GHSA Football Rankings – Week 5

Posted on September 10, 2023 by admin

We are approaching the midway point of the high school football season for many teams in Georgia and the competition heats up as many teams enter region play this coming weekend. As we do each Sunday, we rank the teams in each classification.

There were no changes to the rankings in Class 7A. There was a little shake-up in Class 6A as Marist beat Woodward Academy. The win moves Marist up to No. 7 while Woodward falls from the rankings this week. They are replaced by Houston County who makes their debut at No. 10.

There’s a new No. 1 in Class 5A as Cartersville now lays claim to the top spot after Ware County lost to Class 4A No. 1 Benedictine. The Gators fall to No. 4 while Kell is back in the rankings at No. 10 this week. In Class 4A, the Top-8 remain unchanged. Spalding moves up one spot to No. 9 while Burke County makes their first appearance at No. 10 this week.

Class 3A say Cedar Grove and Sandy Creek swap spots again, as Sandy Creek drops to No. 2 after losing to Class 7A East Coweta. Crisp County falls to No. 10 after a surprising loss to Sumter County. Meanwhile Lumpkin County and Morgan County make their way into the rankings at No. 7 and No. 8 respectively. Over in Class 2A, the Top-5 remains unchanged. There was however plenty of shakeup after that. Fellowship Christian jumps up to No. 6 while the biggest shock might be Sumter County finding their way into the rankings this week at No. 9 after their big when over Class 3A Crisp.

There weren’t many surprises in Class A Division-I. Dublin did fall to Emmanuel County Institute, dropping the Fighting Irish to No. 7. Rabun County is back in the poll this week at No. 9. Finally in Class A Division-II, it’s Greene County making their first appearance at No. 10 this week.

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

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Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews Part II– Week 4

Posted on September 6, 2023 by admin

It’s hard to believe, but the first quarter of the high school football season is complete in the state of Georgia. As we do each week, we take a look at eight of the more intriguing matchups across the state. This is Part-II of our feature we call Eight Greats Around the State.

Our first matchup features the top team in Class 4A hosting the top team in Class 5A as Ware County travels to Savannah to square off against Benedictine. Contrasting styles of play have been a theme this week and it doesn’t change with this game. Will Benedictine have success through the air against the Gators? Down in Moultrie, the Colquitt County Packers will host the Lee County Trojans. The Trojans are looking for the first win of the series. Can they slow down the Packer express?

Over in Roswell, the Hornets will face off against long time rival, the Milton Eagles. The Eagles have owned this rivalry as of late but the explosive Hornets will be looking to pick off the Eagles at home this week. Finally, down in Homerville, Clinch County will host the Cook Hornets as Cooks makes the short drive over on U.S. 129. Can the balanced Cook attack slow down the Clinch County ground attack?

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Skinny

The Benedictine Cadets have won 14 consecutive games dating back to last season. The last time they lost was to this week’s opponent, Ware County, in 2022. The Cadets are led by Florida State commit Luke Kromenhoek. The Senior quarterback has thrown for 339 yards on the season. La’Don Bryant and Micah Williams have been two of Kromenhoek’s top receiving targets on the year. The Cadets are averaging 37 points per game while the defense is allowing just 7.6 points per game. 

The Ware County Gators have won 17 consecutive games dating back to the beginning of last season. Junior quarterback Luke Hooks has led the Gators with 408 yards passing and 3-TDs while completing 63% of his passes. Quintin Orange has been the top receiver for the Gators with 11 receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown. Dae’Jeaun Dennis and R.J. Boyd have combined for 432 yards and 4-TDs on the ground. The Gators are averaging 32 points per game offensively while the defense is allowing 14.6

We expect for Benedictine to keep this game close, similar to last season. Kromenhoek should continue to impress this week, but we like Ware’s ability to run the football and believe that will be the difference this week. Gators by 7. 

The Skinny

The Colquitt County Packers have won 14 consecutive regular season games and they look like they are approaching mid season form. The Packers are averaging 257.3 yards per game through the air and 218.7 yards per game of the ground. Quarterback Neko Fann has thrown for 737 yards and 13 TDs while completing 62% of his passes. Ny Carr has been the Packers primary target with 23 receptions for 376 yards and 8-TDs. Zay Williams and Landen Thomas have combined for 23 receptions for 293 yards and 4-TDs. Meanwhile Day’Shawn Brown leads the team in rushing with 249 yards and 2-TDs.  

The Lee County Trojans will be looking for their first win ever against Colquitt this Friday. The Trojans are 3-0 for the third straight season. Expect for Lee to lean on the legs of junior running back Ousmane Kromah. Kromah has rushed for 321 yards and 6-TDs. But he’s not the only threat on the ground for the Trojans. Devin Collier and Braxton Honer have combined to rush for 306 yards and 4-TDs. Honer also leads the receiving unit with 12 receptions. Twelve separate receivers have caught passes for the Trojans. They are averaging 45.3 points per game on offense, while the defense is allowing 15.

The Trojans will have their hands full as they visit Mack Tharpe Stadium. If they are going to pull the upset this week, they will need to have that run game working and find a way to force a few turnovers. We believe Lee can keep it close for a half with their ability to run the football, but we believe Colquitt’s aerial attack will be too much for the Trojans. Packers by two touchdowns.

