TFR Week-10 Cherokee County Football Preview

Posted on October 17, 2018 by admin

Week-10 is upon us and time is running out on the 2018 season. There are three county teams in action and all of them are on the road this week…The Sequoyah Chiefs travel to East Cobb to take on the Sprayberry Yellow Jackets. The Jackets have played most of the top region opponents tough, so don’t expect them to lie down. Will the Chiefs Wing-T work it’s magic again…The Creekview Grizzlies look to spoil the homecoming plans of Aeneas Dennis, Brysen Boone and the rest of the South Cobb Eagles. The Eagles have play makers on offense, but can they slow down the Creekview offense…Finally, both the Woodstock Wolverines and Lassiter Trojans are in need of a win this week to stay alive in the hunt for a playoff berth. Woodstock will have to go on the road to face a Trojans team that has given up points in bunches this season. Can the Wolverines capitalize…

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 travel over to East Cobb to face the Sprayberry Yellow Jackets in a pivotal region game for both teams. Sprayberry is in need of a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Last week, they had a nip and tuck game with Dalton before the Catamounts put the game away. Offensively, the Jackets will look to strike with quarterback Aaron Bibbins and running backs Darnell Mundin and Myles Worthy. The Sprayberry backs are elusive and can be difficult to bring down, so sure tackling will be important for the Chiefs defense. The Jackets are averaging 18.8 points per game on offense and surrendering 24.4 points per game on defense.

The Sequoyah Chiefs are looking to stay in contention to host a home playoff game, but more importantly, they need one more win to secure a spot in the post season.  Last week, quarterback Collier Pecht passed for 73 yards and ran for 70 to help lead the Chiefs. Sophomore Jaden Mitchell has run well in the last few weeks and picked up another 69 yards on 12 carries against South Cobb.  Cole Jacobs continues to lead the Chiefs on the ground with 673 yards on the season and 8-TDs. The versatile back has also caught 8 passes for 205 yards and 3-TDs. Adam LaSelva and Grant Gibson lead the Chiefs defense in tackles, while Emmanuel Jenkins, Myles McGee, DJ King, Christian Hodgins , and D’Angelo Smith patrol the secondary.  The Sequoyah defense is only giving up 10.1 points per game while the offense is scoring 36.7 points per game. The Chiefs can’t be looking ahead this week, as this would be an important victory. If they tackle well and execute on offense, they should be in a good position to secure the victory. This game may be closer than most think…Sequoyah by 6.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Creekview Grizzlies travel to Austell to take on the South Cobb Eagles in hopes of raining on the Eagle’s homecoming festivities. Creekview controls their own destiny;  if they win out,  they will claim their first region title in school history.  Last week, Cade Radam rushed for 127 yards as he moves ever so close to breaking the 1,000 yard mark this season. The Grizzlies defense is only giving up 10.2 points per game this season. Creekview got another dominant performance on defense last week, shutting out River Ridge. This week they will face a contrasting style of play.

South Cobb’s Aeneas Dennis is a dual threat quarterback who can beat you through the air and running the ball. Last week, the Eagles shot themselves in the and missed some opportunities to make it more of a game with Sequoyah than the score showed. Dennis’ primary target will be Brysen Boone. Desmond McDowell also provides a change of pace in the backfield for South Cobb. The Eagles have playmakers on offense to score points, but can their defense contain the Grizzly Ground-Machine and company on offense. We like the Grizzlies and their dominant offensive line to control this game. Creekview by 20.

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Woodstock Wolverines will visit the Lassiter Trojans as both teams are in search of their first region win on the season. The Trojans have dropped 5 straight games since their week-2 win against Pope. Lassiter has had some problems putting points on the board this season as they are averaging 16.3 points per game. The offense is led by southpaw quarterback Mitch Storm and running back Nnamdi Orijoke. The Trojans have faced some stiff competition this season, which might explain some of the struggles they’ve faced defensively as they are giving up 37.7 points per game.

