had them within two-points of a region title. As it stands, the Pirates will host a first round playoff game. Appling is averaging 25.8 points per game in the season. The ground game has been paramount to their success this season. Sophomore Sharode Roberts and junior RJ Conaway have combined for over 1,000 yards and 10-TDs on the ground this season. The Appling County defense has only given up 15.2 points per game this year. The Jenkins Warriors are a year removed from a region title. The Jenkins defense has been one of the best, surrendering only 9.1 points per game. Jeremy Smith leads the offense, which like Appling, is run heavy. Smith has 789 yards and 7-TDs in 9 games on the season. The Warriors as a team have recorded 33 sacks on the year and 9 interceptions. We think the Jenkins defense may be the difference in a game that might be low scoring. We like the Warriors on the road by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Last season, Pike County ended Crisp County’s season in the 2ndround of the playoffs. Pike County has battled through a lot of adversity this season. The entire state has shown their support for the Pirates and they continue to be in our prayers. (#DylanStrong) Pike is averaging 27.3 points per game, while the defense is yielding 15.9 points per game. None of Pike’s seven wins have come against a playoff team. Host Crisp County got off to a slow start. The Cougars have won six straight games since their loss to Tift County. They’ve beaten four teams that qualified for the playoff during that six game streak. Freshman Marquise Palmer and sophomore quarterback AJ Lofton have combined for over 1,100 rushing yards and 14 rushing TDs. The Cougars defense has picked off 14 passes this season. Crisp has not set the world on fire with their offense and there is a lot of youth on this team so they could very well be vulnerable. But we will take the Cougars to edge Pike by one this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Morgan County Bulldogs and Lovett Lions will play for the first time in 14 years. Morgan County is led by junior quarterback Trenton Folds who has passed for 1,696 yards and 16-TDs. Jordan Huff and Seth Robertson are his primary targets. This trio lead an offense that is averaging 22.4 points per game. The Bulldogs have two wins over playoff teams, one of those being a Class –A opponent. Nevertheless, they will need to have a strong defensive performance to compete with a Lovett team that is averaging 28.1 points per game. Lovett is led by quarterback Blaine McAllister (1,422 yards and 11-TDs) and KJ Wallace (477 yards rushing 7-TDs). Wallace also leads the team in receptions with 38. This game is another toss-up, but we’ll take Lovett by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Fannin County Rebels are back in the playoffs for the first time in eight years. But don’t expect the defending state champs, the Calhoun Yellow Jackets to roll out the welcome wagon this week. Running back Treylen Owesnby has rushed for 1,087 yards and 8-TDs in eight games this season. Big Miles Johnson helps anchor the offensive line for the Rebels who as a team have rushed for 1,674 yards. Fannin has been able to put some points on the board, averaging 26.8 points per game, but defense has been their bugaboo. They are yielding 32.7 points per game. That could spell trouble against a Calhoun team that is averaging 48.1 points per game, coupled with their defense that’s giving up just 6.3 points per game. Those numbers alone give us reason to believe that Calhoun wins this game by at least 5 touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 3-A Playoff Preview 3 of 4

Posted on November 8, 2018 by admin

Our third set of 3-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Liberty County-Southeast Bulloch, Ringgold-Peach County, Westminster-Jefferson, and North Murray-Greater Atlanta Christian. Liberty County will bring their 1,500 yard running back Kris Coleman into Brooklet to face the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets. Southeast Bulloch’s defense has been tough this season. Can they contain Coleman and the Panthers…Ringgold earns the 3-A At-Large bid. Their opponent is traditional power Peach County. Peach is undefeated in games against 3-A opponents this season and scores points in bunches. Can Ringgold keep up this week…The Jefferson Dragons have been without their starting quarterback for the last 4 games. Will they be able to hold off a very good Westminster team…Finally, one of Northwest Georgia’s best passers, Preston Paog and the North Murray Mountaineers will travel to Norcross to face a tough Greater Atlanta Christian defense. Will the Mountaineers be able to get going offensively this week…

 

