Central Georgia Sports ReportComment

Central Georgia HS football scouting reports

Central Georgia Sports ReportComment
Central Georgia HS football scouting reports

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

           Rankings are from the Georgia High School Football Daily Composite poll. Stats are mostly based on what teams report to MaxPreps.

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Class 6A

Tift County, 3-2/0-1, at Houston County 2-2
          The Bears get a lot more yards than the Blue Devils, but are giving up more points. Tift County’s defense will have quite the challenge in slowing down Austin Stinson (292.3 rushing ypg) and Ryan Maxwell (232.5 passing ypg). Does Tift County have enough offense to get a shootout going? Is this the needed game for Houston County’s defense to bow up?

Veterans, 4-1/1-0, at No. 1 Thomas County Central, 5-0/1-0
          There will be smiles before the game, TCC head coach Justin Rogers having worked for Veterans head coach Steve DeVoursney at Griffin when the Bears had a perfect 15-0 season in 2015. Now, Rogers is dealing perfect seasons in Thomasville while DeVoursney is trying to build in Kathleen. Those signs of progress will be hard to show against the growing dynasty.

 

Class 5A

Locust Grove, 1-5/0-2, at Warner Robins, 4-2/2-0
          The Demons are almost a new team since the stunning 70-14  thrashing by Newton, winning 69-29 and 55-0 since then. Neither team is updating stats publicly. Locust Grove has had one game allowing less than 49 points. The Demons lead the series 6-1.

Union Grove, 1-4/0-1, at No. 13T Jones County, 3-3/2-0
          The Wolverines are not getting the Greyhounds at a good time to find their second win of the season. Jones County has rushed for 616 yards in its last two games, including 146 in knocking off top-10 Ola. Travis Miller and Laquan Pendleton are averaging 8.6 yards a carry. The Greyhounds are still working on the passing game, and aren’t posting any defensive stats. Union Grove QB T Sharpe is completing 51.5 percent for 2664.6 yards a game.

Class 4A

No. 8T Mary Persons, 3-2/1-1, at No. 2T Peach County, 5-0/2-0
          With a pair of teams combining for 853 yards, yes, defense will be the difference. Can Mary Persons slow down Ashton Barton (137.6 ypg, 12 TDs) enough to put some pressure on the passing game, which has only 5 more touchdowns than interceptions from starter Caiden Ivory, who has completed 59.5 percent of his passes? What will Peach County do against versatile athlete CJ Banks, who ran for 125 yards – and had 16 tackles - last week? The Bulldogs just battled Troup – tied with Peach County in composite rankings – and lost on the final play, so they’re likely ready for the big stage, but whether that’s enough is the key. Peach County hasn’t slowed down much. The Trojans lead the series 12-8, losing 13-7 at Mary Persons in 2023.

Upson-Lee, 0-5/0-2, at No. 13 Baldwin, 4-1/1-1
          The Knights are struggling in all phases, and the Braves are pretty much clicking in all phases, getting 517.2 yards a game to 136.4 for Upson-Lee. Kamden Patterson is averaging 343.4 yards passing a game and is 283 yards from 2,000 for the season. He’s clicking 76.7 percent of the time with 20 touchdowns and two picks. Jazz Lamar leads the defense with 8 tackles a game, while Deontay Yarber has 5.5 tackles for loss.

West Laurens, 2-3/1-0, at New Hampstead, 1-4/0-1
          West Laurens is still trying to get going on offense, and gets 25 fewer yards a game than New Hampstead (West Laurens hasn’t input all stats yet), which is led by QB Antonio Benton, who passes for 204 yards a game. This is the first meeting.

Editor’s note: Thanks to FPD, John Milledge, and Dublin for sending game information Friday night to The Central Georgia Sports Report., and Perry on Saturday.

Class 3A

Central, 3-2/1-1, at Pike County, 3-2/2-0
          Pike County has things going pretty well, especially on the ground where the Pirates get 301.8 yards a game. The Pirates, who lead the series 6-2, are on target for their first winning season since 2018.

Cross Creek, 0-5/0-1, at Washington County, 2-3/1-0
          Led by Marderius Poole, the Golden Hawks have a solid advantage on the ground, and are still trying to click through the air. Washington County has a good chance for some momentum against a team it leads 7-1 in the series.

No. 17 Lamar County, 3-2/1-1, at Southwest, 0-5/0-2, 5:30 p.m.
          The Trojans were stung pretty hard in their last visit to Macon, with the 31-9 loss last week to Northeast. Southwest has some speed, but nowhere near the across-the-board talent of Northeast, so Lamar County will be ready to roll with a deep rushing attack and defense led by Josiah Chambers.