Woodstock is on a two game skid and also playing without starting QB Dean Braxton. Walker Ormsby will take the snaps for the Wolverines. He’ll have the luxury of handing the ball of to Ryan Martin. Last week, the Wolverines defense held the Cherokee Warriors to zero offensive touchdowns, but the offense could not really get going. This week if they Wolverinse can keep the turnovers down, they should be in line for their first region win. We like Woodstock by 8 on the road.

 

 

 

 

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TFR Week-9 GHSA Football Poll

Posted on October 14, 2018 by admin

Our Week-9 polls are published and listed below.

Roswell makes their debut into the Week-9 poll at No. 8 in class 7A. Down in South Georgia, all of the Region 1-A games were postponed due to the hurricane. The only top-10 matchup featured Grayson hosting Archer, which the Rams won going away. The loss dropped the Tigers to No. 9.

The only constant this season in Class 6A has been Lee County. The Trojans now sit at 7-0 after Saturday’s win over Northside Warner Robins. Allatoona is back into the poll after a big win over Hapeville Charter.

In 5A, the Carrollton Trojans were upset by the Kell Longhorns. The loss drops Carrollton all the way down to No. 10 this week.

Flowery Branch dropped 2 spots after their 1-point overtime loss to No. 1 Blessed Trinity. The Falcons will have a chance to redeem themselves next week as they travel to No. 8 ranked Marist.

There were no changes in the class 3A poll this week.

While they didn’t play this week, Washington County debuts this week at No. 10. They’ll face No. 9 Dodge County on Monday. Hapeville Charter lost for the first time this season to 6A Allatoona, but the Hornets are still the No. 1 team in 2A.

In 1-A Public, Montgomery County and Greene County are the newcomers this week in the poll. Schley County notches up one spot, as the rest of the poll remains unchanged.

There are no changes to the 1-A Private poll as all of the teams that played this week were victorious.

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-9 Eight Greats Around the State Part II

Posted on October 11, 2018 by admin

In Part II of our Week-9 preview of GHSA football, we preview four more games involving teams at or near the top in their region. The Elbert County Blue Devils will travel to take on the red-hot Rabun County Tigers…Next we head to Central Georgia to preview the Washington County-Dodge County matchup. Dodge County will be looking to bounce back from last weeks loss while Washington County is looking to stay unbeaten…Westminster and Cedar Grove look to lay claim to sole possession of first place in a Region 5-3A…Finally, we check in down in the City of Roses as Thomasville hosts the Warner Robins Demons. The Jackets have improved their win total from last season, but will need a solid defensive performance to derail the pass-happy Demons.

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 Rabun County Tigers will host the Elbert County Blues Devils this week in a pivotal Region 8-2A matchup . Elbert County is coming off of a tough one point loss to Union County two weeks ago and will have another tough test as the Tigers come calling. The Elbert County defense has been pretty stingy, giving up just over 15 points per game thus far. DJ Ardister and Shun Allen have been stalwarts for the offense. Ardister is a crafty quarterback and Allen is tough to bring down once he gets going.

Rabun County has reeled off five straight wins since their week one loss to Class AA newcomer Bremen. They are led by freshmen QB Gunner Stockton who has passed for over 1,200 yards and 13-TDs. Stockton is also a threat to run and is second on the team in rushing with 376 yards. Brison Beck leads the way on the ground with 591 yards rushing and 7-TDs. Stockton’s primary receiving targets are Austin Jones (24 receptions, 469 yards, 5-TDs) and Braxton Hicks (18 receptions, 270 yards, 4-TDs). Rabun is averaging 42.6 points per game. We don’t think they will get to 42, but we do expect them to outlast Elberton…Tigers by 13.

