2018 Class 7A Region Previews

Posted on August 12, 2018 by admin

Our 7A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

Colquitt County appears to be the usual suspect here to win the region. While the Packers finished third in the region last season, they return plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to make another deep run into the state tournament. Our surprise, which might not be a surprise, will be Camden County. We think the Wildcats will improve enough to return to the playoffs in 2018.

 

 

 

Short Take

The Pebblebrook Falcons are in the midst of a resurgence. But we believe this is still Westlake’s region for the taking. We know we aren’t going out on a limb with the top four teams here, but these look like a safe bet. It’s up to East Coweta and Wheeler to prove us wrong.

 

 

Short Take

 

On paper, there really isn’t much reason to doubt that Marietta is the best team in the Region. Hillgrove and McEachern should have enough talent to make things interesting. But we believe there is just too much offensive firepower for most teams in the region to keep up. But if there’s anyone that will give Marietta  a test, we believe it will be the McEachern Indians, who have a talented but raw sophomore at quarterback who’s looking to step in to the limelight himself.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

This region should be Walton’s for the taking. They return a very talented quarterback and receiver tandem. Probably too much for any region opponent to keep in check. The real battle will be for the last three playoff spots. We like Etowah, because they return an experienced back and a pretty good offensive line. We expect Woodstock and Roswell to be somewhere in the mix come late-October.

 

 

Short Take

We believe that this will be a two-horse race ultimately between Milton and South Forsyth. The South Forsyth Eagles do get hit a little bit with the opening of Denmark High, but we think they’ll play well enough to be in contention for a region title. The October 12th matchup with Milton should go a long way in determining the region champion.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

North Gwinnett is the defending 7A state champion. This region is no cake-walk, but we think that North Gwinnett will bring home another Region Title. We expect for Mill Creek and Mountain View to contend for the 2nd spot in the region. Peachtree Ridge and Discovery should be improved, but not enough to make the top four this season.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

If there is a trend in Region 7 it would be the youth movement. Brookwood, Norcross and Parkview are perennial powers. We give Brookwood the edge this season over both Norcross and Parkview, but it won’t be a run-away. The last two games between the Panthers and Broncos have been decided by a total of 4 points. Meadowcreek had an amazing run in 2017, but lose one of the best backs in the state to graduation.

 

 

Short Take

 

The Grayson roster is littered with talent on both sides of the ball. We expect the Rams to get the best of Archer this season. We really believe that this is a two-horse race. And it should be decided on October 12th.

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2018 Class 5A Region Previews

Posted on August 12, 2018 by admin

Our 5A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

 

We expect Warner Robins to be right back at the top of Region 1 when the season ends. We expect a shift in power below Warner Robins. Look for Harris County and TCC to be improved over last season. October 19th should be a big date in the region which will answer a lot of questions.

 

 

Short Take

 

We expect for Wayne County and Ware County to be at the top of the class this season. Quite frankly, we’d be shocked if either of them had a region loss come their November 2nd contest. We gave Wayne the nod again. But we won’t be surprised if Coach Stephens has the Gators ready to reclaim the top spot in the region.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

We like Griffin to lay claim to the region title this season, but it won’t be a run away. Starr’s Mill has to replace a lot of talent from a season ago. We think Whitewater could be a team that challenges the Bears. Our sleeper team is McIntosh. They’ve got a pretty good signal caller under center. While McIntosh won’t surprise folks in Peachtree City, they could be a surprise team for the rest of the state.

 

 

Short Take

 

Jones County and Stockbridge are our picks to battle for the top spot in Region 4. We think that Ola is a team on the risen this region. But ultimately, we believe the region will be decided by the November 2nd game between Stockbridge and Jones County.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

Wa believe Arabia Mountain will be right back on top in Region 5 when the dust settles. We don’t expect for Miller Grove or Southwest DeKalb to go quietly into the night. Look for these teams to battle it out all season long.

