By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

The rankings are from the Georgia High School Football Daily composite.
Come back tonight for Central Georgia’s only live running scoreboard, and Saturday morning for Central Georgia’s most complete - names, stats, details - game-night coverage.

Class 5A
Northside, 0-8/0-3, at No. 7 Lee County, 6-2/2-1
The Trojans lead the series 8-5, and have won the last two meetings 111-14. Northside is amid a stunningly historic season. The Eagles are likely to finish with their fourth fewest points in history while giving up . The positive? Northside’s two worst seasons in points allowed are 2023 and 2024, with 333 and 366. This year’s team has allowed 253.

Houston County, 8-0/3-0, at No. 1 Thomas County Central, 8-0/3-0
Last year’s battle didn’t have as much on the line, and TCC pulled out a 41-31 win. This year, the winner all but clinches the region title. For Houston County, that would be its second. For TCC, it would be the third in the last four seasons. The Yellow Jackets have given up only 49 points, with the last two of four shutouts coming against Veterans and Northside. The Bears, who are amid one of their best defensive seasons in history, will have to contain QB Jaylen Johnson (1,361 yards 24 TDs, 2 INTs) and RB Deuce Lawrence (916 yards, 13 rushing/6 receiving TDs). Jecorrian McCoy has 3 picks for the Bears, who have several playmakers. Both teams get better than 400 yards a game.

Coffee, 3-5/1-2, at Veterans, 2-6/0-3
The gap is closer than it’s been in awhile. Coffee is outscored by 3.1 points a game compared to 20.8 for Veterans, a difference of 17.6 points. Last year, the Trojans went 11-3 and outscored opponents by 12.9 points, while the Warhawks were outscored by 28.4, a gap of 41.3 points. Coffee has won the three meetings by 34, 20, and 7.

Class 4A
No. 4 Benedictine, 5-2/3-0, at Perry, 4-4/2-1
The Cadets started the season with two losses, to 6A powers Colquitt County and Buford, and the closest win since then was 30-27 over Ware County. Otherwise, the margins in the 5-game winning streak are 41, 49, 61, and 68. That 61 was a 61-0 win over Warner Robins. Perry gave ranked Ware County a big battle on the road in a 21-14 loss last week in a superb defensive effort, the Gators holding the Panthers to 192 yards offense, 111 yards from Decorrion Daniels on the ground. Perry kept Ware County from converting nearly 400 yards in offense to more points.

CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE

This week
🏈 Maxwell Predictions
🏈 Who’s going to win this week’s games
🏈 Central Georgia state composite rankings
🏈 Central Georgia rankings
🏈 Monday Morning Quarterback: What do we know about our main teams in Georgia, near and far? Well, it’s complicated, and entertaining; Surprises, Loughdmouthings (a readable podcast, OK?) galore
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Last week
🏈 Roundup: Houston County handles Coffee, Dublin pulls away from Bleckley County in second half, Jasper County & Lamar County stay perfect, Westfield wins showdown, Windsor upends CFCA
🏈 Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
🏈 Maxwell Predictions
🏈 Who’s going to win this week’s games
🏈 Breaking down the GHSA, GIAA playoff picture
🏈 Central Georgia state composite rankings
🏈 Central Georgia rankings
🏈 Monday Morning Quarterback: Sit down for more Palooza on the Plains; surprises, Loughdmouthings
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Two weeks ago
🏈 Roundup : West Laurens, Lamar County stay perfect; Thrillers with Baldwin, Mary Persons, Westfield; Streak-breakers for Westside, Hawkinsville, John Milledge outlasts FPD, CFCA rollsp
🏈 Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
🏈 Maxwell Predictions
🏈 Who’s going to win this week’s games
🏈 Central Georgia state composite rankings
🏈 Central Georgia rankings
🏈 Monday Morning Quarterback: Nobody knows who’s in the CFP, nobody, so get ready; Surprises, Loughdmouthings (are loaded up, from ball dropping, high schools, fibbing …)
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Jones County, 6-2/5-2, at Eagle’s Landing, 4-4/3-4
The Greyhounds are among four teams at 5-2, one game behind Locust Grove, who plays winless Union Grove. Eagle’s Landing is out of the playoff hunt, but is playing for a second straight .500 regular season, which would be its best two-season win total since 2014-15.

No. 5T Ware County, 7-1/2-1, at Warner Robins, 4-4/1-2
Ware County has been held to a season-low 21 points twice this season, the second time coming last week against Perry in Waycross. The Demons’ streak of making the playoffs every year since 2011 is all but over, since they lose the tiebreaker for fourth with Wayne County, which has No. 5 Ware County and 1-7 New Hampstead left. Also at stake is eight straight winning seasons for the Demons. The Gators won 24-21 last year.

Class 3A
Baldwin, 3-5/2-4, at No. 11T Westside-Augusta, 8-0/6-0
The Braves need to win out and get some help to make the playoffs. Knocking off a top-5 postseason ranking team would help. Baldwin hasn’t beaten a ranked team in the same classification or higher since late in the 2021 season (27-14 over No. 6 Spalding). Westside held off Harlem 14-7 last week, the Patriots’ fourth win by single digits.