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 Liberty County Panthers will travel to Brooklet Georgia to take on the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets on Friday night. The Panthers offense is powered by senior running back Kris Coleman, who has rushed for 1,507 yards and 17-TDs on the season. Liberty County is averaging 24.9 points per game. Their defense has been equally as good, surrendering only 15.5 points per game. Southeast Bulloch comes into the game with similar point production this season; the Jackets are averaging 27.9 points per game, while their defense is only surrendering 12.8 points per game. These two teams are evenly matched, but we think Liberty County has what it takes this week to win this game by a slim margin of 4 points.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Ringgold Tigers earned the at-large bid for Class 3-A. They will be matched up with the Peach County Trojans. Ringgold is averaging 26 points per game on the season. The Tigers are giving up 20 points per game, but they have not defeated a playoff team this season. Peach County on the other hand is looking to get back to the Benz for some redemption. The Trojans are averaging 38.1 points per game on offense. They are missing some of the star-power form 2017,but they did more than enough to go undefeated in region play. Their only losses were to 6-A power Lee County and 4-A power Mary Persons. Jaydon Gibson leads the Peach County offense with 1,438 passing yards and 14-TDs. Peach County should win this game going away. We like the Trojans by 24 this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Jefferson Dragons will host the Westminster Wildcats in what should be the best first round matchup in Class 3-A. The Wildcats come into the game averaging 28.9 points per game. They also have big wins this season over GAC, Woodward Academy and Pace. Their defense is giving up 20.5 points per game. Westminster did lose a close game to rival Lovett last week, will that loss be looming in the back of their minds?The Jefferson Dragons are averaging 35 points per game on the year. They have played without starting QB Colby Clark for most of the season. Clark is a dual threat QB. He still leads the team in rushing yards with only 6 games played this year. The Dragons have relied heavily on the run this season; as a team Jefferson has rushed for 2,694 yards. We don’t know if Clark will be available for the game this week either way this is a tough spot for the Dragons. We’ll take the visiting Wildcats by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The North Murray Mountaineers will travel to Norcross to take on the Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans. North Murray is led by quarterback Preston Paog Jr.; he has led North Murray to 27.7 points per game on offense. Paog will need a big night this week if North Murray wants to extend their season. They face a GAC defense that is only giving up 13.1 points per game. The Spartans area also averaging 30.9 points per game. Josh Rose has passed for 1,366 yards and 12-TDs. This looks like an uphill battle for North Murray. Will we believe GAC is beatable, we don’t think the Mountaineers are deep enough to keep pace. We like the Spartans by 15.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 3-A Playoff Preview 2 of 4

Posted on November 8, 2018 by admin

Our second set of 3-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Cook-Westside Macon, Tattnall County-Benedictine, North Hall-Lakeview Ft. Oglethorpe, and Hart County-Cedar Grove. The Cook Hornets have had a down year with respect to the last few season. They are young and might be a year or two away before getting back to where they have been. Westside Macon will be no easy challenge for the Hornets this week…Tattnall County will face one of the toughest opponents in the 3-A bracket as they tangle with Benedictine. It could be a long night for the Battle Creek Warriors…North Hall takes a very good rushing attack to far Northwest Georgia to face Lakeview, Ft. Oglethorpe (LFO). Can LFO slow down the Trojans ground machine…Finally, Hart County travels to Decatur to take on the Cedar Grove Saints. What will Hart County’s plan be to slow down one of the nation’s top receivers and one of the state’s top offenses…

