TFR Week-8 Eight Greats Around the State Part I

Posted on October 4, 2018 by admin

In Part I of our Week-8 preview of GHSA football, we focus on region matchups that will go along way in determining region titles. We start with undefeated Dawson County as they travel to Greater Atlanta Christian. This game could very well determine the region champion. Can GAC slow down another high-powered run game…In Class 2-A border war, Thomasville will travel to Quitman to take on the Brooks County Trojans. Last year the Bulldogs edged the Trojans at home. Can Brooks return the favor…In region 3-7A Hillgrove and McEachern will tangle in week one of region play for both schools. We expect both of these teams to be in the playoffs. But a win in this game would put either team in a great position to host a playoff game…Meanwhile in Central Georgia, Dublin hosts Dodge County. We believe the winner of this game has the inside track to the region title.

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Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

GAC passed a tough region test last week as they shut out North Hall. This week, they will host another run oriented offense as Coach Sid Maxwell brings his Dawson County Tigers to Norcross. Sevaughn Clark, Ahmad Kamara and Shawn Thomas have become household names for the folks in Dawson County. These are three of the top rushers for a team that has chewed up over 380 yards per game on the ground so far this season. Logan Barnes and Zac Baloga lead the Tigers defense which has posted two shutouts this season.

The Spartans on the other hand will need another big game from their defense if they hope to remain undefeated in region play. Chris Hinton, Jeff Blake, Elijah Pryor and Choe Bryant-Strother have led the way on defense for GAC this season. Offensively, Hinton, and brother Myles lead the way on the offensive line for running back Montae Bailey who leads GAC with 386 yards rushing while Josh Rose has passed for 933 yards, rushed for 383 yards and has accounted for 14-TDs. We expect this game to be much closer than last year’s contest, but do expect GAC to win this by 10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Thomasville Bulldogs will travel to Quitman this week to face the Brooks County Trojans in a matchup of top-10 region rivals. Both teams have played extremely challenging schedules and are battle tested. The Bulldogs have had good play from freshman QB Chase Mascoe this season. He has passed for 1,143 yards and 9-TDs. Tan Gelin and Malek Miller provide balance in the rushing attack. Gelin has rushed for 446 yards and 6-TDs while Miller has chipped in 216 yards and 4-TDs. Thomasville also sports a very good offensive line anchored by Larry Williams, Tevin Rayford and Javonte McGriff. Defensively, linebackers Jeremiah Powell, Sedrick Robinson and DB Karey Lee have been the leaders. Robinson leads the team with 48 total tackles. While Lee has intercepted 3 passes on the season.

For Brooks County, Jacolby Brown and Ni’tavion Burrus have combined to pass for 663 yards and rush for 281 yards with 13 total TDs. Seniore Deon Fountain leads the team in rushing yards with 257 and receiving with 33 receptions for 462 yards and 6-TDs. Perhaps the biggest key in this game for Brooks will be the defense led by Travaraus Brown and Darryl Gallon. They will have to get pressure on Thomasville’s young QB and slow down Gelin in the rushing attack. Both of these teams should make deep playoff runs, but we like the Bulldogs by a touchdown in this South Georgia clash.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

In the pre-season, many thought this region belonged solely to Marietta. Yet, these two perennial powers will also have their say before it’s all said and done. The Hillgrove Hawks have done most of their damage on the ground this season. Led by running backs Trevor Smith and Issaiah McCrary, the Hawks offense is averaging just over 30 points per game.

McEachern has quietly put together some impressive wins and the only blemish on their schedule was a loss to No. 1 ranked Colquitt County. Paris Brown and Jordan Simmons lead McEachern in rushing. Carlos Del Rio has taken most of the snaps this season at quarterback. Ja’leak Perry and Javon Baker lead the Indians receivers. Perhaps the biggest names on this team are on the defense as linemen Jamil Burroughs and Jeffrey Clark. They lead a team that will certainly need to stop the running game this week. We expect this to be another tightly contested matchup this week. We like the Indians to prevail by a touchdown.

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Dodge County Indians and Dublin Fighting Irish will play in Dublin in a game that could go a long way in determining the region 3-A champion. Last season, Dodge got the best of Dublin, but the fighting Irish have a decided advantage in the series and also boast a pretty stout rushing attack led by running Corteveyas Mitchell and Quarterback Rodriquez Martin. The Dublin defense has held opponents to 8 points per game so far this season, including two shutouts. Their only blemish is a 3 point loss to Brooks County.