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Dodge County Indians will look to get back on track this week as they host the Washington County Golden Hawks. Prior to last week, the Indians had only given up 76 points on the season. There is still a lot to play for this week. RJ Carr and Erin Pitts will again be called on to lead Dodge County this week. Pitts has rushed for 547 yards and 6-TDs while Carr has rushed for 559 yards and 9-TDs.

Washington County comes in the game undefeated they are 6-0 for the first time since 2014, when they lost in the state title game. The Golden Hawks are averaging 42.6 points per game while the defense is holding opponents to 16.6 points per game. That defense is led by the likes of Dyquan Bloodsaw, Preston Daniels and Jawan Dukes. The winner of this game will more than likely have an opportunity to host at least a first round home playoff game come November. We like the War Hawks by a touchdown on the road this week.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Cedar Grove Saints will travel to Westminster to take on the host Westminster Wildcats. Both Cedar Grove and Westminster are the only remaining unbeatens in region 5-3A. Most of the attention for Cedar Grove has gone to Jadon Haselwood, and deservedly so. Haselwood is by many accounts the top recruit in the state. But the Saints defense has also been a nice story this season. They have recorded 4 shutouts and are giving up an average of 8.7 points per game. Their only loss was to 7A McEachern.

Westminster started the season with two big wins over Woodward Academy and Greater Atlanta Christian. Then dropped their next two games to a couple of 4A powers. The Wildcats are back in track with consecutive wins but have a tall task in front of them on Friday night. The Wildcats are averaging 26 points per game, but can they keep up with the scoring of Cedar Grove. We think it will take more than 26 points for Westminster to get the win this week. But we just don’t think they’ll get there against the Saints. We like Cedar Grove by three touchdowns.

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets will host one of the Warner Robins Demons on Friday night. Coach Ashley Henderson has reversed some of the Yellow Jackets misfortunes from last season. The team has already bested last year’s 3 wins as they sit at 5-1 coming into this week. Quarterback Adam Tedder has passed for 655 yards and 9-TDs, while senior running back Quay Edwards has rushed for 483 yards and 6-TDs. Dee Wyche leads the receivers with 20 receptions and 254 yards. The Jackets defense is only giving up 14.3 points per game.

Warner Robins has been scoring points in bunches this season. In their six wins, they are averaging 38.2 points per game. As expected most of the damage has been done through the air with QB Dylan Fromm passing for 2,272 yards and 25-TDs. Fromm’s top target this season has been Marcayll Jones. Jones has 47 receptions and 1,084 yards. Jahlen Rutherford leads the team in rushing yards with 606. The Demons defense is giving up an average of 25.5 points per game, so perhaps this game might be a little higher scoring than one would expect; especially with the improvements of TCC this season. We still believe that Warner Robins is the class of this region. We like the Demons by a touchdown on the road this week.

 

 

 

 

 

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TFR Week-9 Eight Greats Around the State Part I

Posted on October 11, 2018 by admin

In Part I of our Week-9 preview of GHSA football, we preview four clashes of titans involving teams at or near the top in their region. We start in North Georgia as the Flowery Branch Falcons host the defending state champion Blessed Trinity Titans. Can region newcomer Flowery Branch upset the defending state champs…Next we head to South Georgia as the Valdosta Wildcats look to go to 2-0 in region play. Meanwhile, Coffee is looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Northside last week…We stay in Region1-6A to preview the Lee County Trojans as they travel to Warner Robins to take on the Northside Eagles. This might be the toughest region in class 6-A. Can Lee County keep it rolling along as they start region play this week…Finally, we head over to Gwinnett County to preview the game between two of the best teams in the state. There are several young men who will be playing on Saturdays in the near future that will be on the field Thursday night. Can Grayson avenge last seasons 6-3 loss…

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 Flowery Branch Falcons will host the Blessed Trinity Titans in the team’s first ever meeting. Blessed Trinity is the defending state champion and has been playing well all season. Their closest margin of victory has been 22 points. In four of their wins, they have held their opponent to one touchdown or less. Steele Chambers has been getting most of the work at running back. He is averaging 9.3 yards per carry, with 632 yards and 15-TDs on the season. Senior quarterback Jake Smith has passed for 883 yards, 6-TDs and no interceptions. His primary target is Ryan Davis, who has caught 21 balls for 346 yards. Defensively, JD Bertrand and Chambers lead the team in tackles.