The Skinny

The Roswell Hornets have been steamrolling the opposition in the early going this season. Roswell is averaging 54.3 points per game while allowing just 7 points per game. Senior quarterback K.J. Smith has thrown for 628 yards and 13-TDs while completing 78.6% of his passes. His top receivers have been Synkwan Smith (12 receptions, 225 yards, 5-TDs) and Dylan Williams (9 receptions, 194 yards, 6-TDs). Meanwhile it has been Nykahi Davenport leading the team in rushing with 218 yards and 4-TDs. The Hornets defense has intercepted 3 passes and recorded 5 sacks on the season.

The Milton Eagles come off the bye week looking to run their streak of victories over rival Roswell to 5 consecutive games. The Eagles have been primarily pass oriented in the early going with Luke Nickel throwing for 372 yards and 3-TDs with no interceptions. Nickel has three proven targets in Debron Gattling (7 receptions, 57 yards), Marc Easley II (6 receptions, 103 yards, 1-TD) and C.J. Wiley, (8 receptions, 109 yards, 1-TD). In two games, Milton is averaging 18.5 points per game while the defense is allowing 13.5

The last five games in this series have been decided by 10 points or less and we believe this edition will be just as competitive. Don’t expect for Roswell’s scorching start to be replicated this week against a higher level of competition. However we do like the Hornets to upset the Eagles at home by the slimmest of margins. Hornets by 1.

The Skinny

The Clinch County Panthers bounced back from a three point loss two weeks ago by securing their first shutout of the season last week. The Panthers do most of their damage on the ground offensively. They are averaging  just over 3 pass attempts per game this season. Quarterback Aaron Bryant leads the team in rushing with 427 yards and 2-TDs while Jeremy Bell has added 288 yards and 5-TDs. The Panthers are averaging 27.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 12.

The Cook Hornets were off last week and look to get back into the win column after falling to Class 7A Valdosta two weeks ago. Cook has a relatively balanced attack. Expect for Drew Folsom at quarterback and Keshun McKever to continue to lead the Hornets offense. The Cook defense has already intercepted three passes this season. Meanwhile, Aiden Lester has already recorded 32 total tackles while Ja’Kori Jones leads the team with 6 tackles for loss.

Clinch is again stepping up in classification this week. Expect for Cook to load the box and force the Panthers into 2nd and 3rd and long situations and forcing them to throw the ball. We believe Clinch will get on the board, but we like Cook by 20.

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Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews Part I– Week 4

Posted on September 6, 2023 by admin

It’s hard to believe, but the first quarter of the high school football season is complete in the state of Georgia. As we do each week, we take a look at eight of the more intriguing matchups across the state. This is Part-I of our feature we call Eight Greats Around the State.

First up in a battle of War Eagles, Marist hosts Woodward Academy. Both teams are ranked in the Top-10 in Class 6A coming into this matchup. Will it be the Woodward passing attack or the Marist ground game that prevails on Friday? Next up, in Walton County, the Monroe Area Purple Hurricanes host Prince Avenue Christian. It’s another game featuring contrasting styles as Monroe Area will no doubt try to play ball control with their run game in order to keep the explosive Wolverines on the sidelines. Will that strategy work, or will Aaron Philo and Prince Avenue’s offense be too much to overcome?

Down in Cochran, the Bleckey County Royals host the Schley County Wildcats. The Royals defense will be tasked with slowing down Schleys high powered offense. Finally, in Ocilla, the Irwin County Indians will host the Turner County Titans. Can the upstart Titans win a big game on the road and prove they are a legit threat in Class A Division II?

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Skinny

The Marist War Eagles have bounced back after dropping their first game of the season and have now won back to back games. The War Eagles will keep it simple with a formula that has worked for years under long time head coach Alan Chadwick…their patented Wing-T offense. Quarterback Jack Euart will spearhead the attack. Euart is also a threat to throw the ball downfield and Maris t has an effective target in Luke Harping. The ground game has been feeding the opposition a steady diet of Jackson Hughes, Joseph Pizzo and Walker Richens.  

The Woodward Academy War Eagles found themselves on the short end of the stick last time out as they fell to McCallie of Tennessee back on August 25th. Woodward has relied heavily on the passing game this season as quarterback Griffin Marshall has thrown for 403 yards and 5-TDs in two games. Ben Grice has been the home run threat with 7 receptions for 287 yards and 3-TDs. Defensively, linebacker Andrew Hines III and Tyree Myrick lead the Ware Eagles in total tackles. 

This game will feature two contrasting styles of offense with Marist looking to grind the game out on the ground and Woodward looking to make this a high scoring game. What concerns us most in this game has been Woodward’s inability to get the ground game going int the first two games. We believe Marist will be able to establish the runs and control the clock and eventually come out on top. Marist by 5.

The Skinny

 The Monroe Area Purple Hurricanes are off to a hot start this season, winning their first three games to date. The bulk of the Canes offensive production has been done on the ground. Senior running back Darrion Manuel leads the team with 519 yards and 6-TDs on the young season. The Canes have only attempted 26 passes on the season, but several receivers have recorded catches including the aforementioned Manuel, Kenzie Battle and Jitt Carr. Defensively, the Canes have forced 5 turnovers. Ricky Robbins leads the team with 16 total tackles. Monroe Area has already recorded two shutouts this season and are allowing just 4 points per game. 

The Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines are winners of their last 17 games dating back to last season. The Wolverines ran the table in 2022 and have been equally impressive in the early going this season. Prince Avenue is averaging 464 yards of offense per game this season and have been getting it done on the ground and through the air. Senior quarterback Aaron Philo has thrown for 765 yards and 12-TDs while completing 68% of his passes. Eleven different receivers have caught passes for the Wolverines, with Thornton Hestser and C.J. Dockery leading the way combining for 30 receptions for 342 yards and 6-TDs. Meanwhile, senior running back Connor Cosby has rushed for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Wolverines defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 9 times and have forced 4 turnovers. 