Dodge County is led by R.J. Carr and Erin Pitts. Carr has rushed for 486 yards and 8-TDs while Pitts leads the team in rushing with 547 yards and 6-TDs. Ty Belflower anchors the offensive line for the Indians. Defensively, Vince Mann and Jamal Mahan will be tasked with controlling the line of scrimmage against the run heavy Irish. Elisha Williams and Jadin Johnson lead Dodge in tackles this season with 39 and 36 respectively. We expect this game to be closer than last season’s matchup, but we like the Indians to prevail again by 4 points.

 

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TFR Week-8 Eight Greats Around the State Part II

Posted on October 4, 2018 by admin

We continue our focus on region match-ups with big implications in Part II of our Week-8 preview of GHSA football. The Mays Raiders got off to a slow start this season, but have won three straight. They visit a Douglas County team that is undefeated in region play and boasts a stout defense. Will Mays be able to fend off a stiff challenge from the Tigers…Jones County and Dutchtown tangle this week. These are two of the top teams in the region, (along with Stockbridge). Dutchtown is only yielding 3.8 points per game. Does Jones County have enough offense to win this week…The Eastside Eagles are flying high this season. But they’ve never beaten the Woodward Academy War Eagles. Eastside visits Woodward this week in a game between the top two teams in the region…Meanwhile, Athens Academy will face its second stiff test in as many weeks as the travel to Monroe to take on George Walton Academy.

Please feel free to share and comment. Thanks for reading!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Mays Raiders will travel to Douglasville to take on the Douglas County Tigers on Friday night as region 5-6A action heats up. Mays has rebounded from an 0-2 start against some high-level competition. The Raiders are led this season by running back Tyree Nelson and quarterback Jahquez Evans. Newcomer JaQuari Wiggles is a force on the defensive line for the Raiders.

Douglas County will sport one of the states sack leaders in Mataio Soli who has already recorded an astounding 18 sacks in six games thus far. The Tigers balanced attack on offense is highlighted by quarterback Marquise Collins (481 yards, 2-TDs), running back Michael Oldfield (292 yards, 4-TDs), and receivers Xavier Gordon and Dariyan Wiley who have combined for 360 yards receiving and 2-TDs. Mays lost a lot to graduation last year, we think Douglas County edges the Raiders this year. Tigers by 8.

 

 

 

The Skinny

The Jones County Greyhounds host the Dutchtown Bulldogs this Friday night. Both teams enter the game undefeated and are ranked in the top-10 in most, if not all polls across the state. Jones  County has had plenty of success through the air this season. Quarterback Hunter Costlow has passed for 1,241 yards and 19-TDs. His primary receivers this season have been Maleek Wooten and Jontavis Robertson. The duo has combined for 890 yards and 12-TDs. Semaj Ingram also provides balance for the Greyhounds in the run game with 373 yards on the season.

Meanwhile Duthctown will be looking to breakthrough and win this game which would put them in good position to host at least a first-round playoff game come November. Arnez Fedd and Christopher Coneway pace a Bulldogs offense that is averaging 31.5 points per game. Defensively, linebackers Kevon Glenn, Adonis Butler and lineman William Anderson will look to disrupt the Jones County aerial assault. Dutchtown has been playing very good defense this season, with 3 shutouts and only surrendering 3.8 points per game. With that said, we like that to be the difference this week. Bulldogs by 3 in a mild upset.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

In a key region 4-4A matchup Eastside (Covington) will travel to College Park to take on the Woodward Academy War Eagles. Woodward won both of the prior matchups, however, Eastside was on the cusp of knocking off the War Eagles last season. For Eastside, quarterback Noah Cook has played well this season. He is completing 73.4% of his passes while tossing 11-TDs. As expected, Jamari Brown has been a go to receiver with 18 receptions, 268 yards and 4-TDs while Taylor Carter and Quincy Cullins lead the Eagles on the ground with a combined 666 yards and 7-TDs. Jamari Brundage and Devin Brown lead the defense in tackles with 43 and 33 total tackles respectively.

Tahj Gary is the bell cow for the Woodward Academy offense. The senior running back has rushed for 449 yards and 6-TDs. While Mark Wright has passed for 635 yards, rushed for 309 yards with 10 total TDs. Errington Truesdell leads the team in tackles with 39. Woodward has been up and down this season, but has also faced some stiff competition. The War Eagles are 0-2 versus ranked opponents this week. We think the third time is a charm for Coach Hoff and Eastside. We like the Eastside Eagles by 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

After picking up a big win last week, the Athens Academy Spartans will travel to Monroe to take on the upstart George Walton Academy Bulldogs. Athens Academy got a big performance last week from running back Len’Neth Whitehead. Against Prince Avenue, Whitehead rushed for 243 yards and 3-TDs. We can certainly expect the Spartans to feed the Bulldogs a steady dose of Whitehead this week.