Flowery Branch got off to a great start and with four games to play, they find themselves with an identical record with Blessed Trinity. The Falcons have had a couple of high scoring performances on offense, scoring 70 points in week one and 69 points last week. Quarterback Elijah Gainey leads the Falcons passing attack. Last week, Gainey passed for 341 yards and 5-TDs. Gainey will need another big performance this week if he and the Falcons are going to upset Blessed Trinity. We think the Falcons will give the Titans some trouble this week, but we like the Titans to hold off the Falcons, Titans by 11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Valdosta Wildcats will host the Coffee Trojans on homecoming week. Valdosta quarterback Tate Rodemaker is quickly approaching the 2,000-yard mark on the season. He has also tossed 20-TDs. His primary targets have been sophomore Aalah Brown (29 receptions, 496 yards), Jaheim Bell (23 receptions, 270 yards) and Devonta Berrian (20 receptions, 270 yards). Rajaez Mosley leads the Wildcats in rushing with 494 yards. He has also caught 11 balls out of the backfield.

Coffee will be looking to bounce back after dropping the first region game of the season. The Trojans defense was on a roll until they gave up 30 points to Northside last week. Before last week, Coffee had only given up 33 points all season. AJ Wilkerson has thrown for 803 yards and rushed for 234 yards on the season. The sophomore signal caller has accounted for 12-TDs as well. Josiah Killiebrew leads the Trojans on the ground with 452 yards rushing and 6-TDs. Antonio Dawson has also run for 282 yards and 4-TDs. Sophomore Kenneth Davis leads the team in receptions (16), receiving yards (209) and receiving touchdowns (4). Quinton Flowers is all over the field on defense; he leads the team with 67 total tackles. Fellow linebacker Timothy Landers is second on the team in tackles with 59. With think that this game could develop into a shoot-out. We like the Trojans to go into Valdosta and steal a win this week. Coffee by 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

Lee County will travel up to Warner Robins this week as they take on region rival Northside. The Lee County Trojans have only given up 16 points total in six games this season. For all of the non “math-letes” That’s an average of 2.6 points per game. The defense has three shutouts to their credit. Quarterback Kyle Toole has passed for 1,064 yards and 14-TDs with no interceptions. Senior RB Shaundarious Kimbrough and sophomore Preston Simmons lead the Trojan run game with a combined 394 yards rushing and 10-TDs on the season. Lee County has several weapons at receiver including Daveon Sanders, Chauncey Magwood, Artavious Warren, Jeremiah Engram and James Hopson.

Northside picked up a big win against Coffee last week. Quarterback Jadin Daniels had a great week against Coffee. On the season the dual threat QB has passed for 865 yards and rushed for a team leading 790 yards. He has accounted for 17-TDs. Eric Smith has helped bolster the running attack chipping in 484 yards and 6-TDs thus far. Senior defensive backs Kentrez Anthony and Tubby McCall combined to pick off 9 passes on the season. We think they will get their chance to add to those totals this week against Lee County. But we believe that Lee finds a way to win. Lee County Trojans by 9.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Archer Tigers and Grayson Rams will meet on Thursday in a game that should determine the region champion. Archer won a defensive battle last season to lay claim to the region crown. The Tigers have bounced back in a big way since their week 1 loss to Milton. The Archer defense is only giving up 12.6 points per game. They have two shutouts to their credit. Archer’s offense has been clicking on all cylinders as of late. In their 5-game win streak, they are averaging 43.6 points per game.

