TFR 2018 5-A Playoff Preview 3 of 4

Posted on November 7, 2018 by admin

Our third set of 5-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Statesboro-Griffin, Harris County-Dutchtown, Lithonia-Cedar Shoals, Jackson, Atlanta- Rome. The Statesboro Blue Devils are back in the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. The Griffin Bears beat them in the first round back in 2013. Will history repeat itself…The Dutchtown defense has been dominant this season. Can Harris County overcome the injury bug and keep this game close…Lithonia and Cedar Shoals are two evenly matched teams. This might be the most competitive game in 5-A…Meanwhile, Rome defends it’s title defense as the host Jackson, Atlanta…

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 Statesboro Blue Devils are back in the post season for the first time in five years. The irony is that they will face the team that eliminated them from the playoffs back in 2013, the Griffin Bears. Statesboro is averaging 15.9 points per game on offense. While the Blue Devils are below .500, they do have what it takes to compete with the best in the state, as they fell to Wayne County by 1 earlier in the season. The Griffin Bears aren’t necessarily lighting the world on fire with their offense, averaging 25.6 points per game, but their defense has been pretty good, surrendering 16.8 points per game. We think the Griffin defense will be able to stymie the Blue Devils this week. We like the Bears by 10 points.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Dutchtown Bulldogs went through a tough region schedule and came out undefeated. Like Southwest DeKalb, defense has been their calling card. The Bulldogs are surrendering 5.7 points per game. That includes four shutouts. The offense is only averaging 29.7 points per game, but that’s not a big deal when your defense is as good as theirs. Harris County has been fighting the injury bug all season. Cal’von Harris has rushed for 827 yards and 6-TDs in eight games this season. Harris was an all-state selection last season. Talique Williams has also chipped in over 500 yards on the ground. If the Tigers can’t get the run game going, it could be a long night. We think this is a big night for Dutchtown. We like the Bulldogs by 24 points.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lithonia Bulldogs and Cedar Shoals Jaguars will face off for the first time since 1995 and only the 3rd time overall. The Bulldogs come into the game averaging 20.5 points per game on offense and surrendering 18.5 points on defense. The Jaguars are fairing a little better on offense, averaging 24.6 points per game and surrendering 14.4 points per game. Running backs Osiris Walker and Devontaye Bankston have combined for 1,495 yards and 15-TDs on the season. We think that tandem will help lead Cedar Shoals to a first round victory this week. We like them by 8 over the Bulldogs.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

 

Maynard Jackson High is back into the playoffs after a one year hiatus. The Jaguars are averaging a respectable 28 points per game and their defense has been pretty good, surrendering 16.1 points per game. Through 8 games, quarterback Charles Daniel has passed for 1,429 yards and 12-TDs, but he’s also rushed for over 750 yards in that same time period. Dequantteous Watts and Cario Googer lead the Jaguars secondary with 11 interceptions between the two defensive backs. Those are some great stats, but they are playing the Rome Wolves. Rome is averaging 53.1 points per game on offense and only surrendering 14.7 points per game on defense.  Jamious Girffin has rushed for 2,024 yards and 31-TDs this season. We could go on and on about Rome, but we should probably save some material. We like Rome big this week; call it four touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 5-A Playoff Preview 2 of 4

Posted on November 7, 2018 by admin

Our second set of 5-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Veterans-Stockbridge, New Hampstead-Starr’s Mill, Carrollton-Riverwood, and Loganville-Southwest Dekalb. The Stockbridge Tigers might not have all the star power from last season, but they are still one of the top teams in the state. Can Veterans and Cyrus Zuell pull off the upset…Starr’s Mill looks to run past New Hampstead. The Panthers have one of the best running attacks in class 5-A…Carrollton features a pair of the best young linebackers in the state. will they be able to slow down Riverwood… While Southwest Dekalb looks to stay unbeaten this season as Loganville tries to pull the upset…