George Walton Academy has put together quite an impressive season to date. The team is averaging 35.8 points per game, while the defense is only surrendering 7.1 points per contest. The Bulldogs feature a stable of backs including Darrius Barnum, Andre Payne and Will Wolf. Will this trio be enough to keep Athens Academy off balance…We think it will be closer than last year, but we like Athens Academy by two touchdowns.

 

 

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TFR Week-8 Cherokee County Football Preview

Posted on October 3, 2018 by admin

The stakes continue to get higher in region play as we go into Week-8. Sequoyah will look to bounce back against River Ridge; while the Knights are looking for a big region win and a chance to stay in contention for the post-season. Will the Knights catch the Chiefs napping…After a big win last week for Cherokee, they will go on the road to take on Roswell. The Hornets will present a stiff challenge as they look to be one of the top teams in the region…Finally, the battle of Towne Lake takes place this week. This might be the counties fiercest rivalry. The schools are just over 2 miles apart. Last year, Woodstock edged Etowah. Can the Eagles rebound and get their first region win of the season? Or will the Wolverines hold serve at home this season.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Sequoyah Chiefs will look to bounce back from their loss last week at Creekview when they host another county rival, the River Ridge Knights. Sequoyah was not able to get the running game going in the red-zone last week, so that might be a point of emphasis against the Knights. Jackson Smith, Cole Jacobs and DJ King will be the featured backs in the Chiefs vaunted wing-T attack. QB Collier Pecht proved last week that he could do more than hand the ball off to the three amigos. Pecht does have weapons on the perimeter including Emmanuel Jenkins and Myles McGee. Defensively, the Chiefs secondary got a boost with the return of D’angelo Smith. Smith, Jenkins, King and Jacobs make for a formidable secondary. Linebackers Adam LaSelva and Grant Gibson lead the Chiefs in tackles.

The Knights where able to do some good things against Dalton last week, but if they are going to upset Sequoyah, they will need to limit the big plays this week. The River Ridge defense did record 3 sacks last week as well. Chico Ward and Amehre Morrison will again lead the Knights ground attack. Despite their record, River Ridge has continued to improve each week. This could be a trap game for the Chiefs, who had an emotional loss to a rival last week and turn around to play another rival this week; one that is hungry for their first win against a county foe. We expect the Chiefs to bounce back this week. Sequoyah by 17.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cherokee Warriors started off region play with a win over the Etowah last week. The Warriors defense really hunkered down when it had to last week. Kerwin Majano was constantly causing havoc. He along with McKinley Hunter, Grant Hornbuckle and the rest of the Warriors defense will need a similar effort this week at Roswell. Hunter recorded five sacks last week to go along with 13 tackles. Offensively, dual-threat QB Landon Ergle has passed for 926 yards and 5-TDs. Garret Miles and Mogelnicki have combined for 513 yards 7-TDs on the season.

The host, Hornets have quietly put together an impressive season, with a win over rival Milton and the only blemish, a one-point loss to undefeated Wheeler. Ethan Roberts has passed for 967 yards and 10-TDs while Kamonty Jett has rushed for 598 yards and 6-TDs. John Copenhaver and Jacob Jarrett lead the Hornets in receiving with a combined 695 yards and 16-TDs. Sam Antona leads Roswell in total tackles while Doneiko Slaughter leads Roswell in sacks with 6. Cherokee is playing much better as of late this season, in fact, we think this team has a great shot to make the post-season, but we like Roswell this week by a touchdown.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Battle of Towne Lake will take place on Friday night. This will be the first region game for the Woodstock Wolverines. The last time out, Woodstock got a big win against North Forsyth. Dean Braxton leads the Wolverines in rushing and passing this season with 784 yards passing and 374 yards rushing. He’s also accounted for 10-TDs. Sophomore Sebastian Moss leads Woodstock with 27 receptions and 253 receiving yards. Campbell Price and Camden Vaughn lead the team in total tackles. While David Daniel and Andrew Bartolero lead the Woodstock Secondary.

Etowah will look to stop a two game losing skid. The Eagles had a tough time getting things going on offense last week against a stingy Cherokee defense. Nick Maddox did return to the backfield for the Eagles. They will need a big game from their defense this week if they want to be successful. For the Eagles on defense, it starts of front with Dalton Nicolai, Cole Milovanovic and Raymone Devezin. These three will need to get pressure on Dean Braxton and disrupt the Woodstock passing attack. We think the Wolverines offense is a little ahead of Etowah this week. We don’t expect a shoot-out like last season, but we like Woodstock by a field goal.

