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.

🏈🏈🏈GHSA🏈🏈🏈     

Class 6A

No. 8 7A Westlake, 4-0, at No 13T Houston County, 2-1
          Head’s up, defenses. These teams combine for 643 yards on the ground and 420 through the air. A game. Total: 1,063 yards. Austin Stinson is about 4 carries (52 yards at 13.9 yards a carry) from 1,000 (27-411-4 plus 100-yard kick return last week), so focus on him likely opens up the passing game. Westlake was in a tie-game battle last week with Northside, but got its footing and pulled away in the fourth quarter. Winning defense – fundamentals, as always, and the key stand late - wins this game.

Veterans, 2-1, at 3A Sumter County, 1-3
          There’s more momentum floating around Kathleen than in awhile, albeit not necessarily against the toughest schedule, But taking care of business consistently is a quality step up. Avoiding overconfidence is, too, and Sumter County – which isn’t posting stats on MaxPreps – went 22-4 the past two seasons.

Class 5A

Jones County, 1-3, at Locust Grove, 1-3
          It was a good week for Jones County, breaking into the win column with a solid 35-0 win over a solid Burke County team. Locus Grove at the time was losing 51-33 to Whitewater, which is n 3-5A and undefeated. The Greyhounds have some momentum after a pretty brutal opening stretch against 7A Valdosta, 4A Peach County, and 6A Houston County, a combined 9-1. The Greyhounds are a little one-dimensional and look to start boosting the passing game a little. Locust Grove isn’t updating stats on MaxPreps.

No. 8T Ola, 3-1, at Perry, 1-3
          This may be teams going in different directions. Ola hammered Starr’s Mill 54-0 on Caden Way’s 157-yard/3-interception night and efficient but explosive passing. Perry went from a lead to a big deficit in falling 58-40 to 3A Northeast. The Panthers have to start converting yards into points and slowing the opposition from doing the same. Perry has given up 63, 41, and 58 in the losses while scoring 88 points the last two games.

Warner Robins, 2-2, at Union Grove, 1-3
          The Demons have been outscored 102-24 the past two weeks. Very good time for another road game (without a notable crowd on either side). Union Grove has scored 52 more points than Warner Robins and given up only 3 more. The Wolverines took their own buttkicking two weeks ago, losing 70-27 to Jackson and giving up a state record nine touchdowns to Danarri Brown. They responded with a 58-12 rout over Salem last week for their first win. Tristin Sharpe is good for 242.8 yards a game passing, 151.3 to Jarious Hamm. Warner Robins isn’t posting stats to MaxPreps.

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 4A

No. 9 Baldwin, 3-0, at Howard, 1-2
          The Huskies are looking for their first win over a ranked team since 2015’s 28-19 win over No. 4/AA Lamar County, and will need to bow up on defense against a n offense racking up more than 450 yards a game. Kam Patterson, the head coach’s son, is off to a monster start to his career with 282.7 passing yards a game, almost as impressive as completing 67.6 percent of his passes. He’s adding 76 yards on the ground. Jazz Lamar leads a defense that held Dublin to 14 points at the Shamrock Bowl. This is the third straight tough game for Howard, after 7A Valdosta and 5A Perry, the margin of the loss to Perry – 41 – a surprise.

No. 5 Monroe Area, 4-0, at West Laurens, 1-2
          The longstanding reputation of dandy defenses at West Laurens will get a major challenge against a unit putting up 629.5 yards on the ground so far, 444 on the ground against a pretty good schedule of 6A and 5A teams. The Raiders are off a bit of a head-shaking loss 6-0 at then No. 12/AA Cook, the first shutout since 34-0 to Perry to end the 1-9 season in 2022. The team that had a monster back last year in Ty Cummings faces on in Cooper Shumate, getting 258.8 yards a game.

Upson-Lee, 0-3, at No. 3 Peach County, 3-0
          It’ll take an upset of epic proportions for Upson-Lee to avoid its first 0-4 start since 2022 and second since 2010. Peach County leads 5-3, a 21-20 loss in 2023 breaking a four-game win streak. The Knights have quite the task in slowing down Ashton Barton, who is at 161 yards a game on the ground, and Caiden Ivory, good for 165.7 yards through the air. The Trojans outscore opponents 49-22 through three games.