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 Veterans Warhawks and Stockbridge Tigers will face off Friday in a battle of teams that are run-oriented. Veterans will lean on running back Cyrus Zuell (1,126 yards, 13-TDs) and Quarterback Sebastian Verger (569 yards rushing). Veterans is averaging a healthy 28 points per game. For Stockbridge, Jevon McDonald is the straw that stirs the drink as the junior quarterback has passed for 1,089 yards and rushed for 784 yards. The Tigers defense might be the difference in this game; they are only surrendering 10.9 points per game. We like Stockbridge by 11 this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The New Hampstead Phoenix and Starr’s Mill Panthers will face off Friday in first round action. The visiting Phoenix have a pretty balanced attack. The team has passed for 1,228 yards and rushed for 1,383 yards. Quarterback Deyandre Ruffin and running back Dontre Wallace account for most of the offensive production. The Phoenix are averaging 23.9 points per game. On the other hand, the Starr’s Mill Panthers are averaging 320.7 yards on the ground this season. Kalen Sims leads the way with over 1,400 yards rushing this season. Sean King is the leading receiver for the team. In 8 games, King has 11 receptions for 214 yards. The Starr’s Mill defense has been somewhat suspect , giving up 23.1 points per game, but we don’t think that will be a problem this week. We like the Panthers to win big, let’s call it three touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Carrollton Trojans will visit a resurgent Riverwood team this Friday in Sandy Springs. The Trojans will bring with them their offense that’s averaging 39.8 points per game and a defense that is surrendering 18 points per game. They will also bring along with them two of the best young linebackers in the state in Kevin Swint and Chaz Chambliss. Quarterback Kashif Taylor did not play last week, so that might be something worth keeping an eye on. Riverwood has ben led by quarterback Aaron Graham (1,590 yards passing, 578 yards rushing, 23 total TDs) and Reese White (1,600 yards 18-TDs). Larry Thomas has recorded 10 sacks on the season. So is the Carrollton defense good enough to slow down the Riverwood offense; we certainly think so. We like Trojans by 13 points this week.

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Southwest DeKalb (SWD) Panthers went through the season challenged, but unscathed as they finished with an undefeated record. The big story this year has been the SWD defense, which is giving up 6.9 points per game. That includes four shutouts That defense is led by linebacker Derico Smith and Joshua Tate. Tate has recorded 19 sacks on the season. If the Red Devils are going to pull off the upset this week, they will have to find their rhythm this week. The offense is only averaging 18.9 points per game, while the defense is surrendering 29.9 points per game. The Red Devils do have some playmakers including receivers Jackson Daniel, D’errius Hart and athlete Josiah Wright. We just don’t think they’ll be able to make enough plays this week to get past Southwest. We like the Panthers by two scores this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 5-A Playoff Preview 1 of 4

Posted on November 7, 2018 by admin

Our first set of 5-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Jones County-Bainbridge, Jonesboro-Wayne County, Carver, Atlanta-Kell, and Miller Grove-Buford. Jones County travels to Southwest Georgia to face a young but talented Bainbridge squad. Can the Bainbridge Bearcats slow down the Jones County air-raid…The Wayne County Yellow Jackets looked prime for another deep playoff run. Does Jonesboro have any threat that can slow down the Jackets…Kell has put together another great season. Looming large is a second round matchup against Buford, but first they’ve got to take care of Carver Atlanta. The Panthers Deante Maxwell and company may have something to say about that…Finally Buford looks primed for another deep run. Is there any chance for Miller Grove…

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 Bainbridge Bearcats may have one of the toughest first round draws in 5-A as they host the Jones County Greyhounds. Jones County’s two losses were to Stockbridge and Dutchtown, both of whom are ranked in the top-10 and both losses by just one score. Hunter Costlow has thrown for over 2,400 yards and 30-TDs. Jontavis Robinson and Maleek Wooten have combined for over 1,500 yards receiving and 18-TDs. The Hounds defense is giving up 16 points per game. Jadarian Boykin has 12 sacks for the Jones County defense. Bainbridge will look to sophomores Rashad Broadnax and Caleb McDowell for a lot of their offense; the duo has combined for over 1,100 yards rushing on the season. Defensively for the Bearcats, Roman Harrison and Anthony Brooks have combined for 14 sacks on the season. These two will need to get pressure on Costlow or it could be a long night. We think Bainbridge is a year away with a lot of youth on offense. We like Jones County by a touchdown on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Jonesboro Cardinals will travel to Jesup to take on the Wayne County Yellow Jackets. The Cardinals have struggled a bit on offense this season, but they are riding a two game win streak heading into the playoffs. The Cardinals are averaging 13.7 points per game, while their defense is surrendering 22.3 points per game. Wayne County has leaned on running back MJ Fuller and quarterback Shamar Taylor this season for most of their production and we don’t expect anything to change Friday night. We think that Wyane will exceed their 33.4 point per game average. This one could be a blowout. We like Wayne County by four touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Darren Myles and his Carver Atlanta Panthers will make the trek to East Cobb to take on the Kell Longhorns. The Panthers have been up and down this season. They are averaging 23.9 points per game this year. Quarterback Deante Maxwell has passed for 1,633 yards and 13-TDs while Joquavious Marks has rushed for over 1,400 yards. Tony Jones has also chipped in over 800 yards on the ground. Kell’s offense is powered by senior quarterback Evan Conley. Last week, Conley passed for 263 yards and 4-TDs in a tune-up game. Kell is averaging 36.8 points per game. We think they get close to that number this week and take down the Panthers. Kell wins by 17 this week.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Buford Wolves host the Miller Grove Wolverines as the Wolves look to get back to their winning ways in the post season. The Wolves are averaging 44.3 points per game, while their defense is only giving up 12.4 points per game. Meanwhile, Miller Grove is averaging 12.4 points per game while their defense is giving up 21.5 points per game. This game could get out of hand in a hurry. We won’t be shocked if Buford wins by six touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 6-A Playoff Preview 4 of 4