 

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TFR Week-7 GHSA Football Poll

Posted on September 30, 2018 by admin

Our Week-7 polls have been published and are listed below.

There were no changes this week in Class 7A only four of the top-10 teams were in action this week, and all won convincingly.

The Creekview Grizzlies beat the Sequoyah Chiefs in a  top-10 matchup. The win propelled the Grizzlies to No. 4 while the Chiefs drop to No. 8. Meanwhile, the Valdosta Wildcats re-enter the poll at No. 10, replacing Alpharetta.

The Ware County Gators were the only team to lose in the Class 5A top-10. They fell to 7A Lowndes last week. That drops the Gators to No. 10 this week.

Class 4A remains the same as all of the teams in action on Friday were victorious.

Pierce County and Crisp County move into the top-10 this week. The Bears are undefeated at 5-0. While Crisp County picked up a big win over highly ranked 2A Thomasville. North Hall and Westminster dropped out of the poll this week.

In Class 2A, Thomasville falls two spots after their loss to Crisp County while Bremen drops two spots after their loss to Callaway.

Schley County and Hancock Central both make their debut in the A-Public poll this week, while the top 8 spots remain unchanged.

In Class A-Private Athens Academy got the best of Prince Avenue Christian in a top-10 showdown. The win pushed the Spartans up to No. 2 while the Wolverines fell to No. 4. Savannah Christian and Christian Heritage also suffered losses this week. They fall to No. 9 and No. 10 respectively.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR Week-7 Eight Greats Around the State Part II

Posted on September 27, 2018 by admin

In Part II of our Week-7 preview of GHSA football, we spend a little time looking at four games in the State’s smaller classifications. Starting in Class AAA, Pike County will face an early region test as they host perennial power Peach County. Peach might not be explosive as they were last season, but this is still a good football team. Can Pike unseat defending region champ, Peach County…Over in the Classic City, a Class 1-A matchup pits regions foes Athens Academy against Prince Avenue Christian. Can Athens Academy slow down the aerial attack of the Wolverines…In Class 2-A, the Bremen Blue Devils will look to make a statement of Friday as they visit Callaway Stadium and play the host Callaway Chargers. Both teams are highly ranked. This could be a game for Bremen to make a statement in…Meanwhile, down in South Georgia the Charlton County Indians will battle Irwin County for a chance to dethrone the defending region champs. Can Charlton pull off the upset…

Please feel free to share and comment. Thanks for reading!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Pike County Pirates will host the Trojans defending Region Champion Peach County Trojans on Friday evening in Zebulon. Both teams look to be two of the best in the region this season. The Pirates have fared well early in the season and come into the game undefeated. Pike County has posted two shutouts through four games and are only surrendering 7.5 points per game.

Peach County has dropped two games this season, but both to ranked opponents in higher classifications, (Lee County and Mary Persons). Trojans quarterback Jaydon Gibson has passed for 816 yards and is second on the team in rushing with 230 yards. He has accounted for 10 TD-2 on the season. The teams leading receivers are Millard Thomas and Terkel Jefferson. Noah Whittington leads the way on the ground for the Trojans with 264 yards and 5-TDs. Bryson Dent, Jamir Best and Cedric Hillsman anchor the defensive line. This Peach County team doesn’t boast the same star power as last season’s team. But we think there is enough talent to maintain a grasp on the region lead. We like Peach by 10 this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Athens Academy will host Prince Avenue Christian on Friday night in Class A Region-8. Both teams come into the game highly ranked and undefeated. The Spartans have been playing great defense, only surrendering 9 points a game. The Athens Academy offense is led by running backs Payton Bowles and Len’Neth Whitehead. Both backs will are talented and should present a tough challenge for the Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines.

The Wolverines offense comes into the game featuring a balanced attack. Quarterback Brock Vandagriff has passed for over 1,400 yards in 5 games with 12-TDs. Christian Parrish and Mac Simmons have been the primary receivers. The two have combined for 53 receptions, 929 yards and 10-TDs through the air. Vandagriff and running back Tyler Payne pace Prince Avenue on the ground, as the Wolverines have rushed for over 1,100 yards as a team this season. If Athens academy can control the clock and keep the Wolverines offense off the field, they should be in a position to win the game at the end. However, we think that might be too tall of a task this week. We like Prince Avenue by a touchdown.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Bremen Blue Devils open region play with a very tough matchup against the Callaway Cavaliers in Class AA Region-5. The Cavaliers defense has pitched three shutouts this season. Callaway’s only loss was to highly ranked county rival Troup. Two- way star Cartavious “Tank” Bigsby will lead the offense for the Chargers. Keiondre Jones anchors the Callaway offensive line. While Bigsby and linebacker Tely Fanning spearhead the Chargers defense.