Westside, 2-1, at No. 10T Mary Persons, 2-1
          Will the new era at Westside lead to a change in a lack of success as an underdog? It’ll be hard against a healthier Mary Persons team that has done well in rebounding from a stunning loss to Jasper County. The Bulldogs get 412.3 yards a game on offense, led by Jordan Singleton’s 195 passing yards. CJ Banks is among the top football athletes in the area. Westside got past Southwest last week, but needs a big step in sharpness and some fundamentals. The Noles won’t get many presents from the Bulldogs.

Class 3A

Callaway, 1-2, at Southwest, 0-3 (Ed DeFore)
          The task grows tougher for the Patriots, facing one of the state’s top AA programs of the last 18 years, a span in which the Cavaliers’ worst record is 7-5 in 2014. Head coach Pete Wiggins’ team won the 2020 AA title and has reached six semifinals in his 21 seasons. He is 196-68 in 21-plus seasons, with 11 region titles. They were 1-2 last year and finished 8-5.

Central, 2-1, at No. 13 Lamar County, 2-1
          Not all records are the same. Central is off a 58-0 loss at GIAA Brookstone, which was winless. Lamar County had a week off after a quality upset of Class A power Bowdon. Lamar County is getting most of its 203.7 rushing yards from the trio of Jayden Doctor, Carson Howell, and Joshua McDade. Central isn’t updating stats on MaxPreps. This is the teams’ first meeting, coming in the region opener.

Rutland, 2-1, at Pike County, 1-2
          The Hurricanes gutted out a 12-6 over Wilkinson County, which is battling issues with the apparent resignation of head coach Mack McCord only a few games into the season. But a win is a win, and it gives them some momentum with the chance at another road win. Pike County also has a recent winless season – 2023 – on its resume, the Pirates’ last winning season coming in 2018. Both teams have solid running backs in Billy Roquemore for Rutland (84.3 ypg) and Keylan Yates for Pike County (100.3 ypg). Pike County has won six straight in the series – including 28-16 last year – for an 8-3 lead.

Class AA

No. 11T Dodge County, 1-2, at A Dooly County, 1-2
          Dodge County’s Kain Mincey is completing 57.4 percent of his passes – stats aren’t updated through all three games – for 215 yards, but only 2 touchdowns. Those numbers have a decent chance to improve against a defense that gave up 50 points to Crisp County. The Bobcats – 1-18 the past two seasons after three straight winning years - started the season being outscored 86-0 by Macon County and Crisp County. This is only the third meeting between the schools, separated only by Pulaski County.

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East Laurens, 0-3, at Metter, 0-4
          Metter hasn’t been 0-5 since 2012 (2-8),  while East Laurens hasn’t been 0-4 since 2022. The series is tied at 2, Metter winning 45-8 in 2015. The Falcons are getting only 182 yards a game on offense. Metter isn’t updating stats.

Jasper County, 1-2, at Glenn Hills, 2-1
          It’s been a struggle outside of the upset of undermanned Mary Persons, Jasper County having last week off after falling 35-7 to Bleckley County. Granted, all three opponents have been ranked in their respective classes at kickoff. Glenn Hills hasn’t won 3 games since going 4-6 in 2019, so the stronger program can’t take the confident hosts lightly. Jasper County’s Chance Ross averages 93.5 yards a game, and is ready for a breakout game, perhaps against a team that lost 12-6 in overtime last week to a struggling Class A team.

Putnam County, 3-0, at Laney, 1-2
          The War Eagles rolled over Oglethorpe County 31-0 last week, LB Bryson Brown leading the way with 5 solos, 3 assists, 2 TFLs, adding a 52-yard touchdown catch. That defense has given up only 8 points in 3 games, albeit against 3 teams that are 2-7. Laney is better, despite the first non-winning 3-game start since 2020’s 1-8 season. The Wildcats haven’t had a losing season since.

Class A

Hancock Central, 1-2, at Washington-Wilkes, 3-1
          Washington-Wilkes is rolling up nearly 360 yards a game in total offense, and it’s scored 130 more points than it’s given up. Hancock Central, which isn’t posting stats on MaxPreps, has been outscored 95-28.

No. 4 Macon County, 3-0, at Hawkinsville, 1-2
          Georgia commit Noah Parker is almost halfway to 1,000 yards, with 454 through three games after 179 last week, with 6 touchdowns. Hawkinsville has scored more points than it’s allowed, but hasn’t scored in the last three games against Macon County (2017, 2018, 2019), which is likely to change. Of course, the Bulldogs – led by Antwon Oliver – have given up only 14 points.