 

Short Take

 

The Carver Panthers are our pick to top Region 6 this season. They return perhaps the best running back in the region and we believe that will be just enough to edge out Banneker and Jackson.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

It’s no surprise that we selected Rome to be on top of Region 7. They are also our pick to repeat. Perhaps their QB does not get as much press as he should, but I’m sure that the Wolves signal caller is just fine guiding his team to victories. Carrollton has a couple of outstanding linebackers and will probably present the biggest challenge for Rome on September 14th. Hiram is our sleeper team here to make the playoffs. While we have them finishing outside of the top 4, they’ve got a senior quarterback and could be re-energized with a new head coach.

 

Short Take

 

Buford looks to be best in class again in region 8. They look to be the closest thing to a sure bet outside of Rome and Warner Robins. We believe Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals will be battling it out for second and third place. Loganville gets our nod to round out the top four.

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TFR Pre-Season GHSA Football Top-10 Rankings

Posted on August 12, 2018 by admin

Each Sunday, we will release our Top-10 poll in each classification. Polls are fun and can provide spirited and healthy conversation. We welcome all poll feedback each week.

The schools that top the TFR pre-season poll in each classification are: Grayson (7A); Lee County (6A); Rome (5A); Blessed Trinity (4A); Greater Atlanta Christian (3A); Hapeville Charter (2A); Irwin County (A-Public); and Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (A-Private).

Week one should really give us a good indication of where these teams stand out and who we may have overlooked or over-ranked in the pre-season. Most teams have compelling arguments to be in the poll, but ultimately, it’s the region standings at the end of the season that determine a birth in the post season. With that said, please enjoy the poll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2018 Class 3A Region Previews

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

Our 3A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

 

Crisp County is our pick for region champion. Much like last season, we believe that this should be a run-away for Crisp. Expect for Monroe and Cook to battle it out for the number two spot.

 

Short Take

 

This region looks like it will come down to the Liberty County vs. Pierce County match-up at the end of the season on November 2nd. Appling County should be much improved, but they are probably a year away from challenging Liberty or Pierce.

 

 

Short Take

 

Benedictine moves up in classification this season, but we still believe that they will claim the top spot in region 3. Southeast Bulloch and Jenkins should battle for the second seed. We just think Benedictine is too strong, even with the losses that they suffered from last season.

 

Short Take

 

Perhaps our most unconventional pick in Class 3A, we like Westside Macon to shake things up in region 4 and replace Peach County at the top of the region. We think that the November 2nd match-up between Peach and Westside will determine the region champ.

 

 

Short Take

 

We believe that once again, it will be Cedar Grove atop the region, and everyone else will be playing for second place. It should be a three horse race for the remaining playoff spots behind Cedar Grove, with Lovett, Pace and Westminster battling it out.

 

Short Take

 

Calhoun won the class 3A state title last season, so it should be no surprise that the Jackets top our list of Region 6 teams. North Murray should contend along with Adairsville and Ringgold. But we don’t think any of these teams will be in reach of Calhoun in 2018.

 

Short Take

 

Greater Atlanta Christian looks to be the class of region 7. They sport an imposing offensive and defensive line. Dawson County should head up the best of the rest. The Tigers could have the best shot at knocking of GAC, but we just don’t think that will happen this season.

 

 

 

Short Take

The Jefferson Dragons drop down in classification, and like Benedictine, we expect for them to be at the top of the region when the dust settles. It won’t be a run away, as Morgan County and Monroe Area should have plenty of talent to compete with the Dragons.

 

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2018 Class 6A Region Previews

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

Our 6A region previews are listed below. You’ll find players to watch, key games and our predicted region finish. Please feel free to comment if there are any corrections that need to be made. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

 

Short Take

 

Lee County is the defending state Champion in 6A. We believe that they have enough fire power to hold off Coffee, who was the runner-up last season. We expect a bit of a bounce back from Valdosta. The Cats could challenge for a number 2 seed in a very challenging region.