Bremen is off to another hot start this season. The Blue Devils are led on offense by senior quarterback Wade Cartwright and running back Tyran Dobbs who is off to a great start this season after rushing for over 1,300 yards in 2017. Jalen Dallas and Kade Berry, lead a Bremen defense that has only surrendered 26 points in four games. This is possibly one of the best games in the state this week regardless of classification. We weren’t that high on Bremen in the pre-season, but we have had change of heart midway through the year. We like Bremen in a mild upset by a field goal.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Charlton County Indians will look to derail Irwin County this week in Class A Region-2. Both teams sit tied atop the region at 2-0 in region play. Irwin county is probably a little more battle tested as they knocked off a very good Clinch County team two weeks ago. Irwin’s rushing attack of DJ Lundy, Jay Stanley and Jamal Paulk should have plenty of chances to improve on their rushing totals on Friday. The team is averaging 34.4 points per game this season, while their defense is only surrendering 8 points a game.

Charlton County is playing pretty good ball themselves this season. The only blemish on their record is a loss to Class AAA Appling County. Raykwon Anderson, Micheal Elliott, Tony Cobb and Seaquon Clark lead an offense that is averaging 28.6 points per game. We like Irwin County in this game; as we just don’t think Charlton can slow down Lundy and company. Irwin by two touchdowns.

 

 

 

 

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TFR Week-7 Eight Greats Around the State Part I

Posted on September 27, 2018 by admin

Week-7 in GHSA Football brings us to the midpoint of the season. Most teams have wrapped up non-region play and the all important region match-ups are now in view. North Hall will host Greater Atlanta Christian in a big region game this Friday. Will the Trojans rushing attack be enough to keep a potent Spartans team at bay…Thomasville and Crisp County will square off for the first time in 25 years. Both teams are finishing up their non-region schedule. Can Crisp move the ball against a very stout Thomasville defense…Ware County travels to Valdosta to take on Lowndes this week. It’s a tall task for the Gators. They’ll have to find a way to slow down Travis Tisdale…And in Class-A Christian Heritage hosts Darlington in a big region show down. Can Christian Heritage stay hot or will Darlington rebound from last weeks loss and continue their domination of the young series.

Please feel free to share and comment. Thanks for reading!

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans are off to a bit of a slow start, but this is an experienced team with some big-time college prospects. Josh Rose has taken most of the snaps at quarterback but Jackson Hardy has seen a good bit of action as well. The two have combined for 1,099 yards passing and 12-TDs on the season. While we don’t normally highlight offensive linemen, it’s hard not to notice Chris and Myles Hinton, as these two anchor the Spartans line this season. Rose and Montae Bailey lead GAC in rushing. As a team, the Spartans have rushed for 856 yards. Ty James and Jake Floyd have emerged as top receiving targets for the Spartans with 48 catches and 9-TDs between the two.

North Hall has done most of their damage on the ground. They are averaging 309 yards per game. They’ve done it with balanced production from four different backs including quarterback David Seavey (276 yards), Daniel Jackson (423 yards), Drew Faulkner (291 yards), and JT Fair (224 yards). The Trojans have rushed for over 1,500 yards as a team. North Hall has surpassed the 60-point mark twice this season. GAC presents a different challenge for the Trojans, and will probably be their toughest challenge to date. We think the Spartan defense will do just enough to slow down the North Hall ground game. We like the Spartans by 10.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Thomasville Bulldogs have dominated the series against the Crisp County Cougars, but these two have not met in 25 years. The Bulldogs freshman QB Chase Mascoe has passed for 977 yards and 7-TDs. Tan Gelin leads the Bulldogs in rushing with 438 yards and 5-TDs. Thomasville’s offense line is anchored by Javonte McGriff, Larry Williams and Tevin Rayford. Defensively, Karey Lee might be the bell-cow for Coach Grage. But Jeremiah Powell, Sedrick Robinson and Chris Monroe are also big time players on defense. Hursten Waldrep has also stepped in at kicker this season to provide some stability with special teams.