Posted on November 6, 2018 by admin

Our final set of 6-A playoff previews are listed below. The matchups include Lakeside, Evans-Effingham County, Mundy’s Mill-Lee County, Habersham Central-Douglas County, and Pope-Creekview. Lakeside Evans travels to Effingham County in hopes of slowing down the Rebels tandem of sophomore running backs…Meanwhile, Mundy’s Mill will take on Lee County in a true David versus Goliath match-up. Lee is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as state champs…Tre’ Luttrell and the Raiders from Mt. Airy travel to Douglas County to face one of the best defenses in 6-A. Can Douglas contain Luttrell…Finally, one of the best rushing teams in 6-A faces off against one of the best running backs in 6-A as Pope brings their 2,900+ yards of rushing offense into the Grizzly Den to see if they can derail Cade Radam and the Grizzlies…

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 GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

The Skinny

 

The Lakeside Evans Panthers will travel to Springfield to take on the Effingham County Rebels. Lakeside is averaging 18.9 points per game while the defense is giving up 15.7 points per game. Their opponent, Effingham County has fared a little better on offense, scoring 24.5 points per game. A pair of sophomore running backs, Desmond House and Ashaud Roberson have combined for over 1,000 yards on the season. The Rebels defense is giving up 16.9 points per game. Both teams beat their common opponent, Evans earlier this season. This game is a toss-up, but we will take the Rebels by 3 at home.


 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lee County Trojans have looked almost invincible this season. The Trojans offense is averaging 42.4 points per game, led by Kyle Toole, who has passed for over 1,700 yards on the season. Chauncey Magwood and Daveon Sanders have been two of his top targets. Yet the biggest story for the Trojans has been the defense, which is giving up an average of 3.7 points per game. (That’s no misprint!) Mundy’s Mill does not have a win against a ranked opponent this season, but almost upset the Tucker Tigers back in September. Mundy’s Mill is averaging 26 points per game this season. Raheem Gaines has rushed for 1,290 yards and 6-TDs on the season for the Tigers. It will be interesting to see how he fares against a Lee County defense that a one point was giving up just under seven, yes seven rushing yards per game. We like Lee County big this week by four touchdowns.


 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Habersham Central Raiders are back into the post-season for the first time in seven years. The Raiders have benefited from the addition of dual threat quarterback Tre’ Luttrell. Lutrell has passed for over 1,800 yards and rushed for over 575 yards on the season. Donovan Curry has been his primary receiver with over 40 receptions on the season. The Raiders are averaging a healthy 29.5 points per game but the defense has been the bugaboo for the Raiders giving up 30.5 points per game.  Meanwhile, Douglas County’s calling card has been their defense. They are giving up an average of 12.7 points per game this season. Mataio Soli has recorded well over 20 sacks on the season. As a team the Tigers have recorded over 40 sacks. We think the defense will do just enough to keep Luttrell in check this week. We like Douglas County by a field goal.


 

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Adam Carter has come to Creekview and in his first season led the Grizzlies to their first region title and first undefeated season in school history. The Grizzlies are powered by a physical offensive line anchored by tackles John Williams and Nick Pendley. Cade Radam has been a workhorse this season for the Grizzlies as he’s rushed for 1,531 yards and 18-TDs. The Grizzlies defense has been stout as well this season, only surrendering 12.5 points per game. The Pope Greyhounds generate most of their offense on the ground. Joseph Stellmach has rushed for 1,064 yards for a team that has rushed for almost 3,000 yards this season. Ryan Stuetzer has seven interceptions on the season. We think that the Creekview defense will be able to slow down the Pope ground game this week and win this one big, Grizzlies by three touchdowns.


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TFR 2018 6-A Playoff Preview 3 of 4

Posted on November 6, 2018 by admin

Our third set of 6-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Richmond Hill-Greenbrier, Coffee-Stephenson, Mays-Lanier, and Harrison-Johns Creek. Both Richmond Hill and Greenbrier enter the playoffs with sub .500 records, but something has to give. Can Greenbrier’s defense stiffen up one more time to move onto round 2…Stephenson hosts a dangerous Coffee team led by QB AJ Wilkerson. If the Jags overlook the Trojans it could be a long night for coach Gartrell and Stephenson…The Mays Raiders and Lanier Longhorns will tangle for the first time. Can JaQuari Wiggles and the Mays defense slow down Zach Calzada and the Lanier offense…Finally Harrison can ill afford to let last weeks heart-breaking loss to Creekview loom into this week. Johns Creek can really score, averaging almost 40 per game. This could be a high scoring affair…