Class AA

No. 7 Bleckley County, 4-1/0-1, at No. 11T Swainsboro, 2-3/1-0
          The teams are pretty balanced, with the Royals owning a solid edge in passing, with Brody Fleming (63.1 percent, 10 TDs, 1 INT). Zyion Love is an underrated athlete with 531 rushing yards and 22 catches. Bleckley County is getting over a 27-21 loss at home to Dublin, while Swainsboro handled East Laurens 42-13. The Tigers lead the series 10-4.

East Laurens, 1-4/0-1, at No. 15 ACE, 5-0/1-0
          The Gryphons are on a nice roll in all phases, giving up just 28 points on the road in their last two games, while winning while scoring a lot or not. QB Ace Hatcher is having a monster senior season, getting 108.4 rushing yards a game to go with 125.8 passing yards, 5 TD passes and no interceptions with 8 scores on the ground. The foursome of Stephen Grogan, Will Dixon, Jack Perry, and William Winters all average at least 10.3 tackles a game, Perry adding 3 interceptions. The Falcons are under .500 after 5 games for the fifth straight season. The series is tied at 1, East Laurens winning 28-14 last year after a 1-4 start.

Josey, 1-4/0-2, at No. 13T Jasper County, 3-2/2-0
          The Hurricanes scored 30 points last week in a 2-point win over Laney. Josey had 30 points in 5 games, and has been outscored 171-30. The series is tied at 1, but they haven’t played since 2005. Jasper County QB Wailer Sands is completing 52.2 percent of his passes, and has 689 yards. Cope Durand leads the defense with 9.4 tackles a game, while Wayne Latibeaudiere has a team-high 10.5 tackles. Josey is posting no stats this season.

Putnam County, 4-1/1-1, at Jefferson County, 2-3/1-1
          Jefferson County faces one of the better run games in the area, Putnam County averaging 245 yards a game behind 105 yards weekly from Kumari Thomas, who has 8 of the team’s 17 rushing touchdowns. Putnam County is posting no defensive stats.

Vidalia, 2-3/0-1, at No. 13T Dodge County, 2-2
          The Indians have ridden QB Kain Mincey (215 ypg) but will need to bolster the run game, as do the Indians from Vidalia. Dodge County’s losses have been to West Laurens and Fitzgerald, while Vidalia has been beaten by Jeff Davis, Toombs County, and ACE Charter. Dodge County leads the series 8-7, but Vidalia has won three straight, including 32-13 last year.

Class A

Glascock County, 1-4/0-1, at Twiggs County, 1-4/0-1
          The Panthers lead the series 4-2, winning four straight and scoring at least 43 points. Twiggs County won the first two, in 2014 and 2021. Both teams are in long slumps. Glascock County has had one winning season since starting in 1978, and nine winless seasons. Twiggs County has gone winless four times since its last winning season, 8-4 in 2016 under current head coach Ashley Harden, in his second stint.

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No. 1 Johnson County, 5-/1-0, at Wilkinson County, 2-3/1-0
          The Trojans bring 453 yards a game to Wilkinson County, which is managing nearly 200. Johnson County head coach Don Norton started with the Trojans in 2007, and has yet to have a losing season, going 11-1 last year and 13-1 in 2022. They lead the series 20-14, winning 8 straight.

Jenkins County, 1-4/1-0, at Hancock Central, 1-3
          The Bulldogs have scored only 36 points so far, less than half of the War Eagles’81 points. It’s been awhile since they’ve played, 1978-1981, and it’s tied at 2. Hancock Central isn’t posting any stats.

Hawkinsville, 2-3/1-0, at Wheeler County, 1-3
          Both teams have strong run games, so the passing game may be the difference. Wheeler County runs for 276.5 yards a game, Hawkinsville for 173.8, but they team for barely 130 yards passing. The Red Devils’ defense, led by Williams Robinson, has a job in slowing down Malik Madison, who averages 110.5 yards a game.

No. 14 Schley County, 4-1/1-0, at Crawford County, 0-5/0-1
          The Eagles are halfway to their first winless season since 2020, and Schley County leads the series 5-1, winning every meeting since 2017, but only 28-21 last year. Crawford County isn’t posting any stats.

