By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com

Last week
18-12, 60 percent
For the season
48-21, 69.57 percent
Within 7 of the spread
2 out of 31; Season: 10 of 70, 12.5 percent; Perfect spread: ACE by 3, won 20-17

Maximum spread to use is 39 points; Rankings are from Georgia HS Football Daily’s composite polls

Well, that was a brutal week of predictions.

And right after a sporty week of predictions.

Maaaan, you can’t trust teen agers to do anything right.

Some misses are more annoying than others, partly from being wrong and partly because of what the spread ended up being.

Also known as “how dang wrong” the pick was like. Like Rutland over Westside (lost by x-x), Lamar County by 11 (lost by 17), Mary Persons over Jasper County (lost by x), Pinewood over Mount de Sales (lost by x).

And being within seven only twice shows you it was a pretty squirrelly week in Central Georgia.

CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE

Recently

🏈 Roundup: Bleckley County pops West Laurens, Peach County dominates, Central breaks streak, Warner Robins rallies; weather disrupts the night

🏈 Scouting Reports

🏈 Maxwell Predictions

🏈 Who’s going to win this week’s games?

🏈 Central Georgians earn preseason all-state honors, some more than one

🏈 Who are the top players back in Central Georgia? Check out the area’s returning GHSA all-region performers

🏈 Preseason Maxwell computer ratings and Georgia High School Football daily polls, and Central Georgia’s place in each

🏈 Who are the longevity leaders in Central Georgia high school football coaching?

🏈 GIAA football, opening-week report: Commentary, 5 questions and answers, players to watch, playoff analysis

🏈 GIAA: Who might end the season at Georgia Southern?

🏈 Remember, it’s a new collection of classifications and regions for GHSA and GIAA

This week is more likely to be a rerun of last week. There are another dozen games where teams that are double-digit favorites can get knocked off.

Let us hope that doesn’t happen. Much;

Games of note

No. 7/5A Warner Robins, 2-0, at Northside, 1-1
The coin was flipped 15 times on this one. Northside has been mostly competitive during the 9-game skid, with five losses by two scores or less. Neither team is overly sharp just yet, but there’s a feeling. The question: Will both sides of the stadium be full?
TSR pick: Northside by 4 (Upset special)

No. 6/5A Jefferson, 1-1, at No. 4/4A Peach County, 2-0
Oh goodness, one of the best showdowns at Peach County in a long, long time. Perry has been a ranked higher-class opponent, but this is different. Head coach Travis Noland is 235-100 for his career, 46-11 at Jefferson. Huge game for both teams.
TSR pick: Peach County by 7

No. 2T/A Bowdon, 1-1, at AA Lamar County, 1-1

It’s something of a new era at Bowdon, led by former Lamar County head coach Jamie Abrams (assisted by ex-Washington County head coach and Dublin assistant Joel Ingram). How does Lamar County rebound from last week? Improvement is more important than the spread.
TSR pick: Bowdon by 14

4A Baldwin, 2-0, at No. 3/AA Dublin, 2-0
Short and sweet, Dublin wins its third straight game this season over a bigger-class team. If Baldwin has issues with fundamentals and penalties, this will be a thumping. If not, a good game.
TSR pick: Dublin by 17

No. 15/AA Jasper County, 1-1 at No. 4/AA Bleckley County, 2-0
The question here is Jasper County, and is it the team – minus a key body – that was thumped by Dublin or the team that severely humbled Mary Persons? Bleckley County has no questions. Late score adds to the spread.
TSR pick: Bleckley County by 16

Bulloch, 3-0, at John Milledge, 3-0
Well, goodness, here’s a Friday night where something more than humidity will inspire some sweating on the John Millledge side. Bulloch’s comeback against Brentwood is notable, even though JMA thumped Brentwood. Confidence and the slight chance of overconfidence. Very slight chance.
TSR pick: John Milledge by 18

The Schedule

GHSA

Class 6A
5A Jones County, 0-2, at No. 8/6A Houston County, 1-0
TSR pick: Houston County by 28

Class 5A
4A Howard, 1-1, at Perry, 0-2
TSR pick: Perry by 14 (Upset watch)

Class 4A
No. 9/3A Rockmart, 1-1, at No. 11T Mary Persons, 1-1
TSR pick: Rockmart by 4 (Upset watch)

5A Winder-Barrow, 1-1, at Upson-Lee, 0-2
TSR pick: Upson-Lee by 5

Class AA
3A Southwest, 0-1, at ACE, 2-0
TSR pick: ACE by 24

A Washington County, 0-2, at East Laurens, 0-2
TSR pick: East Laurens by 3

4A West Laurens, 0-1, at No. 6T Dodge County, 1-0
TSR pick: West Laurens by 2

Class A
Hawkinsville, 1-1, at Schley County, 1-1
TSR pick: Schley County by 13

AA Jefferson County, 1-1 at Wilkinson County, 0-2
TSR pick: Jefferson County by 2

Lake Oconee, 2-0, at Crawford County, 0-2
TSR pick: Lake Oconee by 13

McIntosh County Academy, 0-2, at GMC Prep, 1-0
TSR pick: McIntosh County Academy by 30

Taylor County, 2-0, at Manchester, 1-1
TSR pick: Taylor County by 2

GIAA
Brookstone, 0-3, at Stratford, 2-0
TSR pick: Stratford by 24

George Walton, 0-2 at FPD, 2-1
TSR pick: FPD by 12

GHSA A Twiggs County, 1-1, at Mount de Sales, 3-0
TSR pick: Mount de Sales by 4 (Upset watch)

Tattnall Square, 2-1, at Athens Christian, 1-2
TSR pick: Tattnall by 7

Southwest Georgia, 2-0, at Westfield, 2-1
TSR pick: Westfield by 10

GAPPS Creekside Christian, 0-2, at CFCA, 0-3
TSR pick: CFCA by 9

Robert Toombs, 0-2, at Brentwood, 1-2
TSR pick: Brentwood by 23

Trinity Christian, 1-2, at Augusta Prep, 1-2
TSR pick: Trinity Christian by 5