 

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 GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

The Skinny

 

The Richmond Hill Wildcats will travel to the Central Savannah River Area to face the Greenbrier Wolfpack on Friday. Richmond Hill has done most of their damage on offense by way of the ground game. Jalen Rouse and Jamal Polite have combined for over 1,000 yards rushing and 11-TDs. The Wildcats defense has been pretty good as well, only giving up 15.6 points per game. Similar to Richmond Hill, Greenbrier has done most of their work on offense on the ground. Zackery Blackwell and Anthony Urbizo have combined for over 900 yards rushing. Coleman Flemming leads the defense with 121 total tackles, 69 of those were solo tackles. The Greenbrier defense has been pretty good, surrendering 18.1 points per game, but we don’t think that their offense can score enough to outlast Richmond Hill. We like the Wildcats by two touchdowns.


 

 

The Skinny

 

The prize for the Stephenson Jaguars winning Regions 4-6A title is a visit from the 2017 runner –up, the Coffee Trojans. The Trojans are led by sophomore quarterback A.J. Wilkerson, who has passed for 1,093 yards and 10-TDs on the season. Running backs Josiah Kelliebrew and Antonio Dawson have combined for 986 yards and 14-TDs this season. The Trojans defense is led by Arlis Sutton and Jeremiah Colson who have combined for 15 sacks on the year. The Coffee defense is surrendering 15.2 points per game. The only blemish on Stephenson’s record is a seven-point overtime loss to Southwest DeKalb. Since then, the Jaguars have won 8-straight games. Javier Morton and Jevon Goff have combined for over 1,200 yards on the ground this season in place of the injured Deandre Jackson. The Jaguars are averaging 35.9 points per game, while the defense led by Joshua Black and Nazir Stackhouse are only surrendering 12.9 points per game. Stephenson should win this game going away, but we think Coffee keeps it close. We like the Jaguars by 4.


 

The Skinny

 

The Mays Raiders lost 18 starters off of last year’s team that made it to the quarterfinals. The Raiders are averaging 29.2 points per game this season. Dual Threat QB Jahquez Evans has missed a couple of games this season and we don’t know if he will be available this week. Jaylen Dunson will take snaps under center if Evans is unable to go. JaQuari Wiggles has been a welcome addition to the Mays defense. The junior defensive lineman had 9 sacks through 7 games this season. Mays’ opponent, the Lanier Longhorns, are led by QB Zach Calzada. Calzada has passed for 1,455 yards and 12-TDs. His leading receivers are Zach Charles and Cole Thornton. The duo has combined for 61 receptions and 795 yards on the season. Linebacker Phillip Webb has recorded 10.5 sacks on the season. This game has the makings of a low scoring defensive battle. We give a slight edge to the Lanier Longhorns to win by 2 points.


 

 

The Skinny

 

The Harrison Hoyas were one point away from being regions champs in Region 6-6A. As it stands, the Hoyas lost the tie breakers in a log jam at the top of the region and will travel as the 4-seed to take on the Johns Creek Gladiators. The Hoyas are averaging 35.9 points per game. Gavin Hall has passed for over 1,200 yards on the season while David Roberts leads the ground game with 937 yards on the ground and 16-TDs on the season. Micah Davis has been the leading receiver for the Hoyas. The Hoyas are giving up 16.4 points on defense. The Johns Creek Gladiators have won 8-straight games and are unbeaten in games played in the state of Georgia this season. They are averaging 39.2 points per game. Much of that on the arm of Zach Gibson who has passed for 2,000 yards and 25-Tds while only throwing one interception. The Gladiators defense is surrendering 20.6 points per game. We are a little biased, but we think Harrison played in one of the top-2 toughest regions in the state. The Hoyas defense, while not big, might be the most physical defense the Gladiators have seen in weeks. The biggest question is will the Hoyas be able to recover from the emotional loss last week or will that haunt them this week. We think the Hoyas will be ready to play. We like Harrison by 3 in an upset.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 6-A Playoff Preview 2 of 4

Posted on November 6, 2018 by admin

Our second set of 6-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Northside Warner Robins-Tucker, Bradwell Institute-Grovetown, Alpharetta-Sequoyah and Gainesville-Creekside. Northside and Tucker might be the best first round matchup in Class 6-A. Northside has already won one a game in metro-Atlanta this season. Will the Tucker Tigers have enough on defense to slow down dual threat QB Jadin Daniels…The Bradwell Institute Tigers will take on the Grovetown Warriors in a 1 vs. 4 matchup. We think Bradwell has the best chance of knocking off a 1-seed. Are we crazy…The Sequoyah Chiefs host the Alpharetta Raiders. The Chiefs are looking to advance past the first round for the first time since 2014. Do the Raiders have an answer for the Chiefs ground attack…And finally, Gainesville will travel to Creekside. The Red Elephants will need to find some answers on offense if they are going to be able to upset Seminoles…

