Central Georgia Sports ReportComment

Central Georgia high school football scouting reports

Central Georgia Sports ReportComment
Central Georgia high school football scouting reports

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com


Class 5A

           The rankings are from the Georgia High School Football Daily composite.
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Class 5A
Veterans, 2-3, at No. 4T Houston County, 5-0
          Veterans has clearly made strides under new head coach Steve DeVoursney, but Houston County might be better than a year ago as well, despite losing key pieces. The Bears’ scoring is down a little, in part because points allowed are down and there’s no need for shootouts. Sophomore Ryan Maxwell is completing 66.9 percent of his passes for 1,194 yards, 13 touchdowns and one  interception.

Coffee, 2-3, at Northside, 0-5
          Northside is showing some progress, albeit small steps, taking Class AAA power Peach County deep into the fourth quarter. The Eagles are scoring three fewer points a game and giving up four fewer points, despite no wins this year and a 2-3 start last year. Coffee was 5-0 and ranked fourth last year when it left McConnell-Talbert with a 41-0 win.

Class 4A
Perry, 2-3, at New Hampstead, 1-4

          The Panthers haven’t been under .500 midway through the season since 2020, and they finished 8-5 with two playoff wins. New Hampstead’s first season was in 2014, and the Phoenix are seven games under .500 overall. But this is their worst start. Last year was quiet the unforgettable game, an 80-47 Perry win.

Stockbridge, 4-1/3-1, at Jones County, 3-2/2-2
          September’s not over, but it’s a weekly must-win scenario for the big regions, like this one. The Greyhounds have momentum after last week’s 43-3 win over Union Grove, which followed a got-away-from-them 28-27 loss to Ola. Both teams are balanced, but a little stronger with the pass game. Jones County has to finish better in a close game. Stockbridge, having outscored its last two opponents 109-14, is 1-1 in 1-point games.

Warner Robins, 3-2, at Wayne County, 0-5
          The Yellow Jackets have already made a coaching change with the departure last week – entering a bye - of John Mohring, out in his second year. The Yellow Jackets have been outscored 83-9 in the last two weeks. Warner Robins rolled 36-3 in last year’s meeting.

Class 3A
Baldwin, 2-2/1-1, at No. 13 West Laurens, 5-0/3-0
          The Shu will be lit before the lights come on. For one, the Raiders started counting down to kickoff before bed last Friday night, recalling how Baldwin avenged a 28-14 loss to end the regular season with a  26-24 win 10 days later in the first round of the playoffs. For another, Ty Cummings is 85 yards passing the team’s all-time rushing record of 4,243 yards, set by workhorse Darius Bradford, who ran for 1,218 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior in 2016 to end an injury-plagued career. Cumming is also on target to pass Morocko Blash (Class of 2008) in career scoring. The Braves lead the series 12-4, and have won five of the last six.

Howard, 1-4/0-3, at Aquinas, 3-1/1-1
          The Huskies have hit a wall, being outscored 145-60 in the last three games en route to their worst start since 2016. Aquinas won 43-39 last year in the next-to-last week, the game changed because of major weather issues hitting the region.

Mary Persons, 3-1/1-1, at Upson-Lee, 3-2/1-2
          Avoiding a hangover from last week’s 31-30 loss to Whitewater is the key for Upson-Lee, which got off to a bad start, took the lead, and gave up the game-tying pass on the final play of the game, the game-winning PAT following. Jy Garmon ran for 100 yards, but Nico Wells completed only 8 of 19 and had two picked off. Malachi Character had 15 tackles. The Bulldogs had the week off after a 49-35 loss to Troup. The schools are in neighboring counties, but have only played 11 times. The Knights broke a 10-game losing streak last year with a 22-20 win in three overtimes, coming days after a Upson-Lee official turned in Mary Persons for an ineligible player – a transfer from U-L – that led to forfeits and the derailing of a quality season.

Class AA
Jackson, 1-4, at Rutland, 0-4, Ed DeFore
          Through four games last year, Rutland had been outscored 168-31. This year, the margin is 97-52, with a mild schedule change (Hawkinsville for Jeff Davis), and the Hurricanes have been in three of the losses deep into the second half. Jackson lost 13-6 to Lamar County, which topped Rutland 19-14. Jackson won 26-7 last year en route to a 4-7 season.

Westside, 1-4, at No. 3 Morgan County, 5-0
          The Seminoles were in position last year for a huge upset against No. 2, but struggled with getting plays called in the final minute, in the red zone to lose 35-32. This is Westside’s worst start in program history, and the next two opponents have winning records. Morgan County is outscoring opponents by 32.8 points a game, with two wins over higher-classification teams.

Class A/Division I
ACE Charter, 4-1/3-1, at East Laurens, 1-4/1-3
          Both teams are off humbling Fridays, ACE losing 29-0 to Northeast and East Laurens falling 33-14 to Dodge County. The Falcons need an upset to stay alive in the postseason hunt, and the Gryphons need to avid the upset to stay alive for a shot at a region title. ACE continues to battle some injuries but running back Bryson Vincent is healthy, and good for 142 rushing yards.

No. 13 Bleckley County, 4-1/3-1, at Jefferson County, 0-5/0-4
          The slumping-again Warriors are better than last year, but so are the Royals, who are trading close losses for convincing wins. Bleckley County Brody Fleming is on target for a 2,000-yard passing regular season, with 1,112 yards on 50 percent completions, but with 13 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.

Central, 0-5/0-4, at Washington County, 1-4/1-3
          The Chargers are three points from passing last year’s scoring total. Washington County was 2-3 entering last year’s meeting, a 40-0 win coming off an upset of Bleckley County. The Golden Hawks are 1-4 for the first time since 2022.