Crisp County lost a few big-time players as they transferred out last season. Running backs Anthony Lewis and Marquise Palmer have stepped in to pick up the slack. The two backs have combined for 332 yards on the season. Tubby Spivey is the big threat in the receiving game as he’s caught 13 passes this season. Ahdarrious Gee leads the Cougars in total tackles with 50. While sophomore linebacker Chris Paul leads Crisp in sacks with 4 and Spivey leads the secondary with 4 interceptions. Crisp should definitely be in contention for a region title this season, but we just don’t think they can keep pace with non-region foe, Thomasville this week. We like the Bulldogs on the road by 17.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Lowndes Vikings will host the Ware County Gators in a matchup of South Georgia powers. The big question for Ware County is whether or not they can slow down Lowndes running back Travis Tisdale. Last week in the Winnersville Classic, Tisdale rushed for an astounding 414 yards and 6…yes S-I-X touchdowns. Tisdale has already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the season and has 16-TDs. Ty’Ehir Simms (336 yards, 3-TDs) and Ghetti Brown (249 yards, 2-TDs) lead Lowndes in receiving. Linebacker Tiberius Drocea and defensive end Gary Osby spearhead the Vikings defense. As a team, the Vikings have intercepted 9 passes on the season.

The Gators are led by a couple of talented underclassmen. Freshman Quarterback Thomas Castellanos has passed for 673 yards and rushed for 312 yards with 11 total TDs. Sophomore running back Dream Gainer leads Ware County in rushing with 460 yards on the ground. Senior linebacker Logan Braucht leads the Gators in tackles and is tied for the team lead in sacks. He and the rest of the Ware County defense will have their hands full trying to slow down the high-powered Vikings attack. The Gators are a really good 5-A team, but we think Lowndes is just too explosive for Ware to keep pace with. We like Lowndes by 3 touchdowns.


 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The upstart Christian Heritage Lions will host the Darlington Tigers on Friday night. The Lions burst on to the scene from almost out of nowhere this season with come from behind wins in consecutive weeks. Coach Jay Poag told us in an earlier podcast that one of the keys to success this season is the fact that his team has much more experience than in years past. They are led by gun-slinging QB Matthew Neff. Neff has passed for 767 yards and 10-TDs on the season. Zach Gentry (427 yards, 8-TDs) and Evan Lester (244 yards, 2-TDs) lead the Lions in receiving. Defensively, Coach Poag couldn’t say enough good things about Duane Jones and Syd Reece, as the two linebackers pace Christian Heritage on defense.

Darlington comes into the game trying to right the ship after a loss to Mt. Zion, Carroll last week. Kolin Rogers has a big game on the ground last week for the Tigers and he will certainly be looking to add to his rushing totals this week. Last week the Tigers shot themselves in the foot a few times, so in order to win this week, they’ll need to play a more mistake free game. We think that the Tigers will be in the game at the end, but it’s hard to pick against the Lions and Matthew Neff’s hot hand. We like Christian Heritage by 4.

 

 

 

 

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TFR Week-7 Cherokee County Football Preview

Posted on September 26, 2018 by admin

I’m not sure if it gets any better in Cherokee County than Week-7. You’ve got the counties oldest rivalry taking place over in Town Lake as the Cherokee Warriors travel to take on the Etowah Eagles. Both teams are looking to get a leg up in Region play in the states largest classification. The Warriors have made great strides this season, but can they match the physicality of Etowah this week…Across the way in Woodstock, off of Arnold Mill Road, the River Ridge Knights will host the Dalton Catamounts this Friday. The Cats are in a bit of a slump, dropping their last three games, but don’t let that fool you. The Knights picked up their first win of the season last week. Can they keep the momentum going this week…Finally, Creekview and Sequoyah will meet for the 11th time in maybe the hottest county rivalry game. GPB will be broadcasting the game and WLJA 101.1FM will be there as well. Along with the infamous Cedarwood Tavern Crew for their pregame show. Both of these teams are physical and are talented at the skill positions. It should be another game down to the wire in the series like so many before.

In case you missed it, here is a link to the podcast that we did previewing the Sequoyah-Creekview game with interviews from Coach Carter, Coach Teeter and Mick & Vern from the Cedarwood Tavern Cherokee County Pre & Post Game show: Creekview vs. Sequoyah Podcast

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

The Skinny

 

The River Ridge Knights will host the Dalton Catamounts on Friday looking to extend Dalton’s slow start in region play. Like the Knights, the Catamounts have run up against some stiff competition in the first part of the season. Some injuries have slowed the Cats as well. Dalton will lean on Landon Allen to direct a struggling Cats offense that is averaging 16 points in their last three games. Jamhyr Gibbs and Jeric Montgomery continue to pace Dalton on the ground, combining for 727 yards rushing and 7-TDs on the season.