We believe that Monroe-Area’s ability to run the football will help keep this game close; and while the Monroe Area defense has been lights out, this Prince Avenue team has a little more firepower. We like the Wolverines to roll this week. Prince Avenue by 11.

The Skinny

The Bleckley County Royals are looking to move to 3-0 for the second consecutive season. Quarterback Kam’Ryn Everett has thrown for 320 yards and 4-TDs in the young season. It’s been tough sledding on the ground for the Royals, but Joshua Stanley and Rodriguez Flagg have proven to be workhorses in the backfield. The Royals are averaging 22 points per game while the defense is allowing 13.5 points per game. 

The Schley County Wildcats have already avenged one of their losses from a year ago and will look to do it again this week as they visit Bleckley County. This Wildcats boast one of the most talented rosters in Class A-DII. Quarterback Jay Kanazawa has thrown for 460 yards and 6-TDs. Jalewis Solomon has been the primary target for Kanazawa with 12 receptions for 244 yards and 3-TDs. It hasn’t just been the passing game as the Wildcats have rushed for 442 yards in their first two games of the season. Jeremyah Rogers leads the team on the ground with 199 yards rushing and 2-TDs. 

A win be Schley would avenge their only other regular season loss from 2022. Bleckley will need another big performance from their quarterback in order to stay undefeated. We believe that Schley has too much offense this week. Wildcats by 8.

The Skinny

After being stymied in Week-1, the Irwin County Indians got back on track in Week-2. Running back Shane Marshall rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns against Dooly County in Week-2. While Luke Snyder has demonstrated his ability to pass, we still expect for most of the Indians offense to come from the ground game. In their first two games, Irwin County is averaging 17 points per game while the defense is alowing 24 points per game. 

The Turner County Titans have already matched their win total from a season ago. The Titans are getting things done on offense through the air. Quarterback Carlton Brannon has passed for 853 yards and 9-TDs. His top receiver has been Ka’Arrin Dawson, who has caught 21 passes for 370 yards and 4-TDs. Meanwhile J.T. Terry and Kaleb Joiner have combined to catch 16 passes for 329 yards and 4-TDs. The Titans are averaging 23 points per game while allowing 25.3 points per game.

This game features a dramatic contrasts of styles. Expect Irwin to try to keep the pass happy Turner on the sidelines with a ball control offenese. These games haven’t been close over the last 6 season, all wins by Irwin County. We believe this one is much closer, but we like Irwin to win by 5. 

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GHSA Football Rankings – Week 4

Posted on September 3, 2023 by admin

After three weeks of high school football in the State of Georgia we begin to better understand where teams stack up in their respective classifications. As we look ahead to Week-4 and march close to the midway point of the season, here is a look at our Top-10 rankings in each classification.

Class 7A looks exactly the same as the previous week. Four of the Top-10 teams were off last week and the other six teams were all victors. In Class 6A, there is a new No. 1 as Gainesville and Hughes swap spots after Langston Hughes fell to Butler of NC on Saturday. Rome fell to No. 5 after their loss to Class 7A Carrollton. Over in Class 5A, Cartersville is up to No. 2 as they swap spots with Creekside who drops to No. 3 after their loss to Mater Dei of California. Greater Atlanta Christian and Winder-Barrow are in the Top-10 for the first time this season. They check in at No. 9 and No. 10 respectively.

In Class 4A, the Perry Panthers were the big mover as they had a big win over Jones County. The Panthers are up to No. 4. Meanwhile, the Spalding Jaguars make their debut into our Top-10 at No. 10 this week. Down in Class 3A, Sandy Creek replaces Cedar Grove at No. 1 after a Cedar Grove fell to Class 7A Westlake. Monroe-Area is a big mover up three spots to No. 7, while Hebron Christian slips in at No. 9 this week making their first appearance in the rankings.

Perhaps the most interesting result this week was in Class 2A, where Northeast Macon went on the road and upset Fitzgerald. The win vaults the Raiders all the way up to No. 5 while Fitzgerald drops to No. 8. Callaway remains at No. 1 despite their loss to Class 4A and cross town rival Troup. The Vidalia Indians round out the poll at No. 10, it’s their first appearance in the rankings this season. Over in Class A-Division I, Commerce was the only Top-10 team to lose last week. The loss drops them to No. 7 this week.

Finally, in Class A-Division II, Schley County flexed their muscle and avenged last year’s loss to Early County, winning 30-0. The loss drops Early down to No. 6.

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

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Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews Part II- Week 3

Posted on August 30, 2023 by admin

Week-3 is quickly approaching and there is a fantastic slate of games as the landscape of high school football begins to sort itself out in the early season. This is Part-II of our weekly feature where we highlight eight of the more intriguing football matchups around the state of Georgia.

The Westlake Lions will host the Cedar Grove Saints in a matchup that will feature plenty of playmakers. The Lions replaced a lot of starters from a very deep team a season ago, but they haven’t missed a beat. Will they be able to best E.J. Colson and the Saints this week, or is Cedar Grove still one of the best teams in the state? Next, down in Blakely, the Early County Bobcats will host the Schley County Wildcats. We have these as teams pegged as the Top-2 in Class A-Division I. Schley has a prolific offense, but will they be able to figure out the Early County defense this season?