Dodge County, 4-1/3-1, at Southwest, 2-3/1-3, Thompson
          The Indians have taken care of business with two 19-point since after losing to ACE, while Southwest broke a rough three-game slide with a romp over Central. Dodge County won 49-0 last year, and is a different team, led by quarterback Kain Mincey, on target for 2,000 yards passing. He has 12 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

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McNair, 1-4/0-1, at No. 9T Lamar County, 4-0
          Lamar County’s region opener comes against a visitor who opened the season giving up 69 points. The Trojans have been tested in three of four wins, so they’re ready for about anything.

Putnam County, 3-2/1-0, at Social Circle, 3-2/1-0
          Here are two of the three 1-0 teams in 4-A/I, and both are 3-2. Social Circle squeezed out a 29-22 win last year, but Putnam County leads the series 9-3.

Utopian Academy, 1-4/0-1, at Jasper County, 5-0/1-0
          Jasper County’s Chance Ross covered 198 yards and 2 touchdowns last week in a 49-7 win over Towers.  He’ll have chances for more against a team the Hurricanes beat 63-0 last year.

Class A/Division II
Crawford County, 2-3/0-2, at Central-Talbotton, 0-2
          The Eagles are on a two-game losing streak, but face a team that, for some reason, has played only two games, and has seven winless seasons this century.

GMC Prep, 1-4, at Twiggs County, 0-5
          The Bulldogs got their first win two weeks ago, dumping GIAA Creekside Christian 45-14, while Twiggs County is falling by an average of 22.4 points a game. The Cobras last 0-6 start wasn’t long ago, Twiggs County finishing 0-9 in 2023, which included a 35-12 loss to GMC to end the season.

No.9 Hawkinsville, 4-0, at No. 13 T Wheeler County, 5-0/1-0
          A big way to open the Region 4 season for Hawkinsville, facing the other perfect team in the region. Defenses have a task, with Hawkinsville’s Martin McDonald at 124.8 rushing yards a game and Wheeler County’s Alvin Ricks with 134.8. Wheeler County won 18-12 last year, Hawkinsville following that with a 4-1 end to the regular season. The is the Red Devils’ best start since 7-0 in the state championship season of 2014.

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Macon County, 2-4/2-0, at Schley County, 3-3/2-0
          Macon County appears to have righted the ship after an 0-4 start, and now the Bulldogs battle the team also 2-0 in region play. The teams have the same common region opponents so far – Crawford County and Chattahoochee County – and the Bulldogs outscored the two 94-35 to 56-21 for the Wildcats.

Wilkinson County, 0-5, at Glascock County, 1-4
          The Warriors are trying to avoid their first 0-6 start since doing the same in 2019, a 2-8 season. Wilkinson County is 3-0 in the series, all the wins in the last three years, 34-32 last year.

GIAA
Class 4A/3A
Bulloch, 4-1, at Tattnall, 0-5
          The defending AAAA champs’ only loss is to John Milledge, 27-18 on Sept. 12. The Trojans hope to avoid their third straight shutout.

AA Heritage-Newnan, 1-5, at Piedmont, 2-2
          Last year’s meeting was a weather casualty. The teams haven’t played since 2006-07, 42-14 and 41-7 Piedmont wins.

Mount de Sales, 1-5, at FPD, 4-2
          The Cavs were 3-3 at this point a year ago, and are 9 points from the same record. The Vikings are 5-1 at the same time in 2024, and are coming off a 33-22 loss at Westfield. FPD is battling a few injuries and Mount de Sales is adjusting to some personnel moves, too. FPD has more weapons, but is unlikely to repeat last year’s 45-3 win.

Pinewood Christian, 3-3, at Westfield, 3-2
          The Hornets have momentum, coming off a solid 33-22 win over FPD, breaking a two-game losing streak. They responded to last year’s 28-23 loss to FPD with a 39-9 win over Pinewood, which went on to finish a 2-8 season. Brock Johnson is passing for 162 yards a game and Jackson Hair running for 101 for Westfield.

Stratford, 5-0, at John Milledge, 4-1
          One of the best games in the area also pits a pair of former college football standouts, J.T. Wall (fullback at Georgia) and Paul Carroll (linebacker at Georgia Southern). Fancy isn’t much part of either’s vocabulary. Stratford is off its best Friday night, a 41-14 thumping of Brookstone, another of the state’s top GIAA teams. John Milledge got the expected battle from AA state champ Brentwood in a 3-point win. This meeting will bear no resemblance to last year’s 42-7 Stratford win.

Class AA
Augusta Prep, 1-4, at Gatewood 1-4
          The Gators finally got a win two weeks ago, coming back to edge 4A Mount de Sales, then having last week off. Augusta Prep has sandwiched two losses around its win, 22-14 over Windsor. Weather took out last year’s meeting.

Brentwood, 5-1, at Briarwood 3-2
          The War Eagles are likely to be firing on all cylinders after last week’s 31-28 loss to 3A John Milledge, ending the perfect season. Last year’s game was a weather victim. Briarwood won 21-6 in the playoffs and 35-27 in the regular season in 2023. The Bucs are on a two-game losing streak.

Trinity Christian, 5-1, at Central Fellowship, 2-4
          The Crusaders are eyeing their first 6-1 start since they went 10-2 in 2007 under Steve Price, led by standout running back/defender Colby Jackson. Trinity Christian won 21-7 last year, breaking a two-game losing streak.

8-man
John Hancock at Westminster-Augusta