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 GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

 

The Skinny

 

This might be the best first round matchup on paper. Two traditional Georgia powers square off in Atlanta as Northside, Warner Robins (NSWR) faces the Tucker Tigers. NSWR is led by dual threat quarterback Jadin Daniels who was passed for 1,387 yards and rushed for 1,102 yards. He has also accounted for 26-TDs. The Eagles are also averaging 33.1 points per game. Defensively, both Tubby McCall and Kentrez Anthony have intercepted 5 passes each. The Tucker Tigers reeled off 7 straight wins after a tough opening two weeks. They dropped last week’s game to Stephenson by 6 points. The Tigers offense has relied heavily on the legs of Tyler Hughey and Donny Harris. The two backs have combined for over 1,500 yards rushing. Derrick McLendon and the Tucker defense will certainly by tuned in to slowing down Jadin Daniels. On a side note, Tucker is undefeated at home this season. This has the makings of a back and forth battle, but we like Tucker to edge Northside by one this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Grovetown Warriors have taken the next step under head coach Damien Postell and won the Region-3 title. They will host the Bradwell Institue Tigers. Most of the Tigers offense has come by way of running back Kevin Harris and quarterback Vencent Gilbert. Harris has run for 1,280 yards and 20-TDs on the season while Gilbert has passed for 1,378 yards. The Tigers are averaging 23.7 points per game, but giving up 23.9 points per game.  For the Grovetown Warriors, Simeon Barrow is having a monster year on defense. The Junior defensive end has recorded 28 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback sacks. Jonquiavious (JQ) Brown has eclipsed the century mark again this season as he has rushed for 1,095 yards and 10-TDs. This is one of a two interesting 1 vs. 4 matchups in which we think the 4 seed has a legitimate chance at pulling the upset this week. Call us crazy, but we like Bradwell to win by a field goal in a shocker.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Alpharetta Raiders have had an up and down season, but were able to break a two-game losing streak last week with a win to close out the regular season and secure the No. 3 seed in region 7. Will Gerdes has passed for 1,022 yards and 10-TDs. Kevin Watkins and Kent Cherry have combined for 1,058 yards on the season and 13-TDs, although Watkins has missed the last two weeks. Bradley Rowlinson has also chipped in 456 yards and 5-TDs. Jackson Michaels and Jamal Ellis have each recorded 7 sacks on defense and Jaden Slocum has picked off 4 passes. Although the Sequoyah Chiefs have been run heavy this season, quarterback Collier Pecht (rhymes with “faith”) has passed for 1,013 yards and 10-TDs. Myles McGee, Cole Jacobs and Emmanuel Jenkins have been the top receiving threats. Meanwhile, in the ground game Cole Jacobs has rushed for 1,010 yards and 11-TDs. The Chiefs defense is giving up 12.2 points per game this season. That’s reason enough for us to believe that they can win this game this week. We like the Chiefs by 10 this week.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Gainesville Red Elephants had a tough pre-region schedule but were able to qualify for the playoffs with their two wins coming in region play. The Red Elephants are only averaging 13.3 points per game this season. In their two wins, their defense gave up an average of 6.5 points. So needless to say that Gainesville’s defense will need to come up big if they are going to upset Creekside. The Creekside Seminoles come into this game averaging 27.2 points per game on the season. Lazarus Anderson has passed for 1,589 yards and 11-TDs while Tyler Maline has rushed for 751 yards and 9-TDs. Defensively, Tyson Meiguez has recorded over 100 total tackles on the season. We like the Seminoles to win this by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 6-A Playoff Preview 1 of 4

Posted on November 6, 2018 by admin

Our first set of 6-A playoff previews are listed below. Our first preview will feature matchups between Lovejoy-Valdosta, Evans-Glynn Academy, Allatoona-Centennial and Northgate-Dacula. Some of the story lines include, Valdosta’s Tate Rodemaker as he continues to smash the Wildcats passing records. Can the Lovejoy Wildcats slow him down…The Evans Knight try to upset the Glynn Academy Red Terrors…Does Glynn have enough fire-power to make another deep run in the post season…Will the real Allatoona please stand up. The Bucs will need a solid defensive performance to slow down Centennials “Air Brosmer”. The Centennial quarterback has passed for almost 3,500 yards on the season…The Northgate Vikings will have to figure out a Dacula Falcons team that is only surrendering 14.2 points per game. Do the Falcons have enough weapons on offense to get the job done…

