Our final set of 5-A playoff previews are listed below. This preview features matchups between Riverdale-Ware County, Locust Grove-Warner Robins, Clarke Central-Arabia Mountain, and East Paulding-Banneker. Riverdale’s defense will try to slow down Ware County’s freshman quarterback this week as they travel to Waycross…Both Warner Robins and Locust Grove have quarterbacks that can sling it around the field. Which one will have the better night on Friday and lead their team to victory…Clarke Central and Arabia are set to tangle on Saturday in what has the makings of a low-scoring defensive battle…While East Paulding travels to play the Banneker Trojans. The Trojans won their first region title and school history. Can they defeat a battle tested East Paulding squad…
As always, thanks for reading. Please feel free to contact me if there are any errors.
Key:
TFR – Turd Ferguson Report
GSWA – Georgia Sports Writers Association
NR – Not Ranked
The Skinny
The Riverdale Raiders will travel down to Waycross to face the Ware County Gators. Riverdale comes into the game on a two game losing streak falling to Griffin and Starr’s Mill in the closing weeks of the regular season. The Raiders offense is averaging 25.9 points per game while the defense is surrendering 21.1 points per game. Riverdale’s defense has 31 sacks on the season and has forced 7 fumbles. Ware County is led by freshman quarterback Thomas Castellanos. He has passed for 1,051 yards and rushed for 615 yards with 21 total TDs this year. Dream Gainer was back in the lineup this week and perhaps we will see him get more touches to help ease the load on offense. Ware is averaging 27.3 points per game on offense and giving up 12.5 points per game on defense. We think that the defense, led by Logan Braucht will help carry the Gators to a win in a closely contested matchup. We’ll take Ware by 6 points.
The Skinny
Both Locust Grove and Warner Robins have quarterbacks that can get it done through the air. The Locust Grove Wildcats are led by quarterback RJ McDaniel who has passed for over 1,900 yards and 25 –TDs through 9 games. Billy Ward and Christian Da-silva are the top receivers for Locust Grove. The Wildcats have proved they can score points, they’re averaging 31.1 points per game, but the defense has been shaky, yielding 34.9 points a game. That could spell trouble against the Warner Robins Demons. The Demons are averaging 39 points per game. Dylan Fromm spearheads the offense, passing from 3,087 yards through the air with 34-TDs. Marcayall Jones has 72 receptions for 1,494 yards. We think that Warner Robins has too much offense for Locust Grove this week. We like the Demons by three touchdowns this week.
The Skinny
The Clarke Central Gladiators will travel to Decatur to face the Arabia Mountain Rams at Buck Godfrey Stadium on Saturday. Clarke Central is led by quarterback Isaac Ward, who has passed for 1,278 yards and 10-TDs and O’brien Barnett, who has run for 740 yards and 6-TDs. The Gladiators are averaging 22.2 points per game, but the defense is only surrendering 16.6 points per game. Arabia Mountain is averaging 24.5 points per game and the defense is surrendering 15.9 points per game. Through nine games Bryson Williams has passed for 1,207 yards and 12-TDs while Jaylen Burke has rushed for 514 yards and 4-TDs. These two teams are very similar statistically. We believe this will be a low scoring, defensive battle. We think the Gladiators have just enough to edge the Rams on the road. We like Clarke Central by 3 points.
The Skinny
The Banneker Trojans won their first Region title in school history. While the Trojans offense has racked up 30.1 points per game, it has really been the defense that has shined brightest, as they are only giving up 9.4 points per game this season. Gary Benton Jr. has provided much of the spark for the Trojans offense; through 7 games he’s rushed for 877 yards and 10-TDs. Kobe Harris has added 551 yards in 9 games as well. Banneker’s opponent, the East Paulding Raiders were in a three-way tie for second place in their region and lost the tie breaker. So this is not the typical no. 4 seed one might expect. The Raiders beat Kell earlier in the season and only lost to Carrollton by 3 points. They are averaging 26 points per game on offense. We think this game will be closely contested, but we like Banneker to edge out East Paulding by a field goal.