 

 

Short Take

This region felt like a toss-up between the Glynn County schools, Brunswick and Glynn Academy. We like Glynn Academy, but it won’t be a run-away for the Red Terrors. We expect for both Brunswick and Richmond Hill to be in the mix all the way down the stretch.

 

 

Short Take

 

We are really buying in to the Grovetown Warriors and Coach Damien Postell. They might just have enough fire power to knock off the defending region champs, but don’t count Evans out. The November 2nd match-up should determine the Region Champion.

 

 

 

 

Short Take

 

We expect this region to come down to one game, November 2nd when Tucker and Stephenson tangle. Tucker might not be as talented as they have been in years past, but we believe the return enough fire-power to best Stephenson and the rest of the region.

 

 

 

Short Take

The Mays Raiders will look to defend their 2017 region title. In order to do so, they will need to replace several starters on offense and defense. The Raiders return a couple of pieces to the puzzle at the skill positions. Just enough, we believe, to maintain the stranglehold on the top seed. Don’t expect Douglas County, Hughes or Alexander to go quietly into the night. We believe that any four of these teams has a legitimate shot to hoist a region trophy at the end of the season.

 

Short Take

 

This region no longer has to deal with Justin Fields. That’s good news for everyone in Region 6, but Harrison. We believe Allatoona is poised to wrestle the top spot in the region away from Harrison. We feel the Bucs sport the best quarterback in the region and Sequoyah’s quarterback is not too far behind. If Creekview and Sequoyah can match Allatoona’s physicality, then perhaps they will be able to claim the top seed. Both Harrison and Dalton are well coached, so we can’t count them out either. South Cobb will be knocking on the door this season. We’ll take them as our dark horse.

 

 

 

Short Take

 

We selected Centennial as our region champ because we believe they return the best quarterback in region 7. Pope should close the gap a bit with Alpharetta. But we feel pretty confident in the Centennial, Alpharetta, Pope and Chattahoochee all to be in the top 4 at the end of the season.

 

 

 

 

We have Dacula as our region winner and of course, we will stick by that pick. Habersham Central is a team that’s trending up, so don’t be surprised to see the Raiders to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. We expect Gainesville and Lanier to battle it our for the fourth spot in the region.

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Brookwood Broncos Football Preview

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

 

**Don’t forget to listen to our podcast interview with Coach Jones. The link is here: Coach Philip Jones Interview**

 

The Skinny

 

The Brookwood Broncos made an impressive run into the the state semi-finals before falling to Colquitt County last season. While expectations are generally high at Brookwood, each season does present a new set of challenges.

Coach Jones said, “replacing 20 starters from last year’s team.” (will be the biggest challenge).

However, there is plenty of talent left on the Brookwood roster that should be poised to step up in 2018

Perhaps the top returner on offense for the Broncos is lineman Aiden Perkins. The junior is a load at 6’2” 287.  Sean Hill is also a player on the offensive line that could provide some significant contribution up front for the Broncos.

Running Backs Chris Carter and Eli Kohll will look to replace the production Brookwood lost to graduation. MeKal Fuller joins the Broncos this season and should be a productive player for Coach Jones. Last season, Fuller had 489 receiving yards and 4 Tds for Lanier. Omajuwa Etiwe is another wide receiver that could help the Brookwood offense.

 

 

CB Michael Killebrew returns as one of the leaders on defense. Killebrew is a sure tackling ball-hawking defensive back . Linebacker Tony Ward is another player to watch for the Broncos. Ward is a physical attacking linebacker that will also be called upon to step up with the losses that the Broncos had to graduation.

We asked coach Jones if there were any games that were circled on the schedule. There were two that stood out.

“(the) Opener vs. North Gwinnett in Mercedes Benz Stadium,” he said, (and to no ones surprise), “Game 8 vs. Parkview.”

What will make 2018 a successful season for the Broncos?