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 Cook Hornets had a down year, but still managed to qualify for the state tournaments. The Hornets get most of their production on the ground. The future looks bright, with freshman running back Jamarion Walker rushing for 1,031 yards on the season. Junior Tre Williams has also added 485 yards on the ground. Unfortunately for Cook, they’ve had some trouble getting the ball into the end zone; they are averaging 17.3 points per game. Conversely, their opponent this week, the Westside, Macon Seminoles, are averaging 29.1 points per game. Leading the way for the Noles is junior quarterback Victor Dixon (1,549 yards, 14-TDs and senior running back Ty Freeman (1,080 yards, 12-TDs). The Westside defense is led by defensive back Nate Brookins, who has intercepted 8 passes on the season. Cook looks to be a year or two away from making a deep run. We like Westside Macon by two touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Tattnall County has the fewest amount of wins for any of the playoff teams in Class 3-A. The Battle Creek Warriors won just enough to qualify as the 4-seed in Region-2. Tattnall County has had their share of struggles on offense this season. The Battle Creek Warriors are averaging just over 14 points per game. However, Tattnall has not been shut out this season in spite of some of their woes on offense. Benedictine jumps up to class 3-A this season. So far the only blemish on their record is a loss to Class 4-A Blessed Trinity. Benedictine is averaging 40.9 points per game and the defense is only giving up 9.1 points per game. This game could get out of hand in a hurry. We like the Benedictine Cadets by 5 touchdowns this week.

 

 

The Skinny

 

Lakeview Ft. Oglethorpe will host a very dangerous North Hall team this week in round one. The North Hall Trojans enter the game averaging 43.1 points per game. Through 9-games, Daniel Jackson led the team in rushing with 862 yards and 16-TDs. JT Fair has added 635 yards as well. The Trojans are averaging just over 5 pass attempts per game. The North hall defense is giving up 10.1 points per game; they’ve not given up more than 21 points in a game this season. Lakeview Ft. Oglethorpe (LFO), comes into the game averaging 29.4 points per game. Like the Trojans, LFO depends heavily on the run. Nathan Williams leads the charge for the Warriors with 947 yards and 11-TDs. This might be one of the shortest games in the playoffs this week as there shouldn’t be much passing going on. Regardless of the game time, we like North Hall to come out on top by 10 points on the road.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Hart County Bulldogs will travel to Decatur to take on the Cedar Grove Saints. Hart County is averaging is averaging 19.9 points per game. The Bulldogs are surrendering 22.3 points per game on defense. They also did not defeat a playoff team during the regular season. On the other hand, the Cedar Grove Saints come into the game averaging 44.2 points per game. The defense is giving up 7.7 points per game. This game will probably get out of hand in a hurry as well. Cedar Grove might call the dogs off, but we won’t be shocked if they win by six touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 3-A Playoff Preview 1 of 4

Posted on November 8, 2018 by admin

Our first set of 3-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Jackson-Monroe, Windsor Forest-Pierce County, Haralson County-Dawson County and Pace Academy-Monroe Area. Jackson is in the playoffs for the 5th straight year, but will travel to Albany to face Monroe, who is making their second consecutive playoff appearance…Windsor Forest has put up some big numbers offensively, but the Burke Co. Bears defense has recorded five shutouts on the season. Can Windsor Forest break through against a stingy defense…Haralson County will brig with them the Class 3-A’s top rusher this season in Traylon Sheppard as they visit Dawson County. But Dawson County as a team has put up some big numbers on the ground. Will Sheppard and Haralson be able to match the Tigers…Finally, Pace Academy will get another shot at Monroe Area as the teams faced off earlier this season. Will it be more of the same, or can Pace do something no one else has done this season, which is beat Monroe Area…

