Monday Morning QB (evening edition): The Central Georgia polls; Friday's surprises; Farriba's milestone; this week's go-to games; offensive POY list, and more
Central Georgia polls
That warm spell the past week? It’s staying warm in a number of regions for a playoff spots and for seeding. The final two weeks are loaded with drama.
Division I (6A, 5A, 4A)
1. Jones County, Warner Robins, tie
The Greyhounds were a little better overall than 23-14 over Ola, but it was the expected battle. The Demons were off. Nope, nothing has really changed gut-wise (except it’s bigger).
3. Veterans
Biggest game in program history awaits after another gut-it-out win against a quality opponent.
4. West Laurens
It wasn’t pretty, and with things pretty much decided, it wasn’t going to be, but a 30-0 win at Upson-Lee is a 30-0 win. The gap behind Veterans is pretty slim.
5. Perry
The upstart Panthers picked up their best and most impactful win in a long, long, long time with a last-minute win over Mary Persons. Trailing early didn’t matter, and Perry – before, stunningly, a less than full home side – came up clutch on both sides, and carry momentum and confidence into a region championship game.
Division II (3A, 2A, A, others)
1. Peach County
Another rout for the varsity and JV. (Sorry, if there’s nothing new, there’s nothing new).
2. Dublin
Another rout, but the defense gave up some points. The D was without some regulars who should be back for the chance to finish off Dublin’s first 10-0 regular season since 2006, which followed one in 2005, three years after one in 2002.
3. Bleckley County
Not too surprisingly, Dodge County stormed back to make what looked like a potential rout into a close game. The right time for something like that to help focus a team that’s been in the playoffs for a couple weeks.
4. Westside
The Seminoles have some momentum after a thumping of Pike County, and now face a Peach County team that’s still so well-rested in the second half.
5. Washington County
There’s not much momentum in Sandersville right now, off an upset loss and facing the best Dublin team in awhile. The difference ranking wise is still speed and size and competition.
6. John Milledge
See “Peach County”.
7. Mount de Sales
Yes, beating Wilkinson County by only two possession earns a slight drop, although clearly the Cavs were holding back and likely playing a lot of the roster. After all, a region title game awaits.
8. Central
Granted, the Chargers were off, and they’re 3-7, and there are AA teams with winning records. But the reality is, right now, Central would beat the remaining area AA and A teams in the area.
9. Northeast
The Raiders return after a monster win at Washington County, although coughing up 17 penalties and 150-ish yards almost cancels the ranking.
10. Macon County
All of a sudden, the Bulldogs have gone from a bubble team to perhaps hosting a first-round playoff game. Just need a win over Marion County.
Loughdmouthings
“So, as a general fan, I’m looking for the best game this week to check out.”
Dang. There’s a huge collection to choose from, for all sorts of reasons other than championships and playoffs. But, of course, what’s on the line is what leads to a monster performance or a dazzling upset.
Thursday’s Mary Persons-Howard game at Ed DeFore makes compiling the list easier.
The Huskies are in a must-win to stay alive , and then if Upson-Lee beats Spalding on Friday, math and points allowed comes into the equation.
As for Friday’s buffet? Bigger than S&S. Quite the selection. In reverse order (and it’s almost a five-way tie):
Jones County at Stockbridge: The Greyhounds finish with a perfect season and outright region title with a win. The Tigers, who have won four straight over Jones County, want to avoid a mess situation for third and fourth with Ola and Union Grove, and head into the postseason regardless with the scalp of a top-5 and undefeated team.
Aquinas at Mount de Sales: MdS surprised Aquinas 14-3 in 2017, and did it on the road. Before that, Aquinas beat MdS three straight times, by 13, 31 and 20. And this is for the 7-A title, and a little better seeding in the playoffs. The Cavs’ last region title? Same year as their last 10-0 mark: 1997.
Houston County at Northside: Granted, this pits two teams with losing records, but it’s the first playoff-implication meeting since 2015 when the Jake Fromm-&-Co. Bears won 34-13 for the first win ever over the Eagles, a win that gave them the top seed – they were tied at 8-1 with Northside and Jones County) in 2-5A. A year before, Northside won 34-33 for the outright region title.