The Grayson Rams have played a challenging schedule this season. Their two losses came at the hands of Bergen Catholic out of New Jersey and against Colquitt County almost a month ago. Jonathan Halyard leads the Rams in rushing with 602 yards and 5-TDs. J’Kori Jones has passed for 1,118 yards and 10-TDs. The Rams have a plethora of receivers including Ryan King, Kenyon Jackson, Josh Stinson, and Jamal Haynes. Owen Pappoe, one of many top recruits nationally on this Grayson team, leads the Rams in tackles. Kevin Harris leads the team in sacks with 8. The Grayson defense is giving up 19.5 points per game. This has all of the makings of another low scoring defensive battle. We like the Rams this year by a field goal.

 

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TFR Week-9 Cherokee County Football Preview

Posted on October 10, 2018 by admin

As we move into week-9 and the last third of the regular season, county teams are jockeying for playoff seeding and to keep post-season hopes alive. Etowah got a big win last week against neighborhood rival Woodstock, but this week, the face the high-flying Walton Raiders. The Raiders are ranked No, 2 in class 7A and by all accounts are the favorite to win the region. Can Etowah pull the upset…After a week off, the Creekview Grizzlies will visit the River Ridge Knights. Will the Grizzlies have any rust from the off week and can River Ridge catch the Grizzlies napping this week…The Sequoyah Chiefs secondary will be tested as South Cobb and dual threat QB Aeneas Dennis come to town. The Chiefs are looking for a win to keep pace with Allatoona and Harrison in their tightly contested region…Finally, Woodstock will travel to Tommy Baker field to take on the Cherokee Warriors. Both teams need this win, but Woodstock can ill-afford to drop to 0-2 in region play with games against Roswell and Walton still to come…

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 Etowah Eagles will travel to Raider Valley to take on the No. 2 ranked team in the state, the Walton Raiders. The Raiders played without Austin Kirksey last week and outlasted rival Lassiter. Walton boasts plenty of star power, including running back DJ Soyoye and receivers Dominick Blaylock and Kendall Alford. We expect that Kirksey will be back this week and will be looking to add to his 941 yards and 6-TDs. The Raiders are only giving up 20.6 points per game and have picked up wins against Mill Creek and defending 7A state champion, North Gwinnett.

Etowah got a big game from Nick Maddox last week against region rival Woodstock. Maddox rushed for 184 yards including the game winning touchdown with under two minutes to play last week. The Etowah offense has had some fits and starts this year and are only averaging 17.4 points a game. They’ll need to put more points on the board against a very explosive Walton team this week and play a mistake free ball game. Even then, we think that Walton will outscore the Eagles. If Kirksey is back this week, it just makes it that much more challenging for the Eagles. We like Walton by 20-points this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

The Creekview Grizzlies had a week to rest after a hard-fought win last time out against rival Sequoyah. The Grizzlies garner the highest ranking for any Cherokee County football team, coming in at No. 2 in all major publications around the state. The Grizzlies defense will have to stop the run oriented River Ridge attack. Andy Davis has been great in run support from his safety position this season. The rest of the Grizzly defense is pretty darn good as well. Expect to hear the names of Potts, Schwartz, Rocks, Hanaford to name a few when Creekview is on defense. There is no surprise that the Grizzlies offense all starts up front with a very talented offensive line including names like Clenney, Taranto, Williams, and Pendley. These road-graders pave the way for Cade Radam who has 830 yards this season.

In the preseason, we had a chance to talk to coach Wynn about his biggest challenge this season, he said we just can’t beat ourselves. That seems to happen from time to time this season for the youthful Knights. The team is improving each week. The Knights have had growing success on the ground with Chico Ward and freshman Amehre Morrison. This is a tall task for River Ridge to pull the upset. We like the Grizzlies by 24.