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 Jackson Red Devils will travel to Albany to take on the Monroe Tornadoes this Friday. Jackson is averaging 23.7 points per game and are giving up 22.4 points a game on defense. The Red Devils do have two wins over playoff teams this year. Meanwhile, the Monroe Tornadoes blow into the playoffs with a.500 record. Monroe is averaging 19.6 points per game, while allowing 28.7 on defense. Monroe has had a challenging schedule and only has one win over a team that qualified for the playoffs. Jackson’s offense looks to be a little more prolific this season. We’ll take the Red Devils by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Windsor Forest will attempt to be the first team to defeat the Pierce County Bears this season. The Knights are led by quarterback Eric Phoenix, who has passed for 1,571 yards through eight games with 15-TDs. Damozzio Harris leads the team in rushing with 840 yards and 10-TDs through eight games. The Knights have put up some big numbers on offense and are averaging 35.6 points per game, while the defense is giving up 19.5 points per game. After winning in convincing fashion in the first eight games, the Peirce County Bears have won two nail-biters in the past two weeks to stay undefeated. The Bears defense has recorded five shutouts on the season.John Jones has rushed for 1,300 yards on the season with 19-TDs. Dee Bethea has chipped in 561 yards rushing, 421 yards receiving  and 15 total TDs. Windsor Forest might not have the horses this year to run with Pierce County, we like the Bears by 17.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The state’s top rusher, Treylon Sheppard and the Haralson County Rebels will visit Dawson County to take on one Class 3-As top rushing teams. As a team Dawson County, has rushed for over 3,000 yards. Through 9-games Ahmad Kamara and Sevaughn Clark have combined to lead the Tigers with 1,627 yards and 24 rushing touchdowns. The  Tigers offense is averaging 40.4 points per game, while the defense is only giving up 11.3 points per game. Zac Baloga has recorded 10 sacks for the defense. For the Rebels, Treylon Shephard leads 3-A in rushing with 2,685 yards through nine games.   Harlason County has had a banner season. Coach Scott Peavey has coached his team to their first playoff appearance since 2010 and their best record since 2007. Treylon is a special talent, but we just don’t think he will be enough to get past Dawson County this week. We like the Tigers by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Pace Academy Knights will travel to Monroe looking for redemption in a rematch of an early season game against the Monroe Area Purple Hurricanes. Quarterback Jared Rayman (1,000 yards passing 8-TDs) and running back Keashawn Perryman have led the Knights on offense. Pace is averaging 27.9 points per game this season. Pace’s best win might be stopping Class-A ELCA’s 37-game winning streak back on August 24th, at the time, the longest in the state. Monroe Area has won in dominating fashion this season. They are averaging 43.1 points per game on offense and giving up 9.3 points per game on defense. The closest margin of victory was two touchdowns. Most of the offense comes on the ground from dual threat quarterback Chandler Byron (2,133 yards 30-TDs) and Jakai Thompson (896 yards, 5-TDs). We don’t see any signs of slowing down for the Canes. We like them to win the rematch again, perhaps a little closer, but we like Monroe Area by 17 this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 4-A Playoff Preview 4 of 4

Posted on November 7, 2018 by admin

Our final set of 4-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Thomson-Upson Lee, Henry County-Cairo, Oconee County-Troup and White County-Pickens. Thomson will visit Thomaston to take on Upton-Lee and Travon Walker. Can the Bulldogs Damekus Taylor and Bubba Murray shock the Knights…The Cairo Syrupmakers will be looking for big games from Jamarcus Vicks and Tay Solomon. Henry County is in the post season for the first time in five years; they certainly don’t want this run to be a short one…Max Johnson and the Oconee County Warriors will try to out duel the fast paced Troup Tiger offense. Can Troup rebound after a tough loss last week…And White County will get their second chance to beat North Georgia rival Pickens. But the Dragons are flying high and could be a tough out this post season…