But this one? Loser packs up. No, there won’t be near a full crowd on either side – the vacancies have been huge for the Eagles for a good while this year - but those who show will see a show.
Warner Robins at Veterans: And a game that will lead to more good-seating availability at McConnell-Talbert is the county championship (in reality). The old school and the newest school playing for the 1-5A championship, a game we almost got last year. They have the same records, and they have gone about it a little differently, except with a connection of underrated defenses.
The Demons have more finesse ability, the Warhawks are older-school, football-wise.
The biggest game in Veterans history, and it’s at Freedom Field. If there’s a place to sit 15 minutes before kickoff, there’s a scolding to come.
Perry at West Laurens: The best team in the region all year welcomes the surprise team of the region in another battle of contrasts that, if the stage isn’t too big for the Panthers, will make for quite an entertaining 48-minute game.
If that stage is too big, the Raiders can put on a clinic in all three phases of the game, especially on defense. But Perry has found an identity in more running, and a steady defense.
The Panthers climbed a huge program mountain on Friday, not only beating Mary Persons, but getting the game-winner in the final minute. That’s huge for a program not used to big games when it’s cold outside.
And this region hasn’t had a winner-take-all region championship in the last game since 2014, when unranked West Laurens topped No. 7 Mary Persons 21-14 in Forsyth. The Bulldogs went on to not lose a region game until this year.
So the Raiders are a hungry regular contender, and the Panthers owning their best region record, no matter what, since 2007. And a win would give them their first perfection region mark ever, and only 14th seven-win regular season in history (since 1954).
And, all over, it will be pure football weather.
Enjoy. …
Milestone watch: Stratford head coach Mark Farriba sits at 199 career wins this week, and hosts Washington-Wilkes this week in hopes of getting 200.
He is 79-49 in two stints at Stratford, 42-26-1 at Prince Avenue Christian, and 78-51-2 at FPD, for a 199-126-3 mark.
That puts him, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association website, 12th winningest among active coaches in the state. He’s one behind Frank Barden of St. Francis and one up onEd Dudley of Winder-Barrow.
John Milledge’s J.T. Wall is up next on the Milestone Watch at 96-14 in his ninth season.
The suspense: He’ll get 97 on Friday, then a first-round playoff bye, and then it takes three wins for 100 and the GISA Class AAA title.
A state championship and No. 100 on the same night? …
Friday’s Surprise, I: Goodness, had there not been way too many dropped passes down the stretch, we’d be talking about one of the top upsets of the past few years, Houston County over defending 6A champ Lee County.
Alas, the Trojans had good fortune again, and the Bears couldn’t seal the deal in a 24-20 loss. But it’s another confidence boost, and makes Houston County almost a double-digit favorite against Northside for the final Region 1 playoff spot.
And that would leave the Eagles home for the first time since 1991. A generation ago.
That’s also the last time Northside gave up more than it scored, and this year it is on pace – currently at minus-9.56 a game – for the largest since 1964, and fourth-largest ever. …
Friday’s Surprise, II: Washington County losing at home doesn’t happen very often.
The Golden Hawks’ previous five home losses, entering Friday: Class AA ranked Swainsboro, 27-7, 2019; Class AA ranked Dublin, 28-10, 2018; Class AA ranked Dodge County, 42-7, 2017; Class 4A Baldwin, 34-28, 2017; Class AA playoffs, Chattooga, 38-7, 2016.
And Northeast comes in and leads almost the whole time? Pulls away? Wins it up front?
Granted, the Raiders are better the past two seasons than their record, having found a way each season to lose a winnable game. Coaches in simple conversation have said how improved they are fundamentally and with consistency.
But inflicting pain at the House of Pain as a sub.-500 team doesn’t happen much at all, and anybody who predicted a double-digit Northeast win better produce written and notarized proof. …
Friday’s Surprise, III: Tattnall sure seemed out of the Class A Private playoff hunt going into the game.
The Trojans were No. 29 with an 8.57, and beat No. 25 FPD (9.96), and stunningly jumped five spots into a tie with Walker at No. 24 with a 9.44, and FPD fell two spots to 27th.