Down in Fitzgerald, there’s a Top-10 matchup brewing as Northeast Macon comes calling. Both teams love to run the football. Fitzgerald will do it by committee while Northeast will lean on Nick Woodford. Will the legs of Woodford be enough to carry Northeast to victory? Finally down in middle Georgia, there’s another great battle as Perry steps up in classification again, this time, to face Jones County. Both teams have quarterbacks that can really let it fly. Will Perry’s Colter Ginn have another big outing or will it be Jones County’s Judd Anderson leading his team to victory.

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Skinny

The Westlake Lions are replacing a lot of talent on offense, but that hasn’t tempered expectations or slowed the young Lions down this season . First year starting quarterback Sean Smith has passed for 309 yards and 5-TDs. His top receiver has been Travis Smith Jr, who’s caught eight passes for 184 yards and 2-TDs. Meanwhile, Naeem Odeniyi leads the team in rushing with 203 yards. The Westlake defense has been downright dominant this season, forcing seven turnovers in just two games.

The Cedar Grove Saints will hav their work cut out for them this week as they visit Westlake. Junior quarterback E.J. Colson threw 5-TDs in Week two, but the Saints were bitten by the turnover bug which eventually did them in. Perhaps one of the most surprising stats about this Cedar Grove team is that the defense is allowing 41.5 points again. But you have to take that with a grain of salt as they are playing larger classification schools.

We expect this game to be high scoring as both of these teams have shown their propensity to score early and often. If the Saints can keep the turnovers down, they should find themselves in this game late. Westlake’s ball hawking defense won’t make that easy. We like the Lions by 6.

The Skinny

The Early County Bobcats opened up the season with two region wins. The Bobcats have done most of their damage on the ground with running backs Ty Stovall, Kendarius Boyd, and Charles Williams. As a team, Early is averaging 31 points per game while the defense is allowing 14 points per game. B’Anthony Wade has picked up where he left off last season causing disruption in the oppositions backfield.

The Schley County Wildcats had a week off last week. They looked sharp in week-1 rolling up 543 yards of offense and 61 points. The Wildcats are led by quarterback Jay Kanazawa with 288 yards and 3-TDs. His primary targets were Jalewis Solomon (6 receptions for 136 yards and 1-TD) and Kendall Sims 4 receptions for 72 yards and 1-TD). Meanwhile, it hs been Jeremyah Rogers leading the way on the ground with 147 yards and 2-TDs.

This game features a couple of contrasting styles, with the Bobcats looking to control the game using their rushing attack. They’ll also need another outstanding performance from their defense. It worked last season, but this year, we believe the Wildcats will have the edge. We like Schley by 5.

The Skinny

We admittedly sold the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes short after some of the talent they lost to graduation last season. But even still, they now find themselves near the top of our 2-A rankings. The strength of the Canes certainly rests in their ability to run the football. They are set up well to do just that with an offensive line anchored by Lavon Simmons, Gabe Pearce. There isn’t just one back doing the damage for the Canes as we’ve seen multiple formations and multiple backs have success for Fitzgerald.

The Northeast Macon Raiders are in a little different boat. They will most certainly rely on the legs of senior running back Nick Woodford who was spectacular last season. While we believe Woodford will be featured, don’t discount sophomore quarterback Reginald Glover who threw for over 100 yards in Week-1. If the Raiders are going to stay in this game, they’ll have to limit some a few special teams miscues and turnovers that thwarter drives in last week’s defeat.

We believe this could be one of the shortest games of the year with both teams propensity to run the ball. We beleive Fitzgerald has a little more experience with seniors that have appeared in 3 state title games. Give us the Canes by 11.

The Skinny

The Perry Panthers certainly scheduled some of the best competition in middle Georgia to start the season. While the Panthers got the short end of the stick in week-1 against Class 6A Houston County, they put up some notable numbers. Colter Ginn showed off his passing prowess as he threw for 349 yards and a touchdown. Both Dakari Anderson and Kory Pettigrew went over 100 yards receiving as the duo combined for 12 receptions for 263 yards. On the ground, it was Ahmad Gordon talking the helm and rushing for 91 yards and 3-TDs. Linebacker Jerrell Pinckney led the defense with 11 total tackles in the loss.

The Jones County Bulldogs got in the win column as they defeated Class 6A Dacula last week. This season, Jones County has used both the ground and the air to attack the opposition as they are averaging 200 yards passing and 154.5 yards rushing per game. They’ve used two quarterbacks this season in Judd Anderson and junior Devin Edmonds. The duo has combined for 365 yards and 5-TDs. And while we have seen both quarterbacks this season, expect for Anderson to get the start this week. Daniel Hawk leads the team in total tackles while defensive back Roderick Freeman has already intercepted three passes this season.

Perry won’t be phased by playing up a classification this week. We expect plenty of fireworks as these are two of the top quarterbacks in the area in Anderson and Ginn. Ginn seems to have fit right in with the Panthers and we believe they will ride to victory on his arm. Perry by 8.

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Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Week 3

Posted on August 30, 2023 by admin

Week-3 is quickly approaching and there is a fantastic slate of games as the landscape of high school football begins to sort itself out in the early season. This is Part-I of our weekly feature where we highlight eight of the more intriguing football matchups around the state of Georgia.

First up the Appling County Pirates continues their challenging non-region slate of games as they host a resurgent Wayne County Yellowjacket team. Both of these teams have shown a propensity to run the football. Will the Pirates be able to slow down Matthew Fuller and the Jackets? Down in Bainbridge, the Bearcats will host another South Georgia titan as the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets come calling. The Jackets will be bringing with them their high powered offense. Do the Cats have enough offense to match the Jackets score for score?