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 Upson Lee Knights will be looking to make it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The Knights feature UGA commit Travon Walker. The senior has been effective on both offense and defense this season. Sophomore quarterback Jake Davis and senior Daymon Thomas lead an offense that has scored 28.3 points per game. The Thomson Bulldogs are down a bit this season. They are averaging 22.8 points per game, but their defense is giving up 27.9 points per game. Damekus Taylor leads the Bulldogs with 997 yards rushing through 8 games. He has also scored 17-TDs. Taylor will need another big game in order to get past Upson-Lee. We don’t think that will happen this week. It will be close but we like Upson Lee by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Henry County is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013. They will travel to Cairo to take on the Syrupmakers. Henry County Will lean on the passing of Jaylon West to help guide them this week. The Hawks are averaging 20.1 points per game on offense, but their defense is giving up 26.4 points per game. Meanwhile the Syrupmakers are on an eight game win streak. They are averaging 32.1 points per game while the defense is only surrendering 11 points per game. The Syrupmakers rely primarily on the run game. Tay Solomon and Robert Peters have combined for over 1,000 yards on the season and 17-TDs. We believe Cairo won’t have much trouble this week against Henry County. We like Cairo by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Oconee County Warriors will travel across the state to take on the Troup Tigers in LaGrange on Thursday. The Warriors are averaging 18.4 points per game but have a highly rated quarterback prospect in Max Johnson. The Warriors defense is only giving up 13.9 points a game on the season. Meanwhile, the Troup Tigers are averaging 37.4 points per game and only giving up 18.2 points per game. Quarterback Kobe Hudson has passed for 2,467 yards and 25-TDs. Jamari Thrash is the teams leading receiver. King Mwikuta is the leader of a pretty solid defensive unit. The biggest question is will there be any hangover from last week’s loss to Cartersville. If the Tigers are focused, they should take care of business. This game will probably be closer than most think, but we like Troup by 8 points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The White County Warriors and Pickens Dragons will face off for the second time this season. Pickens got the best of their North Georgia rival back in September, so you can bet White County will be looking for some redemption. Sophomore quarterback J. Ben Haynes has passed for 1,291 yards for the Warriors. As a team, White County has rushed for over 1,400 yards on the season. The Pickens Dragons have had the best season in school history, going undefeated and winning the region title. They are averaging 46.4 points per game on the season, while the defense is only allowing 13.3 points. Dual threat quarterback C.J. Streicher leads the Dragons offense with 1,167 yards passing, 934 yards rushing, and 30 total TDs. Senior running back Robert Davis has added 697 yards and 12-TDs. The first game was decided by 7-points, but we don’t think that this one will be as close. We like the Dragons by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 4-A Playoff Preview 3 of 4

Posted on November 7, 2018 by admin

Our third set of 4-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Howard-Burke County, Hardaway-Eastside, Sandy Creek-North Oconee, and  Northwest Whitfield-Blessed Trinity. The Howard Huskies go on the road with a legitimate chance to upset the Burke Bears. This game looks like a toss-up, the winner will more than likely be the team with the most rushing yards…Eastside continues their perfect season. Hardaway will need to be flawless in order to knock of the region-4 champs…Sandy Creek travels to North Oconee in a game that should be a defensive battle…And Roswell, Blessed trinity will host Northwest Whitfield. Do the Bruins have enough on defense to slow down The Titan’s Steele Chambers…

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 Howard Huskies will bring their run dominated attack to Waynesboro to take on the Burke County Bears. As a team, the Huskies have rushed for over 2,400 yards. They are led by Jeremiah Kelly, Javarsia Meadows and quarterback Quintan Sewell. Howard is averaging 28.8 points per game. Meanwhile, Burke County is averaging 30.6 points per game and the defense is giving up 17.4 points per game. They are also a run oriented offense, with 2,262 yards as a team on the season. Leon McGee leads the way with 813 yards and 18-TDs. This game looks like a toss-up, but we like Burke by a touchdown this week.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Troy Hoff has led the Eastside Eagles to their first undefeated regular season and the most wins in Newton County history. Noah Cook has passed for 1,581 yards and 23-TDs and Taylor Carter leads the ground attack with 870 yards and 11-TDs. Colby Shivers, Jamari Brown and Carter have caught a combined 70 passes this season. The Eagles are averaging 40.2 points per game while the defense is only giving up 13.2 points. The Hardaway Hawks will depend heavily on the run this week. Ja’Ron Early leads the way for the Hawks with 1,019 yards on the ground and 11-TDs. Hardaway is averaging 23.6 points per game on offense while the defense is giving up 15.6 points per game. We think there is just too much talent on the Eastside sidelines in this game. We like the Eagles by 17.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

 

