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

          Listed are the GHSA’s postseason rankings first, and any Georgia HS Football Daily composite rankings.Stats are mostly based on what teams report to MaxPreps.

🏈🏈🏈GHSA🏈🏈🏈

Class 6A

No. 18 Houston County, 5-5, at No. 15 Kell, 8-2
          Houston County has won at least one playoff game every year since Jeremy Edwards  took over, and will need the defense to step up to keep that streak going. Kell and Houston County score the same, but Kell allows 14 fewer points. Granted, that’s also against a less challenging schedule. Both teams are balanced, and a key is the Bears and RB Austin Stinson, and keeping the defense off the field.

No. 31 Northside, 3-7, at No. 2 Lee County, 9-1
          The Eagles’ lone shutout this year came at the hands of the Trojans, at the Mac. They last battled in the post season 2018. Lee County hasn’t been challenged since it followed up the 49-26 loss to Thomas County Central with a 15-6 win at Coffee. The Eagles are in the postseason for the first time since 2023.

No. 32 Veterans, 4-6, at No. 1 Thomas County Central, 10-0
          Thomas County Central has given up 62 points to region opponents this season. Veterans managed 12 in the 43-point loss on Oct. 2. The Yellow Jackets have given up 24 in the four games since then. TCC has won 25 straight since losing 28-12 in a 2024.quarterfinal. Veterans is in its first 11th game since 2021.

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 5A
No. 17 Lithonia, 6-4, at No. 22/16 Jones County, 6-4
          Region 2’s top seed has scored at least 50 in three of their last four games, surviving the 45-20 loss to Perry to get the top seed over Ola. It’s an odd year when the Greyhounds are only 4-2 at home, but they have some momentum. So does Lithonia, which followed a four-game losing streak – including a respectable 35-7 loss at Thomas County Central and 22-8 at Lowndes. The Bulldogs have only one first-round win on the resume, and that came last year over Griffin. Led by Travis Miller, the hosts have a solid edge in the run game, key with a passing game at 50 percent and 119 yards a game. A steady air attack is key.

No. 27 Warner Robins, 6-4, at No. 8 Jefferson, 8-2
          The roller coaster ride that is Warner Robins followed losses to Ola and Jones County with a rousing comeback win over Perry, having encapsulated everything in football in the last three games. The Demons face a team that challenged Peach County on the road and followed that 7-point loss with five straight shutouts, giving up only 7 in the sixth game. The Dragons get almost 200 yards on the ground weekly with a deep backfield, two Dragons teaming for 1,207 yards and 16 touchdowns. Warner Robins isn’t posting stats.

No. 31 Perry, 5-5, at No. 2 Cartersville, 10-0
          That loss to Warner Robins stung, for it put Perry in the sights of one of the state’s top programs, and it stopped a quality run the Panthers were on, with four straight blowouts. Just when Perry was in the ‘teams to watch out for” folder, they go up against a team that’s played nearly 80 games as an AJC No. 1 and has only one first-round loss. The Purple Hurricanes’ closest win was 49-13 over West Forsyth, and nobody has scored more than 14. Perry is 101 yards from 2,000 rushing for 2026.

Class 4A Saturday
Scouting reports will be posted Saturday
No. 32 East Jackson, at No. 1 Peach County, 10-0, 2 p.m.
No. 25 Harlem, 6-4, at No. 8 Baldwin, 7-3, 4 p.m.
No. 19 North Clayton, 7-3, at No. 11 Mary Persons, 6-4
No. 17 Westover, 7-3, at No. 20 West Laurens, 6-4, 7:30 p.m.
No. 23 Howard, 5-5, at No. 10 Calhoun, 6-4, 6 p.m.

Class AAA

No. 22 Thomson, 5-5, at No. 11 Northeast, 9-1
          Thomson isn’t a normal 5-5 team, a program that has won a first-round game every year since 2015, winning the 2022 state championship. But this is Thomson’s first road opener since 2018 when it topped Upson-Lee 34-28. The Bulldogs have reached the last two quarterfinals, while the Raiders have made the final and a quarterfinal. Northeast is 5-2 in first-round games under Jeremy Wiggins. The Raiders get 424.6 yards a game to 288.8 for the Bulldogs, who must slow down Jordan Wiggins, passing for 272.9 yards a game. Northeast’s run game and special teams will be huge keys.

No. 17 Worth County, 5-4, at No. 16 Lamar County, 7-3
The host Trojans will need a quality defensive effort against QB Lyndon Worthy, who passes for 197.6 yards a game. Bryson Johnson has 13 sacks for the Trojans, who have only three interceptions. Jayden Doctor leads Lamar County’s run game with 635 yards a game, with 9 touchdowns. The defending Class A, Division I champs went 15-0 last year, including a 38-35 win over Bleckley County in the second round. It was surprise for a team that had a playoff drought from 2017-2021.
No. 29 Washington County, 4-6, at No. 4 Rockmart, 8-2
          The Golden Hawks will need their best game of the season against a team that gets 370.6 yards a game, 139.2 through the air behind Charlie Cannon. Rockmart is under first-year head coach and former Warner Robins Demon Richard Fendley, Jr., who took over after a huge run at Bowdon. Rockmart has four straight 10-win seasons on its resume, reaching the quarterfinals last year and semis in 2024.

Class AA

No. 30 Jefferson County, 3-7, at No. 3 Bleckley County, 8-2
          The teams have played the last four years, Bleckley County winning by 20, 40, 32, and 50. Jefferson County is in the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and reached the semis in 2020. The Dragons face what might be Von Lassiter’s best team since taking over in 2017. They’re averaging 34.5 points on offense and giving up 14.3. Bleckley County has won six straight first-round games.