Jones said, “Loving each other sacrificially and competing daily to be the very best we can be!”

 

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Camden County Wildcats Football Preview

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

 

**Be sure to check out our Podcast interview with Coach Sphire. The link is here: Coach Bob Sphire Interview**

 

The Skinny

 

Coach Bob Sphire enters his second season as the head coach down at Camden County. Coach Sphire is looking to wake the sleeping giant of southeast Georgia. (Camden County has been a perennial power over the past four decades.)

There are certainly some pieces to build around for Coach Sphire and his staff. On offense the Wildcats return leading receiver and Second Team All-Region selection Logan Berryhill (384 yards,  5 TDs). The team also returns their leading rusher, Jalen Davis, who ran for 533 yards and 2 TDs while sharing time in the backfield last season.

Look for Kaleb Keaton to also add production from his slotback position.  Up front, linemen Micah Morris and Christopher Hunt (First Team All-Region) will be charged with making holes for Davis and the rest of the Wildcats.

 

 

Defensively, Camden County returns a trio of linebackers with significant game experience including Second Team All-Region selections Ronnin Wright and Desmond Fogle. Tristan Berryhill will add depth and experience at linebacker. Up front, Myson Livingston will anchor the defensive line.

We asked Coach Sphire what games, if any were circled on the schedule.

“All three region games Lowndes, Colquitt, and Tift,” he said.

While we don’t have a clear picture of how the Wildcats will define success this season, we certainly believe it involves improving week to week and being competing to the best of their ability.

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Campbell Spartans Football Preview

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

 

The Skinny

 

In his first season, Coach Kyle Adkins guided the Campbell Spartans to their first playoff appearance since 2006. It was also the Spartans highest win total since 2007. After that success in year one, we asked coach Adkins what would be his staff’s biggest challenge coming into the 2018 season.

“Creating depth at multiple positions,” he said.

The Spartans will have some holes to fill with the losses of running back Coby Deprill, receivers Ray Decosey and Marcus Rogers as well as Brandon Lewis on the line. All four made the all region team in 2017. This year’s offensive line for the Spartans will be anchored by Eduardo Pimental and Tomas Salvador.

Tavion “Tank” Jackson seems poised to take over as the starting running back for Campbell. Javaiz Bradford could also be poised to help the Spartans on offense.

 

 

On defense, Campbell will be led by linebackers Kobe Marshall and Terrence Pratt. Pratt is a physical linebacker that seems to always be flying around the field. Jordan Outlaw will lead the secondary for the Spartans .

We asked coach Adkins if there were any games that were circled on the schedule for his Spartans.

“All ten games,” Adkins said.

We asked Coach Adkins how success would be defined for Campbell this season.

“Playing fast and physical every week. Consistency is what we need,” he said.

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Colquitt County Packers Football Preview

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

 

The Skinny

 

 

It’s no secret that the Colquitt County Packers have had tremendous amount of success in Coach Rush Probst’s tenure. In his 11 seasons, the Packers have missed the playoffs only once. They have won two state titles and have made deep runs in all of their playoff appearances in the last 10 years.

While the state may have come to expect a high level performance from the Packers each season, in 2018, the Packers do have some hurdles to overcome.

We asked Coach Probst about the biggest challenge coming into the 2018 season.

“(We are) inexperienced at the quarterback position, (the) task of finding a player that can do the minimum to help our offense generate points,” he said.

We asked about the outlook for the Packers this season.

Probst said, “We have a good nucleus of players returning with valuable playing experience. We also have great depth in numbers, and an excellent kicker returning for special teams.”

While the Packers are trying to find a replacement at quarterback, they do return a bevy of talent on offense, highlighted by running backs Daijun Edwards and Ty Leggett. Edwards and Leggett combined for over 2,300 yards rushing and 25 TDs in 2017.  Leggett was a First Team All-Region selection in 2017 while Edwards was a Second Team All-Region selection.

