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

Class 6A

No. 6 Houston County, 2-0, at 5A Central-Carrollton, 1-2
          Austin Stinson comes in more than halfway to 1,000 rushing yards, leading a balanced Houston County offense getting nearly 500 yards a game. More than 70 yards less than the Lions. Central has gone 12-1 in two of the last three seasons, and scored 28, 56, and 49 points to open this season. Better be a young officiating crew. This is the first meeting.

Veterans, 1-1, at 7A Forsyth Central, 0-3
          The Bulldogs went 1-9 last year, and haven’t had a winning season since 7-4 in 2018. This is Forsyth Central’s first game against a Central Georgia opponent, and it’s against a Warhawk team with some momentum and confidence, hoping for its first 2-1 start since 2023 (3-7). QB Jake Trail is getting 197.5 passing yards a game for the Warhawks.

No. 8 7A Westlake, 3-0, at Northside, 2-1
          The Eagles face a quarterback who was 11 of 17 for 310 yards and 4 scores, a receiver with 4 catches for 145 yards and 2 scores. The streak-breaking honeymoon is definitely over, but a respectable performance from Northside shouldn’t be a surprise. Quarterback Keirion Tate passed for 285 yards and had TD runs of 45, 38 and 2 yards. Athlete JaNoah Hicks added TDs of 65 yards on a pass and 50 on a throw. Westlake has commits for Pit, Mississippi State, Mississippi, and West Virginia.

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

Jones County, 0-3, at No. 8 3A Burke County, 2-1
          Corralling Ranquavious Morris will be big for Jones County. He had 104 yards total offense and 2 scores, an interception and a 76-yard fumble return for a TD. Burke County held Southeast Bulloch to 9 yards on the ground. Jones County is looking to avoid its first 0-4 start since a 1-9 season in 2005. The Greyhounds have the 11th-toughest schedule in the state, according to Maxwell, and tops in 5A.

Warner Robins, 2-1, at No. 4 7A Newton, 3-0
          The task is monumental for Warner Robins, facing a team that set a school record in scoring with its 71-7 win over Locust Grove, a new Demon opponent. Coming off a rough pass defense week, Warner Robins faces a QB who was 7 of 8 for 222 yards and 5 scores. Newton, which averages 467.7 yards on offense, has had four straight winning seasons, and has scored at least 50 points in one of its first three games in four straight seasons.

Class 4A

Westside, 1-1, at Southwest, 0-2 (Ed DeFore)
          The Seminoles lead the series 11-2, winning five straight since the Patriots’ 26-12 win in 2017, a year after upsetting the No. 6/7 Noles 8-3. Westside has doubled up Southwest in scoring, but it’s only 40-20. Points allowed is closer.

West Laurens, 1-1, at No. 12 AA Cook, 1-2
          Last week was different for the two teams. West Laurens had to storm back in the second half to beat a lower-classification team, while Cook went to visit 7A Colquitt County, where it lost 38-6. Whoever can get the passing game going – they team for less than 140 air yards a game between them – is likely to come out on top.

Class 3A

Central, 2-0, at GIAA Brookstone, 0-4
          Central’s first game against a GIAA team since 2021’s 17-7 loss to St. Anne-Pacelli comes against one that’s struggling a year after going 11-3 and reaching the GIAA 4A final. The Chargers had a week off, and are eyeing their first 3-0 start since 2016 (5-0 start, 6-4 season).

5A Perry, 1-2 at No. 6T Northeast, 1-1 (Thompson)
          Here’s a notable Central Georgia battle with teams looking to prove something. Perry plowed over Howard for its first win, while Northeast had the week off after all but giving it away in a 21-20 loss to Warner Robins. Defense and special teams will be keys with two teams owning offensive weapons. Perry has won six straight for an 8-4 lead, taking a 36-20 win in 2019.