Down in LaGrange, a cross town battle is brewing as the Callaway Cavaliers will host the Troup Tigers. Callaway scored a big win over a 4A program last week, but Troup presents a different set of problems. Will the Cavaliers be able to slow down Troup’s electric quarterback Taeo Todd? Finally, Rome will host Carrollton in a matchup of two of the state’s top quarterbacks. Rome’s defense has been extremely stingy this season. Can they put the breaks on the Trojans fast break offense?

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Skinny

The Appling County Pirates got into the win column in a big way last Friday with a 41 point win over Aiken, SC. They were able to get Jamarion Williams going last week as the back posses a combination of power and speed that makes him difficult to bring down with just one defender. Junior quarterback Dayson Griffis has a couple of reliable targets at receiver in Camden Hickox and Kellen Echols that will help the Pirates keep opposing defenses off balance. The Pirates defense is allowing 16.5 points per game on the young season.

The Wayne County Yellow Jackets are 2-0 for the first time since 2019. The Jackets will look to make it back to back wins over Pirates. Expect Wayne to establish the run early and often, they are averaging over 330 yards per game on the ground. Matthew Fuller has already rushed for 552 yards and 6-TDs this season. Wayne County was able to stymie Brooks County last week defensively, as the recorded their first shutout in almost a year. The Jackets are allowing 10 points per game this season.

The Appling County offense defense will have their hands full as they have to find a way to slow down Matthew Fuller. That’s been easier said than done so far this season. We believe Appling finds a way to slow Fuller down this week. Pirates by 3.

The Skinny

The road does not get any easier for the Bainbridge Bearcats this week as they host Highway 84 rival Thomas County Central. The Bearcats offense has done most of their damage on the ground, averaging 175 yards per game rushing and 7-TDs. Keenan Phillips has racked up 290 yards and 4-TDs in the first two contests. Cam Sanders has done enough in the passing game to keep teams honest with 202 yards and 2-TDs through the air with no interceptions. Antavious Murphy has been the primary target for Sanders with 10 receptions for 157 yards. Sanders has also been active on defense, as he leads the team with 2 sacks.

Thomas County Central cruised to victory over rival Thomasville last week The offense has been powered by quarterback Jaylen Johnson who has completed 60% of his passes for 507 yards and 4-TDs. Trey Benton leads the ground game, while Tre’von Pringle is starting to emerge as a reliable receiver to go alongside Malachi Thomas, Ashton Harper and A.J. Clark out of the backfield. The Jackets have been stingy on defense this season allowing just one touchdown in 8 quarters played. Senior linebacker Tywon Christopher leads the team with 11 total tackles.

Thomas County Central broke a 5-game losing streak in the series with a win last season. Bainbridge will have to find a way to rattle Johnson at quarterback if they have any shot at knocking of a Thomas County Central team that seems poised for another region title and deep playoff run. We like the Bearcats to have have some success on offense, but not enough to outlast the Jackets. Thomas County Central by 17.

The Skinny

The Callaway Cavaliers opened their season with a big win over the Cedartown Bulldogs. Senior quarterback Deshun Coleman spearheaded the offense as he showcased his passing and scrambling abilities, accounting for 278 total yards and 3 total touchdowns. But it wasn’t just the Deshun Coleman show, as sophomore quarterback Blake Harrington showcased has passing and scrambling abilities as well. Trevon Reeves was the primary target for the quarterbacks, as he hauled in six balls for 126 yards.

The Troup Tigers offense has been on fire in the first two weeks of the season. Troup is averaging 40.5 points per game. Quarterback Taeo Todd is the straw that stirs the drink for the Tigers offense. He’s passed for 331 yards, rushed for 120 yards and has accounted for 9 of the teams touchdowns this season. Todd’s primary target has been Logan Sinkfield, who’s hauled in 7 receptions for 117 yards. Sinkfield has also rushed for 60 yards on just 4 carries. The Tigers defense has been tough early this season, allowing just 3.5 points per game. Qua Birdsong leads the team with 10 total tackles.

Troup’s offense has been explosive and conventional wisdom would say that Callaway won’t be able to keep up, but stranger things have happened in this rivalry game. The Callaway quarterbacks will make enough plays to keep this game close, but we believe Troup edges their county rival behind the explosive Taeo Todd. Tigers by 5.

The Skinny

The Rome Wolves will face their old region foe for the 10th time. The Wolves have already flexed their offensive and defensive prowess as they are averaging 45 points per game while the defense is allowing just 4 points per game. Offensively, it’s been quarterback Reece Fountain leading the way with 336 passing yards and 5-TDs on the season. He has reliable targets like D.K. Daniel, Nic Hester and B.J. Jackson. The Wolves also have a proven bruiser at running back in junior Chance Arthur who has no problem running in between the tackles and finishing runs typically falling forward. Rome’s defense has already gotten into the scoring column this young season and Justin Terrell and Trey Adams have been effective harassing opposing quarterbacks.

The Carrollton Trojans got a big win last week as they shut out South Paulding. The Trojans have turned to sophomore running back Kimauri Farmer who has rushed for 173 yards and 6-TDs in place of the injured Bryce Hicks. All eyes will be on sophomore quarterback Julian “Juju” Lewis. He’s completing 66% of his passes for 427 yards and 4-TDs in the young season. Eight different receivers have caught passes for the Trojans, but Caleb Odom will probably be Hicks’ primary target week in and week out.

We believe Rome will want to make this a physical slugfest and if they can utilize Chance Arthur and the run game, perhaps they can keep the explosive Carrollton offense on the sideline and control the time of possession. Points will be at a premium, but we like Carrollton by 3 on the road.