Harlem, 6-2/4-2, at Howard, 2-6/1-5
The Huskies are out of the playoff picture, but can do some spoiling. Harlem is in the postseason, and in the range for a home game. An upset helps Howard get farther away from the bottom of the region, and gives its momentum to play spoiler again next week against Baldwin.

Mary Persons, 5-3/3-3, at No. 1 Sandy Creek, 8-0/6-0
The Bulldogs are 2-3 after a 3-0 start, the losses by 14, 3, and 6. Sandy Creek is a consensus No. 1 team in 3A, and has been challenged since starting the season with a 28-21 win over East Coweta and getting past LaGrange 23-7 two games later. Since then, the closest game was its 39-9 win over Spalding (which Mary Persons beat 26-0 last week). The Patriots are off a 62-21 win over Whitewater. Mac Nelson has passed for 1,794 yards, and CJ Banks leads the run game with 562 yards and 16 scores and defense with 65 tackles. The Bulldogs stunned then-No. 1 Sandy Creek 37-29 last year.

No. 2 Peach County, 8-0/3-0, at Cairo, 6-2/3-0
The Trojans are without standout receiver Zion Hudson (leg) for likely the rest of the season, and QB Caiden Ivory hasn’t been completely healthy in awhile. But Ashton Barton has 853 yards and 13 TDs, and may get more action if the Trojans veer toward a little more running. Cairo’s losses have been to Class 5A No. 1 Thomas County Central and Class AA No. 6 Thomasville, and it’s allowed 27 points total in the last four games.

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Upson-Lee, 5-3/3-3, at Trinity Christian, 2-6/1-5
Niko Wells is 74 yards from a 1,000-yard passing season for Upson-Lee, which needs a win to solidify its playoff position, which is on the bubble. Malachi Character, one of the more underrated defensive standouts in the state, leads the Knights with 10.6 tackles a game, the defense boosted by Qualylin Mathis’ pressure and a steady secondary. Upson-Lee will try to match last year’s 40-7 win. Head coach Justin Elder is four wins behind Mike Major atop the U-L wins list.

No. 8 West Laurens, 8-0/6-0, at Aquinas, 6-2/4-2
Only three opponents have managed double figures against the Raiders, who have cracked 40 points five times. Aquinas has held only two teams to less than 10 (Bryan County and Cross Creek), but has scored 35 or more five times. Ty Cummings gets 195.4 yards on the ground for West Laurens, while Aquinas’ Turner Stevenson passes for 246.4 yards. The Raiders won the first meeting 48-38 last year. Head coach Kip Burdette is a win from reaching .500 in his fourth season. West Laurens is on target for its fourth double-digit win season in history.

Class AA
Rutland, 0-8/0-3, at Westside, 2-6/1-2
The next-to-last home game for Westside head coach Spoon Risper may be tougher than expected for a winless opponent. Rutland might have some juice after a three-game stretch against two top-10 Class AA teams and a rankable A/Division II team. Westside won 57-18 last year, but the Hurricanes are improved, even if the record doesn’t show it. The Seminoles, despite the record, are still alive for a postseason spot.

Class A/Division I
No. 11 Bleckley County, 6-2/5-2, at ACE Charter, 5-3/4-3
It’s big for both teams. Bleckley County needs a win to stay in the hunt for the top seed, and ACE needs a win over a higher-ranked team to have a shot at a home playoff game. Last yar’s game went to overtime, and that wouldn’t be a shock. ACE’s defense will be tested by QB Brody Fleming, who has 1,628 yards. He spreads it around, and the Royals have several weapons on offense. The Gryphons have battled more injuries than usual this year, but are off a solid final three quarters against Southwest, a 35-0 run after the first few minutes of the second quarter.

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No. 12T Jasper County, 8-0/4-0, at Putnam County, 5-4/3-2
The Hurricanes are amid a historic and epic season, having won eight games in two straight seasons for the first time since 1995-96. Their last region title came in 1992, an 11-2 season under longtime Mary Persons assistant Pat Burdette. The Hurricanes and War Eagles have played a whopping 66 times, with Putnam County up 38-27-1 and winners of six straight. Jasper County’s Chance Ross is at 1,106 yards rushing, helping the Hurricanes outscore opponents by a dazzling 301-94 margin.

No. 5 Northeast, 6-2/6-1, at No. 10 Dodge County, 7-1/6-1
The 2-A/Division I round-robin continues. Northeast has sights set on its first region title since 2009 and second in history, and Dodge County eyes its first since 2020 and seventh overall. The Indians lead the series 5-4, but the Raiders have won the last two 40-19 and 21-7. There are playmakers galore on both sides in this game, but keep an eye on Northeast’s Tailen Sampson and Kortnei Williams and Dodge County’s Cam Hughes and Terrance Fordham Jr. Why? Because Northeast QB Jordan Wiggins has passed for 1,634 yards with 24 TDs and 5 interceptions, and Dodge County’s Kain Mincey has 1,829 yards, 19 TDs and 6 interceptions. The run game will be key for the winner.