North Oconee is back into the playoffs after missing the past two years. The Titans are averaging 28.4 points per game. The defense has been more impressive, surrendering 15.9 points per game. The Sandy Creek Patriots also have similar stats. They are averaging 28.9 points per game and giving up 14.7 points per game. Comparing schedules, the Sandy Creek Patriots seem to be a little more battle tested this season. That’s enough to take Sandy Creek in a low scoring game. Patriots by 5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Blessed Trinity Titans begin their title defense at home against the Northwest Whitfield Bruins. Quarterback Jake Smith has passed for 1,219 yards and 12-TDs and Ohio State commit Steele Chambers has run for 1,078 yards and 17-TDs. The Titans are averaging 35.8 points per game while the defense is only giving up 9 points per game. The Northwest Bruins have also had success on offense, averaging 30.8 points per game. Ty Fisher has passed for 1,922 yards and 20-TDs to pace the Bruins offense. The Bruins defense has been suspect at times, on the season they are giving up 24.9 points per game. Blessed Trinity is probably the best defense that Northwest has seen this season. We think they can hold the Bruins defense in check, we like the Titans by 24.

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 4-A Playoff Preview 2 of 4

Posted on November 7, 2018 by admin

Our second set of 4-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Columbus-Salem, Perry-Baldwin, Flowery Branch-Ridgeland, and Stephens County-Cartersville. Salem will be looking to the passing game to get past Columbus this week. Do the Blue Devils have an answer in the secondary for the Seminoles air-raid…Perry goes on the road to Baldwin, but the Panthers look like the more prolific offense this week. Can Baldwin bow up and defend home field…Flowery Branch and Ridgeland should be a great game. Flowery Branch quarterback Elijah Gainey can really sling it, but he’s got to be accurate or the Ridgeland defense will make him pay…Stephens County travels to Cartersville. The Canes have looked almost unstoppable this season. But the better not be looking past a well coached Indians team.

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 Salem Seminoles have won seven games mainly behind the passing of Donald Wilson and the running of Omarious Burnam and Willis Sheppard. Wilson has passed for 2,293 yards while Burnam and Sheppard have combined for 979 yards and 7-TDs. Tyler Smith, Lennox Bowie and Makari Pruitt have combined for 135 receptions and 1,917 yards receiving. The offense is averaging 29.8 points per game. The Columbus Blue Devils are led by quarterback Donovan Carter who has passed for 1,183 yards and 12-TDs. They are averaging 27.5 points per game while the defense is giving up 22 points per game. Columbus will need to get pressure on Wilson this week in order to disrupt the passing game. We don’t think they’ll get enough pressure on the Salem quarterback. Expect for Seminoles to win by 11.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Perry Panthers started off the season with four straight wins, but lost four of their last six to close out the season. The Panthers are averaging 26.4 points per game, but their defense is giving up 25.8 points. Lane Rucker has passed for 2,790 yards and 19-TDs. His primary target ahs been Davion Ross who has hauled in 58 catches for 862 yards and 5-TDs. Perry will travel to Milledgeville to face the Baldwin Braves, the No. 1 team from region 3. The Braves dropped their first five games but have turned things around the second half of the season with five straight wins. The Braves are averaging 19.8 points per game this season, but during their current win streak, that has increased to 26 points per game. The defense has also tightened up during the win streak, giving up 6.8 points per game in that same five game stretch. This game should be nip and tuck. We think that Perry, who is making their first playoff appearance in 6 years, will get the win by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Flowery Branch and Ridgeland will tangle in one of the most intriguing matchups in the 4-A bracket. Jordan Blackwell has rushed for 888 yards and 11-TDs for the Ridgeland Panthers. Blackwell is tough to bring down with arm tackles and has break-away speed once he gets into the open field. The Panthers are averaging 37.1 points per game while the defense is surrendering 21.8 points per game. Flowery Branch will attack behind the big arm of quarterback Elijah Gainey. Gainey has two athletic receivers in Jalin Strown and DJ Brown. The Falcons are averaging 33.5 points per game and surrendering 12.6 points per game. We think this game will come down to how accurate Gainey will be this week. We’ll roll the dice and take Gainey this week and the Falcons by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cartersville Hurricanes have been scoring points at a furious pace this season as they average 40 points per game. Tee Webb has done well at quarterback, passing for 2,103 yards and 25-TDs. Senior running back Marcus Gary has rushed for 859 yards and 12-TDs in nine games this season. Cartersville has been stout on defense this season, holding opponents to 6 points per game, including 4 shutouts. The Stephens County Indians have dropped three out of their last four games coming into the playoffs. They are averaging 19.8 points per game and the defense is surrendering 24.7 per game. Those numbers don’t bode well with the matchup in Cartersville looming on Friday. Cartersville should flex their muscle this week. We like the Canes by five touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 4-A Playoff Preview 1 of 4