The Trojans’ D sure bowed up, holding FPD scoreless until late in the fourth. But then playmaker Wes Allen came up with the play of the season, one that gets pointed to if the Trojans get in, by taking the ensuing kickoff the distances, 87 yards, for the game-winning score.
Tattnall’s defense bent and FPD got onto that side of the field only for the Trojans to get the sack-and-fumble to pretty much end it.
It wasn’t that much of a surprise, since Tattnall, FPD, and Stratford are interchangeable most Friday nights, but that low-scoring a game was. When things look bleak, playing a rival always helps. …
A list of 10 players to ponder for offensive player of the year in Central Georgia, in alphabetical order:
QB Jalen Addie, Warner Robins
ATH Bryce Bailey, Bleckley County
QB Hunter Costlow, Jones County
QB Victor Davis Jr., Westside
ATH JaQues Evans, Dublin
QB Jaydon Gibson, Peach County
QB A.J. Mathis, West Laurens
RB Amaad Foston, John Milledge
ATH Noah Whittington, Peach County
QB Dexter Williams, Mount de Sales
That’s 10, but yes, there’s a little gap between the top “no, we do not want to have to defend him” few and the rest. All, in some form or fashion if not always in stats alone, are having “of the year” type seasons.
Defense? Stats are much harder to come by – too many schools report nothing to anybody on offense as it is, so … - but safe to say the top candidates are coming from West Laurens, Dublin, Bleckley County, Perry, among others, with some having seasons worthy of consideration.
And again, it is “a” list, not “the” list, because there’s still plenty of ball left. …
A rerun: Dear young’n’s in helmets and pads on defense: Please, for the love of all that is good about football, grasp fundamental tackling principles and use them. Because tackling, on all levels, is becoming atrocious on a regular basis.
Nope, no need to use the head and helmet wrong, just the simple shoulder pads into the hips and wrapping up, and never diving at ankles – see, backs and receivers are athletic and can jump over a tackle attempt that is basically just falling down – or tackling shoulder pads.
Really, you want brownie points, a good grade, and a win? Make the simple and proper tackle. Watch college and pros and see how many wretched tackle attempts lead to big plays, tackle attempts that should become actual tackles. …
Memo reminder to all coaches using Hudl for box scores and stats: please check the final numbers out before sending/finishing, because the majority of boxes forwarded the past few weeks – and much appreciation – have had incorrect scores all over the place. More, in fact, have been wrong than right. And some overall records are off.
And it’s never a bad time to check rosters on MaxPreps and Hudl and anywhere else. And halftime of the Monday night game is a good time to make sure – for those of you who do game-by-game stats, which is tremendously appreciated (and gives some props to kids) – you have all the games properly input in MaxPreps.
It really isn’t a bad time, because there are issues. Still.
Quotable
A few weeks ago at the Macon Touchdown Club from Mount de Sales grad – and Samford head coach – Chris Hatcher talking about growing up with Mount de Sales grad – and MdS head coach – Keith Hatcher:
“A remarkable job that he’s done with turning mds around. I take great pride in that. Keith, he, at my grandma’s house, he used to cry a lot … We would play Nerf football in the yard.
“Now, you’ve got to realize that he’s five years young than me, which doesn’t seem like much now, but I guess when I was 10 and he was 5, that makes a big difference.”
Dear Friday night gamecasters
It may become a weekly reminder that absolutely screaming incoherently – let alone two people screaming incoherently – really is annoying to anybody hoping that a broadcast/streamcast will be helpful to figuring out what happened.
You’re not in the mancave, you’re talking to people and explaining. Incoherent screaming doesn’t help, so if it takes medication, decaf, a reminder on the window that “people other than relatives are listening” to get something listenable to, so be it. …
God will look at your resume, and if you didn’t give time and score into and out of commercials, when you talk about what you didn’t see or don’t know, and pretty much after every change of possession, you may have to wait a little bit.
Sure, God knows what’s going to happen, but that doesn’t mean He can’t act for what wasn’t done for others.