Like the Cats, the Knights have struggled a bit early in the season. They picked up their first region win their last time out and like Dalton, this is a must win to keep pace with Harrison, Creekview and Sequoyah. The Knights will need another big performance from Chico Ward. Ward’s last time out last time out he rushed for 93 yards and 3-TDs. Kofi Reeves Miller and freshmen Amehre Morrison will also be keys for the Knights on offense. River Ridge has shown some promise this season with some long-sustained drives, but they’ll need to turn those drives into points this week in order to have success against the Cats. We think the Knights will have more success this week, but we like Dalton by 8 points this week

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

 

Cherokee County’s oldest rivalry will take place on Friday night at Etowah High School as the Cherokee Warriors visit the Etowah Eagles. Both teams come into the game with identical records this season. However, this week is the beginning of Region play, so these are the games that count most in region standings. The Warriors continue to grow into their own. The team has bolstered their rushing attack with the addition of Grant Mogelnicki to the backfield with Garrett Miles allowing for more options on offense. The two backs have combined for 419 yards rushing and 6-TDs. Landon Ergle continues to lead the county in passing with 871 yards and has a couple of young, but very talented wide receivers in Devin Ellison and Brady Bocherer.  On defense, McKinley Hunter seems to always be flying around to the football. Keep an eye out for the athletic linebacker this week.

Etowah has been without their leading running back the past few weeks, but Klivert Many has filled in nicely for the Eagles. The Eagles have played some stiff competition which has certainly led to some of their struggles on offense. Etowah certainly has talent on both the offense and the defensive lines. Dalton Niccolia leads Cherokee County in sacks this season. If he can continue his torrid pace, that will certainly create some problems for the Warriors in the passing game. This game should be a slugfest, but we like the upstart Warriors to win this one by a field goal and get an early leg up in region play.

 

 

 

 

The Hype

 

The battle of East Cherokee certainly has the makings of one of the biggest games in the county in recent history and perhaps may go down as one of the biggest all time between county teams. Both teams enter the game undefeated. Creekview sits at 5-0 for the first time in school history under new head coach Adam Carter; while the Chiefs are 4-0 for the first time since 2008. Both teams are highly ranked in all polls across the state. There are neighborhood bragging rights on the line, but more importantly, a leg up in region play is on the line Friday night at the Grizzly Den.

The Grizz

Creekview is led by an imposing offensive line that is highlighted by Clemson commit “Big” John Williams and all-state preseason selection Nick Pendley. Pendley has been picking up more interest from colleges as the season carries on; he’s certainly a player to watch on Friday and for the remainder of the season. These two physical tackles, along with Tanner Taranto and John Clenney  have helped pave the way for the county’s leading rusher, Cade Radam. Radam is a physical bruising back, that can also catch passes out of the backfield. He’s run for 729 yards and also has 9 receptions, with 8 total TDs. The Grizzlies will use two quarterbacks, Ethan Dirrim and Brody Rhodes to spearhead the offense attack. Dirrim is versatile athlete, as he can also split out wide at receiver and cause problems for the Chiefs secondary. But he’s not the only weapon for Coach Carter. 6’5” TE Paxton Nayman is a big-time prospect and receiver Jacob Pfundt is coming into his own as well. The Creekview defense might be a little undersized, but they play big. They’ll be led by Citadel commit Andy Davis at safety. Davis has been big in run support this season and tends to always find himself around the ball. Linemen Avery Rocks, Alex Godfrey, and John Hanaford have been stout up front. But Coach Carter said that perhaps the biggest surprise is the production they’ve gotten from Chance Schwartz.

 

The Chiefs

Sequoyah has had a lot of success this season with their wing-T offense. Collier Pecht (pronounced Payth) leads the attack and while he hasn’t had to throw much this season he’s been efficient in doing so. The reason Pecht hasn’t had to pass much is because backs Cole Jacobs, Jackson “Brick” Smith, and DJ King have been effective running the ball.  The three backs have combined for 817 yards this season and 12-Tds. Sequoyah’s offense line has done well to create seems for the running attack. “Big” Alex Majeed, Connor Johnston, Nick Balance, Colton Haney and Wyatt Hampton anchor that offensive line. Defensively, by now, everyone knows about Emmanuel Jenkins, the Chiefs physical corner. We expect that he and the Chiefs secondary will be tested this week. Adam LaSelva and Grant Gibson are very active linebackers for the Chiefs who like Creekview’s Davis, always seems to be around the football. Perhaps the unsung heroes on the defense are the guys up front including Connor Johnston and Jordan Bowers.

