Our second set of 4-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Columbus-Salem, Perry-Baldwin, Flowery Branch-Ridgeland, and Stephens County-Cartersville. Salem will be looking to the passing game to get past Columbus this week. Do the Blue Devils have an answer in the secondary for the Seminoles air-raid…Perry goes on the road to Baldwin, but the Panthers look like the more prolific offense this week. Can Baldwin bow up and defend home field…Flowery Branch and Ridgeland should be a great game. Flowery Branch quarterback Elijah Gainey can really sling it, but he’s got to be accurate or the Ridgeland defense will make him pay…Stephens County travels to Cartersville. The Canes have looked almost unstoppable this season. But the better not be looking past a well coached Indians team.
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Key:
TFR – Turd Ferguson Report
GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association
NR – Not Ranked
The Skinny
The Salem Seminoles have won seven games mainly behind the passing of Donald Wilson and the running of Omarious Burnam and Willis Sheppard. Wilson has passed for 2,293 yards while Burnam and Sheppard have combined for 979 yards and 7-TDs. Tyler Smith, Lennox Bowie and Makari Pruitt have combined for 135 receptions and 1,917 yards receiving. The offense is averaging 29.8 points per game. The Columbus Blue Devils are led by quarterback Donovan Carter who has passed for 1,183 yards and 12-TDs. They are averaging 27.5 points per game while the defense is giving up 22 points per game. Columbus will need to get pressure on Wilson this week in order to disrupt the passing game. We don’t think they’ll get enough pressure on the Salem quarterback. Expect for Seminoles to win by 11.
The Skinny
The Perry Panthers started off the season with four straight wins, but lost four of their last six to close out the season. The Panthers are averaging 26.4 points per game, but their defense is giving up 25.8 points. Lane Rucker has passed for 2,790 yards and 19-TDs. His primary target ahs been Davion Ross who has hauled in 58 catches for 862 yards and 5-TDs. Perry will travel to Milledgeville to face the Baldwin Braves, the No. 1 team from region 3. The Braves dropped their first five games but have turned things around the second half of the season with five straight wins. The Braves are averaging 19.8 points per game this season, but during their current win streak, that has increased to 26 points per game. The defense has also tightened up during the win streak, giving up 6.8 points per game in that same five game stretch. This game should be nip and tuck. We think that Perry, who is making their first playoff appearance in 6 years, will get the win by a field goal.
The Skinny
Flowery Branch and Ridgeland will tangle in one of the most intriguing matchups in the 4-A bracket. Jordan Blackwell has rushed for 888 yards and 11-TDs for the Ridgeland Panthers. Blackwell is tough to bring down with arm tackles and has break-away speed once he gets into the open field. The Panthers are averaging 37.1 points per game while the defense is surrendering 21.8 points per game. Flowery Branch will attack behind the big arm of quarterback Elijah Gainey. Gainey has two athletic receivers in Jalin Strown and DJ Brown. The Falcons are averaging 33.5 points per game and surrendering 12.6 points per game. We think this game will come down to how accurate Gainey will be this week. We’ll roll the dice and take Gainey this week and the Falcons by a field goal.
The Skinny
The Cartersville Hurricanes have been scoring points at a furious pace this season as they average 40 points per game. Tee Webb has done well at quarterback, passing for 2,103 yards and 25-TDs. Senior running back Marcus Gary has rushed for 859 yards and 12-TDs in nine games this season. Cartersville has been stout on defense this season, holding opponents to 6 points per game, including 4 shutouts. The Stephens County Indians have dropped three out of their last four games coming into the playoffs. They are averaging 19.8 points per game and the defense is surrendering 24.7 per game. Those numbers don’t bode well with the matchup in Cartersville looming on Friday. Cartersville should flex their muscle this week. We like the Canes by five touchdowns.