Posted on November 7, 2018 by admin

Our first set of 4-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Woodward Academy-Carver, Richmond Academy-Mary Persons, Heritage-Marist, and Cedertown-St.Pius. The Woodward Academy War Eagles are on the road against the Carver Columbus Tigers. Both teams are averaging over 35 points per game, so the scoreboard operator at Kinnett Stadium could be busy on Friday…Richmond Academy visits Mary Persons. Will the Musketeers be up to the task of stopping J.T Heritage and Quen Wilson…Heritage travels to Marist as the teams meet for the first time ever. Marist has had a week off to prepare. Has the sting of the loss to Blessed Trinity gone away…Finally, Cedartown visits St. Pius. The Cedartown defense has been pretty good this season, but can they defense bottle up Connor Even and Michael Benefield. This might be the toughest 1 vs 4 matchup in the 4-A bracket…

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 Woodward Academy War Eagles will travel to Columbus to take on the Carver Tigers. Woodward had a little bit of a fall off this season, but they are a very talented football team. Led by Tahj Gary (1,054 yards, 11-TDs) and quarterback Mark Wright, (926 yards passing, 400 yards rushing, 18 total TDs), the War Eagles are averaging 38.5 points per game on offense. Meanwhile, Carver quarterback Jaylen Joyner has passed for 1,838 yards and 21-TDs and running back Khairi McCoy, who has rushed for 1,103 yards and 10-TDs. Carver is averaging 35.3 points on offense. The defense is giving up 19.2 points per game. Anthony Watts has intercepted 5 passes for the Tigers. If Carver can bottle up Gary, it could be a long night for Woodward, but we don’t think that’s going to happen. This one should be close, but we like Woodward to edge Carver by 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Richmond Academy Musketeers started out the season with six straight victories, but lost three out of their last four games to end the season. The offense has been productive, scoring 27.3 points per game while the defense is giving up a very respectable 16.7 points per game. Torri Taylor rushed for 1,001 yards on the season with 11-TDs. Meanwhile, Mary Persons continued its dominance this season, scoring 46.7 points per game on their way to an undefeated regular season. J.T. Hartage has passed for 2,097 yards and 21 TDs while Quen Wilson has rushed for 1,299 yards and 21-TDs. Mary Persons is one of the best teams in 4-A and we expect them to prove that this Friday. We like the Bulldogs by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Marist War Eagles will host the Heritage (Catoosa) Generals in first round action. Marist is averaging 33.2 points per game while the defense has been stingy as well, giving up just 10.2 points per game. The War Eagles lost a close contest to the No.1 ranked Blessed Trinity Titans by a field goal. Meanwhile, Heritage has shown they can score points in bunches as well, as they are averaging 31.7 points per game. Sophomore quarterback Nick Hanson has passed for 1,874 yards and 18-TDs while Jeffery Curtis has rushed for 1,060 yards and 14-TDs. But the Generals defense is giving up 37.6 points per game on the season. That could spell trouble for the Heritage against a disciplined Marist attack. We look for Marist to pick up the win by 17 this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The St. Pius Golden Lions have won 9 consecutive games after a week one loss to No. 1 ranked Blessed Trinity. They will host the Cedartown Bulldogs in Atlanta. The Golden Lions are averaging 34.9 yards per game and are led by quarterback Connor Egan and running back Michael Benefield. St. Pius is yielding 16.1 points per game on defense. Cedartown is a dangerous team at 5-5. All of their losses this season have ben by 7 points or less, including a one-point loss to Cartersville. Their defense has kept them in most games, only giving up 15.5 points per contest. We expect this to be tightly contested as well, but like the Golden Eagles to prevail by a six points.