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GHSA Football Rankings – Week 3

Posted on August 27, 2023 by admin

Week two of the Georgia High School Football season is in the books and as usual, fans across the state were treated to some great football this past Friday night. Cooler weather seems to be on the forefront and we know that will be welcome by players and fans alike on the Friday nights ahead. Below you will find our rankings for each classification.

In Class 7A, Milton fell a couple of spots after a loss to Florida Top-10 Western High. Meanwhile, Westlake storms into the rankings at No. 8 this week. The Grayson Rams round out the rankings at No. 10, after a one week hiatus. No new entrants into the 6A rankings this week. Woodward Academy did drop three spots to No. 8 after a 20 point defeat at the hands of McCallie of Tennessee. Meanwhile the Class 5A rankings remain unchanged as all of the teams either won or were off.

In Class 4A, the top of the rankings remained relatively unchanged, however at the bottom of the poll, Wayne County and Stephenson jump into the rankings at No. 9 & No. 10 respectively. Similar to Class 4A, in Class 3A, the top of the rankings remained unchanged for the most part. Crisp County did drop one spot after suffering a loss to Westlake. Monroe Area makes their debut at No. 10 this week in Class 3A. However, the biggest eye opener may have been Stephens County blanking Rabun County.

There were no new entrants into the 2A ranking, however, there was a little shuffling as Cook and Rockmart swap spots at 6 and 7. Fellowship Christian and Athens Christian fall to No. 9 and No. 10 respectively. In Class A – Division I, Elbert County fell 4 spots to No. 7 after falling to Madison County. Meanwhile, Temple makes their debut at No. 10 this week.

Finally, in Class A – Division II, Macon County catapults to No. 4 this week after their 3 point win over Clinch County. The loss dropped Clinch down to No. 6 this week.

As always, thanks for reading. While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any of our coverage. Please feel free to comment and share.

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

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A Division I

A Division II

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Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Part II

Posted on August 23, 2023 by admin

Week two of the Georgia High School football season is quickly approaching and as usual there are great matchups all over the state. This is Part II of our weekly high school previews that we call Eight Greats Around the State.

The Perry Panthers will look to even up their series against neighboring Houston County this week as the Bears come calling. Both teams have proven leaders at quarterback but can Perry’s defense derail the high scoring Houston County offense? Over in Northwest Georgia, the Rockmart Yellow Jackets look to bounce back after a tough loss last week to rival Cedartown. They will host a very talented Cass Colonels team who is also looking to avoid an 0-2 start. Will the Cass offense get going this week after being shut out in Week-1?

Across the state in Northeast Georgia, the Stephens County Indians will host the Rabun County Wildcat. Both of these teams feature new faces at the quarterback position. But will the Indians experience at running back be the difference this week? Finally, in the Rose City rivalry, Thomas County Central will host Thomasville. Central seemingly came out of nowhere last season to many people’s amazement. Has Thomasville narrowed the gap or will Central even up the series?

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

The Skinny

Head Coach Kevin Smith has guided the Perry Panthers to the post season for five consecutive seasons, including three consecutive region titles. The Panthers lost two games last season by a combined 8 points. While Perry will certainly miss Armar Gordon at quarterback, the position is bolstered by Colter Ginn who brings an impressive resume from his time with Peach County last season. Ginn will have some talent to work with as Dakari Anderson returns. Last season, Anderson led the team with 66 receptions for 1,096 yards and 11-TDs. The Perry defense was a big part of the team’s success in 2022. Jerrell Pinckney returns to lead a defense that allowed just 10.4 points per game. 

The Houston County Bears picked up where they left off last season by putting up video game like numbers in Week-1. Last season, the Bears scored over 50 points 5 different times. Last week, they bested that total again, putting up 56 points in the win. Quarterback Antwann Hill threw for 287 yards and 4-TDs and was perfect on the night, completing all 16 of his passes. Ricky Johnson and Kale Woodburn were Hill’s primary targets as the duo combined for 215 yards and 3-TDs on 12 receptions. The Bears used 7 different running backs last week, none of them had more than 4 carries. 

This game was an absolute shootout last season. With the Panthers new signal caller, we don’t think things will be much different this season. We believe the Bears have an advantage at receiver and we believe that will be the difference. Houston County by 10.

The Skinny

The Rockmart Yellow Jackets fell just short in their game last week against Polk County rival Cedartown. They’ll be at home this week as they try to get their first win of the season. Last week, the Jackets were able to find success on the ground as they rushed for 177 yards as a team. It was a combination of quarterback J.D. Davis, Brent Washington and Anson High who paced the team with a combined 152 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Rockmart held serve as they limited Cedartown to just 214 total yards on offense. 

The Cass Colonels ran into a buzzsaw last week as they were shutout by Class 6A power, Rome. While the offense was held in check for most of the night, we were able to catch glimpses of how good this team can be this season as Brodie McWhorter was able to connect with Sacovie White and Devin Henderson 10 times for 93 yards. White and Henderson also led the team in rushing, but it was tough sledding all night long. Henderson also led the team in tackles and intercepted a Reece Fountain pass in the secondary. 

While Cass was held scoreless last week, we believe they have too many weapons on offense for that to happen for a second week in a row. Rockmart was tough against the run last week, so Cass might have to depend on McWhorter’s accuracy to help keep drives alive. Rockmart won this matchup last season, yet, we like Cass and their experience at receiver to be the difference. Colonels by 8.