No. 4 AA Dublin, 2-1 at Washington County, 1-2
          The Golden Hawks get an opponent angered by a home loss in which it was outgained, and gave up 20 straight points. Washington County got its first win of the season by nipping East Laurens 16-14, but it still only gets 215.3 yards on the ground, far behind Dublin’s 427, led by Jamarcus Knight’s 156 rushing yards. This is the 51st meeting, the Golden Hawks leading 33-17 but having lost eight of the last nine meetings, including 40-7 and 14-7 last year.

Class AA

ACE Charter, 3-0 at 3A Pike County, 1-1
          The line of scrimmage is where the action will be, with Pike County getting 288 yards on the ground and only 32 through the air. ACE is more balanced with 210 and 128. QB Ace Hatcher is good for 242.7 yards rushing and passing, while Pike County’s Keylan Yates is good for 116.5 on the ground. The Gryphons are eyeing their second straight 4-0 start and fourth under head coach Keith Hatcher.

No. 3 Bleckley County, 3-0, at A ECI, 1-2
          Bleckley County’s resume isn’t missing much, but it’d pick up some points with a win at ECI, a regular playoff team that has won a postseason game in eight of its last 10 visits, including during last year’s 8-4 season. This is the first meeting, Bleckley County bringing a run-game advantage led by Zyion Love on the road only three counties away.

No. 2 Fitzgerald, 2-0, at No. 13T Dodge County, 1-1
          The second half last week was much better for Fitzgerald, which turned a 7-0 halftime lead into a 28-0 win over Irwin County while Dodge County watched a 29-17 lead at the break turn into a 30-29 loss to West Laurens. They’ve played 29 times, Fitzgerald holding a 20-9 advantage after 2023’s 36-7 win. The Purple Hurricane are 11-4 under second-year coach Wesley Tankersley, who succeeded Tucker Pruitt after eight seasons).

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Putnam County, 2-0, at Oglethorpe County, 0-2
          The War Eagles are riding a running game that’s getting more than 280 yards a game to their first 2-0 start since 2021’s 12-1 year. Long something of a cellar-dwellar, the Patriots went 6-5 last year, their first winning season since 2005, a span that included nine seasons with one or zero wins.

Class A

AA Glenn Hills, 2-0, at GMC Prep, 1-1
          Glenn Hills eyes its first three-win season since 4-6 in 2019, the Spartans winning six games in the next six seasons.  Led by Christopher Alexander, the Bulldogs are getting 260 yards a game on the ground. This is the first meeting.

Hancock Central, 1-1, at Claxton, 3-0
          This is the first meeting between the teams. Claxton broke a 12-game losing streak by topping Twiggs County in the opener. The Tigers have won more than three games only one time since 2019. Hancock Central is trying to avoid its fifth straight 1-2 start. Neither team is posting stats on MaxPreps.

Manchester, 1-2, at No. 4 Macon County, 2-0
          Manchester was a slight favorite against Taylor County only to give up 301 yards and 4 touchdowns passing last week. The Bulldogs were off the week after Kha’Madj Mitchell sizzled for 221 yards and 3 scores on 14-of-18 passing. The pressure is on Manchester’s defense.

3A Rutland, 1-1 at Wilkinson County, 1-2
          What shapes up to be a good game between fairly even – and hungry – teams is now a game of uncertainty, with speculation Thursday night that Wilkinson County head coach Mack McCord had resigned. He didn’t confirm or deny it in a text reply Thursday night to The Central Georgia Sports Report. This is the first meeting.

Lake Oconee, 3-0, at Twiggs County, 1-2
          Offense is the issue for the Cobras, who face a defense that has a shutout and allowed only 19 points in three games and have topped last year’s win total. This is the first meeting.

GIAA

FPD, 3-1, at Pinewood, 0-3
          The Vikings have scored more points each week since opening with a 22-21 loss to St. Anne-Pacelli. They’ve also given up more each week, but the assorted quality of the wins is solid. Last week, the offense went off for 48 in the romp over George Walton. That’s their highest total since a 49-21 win over Marion County early in the 2024 season. The Patriots trail 11-4 in the series, losing the last three, 21-10 last year at home. FPD isn’t posting stats on MaxPreps.