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 5-A Playoff Preview 4 of 4

Posted on November 7, 2018 by admin

Our final set of 5-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Riverdale-Ware County, Locust Grove-Warner Robins, Clarke Central-Arabia Mountain, and East Paulding-Banneker. Riverdale’s defense will try to slow down Ware County’s freshman quarterback this week as they travel to Waycross…Both Warner Robins and Locust Grove have quarterbacks that can sling it around the field. Which one will have the better night on Friday and lead their team to victory…Clarke Central and Arabia are set to tangle on Saturday in what has the makings of a low-scoring defensive battle…While East Paulding travels to play the Banneker Trojans. The Trojans won their first region title and school history. Can they defeat a battle tested East Paulding squad…

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 Riverdale Raiders will travel down to Waycross to face the Ware County Gators. Riverdale comes into the game on a two game losing streak falling to Griffin and Starr’s Mill in the closing weeks of the regular season. The Raiders offense is averaging 25.9 points per game while the defense is surrendering 21.1 points per game. Riverdale’s defense has 31 sacks on the season and has forced 7 fumbles. Ware County is led by freshman quarterback Thomas Castellanos. He has passed for 1,051 yards and rushed for 615 yards with 21 total TDs this year. Dream Gainer was back in the lineup this week and perhaps we will see him get more touches to help ease the load on offense. Ware is averaging 27.3 points per game on offense and giving up 12.5 points per game on defense. We think that the defense, led by Logan Braucht will help carry the Gators to a win in a closely contested matchup. We’ll take Ware by 6 points.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Both Locust Grove and Warner Robins have quarterbacks that can get it done through the air. The Locust Grove Wildcats are led by quarterback RJ McDaniel who has passed for over 1,900 yards and 25 –TDs through 9 games. Billy Ward and Christian Da-silva are the top receivers for Locust Grove. The Wildcats have proved they can score points, they’re averaging 31.1 points per game, but the defense has been shaky, yielding 34.9 points a game. That could spell trouble against the Warner Robins Demons. The Demons are averaging 39 points per game. Dylan Fromm spearheads the offense, passing from 3,087 yards through the air with 34-TDs.  Marcayall Jones has 72 receptions for 1,494 yards. We think that Warner Robins has too much offense for Locust Grove this week. We like the Demons by three touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Clarke Central Gladiators will travel to Decatur to face the Arabia Mountain Rams at Buck Godfrey Stadium on Saturday. Clarke Central is led by quarterback Isaac Ward, who has passed for 1,278 yards and 10-TDs and O’brien Barnett, who has run for 740 yards and 6-TDs. The Gladiators are averaging 22.2 points per game, but the defense is only surrendering 16.6 points per game.  Arabia Mountain is averaging 24.5 points per game and the defense is surrendering 15.9 points per game. Through nine games Bryson Williams has passed for 1,207 yards and 12-TDs while Jaylen Burke has rushed for 514 yards and 4-TDs. These two teams are very similar statistically. We believe this will be a low scoring, defensive battle. We think the Gladiators have just enough to edge the Rams on the road. We like Clarke Central by 3 points.

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Banneker Trojans won their first Region title in school history. While the Trojans offense has racked up 30.1 points per game, it has really been the defense that has shined brightest, as they are only giving up 9.4 points per game this season. Gary Benton Jr. has provided much of the spark for the Trojans offense; through 7 games he’s rushed for 877 yards and 10-TDs. Kobe Harris has added 551 yards in 9 games as well. Banneker’s opponent, the East Paulding Raiders were in a three-way tie for second place in their region and lost the tie breaker. So this is not the typical no. 4 seed one might expect. The Raiders beat Kell earlier in the season and only lost to Carrollton by 3 points. They are averaging 26 points per game on offense. We think this game will be closely contested, but we like Banneker to edge out East Paulding by a field goal.

 

 

 

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