Social Circle, 5-3/3-1, at No. 9 Lamar County, 8-0/4-0
Lamar County had won nine of its last 10 home games the past two seasons, and hasn’t forgotten last season’s 27-7 loss to Social Circle, which knocked the Trojans into second. Head coach Travis Ellington is one win from sharing the program lead with Mark Wilson, and has the best percentage of any Lamar County coach with at least four seasons. This is only the fourth meeting of the teams.

Class A/Division II
GMC Prep, 4-4/3-0,at Wilkinson County, 2-6/2-1
The visitors have a task against the division’s leading passer, Quenterrion Stanford, whose 1,815 yards are good for 16th in the state (GHSF Daily stats). GMC is tied for first with Johnson County, while Wilkinson County is pretty much locked into at least third place, maybe better.

Hancock Central, 2-6/0-3, at Twiggs County, 0-8/0-3
The Bulldogs’ weak playoff hopes stay alive with a win. Glascock County is a game up on Hancock Central and faces undefeated Johnson County. If Hancock County wins and Glascock County loses, next week will be for a playoff spots.

Hawkinsville, 6-2/2-2, at Treutlen, 6-2/4-0
Third-year head coach Tim Suttles can improve to 20-11 with a win, the best record at Hawkinsville for a coach after 31 games since David Daniell went 20-11 en route to the 2014 state title, a 13-1 season. The Red Devils get nearly 60 more yards a game on offense, led by Martin McDonald. Nakivius Releford’s 7.1 tackles a game top the defense. Hawkinsville won last year’s meeting 27-13.

Macon County, 3-5/3-1, at Central-Talbotton, 0-6/0-4
The Bulldogs have won seven straight in the series for a 10-1 advantage, and have given up 18 points in that streak. Last year’s 19-0 win was the closest game in the run since a 36-point margin in 2023. Power-4 prospect Noah Parker averages 121.4 yards a game. Macon County is solidly in third place, with a chance for a three-way tie for first and a home playoff game.

Taylor County, 6-2/4-0, at Crawford County, 4-4/2-2
The Vikings have won 12 straight in the series for a 31-9 lead. The last really close meeting was a 50-47 win in 2019. The 39 meetings? Second-most of a Taylor County opponent and most of a Crawford County foe.

GIAA
Class 4A/3A
FPD, 6-3/2-1, at Tattnall, 0-9/0-3
The Vikings get another chance to rest some banged-up starters after a week off and with the first week of the postseason off. Tattnall’s task to avoid its first winless season in program history is beyond belief. The Trojans need 11 points to avoid the fewest points scored in a season in program history, and they need to hold the Vikings – who average 28 points – to 21 points to avoid the most points allowed in a season.

John Milledge, 7-1/3-0, at Mount de Sales, 2-7/1-2
The Trojans take the district outright with a win, which would be their sixth straight. JMA averages 345.1 yards a game as one of the more balanced teams in the state. The Trojans picked up their second win of the 2-9 season last year by topping the Cavs 28-17.

Piedmont, 5-4/2-4, at Athens Christian, 4-5/2-4
It’s a battle for fifth place in 4-4A/3A. The Cougars survived for a 13-12 win last year.

Stratford 7-2, at Calvary Christian, 5-4
Adjusting to an up-and-down October, the Eagles can clinch their first 8-win season since 2022 and set the table for a quality postseason run, as the team currently ranked No. 1 in GIAA/MaxPreps ratings. Tyler Stephens leads all GIAA rushers with 1,325 yards and 20 touchdowns. Calvary Christian brings a passing game that should give the Eagles a nice test.

Westfield, 7-2/3-0,at St. Anne-Pacelli, 4-5/1-2
The Hornets can win the district outright with a win over a team they beat 26-10 a year ago. Westfield is on a five-game winning streak, and again knows how to win late. The last three wins have been by 10 points or less.

Class AA
Brentwood, 8-1/4-0, at Gatewood, 3-6/2-2
It’s been awhile since the two rivals have had such disparate records when they met. The War Eagles have won four of the last five and lead the series 21-15. Tristan Robinson is one of the more explosive players in GIAA on both sides of the ball.

GAPPS Cherokee Christian, 3-,4 at Central Fellowship, 4-5
The Lancers step out of GIAA play with hopes to finish the regular season at .500.

Heritage-Newnan, 1-7/0-1, at Windsor, 3-6/1-1
Fresh off a win over rival Central Fellowship, the Knights eye their second two-game winning streak since returning to 11-man football since, well, their first two games in 11-man football, last year.

Robert Toombs, 4-5/1-1, at Trinity Christian 5-4/0-2
After a loss to rival Windsor, Trinity Christian is at home in hopes of avoiding a winless district season. TCS won 21-14 last year.

8-man
Covenant at Monsignor Donovan
The Rams are 10th in the power rankings and eligible for the playoffs.
Holy Spirit at John Hancock