The Skinny

The Stephens County Indians got a big win over Class 6A Habersham Central for the second year in a row. Last week it was Javin Gordon going over the century mark with 122 yards and a pair of TDs while first year starter Trip Underwood threw for 161 yards and 2-TDs to help pace the Stephens County offense. Jasec Smith was the top receiver with 4 catches for 102 yards and 2-TDs. Smith also recorded 7 tackles and had two pass deflections. The 29 points surrendered last week were more points than Stephens County allowed in any game last season. 

The Rabun County Wildcats got off to a hot start under the direction of sophomore quarterback Ty Truelove. Truelove completed 75% of his passes for 220 yards and 4-TDs. Five different receivers caught passes for the Wildcats who were led by Willie Goodwyn who had 5 receptions for 81 yards and 2-TDs, which included some very shifty moves after the catch.  Sophomore Reid Giles led the team in rushing with 86 yards on just 3 carries including one touchdown. 

Both teams were impressive in their opening week wins. It appears that both of these young teams are already playing at a high level. While Rabun looks to be primed to defend their region title later this season, we like Javin Gordon and his ability to run the ball. Stephens County breaks the drought and gets their first victory over Rabun since 1959. Indians by 4.

The Skinny

After a few mediocre seasons, head coach Justin Rogers has come in and reinvigorated the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets program as they advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009. The Jackets offense accounted for 488 yards of total offense with first year starting quarterback Jaylin Johnson passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns, while Trey Benton added 115 yards on the ground. Much of the credit on offense goes to Ty Brown and his offensive line mates that helped keep Johnson from duress for most of the game. Perhaps the unsung heroes of the game is the TCC defense, which allowed just 69 total yards of offense. 

The Thomasville Bulldogs also got their season off to a great start with a big win over rival Brooks County. Like their cross-town rivals, the Bulldogs racked up plenty of offense as they totaled 572 yards of total offense with sophomore quarterback Cam Hill passing for 266 yards and 1-TD while completing 76.2% of his passes. Eight different receivers caught passes, with Cole Shaw and Messiah Wilson leading the way with 4 receptions a piece. Five different backs carried the ball for Thomasville, with Lavonte Cole leading the way with 87 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs secondary picked off two passes in the game last week. 

Last season, Thomasville got off to a slow start before winning 8 straight games propelling them into the quarterfinals. The offense already looks like it’s clicking on all cylinders. However, the Jackets won’t just lay down. We expect a much closer game than a year ago. With two young quarterbacks that really have bright futures, we expect this to be a shootout. We believe the Jackets have the edge at the line of scrimmage this week and that should be the difference in the Rose City Rivalry. TCC by 9.

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Eight Greats Around the State – Georgia High School Football Previews – Part I

Posted on August 23, 2023 by admin

Week two of the Georgia High School football season is quickly approaching and as usual there are great matchups all over the state. This is Part I of our weekly high school previews that we call Eight Greats Around the State.

First up, the Callaway Cavaliers host the Cedartown Bulldogs. Cedartown is fresh off of a win over their Polk County rival. Will their defense be as effective on the road or will Deshun Coleman and Callaway hold serve at home? Next up in a Southeast Georgia battle, the Camden County Wildcats host the Brunswick Pirates. Brunswick get the best of Camden last season, will Camden hold serve at home this season.

In Midtown Atlanta, the Carver Atlanta Panthers will host the Calhoun Yellow Jackets. The Panthers have been a power in Class 3A over the last few years. Can they take the sting out of a very potent Calhoun offense. Finally, the Coffee Trojans will host the Bainbridge Bearcats on Friday. Both teams have shown the ability to run the football effectively. Can Coffee hold Bainbridge at bay or will the Bainbridge ground game by the difference?

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

The Skinny

The Callaway Cavaliers will open their season with a tall task this week. Head Coach Pete Wiggins has turned the Cavaliers into a perennial power over in Hogansville and there’s no reason to think this season will be any different. The Callaway offense will be led once again this season by quarterback DeShun Coleman. Last season, Coleman threw for 1,213 yards and rushed for over 350 yards while adding 15 total touchdowns. In his previous two seasons as the starting quarterback, Coleman has led the Cavs to the semifinals and quarterfinals. JoJo Shuman is a pre-season All State selection along the offensive line. Expect for Jordan King to be the primary back for the Cavs this season. 

The Cederatown Bulldogs edged Polk County rival Cedartown last week. The Bulldogs were held to 214 yards of total offense last week. It was the combination of Tae Harris and Isaiah Johnson at running back who did the bulk of the damage for the Bulldogs as they combined for 100 yards rushing on 25 carries. First year starter Drew Ledbetter was efficient, completing 62.5% of his passes for 97 yards and a touchdown for the primarily run based offense. The aforementioned Johnson and Tadji Neal also helped pace the defense with 9 and 8 total tackles respectively while Johnson also added a sack. 

If Callaway can avoid a slow start, we believe they have enough explosive options on offense to put pressure on a Cedartown team that is still breaking in new starters at key positions. Cedartown ran away with this game last season. We don’t expect a repeat. We like the experience of Coleman at quarterback for the Cavs. But something tells us Cedartown’s ground game will be the difference. Bulldogs by 6.

The Skinny

The Camden County Wildcats opened the season with a victory last week and will now host one of their oldest rivals Friday night. The Wildcats got a big night from Jaden Daily as he rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Mason Robinson was efficient while not throwing the ball much, he completed 80% of his passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Wildcats were led by Cooper Thornhill and Kanaan Graham with 13 and 11 total tackles respectively. 