 

 

 

 

 

The Skinny

 

 

The Sequoyah Chiefs got back on track last week with a win against county and region rival River Ridge. The Chiefs played sound defensively last week and they will need more of that type of play this week as they host an athletic South Cobb football team. We know the usual suspects for Sequoyah, but the Chiefs have been getting some great play from Christian Hodgins, Connor Johnston, DJ King, Myles McGee and D’Angelo Smith. The running game and passing game were effective for the Chiefs last week against county foe River Ridge. We expect that South Cobb will see a steady dose of Cole Jacobs, DJ King and Jackson Smith.

South Cobb will counter with dual threat quarterback Aeneas Dennis. Last week against Dalton, Dennis passed for 196 yards and rushed for 124 yards. Bryson Boone is the Eagles big play wide receiver, while Desmond McDowell leads South Cobb’s ground attack. Defensively, the Eagles are surrendering just over 33 points a game. So if they are going to pull the upset this week, they’ll need to force some turnovers and get Dennis, Boone and McDowell going offensively. We think it’s certainly possible, but not probable…Chiefs by three touchdowns.

 

 

 


The Skinny

 

The Woodstock Wolverines travels to Tommy Baker field in search of their first region win as they take on the Cherokee Warriors. Woodstock welcomed back Ryan Martin last week, but will be playing with a new signal caller, Walker Ormsby the rest of the way. Last week, Martin rushed for 100 yards while Ormsby passed for 212 yards and 3-TDs. Sebastian Moss had a breakout game last week and is an additional weapon for Ormsby and the Wolverines. The Wolverines will need to tighten up a bit on defense as they face a much-improved Cherokee team this week.

The Warriors would put themselves in a very good position to make the post season this year with a win on Friday night. Much of Cherokee’s success can be attributed to their defense which flies all over the place. Guys like McKinley Hunter, Kerwin Majano, Grant Hornbuckle and Grant Mogelnicki are routinely making plays for the Warriors defense. Offensively, the Warriors are led by quarterback Landon Ergle; who has passed for over 1,000 yards this season. Mogelnicki and Garret Miles have combined to make a formidable duo in the backfield. In their 3 wins, the Warriors defense surrendered 22.6 points per game. In their 4 losses, the Warriors gave up 31 points per game. Needless to say, if Cherokee is going to win, they’ll need a stout defensive performance. We think that the Warriors bounce back this week and beat Woodstock by 4 points.

 

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TFR Week-8 GHSA Football Poll

Posted on October 7, 2018 by admin

Our Week-8 polls have been published and are listed below.

North Cobb and Camden County make their debut in the TFR 7A top-10, each coming in at No. 9 & 10 respectively. The remainder of the top-10 remains unchanged.

There was more shake up in the top-10 in 6A as both Coffee and Harrison were upset this week. That paves the way for Creekview, Stephenson, and Douglas County to move into the top-4 this week. Northside, Warner Robins re-enters the poll after their big win on Friday night. Lee County remains atop the poll.

In 5A, the Dutchtown Bulldogs had a statement win as they beat Jones County this week. The Bulldogs are up to No. 7 this week, while Jones County drops to No. 9

The Pickens County Dragons enter the top-10 for the first time this season in the Class 4A poll. The Dragons are undefeated at 7-0 this season. The remainder of the top-10 remains the same.

Greater Atlanta Christian got another big win this week as they defeated Dawson County by 3-points. The Spartans and the Tigers swap places. That was the only change in the 3A poll this week.

In Class 2A, Brooks County and Dublin had decisive wins against region foes. Brooks jumps from No. 7 to No. 4 while Dublin jumps five spots to No. 5 this week. Hapeville Charter remains at No. 1 The Hornets have yet to give up a touchdown this season.

In 1-A Public, the Trion Bulldogs are back in at No. 10 The Bulldogs got a big win at home against Christian Heritage. The remainder of the top-10 remains the same.

In Class A-Private Athens Savannah Christian is back in the poll this week after a big win against rival Calvary Day. Athens Academy got another big win on the road as they took down then No. 8 George Walton Academy by 7.

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-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.

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

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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