Mount de Sales, 4-0, at Robert Toombs, 0-3
          The Cavs are favored on the road to go 5-0 for the first time since going 10-1 in 2019. They’ve already passed their season win total for the last three seasons, and are 35 points from passing last year’s scoring total. Benjamin Burney is passing for 155.8 yards a game, nearly half going to Bryson Harrell. Sophomores Carson McElroy and Bennie Perkins team for 16.8 tackles a game.

Stratford, 3-0 at GHSA AA Whitefield Academy, 1-1
          The Eagles head to northwest of Atlanta just outside of the Perimeter to take on a GHSA opponent for the third year in a row. At 21-6, head coach Paul Carroll is off to the second-best start after 27 games in Stratford history. Whitefield Academy is racking up more than 450 yards a game on offense, led by QB Landon Ryan, who accounts for 357.9 of those yards. Stratford’s defense is led by Aaron Jefferson (12.7 TPG, 4 sacks).

Tattnall Square, 2-2, at Strong Rock, 3-1
          The Trojans scored 82 points in their first two games, and have put up 28 in the last two. Strong Rock is off to its fourth straight 3-1 start, and getting 221 rushing yards a game. Tattnall, which isn’t posting stats on MaxPreps, will have to slow down Jake Johnson, who’s good for 165 yards a game so far.

Loganville Christian, 1-2, at John Milledge, 4-0
          The only meeting was in 2015, a 38-0 John Milledge win in the quarterfinals, the Lions’ lone loss of the year. They didn’t have another winning season until 7-4 last year. The Trojans are currently getting 38.3 points a game, giving up 9.3. Jamel Cooper, Asa Wall, and Cayden Wingfield team for 205.3 rushing yards a game, Wall with 10 TDs on the ground to go with a team-high 6.8 tackles a game. The Trojans are on a 13-game winning streak, eight in a row at home.

Westfield, 3-1, at Bulloch, 3-1
          The Hornets are creeping closer to 100 yards a game on the ground, and will need that progress to continue, with QB Brock Johnson needing support. He’s good for 184 passing and 58.5 rushing yards a game. Carter Black leads the Westfield defense with 12.8 tackles a game. Bulloch isn’t posting stats on MaxPreps. The Hornets lead the series 9-2, but Bulloch has won the last two (28-6 in 2018 and 56-0 in 2019).

Southland, 2-1, at Gatewood, 0-3
          The Gators will have a battle to avoid their second straight 0-4 start, and second under longtime head coach Jeff Ratliff. The series is tied at 3, Southland taking a 28-25 win last year in Americus.

Piedmont, 0-3, at Briarwood, 4-0
          The Cougars are off to their roughest start since 0-5 in 2022, a season that ended up 4-8. Briarwood hasn’t had a losing season since 2018.

Brentwood, 2-2, at Trinity Christian, 2-2
          Brentwood brings the balance of an offense getting 191 rushing yards and 126.8 passing yards. TCS gets 199.8 on the ground, 49 through the air. The offensive trifecta of Tristan Robinson, Baylor Cobb, and Quez Collins is among the best in AA. The Crusaders seek consistency, but they topped Augusta Prep 28-21 on the road.

Sherwood, 2-0, at Windsor, 2-1
          Jaquan Lewis racks up 132 yards a game on the ground for Windsor, which is already halfway to last year’s win total after exploding for 41 points two weeks ago. Sherwood has wins over CFCA (47-7) and Robert Toombs (28-18). The series is tied at 4, the Eagles winning the last three by 42, 44, and 42, but the last game was in 2013.

 

Idle: Baldwin, Peach County, Mary Persons, Howard, Upson-Lee, Lamar County, East Laurens, Jasper County, Hawkinsville, Taylor County, Crawford County, CFCA