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 GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lovejoy Wildcats will travel to South Georgia to take on the Valdosta Wildcats. Lovejoy does not have a win over a ranked opponent this season, but outside of their week one loss to Banneker by 24 points, all of the Lovejoy losses were less than 10-points to ranked opponents. Lovejoy is averaging 28.9 points per game and giving up 27.7 points per game this season. The host Valdosta Wildcats are averaging 34.7 points per game, but giving up 33.3 points per game. Valdosta has been led by Tate Rodemaker, who has passed for 2,975 yards and 28-TDs. His top receivers have been Aalah Brown, Jaheim Bell and Tarrell Roberts. We think that this game will be more offense than defense. We also think the Valdosta Wildcats will outscore the Lovejoy Wildcats by two touchdowns.


 

The Skinny

 

The Evans Knights will travel to Brunswick to take on Glynn Academy. Evans has struggled a bit on offense, only averaging 18.1 points per game on the season. Dual threat freshman quarterback Lleyton Lackey leads the Knights with 1,065 yards of total offense, (499-passing and 566-rushing). Glynn Academy comes into this game on a four game winning streak. Their three losses this season have all come to playoff teams, (Ware, Wayne and Camden). The Terrors are averaging 25.2 points per game on offense and giving up 17.1 points per game on defense. We don’t expect any offensive explosions in this game, but we do expect Glynn to win this game at home by 10 points.


 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Allatoona Buccaneers reeled off seven consecutive wins before their loss last week to Sequoyah. Their offense is led by senior running back Daniel Parsons who will be looking to go over the 1,000-yard mark this week. Parsons has run for 959 yards and 8-TDs on the season. Dawson Coltran is the team’s leading receiver. On defense Jansen Twigg has intercepted 5 passes while Calvin Rucker has recorded 6 sacks. Jude Kelley has connected on 9 of 12 field goals with a long of 49 yards. The Centennial Knights offense has scored points in bunches, averaging 38.5 points per game. Most of that offense has come through the air with Max Brosmer passing for 3,459 yards and 31-TDs. Cal Dickie provides balance in the run game with 1,297 yards and 18-TDs. Brosmer’s primary receiving targets have been Richard Shaw (955 yards, 10-TDs) and Rekevian Mathis (678 yards, 6-TDs). So the obvious question is whether the Bucs physical defense be able to contain the air raid of Centennial. We think it’s close for 3 quarters, but we like Centennial to pull away and win by 11 points.


 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Northgate Vikings have been up and down this season. They have big wins over playoff teams such as Starr’s Mill and Region foe Creekside. The Vikings are averaging 25 points per game, but are surrendering 27.1 points per game. Their opponent this week is the Dacula Falcons. Coach Clint Jenkins has the Falcons flying high again this season. Dacula is averaging 31.2 points per game, while the defense has been stout, only surrendering 14.2 points per game. Their only losses come at the hands of a pair of 7-A playoff teams. Trenton Jones has rushed for over 1,000 yards while quarterback Jarrett Jenkins has passed for over 1,400 yards. While they haven’t had much press around the state, Dacula should be primed to make a deep playoff run. We like the Falcons by two touchdowns.


 

Posted in 6A Playoffs, Playoffs | Leave a comment

TFR 2018 7-A Playoff Preview 4 of 4

Posted on November 5, 2018 by admin

Our final 7-A first round playoff previews feature matchups between McEachern-Newnan, Etowah-Colquitt County, Newton-West Forsyth and Central Gwinnett-North Gwinnett. Some of the story lines in this preview include the McEachern Indians facing off against the Newnan Cougars for the first time since 1993. Can McEachern get a win on the road or will Newnan defend home turn…Etowah has the unenviable task of facing possibly the best team in the state, the Colquitt County Packers. Does David have any chance to slay Goliath…The Newton Rams will travel to Cumming to face the West Forsyth Wolverines. Newton will be playing without head coach Terrance Banks who resigned on Monday. Will the team circle the wagons or will this be a distraction for the upcoming week…Finally, old county rivals collide as North Gwinnett hosts Central Gwinnett. North is looking to defend their state title. We are sure the Knights want to spoil any of North Gwinnett’s plans for a repeat…