No. 29 Vidalia, 2-8, at No. 4 Dublin, 9-1
          Dublin has had to play five four-quarter games. Vidalia was not one of them, the Irish rolling 48-6 on Oct. 30. Vidalia has lost 6 straight, with only two winnable games in there, against ACE and East Laurens. The Indians have scored only 6 points in the last 2 games. Dublin gets 372.1 yards a game on the ground, to 175 yards total offense for Dublin.

No. 22 ACE Charter, 5-5 at No. 11 Jasper County, 6-4
          The Gryphons don’t have a long trip, and they’re pretty even with the hosts. But ACE Charter is on a staggering 5-game losing streak, with only 2 losses by single digits. The mental outlook of the Gryphons will be interesting. Jasper County has had a nice season under new coach Dondrial Pinkins, maintaining the momentum started by Ashley Henderson. The Hurricanes won 41-31 in the playoffs two years ago at home. ACE has to click on the passing game and keep turnovers to a minimum and less painful. Jasper County is playing good defense, and is off a 35-6 win over Jefferson County.

No. 18 Dodge County, 5-5, at No. 15 Berrien, 6-4
          The Indians carry a little momentum into the game after beating ACE Charter to break a 3-game losing streak, including a stunning 52-13 loss to Swainsboro. They’re riding the arm of Kain Mincey, who’s good for 219.2 yards a game. Counterpart Cash Perkins runs for 122.2 yards and passes for 91.5. Kawaski Robinson’s 11.1 tackles lead the Dodge County defense. The Indians outscore opponent by 5.6 points a game while the Rebels are even. Berrien is in the postseason for the sixth time this century, and beat Lamar County on the road in last year’s first round.

No. 19 Pepperell, 5-5, at No. 14 Putnam County, 7-3
          The game features a pair of 100-yard runners, Pepperell’s Dwight Chatman with 104 yards a game and Putnam County’s Kumari Thomas with 123.2. Putnam County is hosting its first playoff game in 4 years in its eighth straight trip. The War Eagles’ last playoff win was 30-6 over Toombs County in the 2022 first round.  Pepperell won 3 playoff games last year, including 28-17 over Jasper County on the road.

No. 28 East Laurens, 3-7, at No. 5 Jeff Davis, 9-1
          One bonus for East Laurens that could keep this close for a bit is some recent experience with the Wing-T, playing Dublin tough for three quarters last week before losing 56-28. Jeff Davis and former Dublin assistant Lance Helton are 9-1 against a good schedule. This is East Laurens’ seventh postseason trip since the last win, in 2000. Jeff Davis leads the series 14-5, last winning 43-0 in 2021

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Class A

No. 30 Seminole County, 3-7, at No. 3 Taylor County, 9-1

The Vikings are favored to break their seven-game first round losing streak, dating back to 2016. Seminole County squeaked in after beating Terrell County 33-6 to break a 3-game losing streak. Taylor County has two shutouts and two 50-point games since losing 21-20 to Macon County. QB Leland Holder passes for 240.9 yards a game, and Alec Rubio gets 6 stops a game.
No. 26 Early County, 4-6, at No. 7 Macon County, 9-1

The Bulldogs haven’t been challenged since the 26-20 overtime loss to Schley County on Oct. 9, winning by a minimum of 26 points since then. Early County warmed up in the second half of the season, and lost 2 by 9 points, bringing a level of confidence to Montezuma. Stopping Noah Park, who’s getting 151.4 yards a game, will test that confidence, and the defense.
No. 20 Hawkinsville, 5-5, at No. 13 Schley County, 8-2

The Red Devils are hard to figure out, which may be a positive at this point. They’re at .500, getting outscored by 1.1 points a game, and have 3 losses by 13 points or less. They came back last week to beat Telfair County on the road. Schley County beat Hawkinsville 27-19 in early September to start a 6-game winning streak.  

    GIAA     

Class AAAA
No. 5 St. Anne-Pacelli, 7-4, at No. 1. Stratford, 9-2
          St. Anne-Pacelli is more than happy to make that dark and winding trip back to Macon, after taking out FPD for the second time this season. The series is split at 3 all, Stratford winning three straight, all in August. Pacelli took a 10-0 late-fall win in 2022 for the state title. Stratford won 49-17 at the start of the 2025 championship season, and is outscoring opponents by 27.4 points a game, almost 10 more points than a year ago. But the Eagles are more explosive than the Vikings were last week. Stratford outscores opponents by 27.4, St. Anne-Pacelli by 1.9. The visitors, though, are more used to four-quarter game, and will have to bow up against the balanced Stratford offense to be competitive into the second half.

Class AAA

No. 3 Tiftarea, 6-5, at No. 1 John Milledge, 11-0
          There might be some memories for the two teams here. Tiftarea took advantage of John Milledge’s down year and beat the Trojans twice in 2024, winning 46-21 early in the season and 35-21 in the playoffs. John Milledge is back, though, and answered a test by Stratford with a 42-0 win over Lakeview. Tiftarea is 0-5 at Trojan Field, and is off a 28-25 loss to Terrell Academy.

No. 3 Athens Christian, 8-3, at No. 2 Westfield, 8-3
          Westfield’s defense has held 3 of the last 4 opponents to 7 points, and has won 5 straight, with one four-quarter game, a 14-7 win over Deerfield-Windsor. Athens Christian is coached by former Atlanta Falcons wideout Terence Mathis, and has won 4 straight. This is the Eagles first playoff trip since 2023, when they made it despite going winless. This is their highest win total since 1987, and they’ve won at Bethlehem Christian, throwing two straight road shutouts late in the year.