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.

GIAA

Second Round
Class 4A
9. Calvary Christian, 6-5, at 1. Stratford, 8-2
The teams played two weeks ago, Stratford turning in a solid 34-7 road win in the Eagles’ first full game without stellar running back Tyler Stephens, who suffered an ACL injury early in the romp over Mount de Sales. Stratford is 4-0 and Calvary Christian 2-2 against mutual opponents Stratford, Tattnall, Brookstone, and St. Anne-Pacelli, the Knights losing to Brookstone 25-12 and Pacelli 24-7. Calvary Christian has a passing edge of 50 yards a game, led by QB Braxton Wilkinson. Freshman Aaron Jefferson has taken over for Stephens (1,325 yards in 9 games) and averages 8.4 yards a carry with a more power game than Stephens. Jefferson gets 7.4 tackles a game at LB, just behind Maddox Whitehead’s 8. Stratford is trying to break a two-game first-round losing streak, having fallen to Strong Rock 21-12 two years ago and Brookstone 33-28 last year. Stratford’s last title-game appearance was in 2022, the first one since 2013.

CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE

This week
🏈 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
🏈 GHSA GIAA playoff master schedule/results
🏈 Central Georgia rankings
🏈 First HS football coaching casualty of 2025: Central's Laws on-field successes minimal, but off-field progress notable
🏈 Monday Morning Quarterback: Whoopdeo do, the first college rankings are out, which means a big “soooo what”; Good stat stuff/surprises; Loughdmouthings
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Last week
🏈 Roundup: Houston County gets home game, Northside awakens; Clutch night for Warner Robins; Washington County holds on, Dublin survives Dodge County, Lamar County wins battle of unbeatens
🏈 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: Will this Atlanta turkey of a season have a coaching change by Thanksgiving?; Bears are ballin’ at Mercer; Loughdmouthings
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
🏈 Stratford, Brentwood get top seeds for GIAA playoffs (pairings, rankings)

Two weeks ago
🏈 Roundup: Warner Robins stuns Ware County; Jones County surprised in 2 OT; Peach County upset; West Laurens stays perfect; Northeast nears rare title; Brentwood bops rival; CFCA, Windsor hit 50
🏈 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: 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

6. Strong Rock, 6-4, at 3. FPD, 7-3
The Patriots are in their 18th season, and fourth straight postseason. And they face the Vikings in the playoffs for the third consecutive November. FPD won 28-13 last year and 23-13 in 2023. Strong Rock is scoring 8 more points a game and giving up 4 fewer than last year. FPD has matched last season’s scoring average, but allows 4.4 more points. Strong Rock’s Jake Johnson gets 120.5 rushing yards a game. The Vikings have had weekly personnel adjustments because of health, and survived. They’ll be healthier than in weeks, especially with RB/DB Brady McHugh. Freshman Cash Walker has performed better than expected at quarterback as Major Simmons recovers from a concussion-like situation incurred back on Oct.3. Graham Moore, Cash Hickman, and McHugh team for 21.6 tackles a game for a defense that’s held teams to 10 points or less in the seven wins. Kicker Dominic Economopolous is perfect on PATs and is 8 of 9 on field goals.

Class AAA
9. Piedmont, 7-4 at 1. John Milledge, 9-1
The Trojans went winless in the postseason for the first time since 2010 in 2024’2 2-9 dropoff. JMA went 4-5 that year, the last time the Trojans kicked off without J.T. Wall in charge. They’ve won five state titles and played for two more since then, and are considered the top GIAA team in any classification. Javaris Hurt leads a deep rushing attack with 72.6 yards a game, and Lewis Cheney is good for 181.7 passing yards. Sophomore athlete Asa Wall has committed to Georgia. Piedmont is not posting stats on MaxPreps this season. The Cougars are in their second season in AAA after a few decades in AA that included championship-game visits in 2019-21 and titles under Rhett Farmer in 2010-11.

6. Tiftarea, 4-5, at 3. Westfield, 7-3
The safest bet here is that this game goes down to the wire. The Hornets are plus 8.1 in scoring margin this season, the Panthers minus 2.2. And the Panthers pulled off a mild upset 20-19 over Westfield in mid September. But they’re only 2-3 since then while Westfield is 5-1, being surprised 28-16 at St. Anne-Pacelli two weeks ago. Westfield gets 296.1 yards a game to 298.8 for Tiftarea and veteran head coach Erik Soliday (236-181-3 in his 37th season, including a stop at Perry). Quarterback Brock Johnson is racking up 154.3 yards passing per game for Westfield, which is 10-2 at home the last two seasons.

Class AA
8. Windsor, 5-6, at 1. Brentwood, 9-1
Heath Woodard is on a roll for Windsor with 175.5 yards passing a game, having set the school record for completions and yards (24/409) in a 51-35 win over Heritage. But Brentwood counters with multiple weapons, led by quarterback Baylor Cobb and athlete Tristan Robinson. The War Eagles have scored at least 30 points in all but three of their last 32 games, averaging 41.7 last year en route to the AA championship.

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5. Trinity Christian, 5-5, at 4.Briarwood, 7-3
Jakob Sahli has takem over the main rushing chores for Trinity Christian since the loss of Wade Register (110 ypg) in September, but the Crusaders get less than 40 yards a game passing. Cody Register is still roaming around on defense and is good for 9.1 tackles a game and has 14 tackles for loss. Briarwood gets almost 140 more yards a game than Trinity Christian, having right the ship after a three-game losing streak that included losses to Windsor and Brentwood.

6. Central Fellowship, 5-5, at 3. Southland, 6-4
The Lancers have worked in adjusting to injuries throughout the lineup and finished the regular season on a 3-1 run marred by a 16-14 loss to rival Windsor. Judson Walls, one of the walking wounded, averages 134.6 yards rushing a game while Levi Pierce leads a balanced defense, Brandon Hubbard leading with 9 tackles for loss. Southland isn’t updating stats on MaxPreps, but CFCA knows it’ll have to deal with the Raiders’ wing-T offense that head coach Chance Jones ran at Tattnall and Stratford en route to a 44-25 record in six seasons with the Trojans and Eagles.

7. Gatewood,4-7, at 2. Southwest Georgia, 7-3
The Gators kept alive their streak of winning at least one postseason game every year since 2012 last week, but they’re still have their fourth losing season in the last five years. Southwest Georgia is one of its best runs, coming off a 28-6 championship-game loss to Brentwood. The Gators lead the series 5-4-1, but the Warriors broke a five-game losing streak with last year’s 46-13 win in the playoffs.