Wheeler County, 1-2, at No. 5 Taylor County, 3-0
          The Vikings go for their first 4-0 start 2002 aga​inst a team that’s beaten then 28-20 and 15-0 the last two years. Wheeler County averages 402.5 yards a game to 341.7 for Taylor County, off last week after thumping Manchester 41-14. The Bulldogs fell 48-14 to Johnson County.​ Leland Holder is good for 206.3 yards passing, completing 62.3 percent of his passes. â€‹ 

🏈🏈🏈GIAA🏈🏈🏈

GHSA A Crawford County, 0-3, at Tattnall Square, 2-3
          The Trojans good start hit a wall with stronger competition, but now they host the struggling Eagles. Crawford County has been outscored 143-25 and in a 7-team region that has five teams with a winning record, it’s primary goal is to avoid its first winless season since 2020 and seventh this century. Tattnall isn’t posting stats on MaxPreps.

FPD, 4-1, at Frederica, 1-4
          The Vikings are likely to keep rolling, on the road against a team off to its second 1-4 start in three seasons. Frederica, though, went 4-1 in 2024 in the second half of the season. But this year’s group has lost by 48, 35, and 43, the last one to a top-10 GHSA Class A team. FPD, which hasn’t updated stats on MaxPreps, has won its last two games by 29 and 34, and owns two shutouts this season. Jacorey Burke was big in last week’s 34-0 win at Pinewood with 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and two forced fumbles.

Edmund Burke, 4-0, at Mount de Sales, 5-0
          The Spartans and former Mount de Sales and Tattnall assistant Andy Woodard make up the best competition – by far – the Cavs will have faced in non-region play. Woodard, a Cavs assistant for a year under Keith Hatcher, has built one of AA’s top programs, winning state titles in 2023 and 2024. The Spartans are run-heavy while the Cavs are more balanced. This is the fourth time in 23-plus seasons under Robert Slocum that the Cavaliers have been 5-0, the last time coming in 2010.

Brookstone, 1-4, at John Milledge, 5-0
          The Cougars got going a little better than expected with last week’s 58-0 win over GHSA 3A Central. Last year’s 4A runner-up is making its debut against John Milledge, which has won nine straight at home, only one by single digits. Asa Wall caught 4 passes for 197 yards and 3 scores last week, and blocked a punt in last week’s 49-7 win over Loganville Christian. But the Trojans have weapons all over the place.

Westfield, 3-2, at Stratford, 3-1
          The Hornets are still looking for more consistent weapons to emerge on offense outside of QB Brock Johnson, a tough player good for nearly 200 yards passing to go with 53 yards rushing. He’s had a hand in 14 – as a passer or runner – o​f Westfield’s 17 touchdowns. Stratford’s defense, led by LB Aaron Jefferson, DB Sanford Horne, and LB Riland Jones, will look to deliver a message. The Eagles got a huge passing game from Tucker Johnston in last week’s 35-26 loss to GHSA Class A Whitefield Academy, but the run game managed only 55 yards. The is an old series, with Westfield holding a 20-17-1 advantage, although Stratford has won three straight.

Brentwood, 3-2, at GHSA A Lake Oconee, 4-0
          Both teams rack up some yards and points, Lake Oconee scoring 50, 40, and 40 in its last three games, Brentwood countering with 49, 42, and 48. The teams have split the first two meetings, the last two years, with Lake Oconee winning 35-34 followed by Brentwood’s 43-0 romp. This year’s version is likely to be closer than last year.

Riverside Prep, 2-3, at Gatewood, 1-3
          Former Jones County head coach Jeff Lee (26-27 from 1998-2002) makes a Central Georgia return while trying to build the Eagles’ program, one that has won 2 games or less 10 times since 2010. The Gators are more balanced, led by QB Bennett Haley’s 126.5 passing yards a game. Brady Haley is good for 10.5 tackles a game.

Windsor, 3-1, at Westminster, 0-4
          The Knights have a good chance to keep on rolling despite the winding road trip to Augusta, taking on another team new to the 11-man game. In this case, it’s the first year back since 2017. Like Windsor, it knows 8-man success, going 10-2 last year. The Knights are right at 300 yards a game offensively, behind RB Jaquan Lewis and Heath Woodard. Tackling machine Hunter McGreggor leads the defense with 10.5 stops a game, while Willis Odom has 12 tackles for loss.

 

Idle: Northside, Washington County, ACE Charter, Bleckley County, Dublin, GMC Prep, Twiggs County, Wilkinson County, Piedmont, Trinity Christian, Central Fellowship