The Brunswick Pirates were off last week as we can assure they are chomping at the bit to hit the field on Friday. The Pirates return plenty of talent from last years region title team including quarterback J.R. Elkins who passed for over 1,500 yards and 19-TDs in the 2022 campaign. He will be joined in the backfield by two familiar faces in running backs Jamarius Towns and William Heck as the two juniors helped lead a ground attack that averaged 226 yards per game last year. Defensively, all eyes will be on Devin Smith as the senior linebacker has racked up plenty of preseason accolades and has been heavily recruited by Power-4 conferences. Smith led the team in sacks and tackles for loss last season. 

Camden County will have their hands full with Brunswick as they return several key pieces. The Pirates do have some holes to fill defensively due to graduation. The biggest question to be answered is whether or not Brunswick can bottle up Camden’s ground attack. We believe they can. We like the Pirates by 2 on the road. 

The Skinny

The Carver Atlanta Panthers have made deep playoff runs over the last three seasons, including a finals appearance in 2021. Last week, quarterback Adam Sheely made his debut as a starter and threw for 175 yards and a touchdown while completing 69% of his passes. Sheely spread the ball around between four different receivers with Roderick Hunter and sophomore Terrious Favors leading the way. Sheely and Amari Russell each had 40 yards rushing on the night, with Russell being the bell-cow, carrying the ball 15 times in the victory. Joshua Stone led the Panthers in tackles while Jamontez Hines recorded 5 sacks in the game last week. 

The Calhoun Yellow Jackets offense was held in check last week by Blessed Trinity. It was a long road trip for the Jackets and this week, they will venture further into Atlanta into the heart of Midtown for their game. Last week, Calhoun’s offense was held in check for most of the game as they were not able to get the ground game going as they were held to -10 yards rushing. Their run defense however was serviceable, holding Blessed Trinity to just 66 yards on the ground. They’ll need another effort like that defensively if they want a win on the road.

We can only guess that Calhoun will look to get the ground game and Caden Williams going this week. Neither team was overly effective in the ground game in Week-1. We believe the team that is able to establish the line of scrimmage on offense wins this one. We like Calhoun to bounce back on the road. Jackets by 6.

The Skinny

The Coffee Trojans racked up 458 yards of total offense last week in their win over TIft County. Senior running back Fred Brown tallied 234 yards on 27 carries and added 2-TDs. Fellow senior quarterback Maurice Hansley threw for 183 yards and 2-TDs. He completed passes to six different receivers. The Coffee defense was paced by Jyarius Carter and Jaquavious Simpkins. The Trojans seemed to pick up where they left off last season defensively allowing less than 16 points per game over the course of the 2022 season. 

The Bainbridge Bearcats scored early and often last week as they got a big win over ELCA. The Bearcats did most of their damage on the ground offensively as they racked up 258 rushing yards and 6 rushing TDs. Keenan Phillips was the workhorse  for Bainbridge with 206 yards and 3-TDs on 17 carries. The Bearcats starting QB Cam Sanders did complete 5 passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. Last season the Bainbridge offense allowed 17.4 points per game and on Friday night, they held ELCA out of the end zone and managed to score points themselves on a pick 6 by junior safety Tashun Carter. 

Both of these teams reached the quarterfinals in their respective classifications last season and we have no reason to doubt they can’t make a run again come November. However with regards to this game, we like the versatility of the Coffee offense. It should be another close ball game, but we like the Trojans by 2.

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GHSA Football Rankings – Week 2

Posted on August 20, 2023 by admin

The Georgia High School football season is off and running. There was a great slate of games across the state starting on Wednesday and commencing Saturday evening. We were treated to some great football regardless of classification. This week’s rankings are a reflection of our views on the outcomes of games in Week-1. Throughout all classifications, the No. 1 ranked team remained the same with the exception of Class 2A, where Callaway moves up to No. 1, despite having the first week off.

In Class 7A Buford remains on top while Carrollton falls 4 spots to No.6. New entrants this week include Mill Creek at No. 5 and Parkview at No. 10. In Class 6A, Langston Hughes remains atop the ranking as they defeated Carrollton on the road. There were no teams that dropped from the Top-10 in 6A, but watch out for Houston County. We wouldn’t be shocked to see them crack our rankings soon.

In Class 5A, the top two, (Ware County and Creekside), remain the same, yet there was some shakeup after that. Hiram jumps into the rankings at No. 8 this week giving Region 7 three teams in the Top-10. Class 4A saw the top 3 teams remain unchanged as Benedictine, Troup and North Oconee all held serve. Westminster makes their 2023 debut in the rankings at No. 10.

Class 3A might be deeper than any other classification other than 7A. The top four teams remain unchanged this week. Carver Atlanta is in the rankings at No. 10 this week after their big win over LaGrange. Down in Class 2A there was a major shakeup as No. 1 ranked Thompson fell to class 4A Baldwin 14-12. Appling County also dropped a game to class 5A Ware County. Callaway takes over the top spot there, even though they were off last week.

Both Class A Division I and Class A Division II saw plenty of shakeup this week. In Division I, Prince Avenue remains on top while Lamar County makes their debut this week at No. 10. Division II had the most turnover this week. While Schley County, Early County and Clinch County sit at No. 1, 2, & 3 respectively, the rest of the rankings were turned upside down. New entrants to the rankings this week include Manchester (No. 4), McIntosh County Academy (No. 5), Turner County (No. 8) and Johnson County (No. 9).

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

Historical records are provided by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. (ghsfa.org)

Special thanks to the Georgia Helmet Project for providing each team’s helmet. You can find all of their work here: http://gahelmetproject.com

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A-DIVISION I

A DIVISION II

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