Saturday's Central Georgia HS football scouting reports
Class 4A, Saturday
No. 10 Burke County, 8-2, R3/3, at No. 5T Perry, 8-2, R2/2, 4 p.m.
Herb St. John will be host to a quality 2-vs.-3 matchup, a pair of ranked teams with matching records. Franklin Stephens, who has been at Tucker, Lamar County, Ware County, and McEachern – all since 2011 – is in his first year at Burke County, which won at least eight games in six of the last seven years under Eric Parker. The Bears reached the quarters in 2021 and 2017, and won the 2011 state title. Defenses will be tested against offenses averaging 32.2 and 42.7 points a game. Perry is getting healthier, making RB Ahmad Gordon (1,223/23 TDs) even more effective.
Westside, 8-2, R2/3, at New Hampstead, 5-4, R3/2, 6 p.m.
The Seminoles boast versatile Jessie Bell, who has 625 passing yards and 1,223 yards on the ground, combining for 19 TDs. New Hampstead QB Rashawn Truell has 2,718 passing yards on 58.6 percent completions, with 31 TDs and 4 INTs. Jaylen Hampton has 63 catches for 885 yards and 11 TDs, with two others passing 600 yards and teaming for 16 receiving TDs. The Phoenix, who are in their 10th season, are off a 34-28 win over then-No. 7 Burke County.
Baldwin, 6-4, R2/4, at No. 1 Benedictine, 10-0, R3/1, 6 p.m.
The Cadets have had five perfect regular seasons under head coach Danny Britt, who took over in 2011. That includes 15-0 in 2016. This is a rare Central Georgia opponent for Benedictine, Baldwin joining Lamar County, Lanier, Macon County, Northside, R.E. Lee, Westside, and Warner Robins. The Cadets are 8-19 against the area (2-14 vs. Lanier, 1932-1949). The Cadets haven’t lost to an unranked team since 2012 (28-21, McIntosh).
Class AA, Saturday
No. 1 Appling County, 8-2, R3/3, at No. 7T Northeast, 8-2, R2/2, 3 p.m., Thompson
The Raiders have taken down ranked teams this year, but the playoffs are different, and Northeast without Nick Woodford is different. Appling County has been ranked in the AJC’s top 4 all season, and have been ranked for all but three weeks since the middle of the 2020 season. In that span, the Pirates have reached the quarters, semis, and semis. They’re 2-2 vs. ranked teams this year (one loss is to 5A Ware County), and 8-7 against ranked teams the last four seasons. Appling County, which doesn’t update stats on MaxPreps, beat Northeast 35-13 in last year’s second round. The Raiders have won three straight first-round games.
Southwest, 6-4, R2/3, at No. 5 Toombs County, 9-1, R3/2, 5:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs of first-year head coach Buddy Martin have been ranked since a Game 3 hammering of Jefferson County in early September, the lone loss coming to Pierce County 17-14 in mid-October. Neither team is a regular playoff team, although the Bulldogs have made the postseason now in seven of the last eight years, with two first-round wins. This is Southwest’s third playoff trip in head coach Joe Dupree’s 11 seasons, and the Patriots have never won a state playoff game, in five tries since starting in 1970. Sophomore QB Chase Dupree has 2,340 yards passing and 24 TDs to 11 INTs, with 52 catches and 959 yards from Carmelo Mays.
ACE, R2/8-2, at No. 2 Pierce County, 9-1, R3/1, 6:30 p.m.
The Gryphons will carry some momentum from a program win over region champ Spencer last week about 160 miles from Macon to Blackshear, home to Stetson Bennett. This is Pierce County’s 13th straight playoff trip, and the Bears have won 11 first-round games in the span, winning the 2020 state title and losing by two in the 2021 finale. Both teams balanced, but ACE with more weapons in QB Kaleb Scarbary (1,605 yards, 60 percent, 28-3 TD/INT), RB Aaron Davis (119-1,004 rushing, 15 TDs), and WR Brice Whitley (41-801/12). Pierce County QB Caden McGatha has passed for 1,380 yards (64.9 percent) and 16 TDs and rushed for 934 and 10 scores. Pierce County is 11-1 at home the past two seasons.
Putnam County, 6-4, R4/3, at No. 10 Fitzgerald, 7-3, R1/2
First-year head coach Joel Harvin kept alive Putnam County’s playoff streak, now at five in a row, the best run in two decades. The War Eagles are led by RB Kaleb Crawford (661 yards, 9 TDs, incomplete stats) and Rashod Daniel (487/8). The Purple Hurricanes – who don’t update stats on MaxPreps - have won five straight first-round games, taking the 2021 state title in that run. These two met in last year’s second round and the 2021 quarterfinals, Fitzgerald wins of 28-20 and 21-7. The Purple Hurricane have won all four meetings, all in the playoffs.
Washington County, 5-5, R4/4, at No. 9 Cook, 8-2, R1/1
Records and seeds aside, this might be a better matchup than many expect. Less than 15 yards separate the two in total offense average. Cook has weapons in QB Drew Folsom (1,883 yards, 66.9 percent, 19-6 TD-INT) and RB Keshun McKever (201-1,106, 13 TDs). The Golden Hawks counter with senior QB Cameron Beasley (1,796 yards, 66.3 percent, 20-6). Cook is on a monster playoff run, making it every year this century, and winning 13 first-round games. This is the first meeting.