The Skinny

This game is too close to call as the teams are as evenly matched as I can recall. Something tells me that crafty senior Collier Pecht will have one more trick up his sleeve. Chiefs by 1, in a nip and tuck game.

 

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TFR Creekview vs Sequoyah Podcast Preview

Posted on September 25, 2018 by admin

This maybe the most anticipated game in the young rivalry between these two Cherokee County teams. Both Creekview and Sequoyah enter the game undefeated and ranked in the top 5 by most major publications in the state. Each team has their share of college prospects. Both teams are physical and fast. Today we check in with both of the head coaches, Adam Carter of Creekview and James Teter of Sequoyah. We talk about the things that have made their teams successful this season, we also talk about a senior leader that’s a difference maker for each team, and we talk about the atmosphere of each community and fans for both schools. And most importantly, we get some insight from each coach about their opponent on Friday night.

If that isn’t enough, we also get to spend some time with the Cedarwood Tavern Crew, who host a Cherokee County pre and post game live video program.  We discuss some of the surprising things they’ve seen on the county along with some of the top performers. Of course, we get their take on the big game on Friday night as well. Tune in and check it out to help get primed for Friday’s big game.

 

 

Please remember to visit our segment sponsor HilStrides(https://www.facebook.com/HilStrides/). Make sure you tell them you heard about them from The Turd Ferguson Report!

Please feel free to share and follow us on Twitter: @turdfurgesonrpt and on the web at https://turdfurgeson.com

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TFR Week-6 GHSA Football Poll

Posted on September 23, 2018 by admin

Our Week-6 polls have been published and are listed below.

Colquitt heads up the 7A poll after defeating Grayson this past Friday. The Packers, have looked like the team to beat all season. North Forsyth debuts at No. 10 this week. The Walton Raiders and Parkview Panthers both move up one spot this week.

The top 7 in Class 6A remained unchanged this week. Mays jumps two spots after losses by Valdosta and NSWR dropped both teams from the poll; they are replaced by Douglas County and Alpharetta respectively this week.

Warner Robins moves back up to No. 2 after Buford suffered a loss to 7A Archer. The remainder of the top 10 remains unchanged in 5A

In Class 4A, Richmond Academy makes their first entry into the top 10, replacing Chapel Hill.

There were no changes in class 3A as all of the top-10 teams were victorious over the weekend.

In Class 2A, Brooks County drops to No. 8 after getting shutout by TCC; while undefeated Vidalia debuts in the poll at No. 9 this week.

In 1A-Public, Mitchell County jumps to No. 7, after another Manchester loss. The Blue Devils are down to No. 8 after falling to 5th ranked Marion County. Charlton County claims the No. 10 spot after defeating Turner County on Friday.

Christian Heritage makes a big splash into the top-10 in Class 1A-Private. While the Lions were off this week, they have built up an impressive resume. The Lions come in at No. 7 this week. .

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

   

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TFR – Week 6 Cherokee County Football Preview

Posted on September 17, 2018 by admin

The Woodstock Wolverines are the only county team in action in Week-6.  The Wolverines host the North Forsyth Raiders on Friday night as both teams look to get back to their winning ways. Last week, Woodstock fell to North Paulding after leading early while the Raiders lost to Kennesaw Mountain in overtime. The game preview is below.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share and comment.

 

Key: 

TFR – Turd Ferguson Report

GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association

NR – Not Ranked

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Woodstock Wolverines will look to get back on track this Friday as they host the North Forsyth Raiders. The Raiders lost a shoot-out last week to Kennesaw Mountain. Honus Wagner has filled in nicely for the injured Bryson Trigg this season. Wagner who plays both ways, has rushed for 595 yards and 4-TDs on the season. Dual threat quarterback Carter Mullikin has thrown for 419 yards and rushed for 374 yards, but has also tossed 6 interceptions. Junior linebacker Jake Tucker paces the Raiders on defense with a team leading 35 total tackles on the season.

The Wolverines will look to Dean Braxton and Drew Ramsey to lead them on offense. Braxton has passed for over 500 yards this season. He and Ramsey have combined for over 300 yards on the ground. Andrew Bartolero leads the Wolverines in tackles. If the Wolverines can force the Raiders to the air, Bartolero and David Daniel might be able to add to their tally of interceptions on the season. That might be easier said than done; North Forsyth has put up over 40 points the past two weeks. This game should be a close one, but we like the Raiders to prevail by a field goal.

 

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