TFR GHSA 3-A-Quarterfinal Playoff Preview

Monroe Area will travel down to Blackshear to take on the Pierce County Bears. Monroe Area is led by dual-threat quarterback Chandler Byron, who last week, passed for 111 yards, rushed for 244 yards and scored 5 total TDs. As Byron has gone, so has the Monroe Area offense this season as he has generated 3,836 yards of total offense. The Purple Hurricanes defense has also played very well this season. They are allowing 11 points per game. Monroe Area has outscored their opponents 518 to 132 on the season, so if the Pierce County Bears are going to get the win, they will need to bear (no pun intended) the onslaught that typically occurs early and often. Pierce County was led last week by Jermaine Brewton who passed for 153 yards and 1 TD and John Jones who rushed for 109 yards and 2-TDs. On the season the Bears are averaging 43.4 points per game. Both Brewton and Jones have been the statistical leaders for Pierce County. We think that Byron will just be too much to handle for Pierce County. We like Monroe Area by 10 this Friday.

The Cedar Grove Saints will make their fourth consecutive trip to the quarterfinals. They will face the Benedictine Cadets. Neither team has lost a game to a class AAA opponent this season. The Saints boast the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver prospect in Jadon Haselwood. But they are not just a one man show. Austin Smith and Kendall Boney have combined to pass for over 2,100 yards and 29-TDs, while Robert Jones leads the team in rushing with 870 yards and 10-TDs. Haselwood and Rashard Jordan have combined for over 1,400 yards receiving and 18 receiving TDs. On defense for the Saints, Dante Walker leads the way with 8.5 sacks, while Haselwood has picked off 3 passes in the secondary. Meanwhile, down in Savannah, Benedictine has taken much of the success they’ve had in AA and continued that as the moved to Class AAA play this season. Backs Rico Powers (133 yards, 3 total TDs) and Jakeen Harris (143 yards, 3-TDs) lead the offensive attack in last weeks win over Westside, Macon. Benedictine is averaging 41.4 points per game. While the Cadets defense is allowing only 10.5 points per game. Cedar Grove is one of our picks to be in the state title game, we like the Saints by a touchdown on the road over Benedictine this week.

The Westminster Wildcats find themselves back in the quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive season. Last week, they picked up their second win of the season against Greater Atlanta Christian. Westminster has been up and down this season. In their 8 wins, their offense is averaging 40.1 points per game, in their 4 losses, they are only averaging 11.7 points per game. Their opponent this week is Peach County. The Trojans have ended Westminster’s season in back to back years. Peach County is back in the quarterfinals, a place where they certainly feel comfortable. As we’ve mentioned before, there is not the same star power in terms of top ranked recruits, but the Trojans are well coached and still a very talented team. Quarterback Jaydon Gibson has passed for 1,704 yards and 17-TDs, while Kapien Everett has rushed for 557 yards and 12-TDs to lead the Trojans ground game. Last week, junior, Tijah Woolfolk rushed for 156 yards and 3-TDs. Woolfolk has 457 yards rushing in 4 games this season. We think that Peach will be able to control the line of scrimmage in this matchup, but this won’t be a runaway; Trojans by 3.

The Jenkins Warriors are in the quarterfinals for the third time in school history. They are one of two teams still alive from Region-3. (The other is Benedictine.) The Warriors will travel to Calhoun to take on perennial power, Calhoun. Jenkins is led by Jeremy Smith on offense. He’s well over the 1,000 yard mark rushing on the season and has 9-TDs. Meanwhile, Calhoun has made it to the quarterfinals for eleven consecutive seasons. The Jackets have been playing at a high level all season. They shook off a slow first half start against Ridgeland in week one and really haven’t looked back since. The Jackets are winners of their last 24 games. On the season, they are averaging 46.4 points per game, while their defense is only allowing 7.1 points per game. Their smallest margin of victory this season was last week’s 15-point win over Lovett. Will the long bus ride to Jenkins put them behind the 8-ball? We think so, along with Calhoun’s defense. We like the Jackets by 20.