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 GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Newnan Cougars will host the McEachern Indians this week. It’s been 25 years since these programs have squared off. The Indians haven’t had much trouble scoring this season, as they are averaging 37 points per game. Jeffrey Clark and Jamil Burroughs anchor the defensive line. They will need to find a way to get pressure on Newnan quarterback Michael Maginnis. Maginnis has passed for 1,500 yards and 14-TDs. His primary receiver is Woody Waters who has hauled in 37 passes for 585 yards. Sophomore Bryson Moss leads the team in rushing with 636 yards and 9-TDs. Our biggest question is if Newnan can outscore McEachern…We don’t think they can. McEachern wins on the road by 10.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Etowah Eagles draw they short straw in the playoffs and will face quite possibly the best team in the state. The Eagles will need to rely on their physical offensive line to neutralize Brian Merritt, Rashard Revels and the rest of the Colquitt defense that is surrendering 8.7 points per game. The Colquitt defense has recorded 68 sacks and 13 interceptions. Kendrick Neloms leads the team in sacks with 12 and Revels is close behind with 11. Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald has connected on 80% of his field goal attempts with a long of 57 yards. The Etowah offense will need to find a way for Nick Maddox to get loose. That seems to be the only chance the Eagles have of pulling the upset. Even if Maddox has a career night, it still might not be enough to hang with the Packers. We like Colquitt by four touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Perhaps the biggest news coming into this game is the resignation of Newton Head Coach Terrance Banks on Monday. You can read more about that in this article from Gabriel Stovall of the Covington Sports News here: Banks Resigns. The Rams were 4-6 on the season, but still garnered the No. 3 seed. L.T. Stowers has passed for 1,336 yards and 18-TDs. Adarious Thomas has rushed for 844 yards on the season to lead the Rams. Stephon Bland leads the West Forsyth Wolverines with 795 yards and 5-TDs, while Abraham Camara leads the team in receiving yards with 616 and 8-TDs. We thought this game was a toss-up before the news of the resignation, but we think West Forsyth has the edge this week with stability at the head coaching position. We’ll take the Wolverines by a touchdown this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

North Gwinnett will start their title defense at home against county rival Central Gwinnett. The Bulldogs have won 6 straight since dropping a game to Walton back in September. Ty Goodson and Josh Downs help lead a North Gwinnett offense that is averaging 36.7 points per game. Perhaps, the most impressive team stat is the 9.7 points per game that the Bulldogs are yielding on defense. That should make tough sledding for the Central Gwinnett offense. The Knights Justin Fomby has passed for 1,489 yards and 13-TDs, but he has also been intercepted 13 times. In order to pull the upset this week, Fomby will need to be accurate and Daedae Reynolds, Justin Wilkins, and Kameron King will need to have big nights. Even with that said, we think that North will win this Gwinnett County battle by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 7-A Playoff Preview 3 of 4

Posted on November 5, 2018 by admin

Our third 7-A playoff previews feature matchups between East Coweta-Marietta, Tift County-Roswell, Forsyth Central-Archer and Collins Hill-Parkview. Some of the story lines include, East Coweta possibly facing a hobbled Marietta team. Will the Blue Devils get their star quarterback back this week…Tift County won the at-large bid. They earn a trip to Roswell. Tift might be the best at-large team since the system has been in place…Forsyth Central had the longest playoff drought of any of the 7-A football teams. The Archer Tigers will be no easy foe…Finally Collins Hill travels to Parkview. The Panthers are undefeated and seem primed for a deep playoff run…

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 GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

 

The Skinny

 

Marietta’s season has gone in fits and starts. Star quarterback Harrison Bailey has passed for over 2,800 yards and 29-TDs on the season. He was injured during the Hillgrove game and did not play last week against Kennesaw Mountain. If Bailey cannot go, the Blue Devils will turn to freshman Tyler Hughes. The Blue Devils hope to have Tennessee commit Ramel Keyton back for the game. Kimani Vidal has helped to pick up the slack rushing for 842 yards and 10-TDs on the season. Quarterback Nathan Cronic (1,447 yards passing) and running back Gerald Green (1,099 yards rushing) have led the East Coweta Indians this season. The Indians will need one of their best defensive efforts of the season if they are going to slow down the Marietta Express. But based on the numbers, we don’t know if that’s in the cards this week for East Coweta. Even without Bailey or Keyton, we think Marietta wins this one by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Tift County Blue Devils will make the trek to Metro-Atlanta to take on the Roswell Hornets. The Blue Devils are the at-large bid in Class 7A, but don’t take the Blue Devils lightly. They play in highly competitive Region-1. The played No. 2 Parkview to within 3 points earlier in the season as well. Mike Jones leads the ground game with 905 yards rushing and 10-TDs. The Blue Devils are averaging 29.7 points per game on the season. Roswell has rebounded from last season and were able to win the region after missing out on the playoffs last season. Ethan Roberts has passed for 1,852 yards and 19-TDs while Kamonty Jett has rushed for 1,033 yards and 12-TDs. Doneiko Slaughter leads the Roswell defense with 7 sacks. This game might be one of the best matchups in Class 7A. Roswell might be ripe for an upset, but we think that they edge the Tift County at home; Hornets by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Frank Hepler has the Forsyth Central Bulldogs back in the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Most of the Bulldog’s offense has come on the ground, as the team has rushed for over 2,000 yards on the season. The Bulldogs defense has been respectable, only giving up 16.3 points per game. This includes two shutout victories earlier in the year. However, Archer presents a new set of challenges. Both Forsyth Central and Archer dropped games to Milton this season. But Archer is just as talented as Milton. Quarterback Carter Peavey has passed for well over 1,700 yards on the season. He leads an offense that is averaging 36.1 points per game. Although the Central defense has been good, we think that the Archer offense will be able to have success against them this week. We like Archer by 17.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Parkview Panthers have run through the regular season undefeated. Their high-powered offense is averaging 41.6 points per game while the defense is only giving up 11.9 points per game. Quarterback Jordan Williams spearheads the attack with over 1,600 passing yards on the season, while Cody Brown has crossed the century mark, with 1,156 yards and 19-TDs. We can’t talk about Parkview without talking about Malik Washington, he has scored by passing, rushing, and receiving. Coach Godfree said Washington is one of the most athletic football players in the state. Collins Hill will look to keep their rushing attack hot this week. Isaiah Love and Deangelo Oliver have combined for 1,231 yards and 8-TDs on the season. Tomari Fox has recorded 8 sacks and Chris Quaites has picked off 4 passes. In spite of all of that, Parkview looks like they are primed to make a deep run. We like the Panthers by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR 2018 7-A Playoff Preview 2 of 4