No. 3 Taylor County, 5-0/1-0, at No. 4T Macon County, 4-0
          One would expect both sets of stands to be full not long after 7 p.m., considering it’s a battle of top-5 neighbors, and with new head coaches. This is the fourth time both teams have been ranked, Macon County winning the first three by an average of 39-23. The defenses will have some serious challenges. Taylor County QB Leland Holder is completing 66.7 percent for 1,061 yards, 11 TDs and no picks, Qua Pinkard with 22 catches for 499 yards and 6 scores. Georgia commit Noah Parker has 667 rushing yards and 9 scores, of Macon County’s 13 on offense. The Vikings have more balance, with RB Dakobe Henry, the Bulldogs throwing only a few times a game. Macon County leads the series 20-9, and has won 11 straight, dating back to Taylor County’s 7-0 win in 2013. Macon County is on its fourth head coach since then, Taylor County on its fifth.

GIAA

Frederica, 2-4, at Stratford, 5-1
          The Eagles are nearing the stage of “the only team that can beat Stratford is Stratford,” but the defending state champs are having major issues with penalties, something they’ll survive until the regular-season finale against John Milledge shows up. Frederica, which isn’t updating stats, does have an attention-getting 22-13 win two weeks ago over visiting FPD, with its second-highest point total of the year. The Knights have a slew of offensive and defensive weapons from Stratford to deal with.

FPD 4-3/0-1, at John Milledge, 6-0
          As John Milledge rolled through competition in recent years, FPD gave the Trojans two tough games (27-22 in 2023 and 34-17 last year). John Milledge is in familiar territory, but has had two battles in its last three games, including an 11-point victory over 1-win Brookstone. That’s only likely to tighten things up, even with a rebuilding FPD team coming to town. FPD isn’t posting updated stats this season. The Trojans may not be quite as explosive as in recent years, but they again have several weapons on offense and a balanced defense, more than just do-it-all Asa Wall, who has 18 touchdowns and is still missing one on defense.

Terrell, 1-3, at Central Fellowship, 0-5
          Terrell  has been competitive in two of its losses, including falling by 7 last week to Baconton Charter. CFCA, which isn’t updating stats, remains in rebuilding mode with a new staff. The Lancers leads the series 2-1, winning 17-6 in 2023.

Tiftarea, 3-3, at Westfield 3-3
          The Hornets are still looking for a full-fledged running game to emerge, and face a balanced Panthers team led by RB Seth Royal’s 120.2 yards a game. Brock Johnson runs for 55 yards and passes for 186 yards for the Hornets. The game pits two serious veteran head coaches. Erik Soliday has been a head coach since 1989, and is in his seventh program, a list that includes Perry. Westfield’s Chad Campbell has been a boss since 2007.

Brentwood, 5-2/2-0, at Edmund Burke, 6-0/1-0
          Waynesboro is a good place to be for a battle of two of the state’s better GIAA programs, each with state championships in recent years. Brentwood has brought hardware home to Sandersville in 2021, 2024, and 2025, while Edmund Burke brandished titles in 2023 and 2024. Noah and Sam Hickman team for 747 and 518 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, Noah completing 64.4 percent of his passes, albeit only 9 attempts a game. Sam is second with 6.5 tackles a game, just behind Ryan Reddick. The War Eagles offer more weapons, from versatile QB Baylor Cobb (651 passing and 246 rushing yards, accounting for 12 touchdowns) to athlete Tristan Robinson (478 yards and 9 touchdowns rushing to small-frame big-play receiver Quez Collins (295 receiving yards, 4 TDs). Jacob Hoks leads a balanced defense. Brentwood leads the series 28-11-2, winning seven of the last eight.

Gatewood, 3-3, at Flint River, 3-2
          The Gators and Wildcats have a nice underrated rivalry going, Gatewood leading 16-11-1 after winning the last two following a 4-game losing streak, including falling 97-0 in a two-game stretch. Landon Moreno leads a deep Gatewood run game with 63.2 yards a game and 4 score. The Gators have scored and given up the same amount of points, 162.

Piedmont, 1-3, at St. Andrews, 1-4
          The Cougars got into the win column last week, 26-16 over Flint River, scoring nine points than they had the first three games. They were last 1-3 in 2023 and beat CFCA to break the streak. Piedmont, which isn’t posting stats this season, lost the only meeting, 28-0 in 2018.

Trinity Christian, 2-4, at Windsor, 4-1
          The Crusaders are struggling, and the Knights are rolling. Windsor is good for 325.2 yards a game, led by 126.6 yards on the ground from Jaquan Lewis and 134.4 through the air from Heath Woodard. Hunter McGreggor leads the Windsor defense with 9.4 tackles a game, while Willis Odom has 12 tackles for loss.

Idle: Northside, Perry, Dublin, GMC, Mount de Sales, Tattnall