The Packers also have the luxury of returning four experienced offensive lineman from last seasons team. All of whom wereAll-Region selections. William Rykard (First Team), Kamar Bell (First Team), Kameren Barnes (Second Team) and Jerick Davis (Honorable Mention) are all back to help pave the way for the Packers ground game.

 

 

 

A pair of Second Team All-Region selections are back to lead the Packers receiving corps. K.T. Wilson (356 yards, 5 TDs) and Josh Hadley (207 yards 2 TDs) will be called upon to help fill the void left by Cam Singletary. Marvion McDonald (230 yards 2 TDs) and Tyrique Williams are also names that we could here often for the Packers through the air.

The Colquitt County defense also returns a host of All-Region performers. The defensive line will be anchored by First Team All-Region selection Brian Merritt and All –Region Honorable Mention selection, Kree Herring. Merritt led the Packers in sacks last season with 7.5.

Colquitt also welcomes back three experienced linebackers, highlighted by All-State Honorable Mention selection Rashard Revels. Revels recorded a team high 201 total tackles and 5 sacks last season. He will be joined by Marcus Anderson, (Second Team All-Region) who was second on the team in total tackles, (with 148) and Camari Louis, an All-Region Honorable Mention selection.

The secondary will be patrolled by Jay Ward, Nyqann Washington and Kamrin Woods. Ward, a First Team All-Region selection, was second on the team in interceptions, with 4 last season. While Washington, a Second Team All-Region selection, led the Packers in picks with 5. Woods also garnered an All-Region Honorable Mention selection in 2017.

Let’s also not over look the fact that the Packers return Ryan Fitzgerald on special teams, as Coach Probst mentioned before. Fitzgerald was the special teams player of the year for Region 1-7A. He also earned First Team All-State honors as a kicker in 2017. His leg could prove to be a huge weapon again for the Packers.

We asked Coach Probst if there were any games on the schedule that were circled this season.

He replied, “The entire schedule, this is another challenging season.”

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Discovery Titans Football Preview

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

 

**Don’t forget to check out our Podcast interview with Coach Efrem Hill. The link to the interview is here: Coach Hill Podcast Interview**

 

The Skinny

 

The Discovery Titans are still a program in it’s infancy stage. The Titans will be playing only their 3rd year of varsity football. Coach Efrem Hill has been charged with starting the program from scratch. Coach Hill talked briefly about the biggest challenge he and his staff face as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“The biggest challenge is getting 14,15,16,and 17 year olds to understand the importance of Rest, Re-hydrate, and refuel,” he said.

The Titans players will certainly need to embrace those three “R’s” that Coach Hill referenced as they play in a very challenging region that is home to the defending state champion, (North Gwinnett).

We asked Coach Hill about any players that were poised for a breakout season.

“I believe that this is going to be the year of the big guys up front. (Offensively and defensively), “ he said.

Some of the offensive lineman that Coach Hill will be leaning on this season are Christian Beltran, Wilson Ruiz, Christian Davis and Ariel Gonzalez.  (Davis was a Second Team All-Region selection last season.)

 

 

 

At the offensive skill positions, the Titans return leading passer Alex Drazic (1,336 yards, 8 TDs).  Joining Drazic in the backfield will be Junior Shameski Rucker and at receiver, Kobe Johnson looks poised to build on his success as the leading receiver in terms of catches (37) in 2017.

The defense  welcomes back their two leading tacklers from a year ago, linebackers, Noble Joyner (64) and Blamassi Meite (61).  Joyner also lead the team in sacks last season. Mustafa Alkhatib will help anchor the defensive line , while Kai Felder and Anthony Rochester look to lead the secondary.

We asked if any games were circled on the calendar.

Coach Hill said, “Dacula, the opener!”

We can be sure that the Titans won’t be looking past anyone.  We also asked Hill how he would define success this season.

“Success will be defined on us improving from day to day game to game. Are we better today than we were yesterday,” he said.

 

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