Posted on November 5, 2018 by admin

Our second 7-A playoff previews feature matchups between Camden County and Walton, Pebblebrook-Hillgrove, Brookwood-Mill Creek and South Gwinnett-Milton. Some of the story lines include, the Camden County being back in the playoffs. Their game with Walton is could be one of the best in this classification… Over in Cobb County, Pebblebrook gets a second chance to knock off Hillgrove this season…Brookwood is looking to make another deep run but Mill Creek and the running of Chancellor Lee-Parker stands squarely in their way…Meanwhile, the Milton Eagles look like they are back on the right track. They’ll host South Gwinnett and their dual threat quarterback Trey Truitt for a chance to move on to round two…

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 GSWA ratings used were from the week of 10/29. The newest poll was not available at the time of publication.

 

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Bob Sphire has the Camden County Wildcats back into the post season after a two-year hiatus. Logan Watson has passed for 1,714 yards and 17-TDs. Logan Berryhill and Shawn Hardy have combined for over 1,250 yards receiving this season. The Wildcats are averaging 29.8 points per game. Meanwhile, the Walton Raiders also have a vaunted passing attack of their own. Quarterback Austin Kirksey has passed for 1,250 yards on the season. He’s missed a few games due to injury, but looked to be back in good form with 224 yards passing last week. DJ Soyoye gives the Raiders a legitimate rushing threat. At question will be whether Camden can slow down Kendall Alford and Dominick Blaylock. We think Camden is a year away from making a deep run in the playoffs. We like the Raiders by a touchdown at home.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Pebblebrook and Hillgrove will face off for the second time this season. Hillgrove won the first matchup back in August and have not looked back since. The Hillgrove Hawks have done most of their damage on the ground this season. As a team they’ve run for over 2,000 yards on the season. Issaiah McCray and Trevor Smith lead the way for the Hawks. The Hillgrove defense is giving up 15.1 points per game. Pebblebrook is back in the playoffs this year, but in order to get past the first round this season, the offense will probably need to score more than their 20.1 points per game they’ve been averaging on the season. We think Hillgrove is playing better football this season. We like the Hawks by two touchdowns this week.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Despite graduating a large senior class last season, Coach Philip Jones has the Brookwood Broncos back in the playoffs in 2018. Chris Carter and Eli Kohl have led the Broncos in rushing, combining for over 1,400 yards on the season. In their three losses, the Broncos are only averaging 6 points per game. The Mill Creek Hawks come into the game averaging 30.3 points per game. Chancellor Lee-Parker leads the ground game with over 1,100 yards on the ground. Mill Creek’s only losses were to 3 top-10 teams. We think this game will be closely contested, but like Mill Creek to win by 10 when the dust settles.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

We thought that the Milton Eagles might be a little over-rated when they lost to Roswell earlier in the season, but Roswell has turned out to be a pleasant surprise in 7-A. Milton is led Georgia Tech commit Jordan Yates. Yates has passed for 1,2730 yards and rushed for 578. He’s accounted for 26 TDs. Joshua Edwards has rushed for 923 yards and 14-TDs. Allen Walker leads the defense with 9 sacks. It’s a defense that’s surrendering 17.6 points per game. The South Gwinnett offense has struggled a bit to score points this season, but a lot of that is due to the competition they’ve faced. The Comets will need a big night from Trey Truitt if they are going to pull the upset this week. We believe the Eagles will cruise this week; Milton by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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